Deering Estate and Sea Turtle Conservation Program Receive Sea Turtle Grants for Mobile Education Units

Miami-Dade County’s Deering Estate and Sea Turtle Conservation Program (STCP) part of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (PROS) are proud to announce that a $16,000 Conservation and $17,000 Education grant have been awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. The funding has been used to purchase two custom-wrapped cargo trailers that will serve as mobile education units, significantly enhancing outreach and conservation education across the county.

These trailers—one for each program—are now fully outfitted to store and transport educational materials for school visits, community outreach, and public events. The grants support the expansion of conservation programming, particularly targeting Title I schools and underserved communities in Miami-Dade.

“This funding allows us to take marine science and sea turtle conservation lessons directly to the community,” said Madison Janney Conservation and Learning Program Manager at Deering Estate. “With our new mobile unit, we’ve already reached over 1,000 students with interactive sea turtle lessons designed to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.”

Deering Estate’s mobile education trailer will support its Marine Conservation Science and Policy curriculum, while STCP’s trailer will help store nesting monitoring equipment. Each program is using the trailer to carry immersive teaching tools like model sea turtle nests, measuring equipment, and life-size sea turtle replicas.

“The new trailers allow us to be flexible, responsive, and inclusive—bringing high-quality environmental education beyond our nature centers and into neighborhoods across Miami-Dade,” added Christopher Bumpus, Chief of Conservation for PROS.

The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded by proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle Specialty License Plate. Since its inception, the program has awarded more than $8 million to support sea turtle research, conservation, and education efforts throughout Florida.

About Deering Estate
Deering Estate, located at 16701 SW 72 Ave. in Miami, is a 21st Century house museum, cultural and ecological field station, and a national landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, owned by the State of Florida and managed by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. Deering Estate is designated as one of seven Miami-Dade County “Heritage Parks” which have a vital role in our community’s history, environment and in providing recreational and cultural experiences.

About the Sea Turtle Conservation Program
Established in 1980, the Miami-Dade Sea Turtle Conservation Program monitors 19 miles of beach for sea turtle nesting and hatchlings, while leading extensive public education and outreach efforts to protect these iconic marine species.

About Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces:
Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is among the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of more than 290 parks and 40,000+ acres of parks and natural areas, comprised of active, passive parklands and nature preserves. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world and focused on placemaking, health and fitness, and conservation and stewardship.

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