In honor of Earth Day this month, a restoration effort led by local eco-artist Xavier Cortada is calling on residents to plant a native tree in their yards to reduce the greenhouse gases that cause global climate change.
Cortada’s restoration effort, the Native Flags project, addresses deforestation by asking participants to restore native habitats for plants and animals in urban areas by planting a tree next to a green flag at home for neighbors to do the same.
Courtesy of Xavier Cortada
Seagrape
Seagrape planted by a green flag
If you’re not sure how to celebrate Earth Day, why not plant a tree? You can help regrow South Florida’s native tree canopy by ordering a Native Flags package at https://www.cortada.com/product-category/native-flags/ and have it delivered to your home. There are a variety of options, ranging from $10 for a 1 gallon native tree to $35 for a 3 gallon tree with an accompanying flag and flagpole. Native trees for sale include firebrush (which typically grows 10 to 12 feet), seagrape (20 to 30 feet tall) and gumbo limbo (30 to 50 feet).
Last year, the annual Native Flags project took a pause due to the pandemic, but it is back to promote a sustainable way to a healthier environment for us and generations to come.
Cortada initiated this project in 2008 when he planted a green flag at the North Pole in an effort to make a symbolic gesture against climate change and engage people globally to plant trees native to their area. Each Earth Day since, students at every Miami-Dade County Public School have planted a native tree and performed a flag-posting ceremony on school grounds as part of Cortada’s project.