Natural Areas Management

The Natural Areas Management Division (NAM) of the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department is responsible for the restoration and management of over 45 nature preserves and the on-the-ground maintenance of over 80 nature preserves, totaling more than 26,000 acres of land. Our primary responsibility is to control invasive species to help preserve our native habitats, which are surrounded by an urban and agricultural landscape from which exotic plants easily escape and invade our natural areas. Our crews have thirty years’ experience maintaining and restoring south Florida's delicate upland and wetland habitats. NAM provides natural resources management services as well as scientific and environmental expertise to various county, state and federal agencies.

Miami-Dade County’s natural areas are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. Many of these species are unique to south Florida, and some are found nowhere else in the world. NAM’s mini ecomodels are 3-D replicas of four natural habitats, which can all be found within a Miami-Dade County park near you.

Thank you for scanning the QRCode on the NAM mini ecomodel display. Please find the interpretive translations for each mini ecomodel in the links below.

Pine Rockland
English
Spanish
Creole

Mangrove Forest
English
Spanish
Creole

Coastal Dunes
English
Spanish
Creole

Tropical Harwood Hammock
English
Spanish
Creole
Mission: To restore, protect and manage Miami-Dade County's natural environment through conservation, resource management, environmental partnerships, and community outreach and to preserve these areas for present and future generations.

History

In 1991 the Parks Department established the Natural Areas Management Division to initiate active management of the natural areas under its jurisdiction. The groundwork for the program was funded by an Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation grant which allowed Miami-Dade Parks, The Nature Conservancy, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to form a conservation partnership.

Today, over 26,000 acres of native habitats occur on over 125 sites in Miami-Dade's nature preserve system, including globally-endangered pine rocklands, hammocks, scrub, wetlands, and coastal dunes. Less than 1% of Miami-Dade County's original 185,000 acres

of forest remain, making these remnant forests and wetlands particularly important and sensitive resources. The diversity of plant species found within the County's preserves is incredible; more than 60 species are found nowhere else in the world. These natural areas also provide food and shelter resources to native wildlife and serve as critical resting and feeding areas for migrating birds. Miami-Dade's natural areas are also focal points for environmental education, nature study, wildlife observation and other passive recreation activities.

Unfortunately, South Florida's hospitable environment has also favored the colonization of many invasive, non-native plant species. Over the last century, humans have introduced hundreds of plants from all parts of the world to south Florida. Most have caused no significant problems but some have become invasive, causing negative impacts by competing with native species for limited resources such as space, light and nutrients. With few or no natural enemies to control their growth, some highly invasive species such as Australian pine, Brazilian pepper, melaleuca, and air potato vine are capable of completely displacing native habitats.
Natural Areas Management forms integral partnerships with different agencies, conservation organizations, schools, and other entities to maximize natural resource management and protection for south Florida's native habitats and species, including: