Boca Raton, FL — This past weekend, local youth came together with passion and purpose to clean up Red Reef Park’s beautiful beach and dive into an eco-educational adventure at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. Their mission: to protect coastal habitats, learn about local wildlife, and discover why every plant and animal plays a crucial role in keeping South Florida’s environment thriving.

Cleaning Up Red Reef: Protecting Our Beaches

Bright and early, teens and young volunteers gathered at Red Reef Park, armed with buckets, picking tools, and determination. Their goal? To remove litter and debris from the sand and shoreline, ensuring animals like seabirds, crabs, and sea turtles have a clean and safe home.

As they picked up trash, the young conservationists reflected on how animals depend on their habitat:

• Food like fruits, leaves, or small sea creatures.
• Water from rain, wet leaves, or the ocean.
• Shelter among dunes, trees, or burrows.

By cleaning up the beach, they weren’t just removing an eyesore, they were protecting a delicate balance of life.

Exploring Gumbo Limbo: Learning About Coastal Habitats

After the cleanup, the group headed to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center for an unforgettable eco tour. Led by nature guides, they explored several unique habitats:

• Coastal Dunes: where gopher tortoises dig burrows that shelter over 350 species during storms or fires.
• Tropical Hardwood Hammock: a “shady place” where gumbo limbo trees can regrow from fallen branches and wild coffee berries feed birds.
• Butterfly Garden: where bees and butterflies sip nectar and pollinate plants that grow the fruits and veggies we eat.

At each stop, the youth eagerly answered quiz questions, learning how animals like birds, bugs, lizards, and even spiders depend on these natural spaces.

Up Close with Marine Life

In the aquariums, students met:

• Lefty, a 30-year-old Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle with a damaged flipper, and
• Morgan, a 25-year-old green sea turtle who carries a weight on her shell after a boat strike left her buoyant.

They learned about mangrove nurseries that shelter baby fish, nearshore reefs where stingrays camouflage, and coral reefs that provide both food and shelter for countless marine creatures.

They were amazed to discover corals aren’t plants or rocks, they’re living animals!

A Lesson in Conservation and Hope

Perhaps the most eye-opening moment came when students learned about sea turtles: with climate change heating up the sand, more female hatchlings (nicknamed “hot chicks”) are born than males. This sparked conversations about climate, conservation, and the real-world impact of human activity.

Why Does It Matter?

Every action counts: from picking up a bottle cap at Red Reef to learning about pollinators at Gumbo Limbo. These young volunteers proved that with education and teamwork, they can help protect Florida’s incredible ecosystems for future generations.

This beach cleanup and eco tour wasn’t just a day of service, it was a step toward building a community of informed, empowered environmental stewards ready to make a difference.