2025: A Year of Regeneration

As the year comes to a close and we begin the final chapter of 2025, it has been incredible to reflect on the impact MAR has made across Tampa Bay’s environments and communities. From native tree plantings to coastal cleanups to healing-centered gatherings, this year has been one of regenerating both ecosystems and the human spirit at full speed!

TREE: Restoring the Landscape, One Native Plant at a Time

This year, MAR’s TREE efforts expanded across Tampa Bay, strengthening native ecosystems through community-powered restoration. We began at Lower Green Swamp Nature Preserve in Plant City in January with our largest planting event to date: more than 150 volunteers joined us and Jabil Cares Foundation to plant 1,000 Longleaf Pines and over 200 native plants. In February, Phase 2 continued the restoration of this critical pine flatwoods ecosystem with 43 additional longleaf pines, helping rebuild wildlife habitat and hydrological resilience.

Our work continued in March in Clearwater, where MAR partnered with Pinellas County to plant 220 trees and native plants at Roosevelt Wetland Pond, where we later returned with volunteers in August to add 30 more trees and shrubs. 

April was a busy month! In Tampa, our partnership with Sila Realty Trust brought over 450 native plants and three tree dedications into the USF Botanical Gardens, enhancing pollinator habitat and biodiversity. We also worked alongside Accenture’s at Sirmons Lake Park to plant 38 Slash Pines and Bald Cypresses, helping restore storm-impacted shoreline ecosystems. In St. Petersburg, our collaboration with the Warehouse Arts District Association added 17 trees and 7 bamboo to their creative campus, expanding green infrastructure in an important cultural hub. 

Along the Pinellas Trail, our long-term habitat initiative continued through Phase 3 in May, adding new Slash Pine and Mulberry plantings that bring shade, wildlife habitat, and ecological resilience to this much-loved urban corridor. 

Beyond plantings, our “Ask an Arborist: Hurricane Preparedness” workshop in September equipped participants with practical tools for protecting trees, landscapes, and homes during storm season. And at Folly Farm Nature Preserve, volunteers removed an incredible 5,136 pounds of invasive species over three Saturday mornings, clearing the way for future native restoration. We also closed the year with a meaningful bald cypress tree planting event at MacDill 48 Park in Tampa, in collaboration with the Muslim Volunteer Program.

BLUE: Protecting Our Shores and Celebrating Our Seas

MAR’s BLUE initiatives mobilized volunteers to care for our coastlines and deepen their connection to the ocean. In April, volunteers joined MAR and St. Petersburg Poet Laureate Gloria Muñoz for a Fort De Soto beach cleanup that removed 33.51 pounds of debris and concluded with a moving poetry reading. For World Oceans Day in June, we partnered with The Grounded Nomad Co. for a morning of yoga, mindfulness, and shoreline cleanup, removing 41.01 pounds of litter while celebrating the link between personal wellness and planetary wellness.

In September, MAR partnered with Coastal Cruises for our second International Coastal Cleanup at Shell Key, where volunteers removed 743 pieces of debris weighing 71.9 pounds across 2.25 miles of shoreline. This effort connected our local community to a global movement powered by hundreds of thousands of volunteers worldwide. Each BLUE event brought us closer to cleaner, healthier coastlines and reaffirmed the powerful impact of collective stewardship.

SOL: Healing From Within, In Partnership With Nature

This year, our SOL initiative focused on creating restorative spaces for individual and community well-being. In the spring, MAR partnered with certified Forest Therapy Guide Donna Mansbert to host a three-part Forest Therapy series across Boyd Hill, Lake Seminole, and Folly Farm. These guided experiences invited participants to slow down, connect with their senses, reflect through journaling and group sharing, and close each session with a calming tea ceremony. Supported by decades of research on the healing effects of nature, the series embodied SOL’s mission: nurturing personal renewal while deepening our relationship with the natural world.

We also hosted Restore and Renew in November, a half-day wellness retreat at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve centered on yoga, nature exploration, healing food, and a restorative sound journey. Designed as a donation-based, accessible experience, the retreat reminded participants that wellness and connection to nature should never be a luxury. Together, SOL events offered sanctuary, reflection, and healing—renewing the energy needed to care for the planet.

CORE EVENTS: Community, Connection, and Education

Beyond our TREE, BLUE, and SOL initiatives, MAR hosted several core community programs that invited people of all ages to learn, connect, and celebrate regeneration.

Our annual Earth Day Block Party transformed the Pinellas Trail into a vibrant celebration of environmental action, featuring local food vendors, artists, musicians, and sustainability-focused organizations. Free and open to all, the Block Party reflected our belief that regeneration begins with community—and that climate action can be joyful, creative, and accessible.

Our Books and Beyond program deepened this commitment to education and youth empowerment. In partnership with The Competitive Readers Coalition and One Community Grocery Co-Op, MAR donated books each series and brought learning to life through storytelling, hands-on activities, and immersive outdoor experiences.

The Ocean Series introduced students to marine science through themed books and a boat trip to Shell Key, featuring a shark science demonstration by Jasmine from Minorities in Shark Science (MISS).
The Roots Series explored gardening, food forests, and the power of growing food through hands-on projects at Deuces Live Food Forest.
The Outdoors Series culminated in an unforgettable overnight camping trip at Boyd Hill—complete with nature walks, journaling, archery, s’mores, and stargazing.

These events reminded us that regeneration begins with our youngest stewards, fueled by curiosity, imagination, and connection to the natural world.

Thank you to all of our volunteers, partners, and donors who have helped us bring MAR’s mission to life this year. We are deeply grateful for everything we accomplished together in 2025 and we cannot wait for what lies ahead in 2026 as we continue regenerating Tampa Bay together.