Through Girl Scout stewardship, the property will be a restored, more climate-change-resilient habitat. While the site is located in the City of Coral Gables, it serves girls and community members from across every zip code in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties — hosting thousands of visitors and campers each year.
“This robust, multi-phase rehabilitation project will breathe new life into an endangered native hardwood hammock habitat, providing for both climate resilience and serving as a living laboratory for Girl Scouts and our entire community to experience habitat restoration in real time,” said Chelsea Wilkerson, CEO, GSTF.
Additional benefits of this project include:
- Reversing three-quarters of a century’s decline of native hardwood hammock
- Attracting vital pollinators to the local ecosystem
- Helping avoid and reverse areas that are vulnerable to or experiencing beehive collapse and colony collapse
- Advancing agricultural enhancement in Coral Gables and adjacent areas
“I am thrilled that Miami’s Girl Scouts took the initiative to identify a critical need in our community to restore and protect our natural habitats,” said Rep. Salazar. “I am proud to have secured funding for this special project — one that protects Miami’s beautiful ecosystems and empowers our next generation of leaders!”
During Phase 1 of this project with support from the Coral Gables Community Foundation, Coral Gables Garden Club and Miami-Dade County, volunteers restored approximately two acres of Mahachee’s front entry area — clearing of invasive vine; planting of 1,200 native hardwood trees; addition of a butterfly garden; water and electrical access establishment through installation of a well, pump, and electrical panel, the first significant upgrades since the camp’s purchase in 1945.
Camp Mahachee was purchased in 1945 and dedicated in 1948. It has a 75-year history of getting girls outdoors, connecting them with the environment, and providing them a safe place to learn about nature. Research shows that the more time girls spend outdoors, the stronger their confidence and challenge seeking over the course of their lifetimes.
