We had the good fortune of connecting with Urban Paradise Guild Sam Van Leer & Jackeline Bonilla and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Urban Paradise Guild, what principle do you value most?
The future safety of Miami matters most. Why: because it would suck if Miami drowned.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being first is never easy, and we knew that it would be especially hard in a city as environmentally regressive as Miami can be. Finally, enough people are awake to the threat.

Since 2008, UPG has mobilized the community to fight. UPG has been led solely by volunteers and their tenacious spirit for change. What some consider impossible, UPG makes possible. What was missing was funding. Today we continue to ask if the powers that be are finally ready to invest in those who fight?

We transform habitat for wildlife, foodscapes, transit for people, and cleaner water for us all.

We create Urban Paradise in our quest to protect South Florida from Climate Crisis.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
UPG habitat projects sites, of course! To name a few:

Oleta River State Park: 7,000 Mangroves along the ICW, 2.5 acres of maritime hammocks planted, and thousands of trees and shrubs.

Virginia Key: The dunes restoration at historic Virginia Key Land Trust (1,000 yards along Bear Cut).

Matheson Hammock: Thousands of invasive trees removed near Fairchild Garden.

Amelia Earhart County Park: Shade for mountain bike trail ” Sandbowl”. Pineland pollination corridor by school house.

Arch Creek East Preserve: Two acres of habitat restored with shade for the pedestrian corridor.

When visitors think of South Florida they forget that the beach is the ecosystem and the waters are the ecosystem, and if environmentalists had not been protecting them they would no longer exist for us.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To UPG’s thousands of amazing volunteers, Team Leaders and Interns since 2008.

Website: www.urbanparadiseguild.org

Instagram: @urbanparadiseguild

Twitter: @urbanparadise

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/urbanparadiseguild

Youtube: Urban Paradise Guild

Image Credits
Photography by Heks Fx.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.