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 A message from
Kids Ecology Corps CEO, Joan Starr
Kids Ecology Corps, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, has touched the lives of well over 100,000 youngsters since 1998. Our mission is "to inspire young people and their families to make environmental action part of everyday life."
I was appointed to the KEC Board of Directors in 2000. I accepted the position of CEO in 2012. It has been gratifying to see the dynamic outcome of our educational and eco-action programming these past two years.
Our work has flourished because of the personal and financial commitment of Founder Leonard Solomon and generosity of other individuals, families, corporations, foundations, federal, state and local governments.
We hope this newsletter will provide you with an update on some of the wonderful work we've been doing and inspire you to be stewards of this work by donating to KEC today and giving the gift of environmental education. Your donation will allow us to continue the great programming we've already developed, such as our "Butterfly, Moths and Their Habitat" Program, and expand to create more free to the community Eco-Action and Ecology programming that parents and their children alike can enjoy. Your 2013 contribution is tax deductible.
With the help of our many supporters, 2013 has been a banner year for Kids Ecology Corps.
Our special thanks to:
Barbara Grayson & Family, Citrix, Jim Dezell & the Flamingo Road Nursery, The Community Foundation of Broward, The Edward T Bedford Foundation, The Peter Fass Family, The Royal Bank of Canada, The Walmart Corporation, Susan Lanier & Two Men and a Truck, the United States Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry, the South Florida Coral Reef Initiative, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The City of Fort Lauderdale and the Snyder Park staff, The Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and Hands on Broward, a non-profit volunteer coordinating organization and last but not least, the 750 volunteers who have generously donated their time and talent to Kids Ecology Corps in 2013.
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It is always with deep appreciation when we acknowledge the vision, scope of work, and dedication of Founders Daisy Miller and Leonard Solomon. They were the environmental mavericks of their time. It is with profound sadness that we note the passing of Daisy in 2001 and Leonard in 2012. Their legacy lives on through the good work of Kids Ecology Corps.
In 1998, Daisy and Leonard founded Kids Ecology Corps, a Partners in Action initiative. It appeared it would be up to another generation to deal with the environmental mess grown-ups were creating. Kids needed to take action and identify harmful environmental practices and try to restore a naturally healthy environment. Their concern for the state of the global environment created Kids Ecology Corps-supporting their mission to make environmental action part of everyday life. This was at a time when there was little to no environmental concern, nor public and private information available to counteract poor environmental practices.
A big job for little kids? You bet, but Daisy and Leonard didn't think so. Personally visiting school after school in communities across the Southern region of the United States to spread the word. They set out to reach hundreds of kids of all ages to make them aware of the environmental perils facing their future and to empower them with the many ways to take action to protect and try to repair the world in which they lived. Parents and teachers enthusiastically supported the effort. Once convinced that the kids were eager to learn and take action, Kids Ecology Corps was born.
We continue offering Kids Ecology Corps programming at nominal cost or free of charge to our community as we have since 1998. With continued financial support from private and public partners like you, we will continue to make that happen.
Take a look at our 2014 menu of programs below and click on the "Donate Now" button to see our giving opportunities. No amount is too small. Every dollar donated is greatly appreciated. You can be assured that your financial contribution will be invested in providing top notch educational/eco-action programs to children and their families right here in South Florida. Your donation to Kids Ecology Corps is a 2013 charitable tax donation.
For more information on individual, corporate and private sponsorship opportunities and program details, please contact me at 561.866.6757 or joanstarr@kidsecologycorps.org.
Thank you for your interest in Kids Ecology Corps and other organizations that work to keep us green and safe.
Come out and visit us at Snyder Park and take a walk through our beautiful Butterfly Garden any day between 7am - 7 pm!
In advance of the approaching Holiday Season, I wish you peace, love and good times always!
Happy Thanksgiving! Keep greening, you're doing a great job!
Joan Starr, CEO
Kids Ecology Corps
Kids Ecology Corps is an approved 501 (c)(3), nonprofit organization. Therefore, your generous donation, at any level, is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Because everyone's tax situation is unique, we suggest you contact your accountant/CPA for an understanding of the full tax deductibility of your contribution.
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KIDS ECOLOGY CORPS IS GROWING
AND WE NEED YOUR HELP!
2014 PROGRAMS
Butterflies, Moths and their Habitat
at Snyder Park
The program has been a huge success! We would like to continue with this 2013 May to December program. Jim Dezell and Flamingo Road Nursery donated a beautiful Butterfly Garden to Snyder Park as part of the program. Parents and children bonded, as together they learned about the anatomy of butterflies and moths and their habitat - the plants they love to eat and how they reproduce. When this program ends in December, well over 300 kids and parents will have benefited from this interactive learning experience.
Click here to see the Butterfly Garden Grand Opening Celebration!
We would like to continue this very popular program free to the public program through 2014 and are seeking financial support to make that happen!
(A Tax Deductible Donation)
It takes a village to inspire and educate our kids. Please continue to support and take advantage of programs offered by community organizations such as Hands On Broward and Broward County's Naturescape.
Watershed to the Reef: Fort Lauderdale Beach Clean-Up & Scavenger Hunt
Developed in partnership with the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and their Beach Council, this all new educational/eco-action program will be launched during the first quarter of 2014.
We are offering customized sponsorship opportunities to bring this free to the community traveling program to other locations throughout the tri-county area. We offer this as a community based branding opportunity.
Watershed to the Reef: Tri-County Teacher Training Program
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Coral Reef Initiative are partnering with KEC to design and facilitate a Teacher Training Program to provide South Florida teachers and students with state of the art digital, multi-media and traditional classroom curriculum, materials and program activities. Walmart and the Bedford Foundation have provided funding for the design, development and delivery of the program.
We are seeking additional sponsorship to bring the free program to teachers and their students throughout Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties and beyond. This program will ultimately serve thousands of kids and will help make Daisy and Leonard's vision of educating "every child" a dream come true!
(A Tax Deductible Donation) Snyder Park Field Trips for Home Schoolers and other Community Groups! In 2014 Kids Ecology Corp will become a mid-week field trip destination and educational center using 92 acre Snyder Park and the Citrix Urban Forest in the park as their learning laboratory. For those kids in the group who are unable to be there, Citrix will provide their live-streaming "Go to Meeting" technology to include them in the educational experience. We wish to make this an ongoing nominal cost program for home schoolers and other community groups. We will need on-going financial support from individual and community sponsors to make this possible. |
Sponsorship Opportunities
Kids Ecology Corps offers an array of sponsorship opportunities for corporate and private partners. Everything from brand recognition via logo placements to employee incentives in the form of participation in KEC organized events and programs. There are sponsorship levels available beginning as low as $1000. Click on the donate now button to see the various levels of sponsorship opportunity. We can also customize a unique package of benefits for you!
(A Tax Deductible Donation)
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Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale's ArtServe /Library Building since 1990, Kids Ecology Corps now has a new home! We are thrilled about the move to Snyder Park, our satellite office for the past 6 years.
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Susan Lanier & Two Men and a Truck
Susan generously provided moving services free of charge. "Our mantra," said Susan Lanier, "is about helping non-profits. We know their dollars are stretched and we like to help whenever we can."
Our new address: Kids Ecology Corps, Snyder Park, 3299 SW 4th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. Our phone number remains the same, 954.524.0366.
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Flamingo Road Nursery Donates a Butterfly Garden to Snyder Park
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City of Fort Lauderdale
Celebrates The Grand Opening!
Flamingo Road Nursery owner Jim Dezell, donated the funds and built a spectacular new Butterfly Garden in Snyder Park. Pictured above, Jim and "Butterfly Lady" Jodi designed the garden.
On Saturday, September 14th, the Hon. Mayor Jack Seiler, City of Fort Lauderdale and Parks and Recreation officials, Jim Denzel of Flamingo Road Nursery and other community leaders were present at the Grand Opening of the new Butterfly Garden at Snyder Park.
Registration for the December 14th Butterfly Program is still open. Click here to register! |
WALMART SUPPORTS KEC AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP!
Walmart first began promoting environmental stewardship with Kids Ecology Corps in 2010 when they granted the funds to support a three year KEC initiative to provide classroom education for 30,000 South Florida tri-county students.
In 2014, Walmart once again takes the lead in funding Kids Ecology Corps Environmental Stewardship programming. Through a recently created partnership between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and KEC, to design, produce and facilitate a new Walmart will fund a KEC initiative to design, deliver and facilitate a "The Watershed to the Reef" project program.
The program will provide South Florida teachers and their students with state of the art digital, multi-media and traditional curriculum, materials and program activities to promote an understanding of the inter-relationship between the Watershed and our fragile South Florida coral reefs.
The Edward T. Bedford Foundation provided the funding to initiate this program in 2012.
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CITRIX GLOBAL DAY OF IMPACT AT SNYDER PARK
On July 12th, a team
of over twenty CitrixGlobal Day of Impact volunteer employees returned to continue their work in Citrix Urban Forest at Snyder Park, a 2013 Global Day of Impact initiative to revitalize Snyder Park.
...and another Global Citrix Day
of Impact on August 22nd
Good job!
Thank you Brian and Kunle!
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Citrix and Kids Ecology Corps Celebrated Earth Day!
 On April 25th, over three hundred and fifty kids and their Citrix employed parents celebrated Earth Day with KEC's Board President Sally Oken, Educator Lisa Combs and CEO, Joan Starr. Also on hand were KEC photographer Bruce Starr and volunteer Aaron Bethencourt. Everyone took home a KEC bio-degradable, recycled newspaper planter to be set in a sunny place in their own backyard. Creative Day of Recycled Newspaper Hat Making KEC was in charge of collecting and setting up tables of recycled decorative ornaments and recycled colorful materials of all kinds. Each child was measured for a hat that was just the right size for them. The kids then used their creativity and imagination to create their amazing hat! |
Jo Moskowitz and Joan Starr |
Sincerely,
Kids Ecology Corps Staff
kec@kidsecologycorps.org
954-524-0366
BECAUSE PARTNERS IN ACTION/KIDS ECOLOGY CORPS IS A 501(c)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS DEDUCTIBLE AS A CHARITABLE GIFT. UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, NO GOODS AND/OR SERVICES WERE PROVIDED TO YOU BY KIDS ECOLOGY CORPS IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL FREE 1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
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KEC Founders
Daisy Miller
Leonard Solomon
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KEC Board of Directors
Sally Oken - President
Lou Fisher
KEC Staff
Lisa Combs
Curriculum Writer and Program Presenter,
MA edu., Master Gardener
and Habitat Steward
My favorite part of the Butterflies, Moths and Their Habitat program has been seeing the adult family members share and take part in the process of nurturing a new generation of environmental stewards. Congratulations to the season's class of Lepidopterists and thanks for volunteering!"
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Art Constantino
Butterfly Consultant and Program Presenter, Master Gardener, Habitat Steward, Broward County Butterfly Chapter of N.A.B.A.
The experience the kids have making terrariums and planting plants will encourage them to "think green" and perhaps a few will become future Master Gardeners and Habitat Stewards.
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Bruce Starr
Photographer/Videograpoher
and Editor, Social Media Correspondant
First as a volunteer and now as a staff member, my awareness and appreciation of the environment has jumped dramatically. When more kids learn about nature, they will become more respectful of their community and their fellow man.
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Lindsey Nieratka
Program Presenter
Biologist, Environmental Scientist
Lindsey is a Biologist and Environmental Scientist and Program Manager at Snyder Park. The importance of educating future generations about the environment now seems even more important to me after the birth of my son Tymon this year.
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2013 HIGHLIGHTS
Preparing their plants to take home
Spotting a caterpillar
 Coming prepared to work at any age.
Kenia, age 9
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This young lady is taking her planter home with her.
Learning how to make terrariums
These volunteers are not laying down on the job
Ready to return home to start building their own butterfly garden.
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Butterfly Garden Before
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Butterfly Garden After
Jim Dezell's hard work and generosity made the Butterfly Garden possible!
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Volunteers cleaning up the park
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Dedicated Citrix volunteers also like to have fun!
Every Citrix volunteer came
ready to work
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Citrix Earth Day Celebration
Parade of Hats
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