Emerge Miami

Yesterday, Love The Everglades Movement hosted the Love Your Mother Everglades Clean-Up 2024 with great success! We had about 30+ people join us as individuals and families as well as supportive businesses! BIG THANKS to World Of Smoke & V**e for sponsoring and participating with some hands-on action! BIG THANKS to Treeman Tony for getting involved with another truck and helping to haul out the debris! SPECIAL BIG THANKS to the Miccosukee Casino & Resort for the meeting space and use of the dumpsters! As we keep doing these clean-ups more regularly, we continue to develop a stronger group of supporters and build connections with each other. We went to a place called Everglades River Walk - this is an area that we have been working on for a while - and even though we see some progress on protection with some more barriers, there is still an abundance of illegal dumping happening there. Ideally this area will be open for people to enjoy while blocking access to those who dump their trucks.

Much of the trash was generated by some scummy businesses who are cutting corners and dumping construction materials. There were numerous tires in and out of the water - hauling them out of the water was a mission, but some determined volunteers jumped in and strapped them up so we could use the larger trucks to pull them out! We had enough people and trucks to cover a good portion of the Everglades River Walk - although if we had a larger group with some more tucks, we could have cleared more space, but the effort showed a distinctive difference with the before and after! We hauled out 3 packed trucks and filled a few other vehicles with some of the lighter bags and informed the South Florida Water Management District so they can come by and pick up the rest of the collected trash. We are currently looking at dates for the next Everglades Clean-up - potentially in July, so stay tuned!

As we finished unloading the debris and were about to leave, we were treated to a spectacular purple tinged sunset as the Sun graced the horizon and faded west! Wonderful timing!

Photo credit - Emilio Lerdo de Tejada - BIG THANKS!!

Trash items collected

plastic and glass bottles
aluminum cans
plastic and metal bottle caps
broken glass pieces
Styrofoam cups, containers and ice coolers
plastic and paper bags
plastic straps
dirty diapers
rags
work gloves
fishing line
cigarette butts
v**e pens
fiberglass insulation panels
cardboard
snack bags
bullet and fireworks casings
bed headboard
appliance pieces
metal roof pieces
wood panels & support pieces
plexiglass panels
wire pieces
roof tile nails, fasteners and scrap pieces
metal, plastic and wood scraps
air conditioner duct pieces
containers with chemicals and questionable liquids
nylon rope
30 tires and tire pieces
chunk of a car

Removed about 2,500 lbs with another 4,000 lbs ready for pick up

Sat, May 11, Love The Everglades Movement hosts the Love Your Mother Everglades Clean-Up 2024 - sponsored by World Of Smoke & V**e - meeting at the Miccosukee Casino & Resort at 3:00 pm! We are looking for people with trucks to help haul out more trash! This is a group project - even if you can’t attend, please spread the word! Contributions are needed to help cover costs - donations are tax deductible! Join the adventure and make a difference!
http://www.zeffy.com/.../39e8da0c-9ae3-4ded-8fce...
www.facebook.com/events/1480175006041848

Radical

Flash

They call me radical,
but my focus is actual,
intentions are not casual,
with purposes practical,
sharpened on the factual,
because results are tangible,
slacking suggests a gamble,
when the role is survival,
sourcing for sustainable,
vibing with the viable,
reaching for reliable,
connecting with the capable,
because failure is unacceptable,
the world is fragile,
people are not disposable,
value is broader than financial,
recognizing ripples of capital,
when patterns are historical,
calculations may be technical,
but the strain is palpable,
nature may be malleable,
yet our capacity isn’t as flexible,
summon our society global,
tune in with eco-systems local,
group kinetics are shapable,
when relations are respectable,
humor is essential,
because we are all fatally fallible,
better not to be gullible,
when the truth is treated so tensile,
views lost in divisions political,
smokescreens theatrical.
I look at policies communal,
boosting standards social,
current dynamics are direful,
a populous suffering painful,
the imbalance is hierarchal,
established by the aristocratical,
endowed with control maniacal,
layered divinely subliminal,
subjected with a mentality colonial,
supremacy extractable,
labor degraded generational,
barely with pay menial,
honoring enrichments immoral,
stilted with structure unstable,
growth projected economical,
yet the gains are not universal,
the cost is undeniable,
but the status quo is unshakable,
insulation unbreakable,
sacrificing those deemed suitable.
Now realize a fresh way is possible,
create the new normal,
shifting from corporate commercial,
to a regional needs model,
build with networks personal,
expand organizational,
utilize your dollars’ collateral,
choices are consequential,
honest voices are influential,
call out practices detrimental,
yet before being too judgmental,
check perspectives sentimental,
look to uplift instrumental,
shape a chorus multi-dimensional,
accept challenges questionable,
yet envision solutions solvable,
interact individual and intelligible,
impressions vary unpredictable,
risk with humanity sensible,
engage with options expandable,
each day is an opportunity achievable,
to live a dream believable,
as simple as riding a bicycle,
plant a tree, vine or vegetable,
unite with the natural,
weave in elements of a skeptical spiritual,
hold your ego reflective humble,
but shine like an amorphous puzzle,
so appreciate the moments subtle,
before succumbing to your last breath final.

art credit - Mark Henson - Lost Horizon - 2021