South Dade playgrounds will get more shade trees and pollinator gardens after Miami-Dade County's Department of Environmental Resources Management received a $150,000 grant from TD to expand the Million Trees Miami initiative.
The grant, announced by the county on Aug. 11, advances Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's Urban Forestry Plan, which aims to cover 30% of Miami-Dade in tree canopy by 2030. Part of the money will fund "growing green" playgrounds with shade trees planted over play areas, butterfly gardens and habitat for pollinators in county parks.
The rest pays for free community tree giveaways at TD store locations. According to South Dade Spotlight, the closest event for Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay residents is Friday, Nov. 6, at 2495 NE 8th St. in Homestead, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Two other giveaways are scheduled: Sept. 4 at 801 W. 49th St. in Hialeah and Jan. 15, 2027, which is Florida Arbor Day, at 7400 SW 40th St. in Miami.
DERM Director Loren Parra said the grant will help the county reach new areas, distribute more trees to residents and bring shade to streets and playgrounds. She called the TD funding an example of private partnerships advancing the county's canopy goals.
The funding flows through Neat Streets Miami-Dade County, the same multi-jurisdictional board behind Million Trees Miami that helped Cutler Bay plant 149 native canopy trees at Lakes by the Bay Park. That two-phase project, completed in 2024 with a $33,735 GREEN Matching Grant, was one of the town's largest canopy additions in recent years.
"This project represents the very best of what happens when community vision, County partnerships, and Town leadership come together," Cutler Bay Mayor Tim Meerbott said in September 2025 when the town announced the hardwood hammock completion.
The county's broader Adopt-a-Tree program has distributed more than 250,000 free trees to residents since 2001. Eligible single-family and duplex homeowners can receive up to two free trees per year.
No registration details have been released for the Nov. 6 giveaway.
Upcoming community dates:
- Sept. 4: Free tree giveaway, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., 801 W. 49th St., Hialeah
- Nov. 6: Free tree giveaway, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., 2495 NE 8th St., Homestead
- Jan. 15, 2027: Florida Arbor Day giveaway, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., 7400 SW 40th St., Miami
