Calling all Miami Hurricanes for our annual ’Canes Day of Service!

Join fellow alumni, families, students, faculty, and friends of the University in this community service project, in partnership with Virginia Key Outdoor Center and the Office of Government and Community Relations, as we help improve the quality of our beaches and protect our marine life. Volunteers can participate in the shoreline or coastal cleanup, and then attend an interactive Lunch & Learn, hosted by the Miami 'Canes Community, to learn about the impactful efforts of coral reef restoration from Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) researchers.

A donation of $10 per adult, 18 years and older, will support Protecting our Resources Fund, research effots in marine conservation that will accelerate our understanding of our natural resources and their sustainable exploitation. (Childern under the age of 18 are free.) 

Volunteer Opportunities

Group A: Shoreline Cleanup: 9:00-12:00PM - Volunteers will collect detrimental plastics and debris along the shoreline. 

Group B: Coastal Cleanup: 9:00-12:00PM - Volunteers will collect detrimental plastics and debris from the water via kayak or paddleboard. (*Participants must be teens or adults. **There is a limited amount of kayak/paddleboard rentals available. Upon confirmation of this volunteer option, the registration confirmation email will provide the link to kayak/paddleboard rentals via Virginia Key Outdoor Center for an additional fee. 

Lunch & Learn: 12:00-1:00PM - Conversation with RSMAS graduate student and senior research associate to learn more about coral reef restoration research. (Light Lunch will be provided.)

• Liv Williamson, 5^th Year Ph.D. candidate and member of UM’s Coral Reef Futures Lab, shares about building coastal resilience in the face of climate change and other human impacts. Her research focuses on coral reproduction and early life stages with the hopes of informing reef restoration efforts in Florida and beyond.
• Dalton Hesley, (MPS, '15, MSED, '21) senior research associate in UM's Coral Restoration Lab and program manager of Rescue a Reef, shares about restoring the future of corals reefs. His research focuses on coral gardening, reef restoration, and citizen science as tools to rebuild and conserve our coral reefs.

Partnering with

          Virginia Key Outdoor Center

Sponsored by

          Amerant Bank & University of Miami Citizens Board

All in-person events will be hosted in accordance with the latest CDC guidelines, local government regulations, and/or University guidelines, all subject to change due to the COVID pandemic.