Better Universe and Citizens

The Haiti Grass Project is achieving great things🌿🍃🌱 Read below!

- We have reduced soil erosion, a key problem that has contributed to a poor economy in Haiti.

- Stabilized the soil and decreased the frequency of mudslides which escalate the death toll during hurricanes.

- Provided natural habitats to native insects, birds, and land animals.

- Protected marine ecosystems by lessening the amount of silt and soil in bodies of water.

- Increased the positive media representations of Haiti’s land and ecosystem.

- Helped educate schools on the importance of planting grass and protecting the environment.

Better Universe and Citizens extends a huge thank you to the Rotary Club of McLean, who has provided a grant of $5000 towards the Haiti Grass Project. The grant will assist the project in planting deep-rooted and drought-tolerant perennial grasses. These efforts are crucial in addressing soil erosion and promoting environmental sustainability. Read more here:

https://www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org/blog-impact/mclean-rotary-grant

Real stories, real results. Click through to read some testimonials 🌎

Thank you to everyone who has joined us on this journey to reduce soil erosion and plant grass in Haiti!

Together we are making a difference 🤝🌱

Check out these pictures of the schools that are helping us plant grass and reduce soil erosion!

Schools in Haiti are incorporating conservation in their curriculum including the planting of grass to reduce soil erosion. We are proud to report that the Better Universe and Citizen’s Haiti Grass Project has the largest network of schools in Haiti planting grasses to reduce soil erosion!

We will be sharing pictures from different schools.

Please stay tuned! 🌱🌎

Introducing our lovely interns and volunteers. Thank you so much for the time you have all dedicated towards the Haiti Grass Project🌳💚 We appreciate you so much!

Our Special thanks to Delta Nu Zeta at Florida State University and Beef O Bradys Tallahassee for the fundraiser towards our efforts to reduce soil erosion in Haiti for a prosperous economy.

JOIN US tomorrow, April 16th Beef O Bradys Tallahassee location ! Starting at 7pm, we will be raising money for our Haiti Grass Project with the help of Delta Nu Zeta at Florida State University. There will be fun trivia, raffles, and more surprises!🤭🏆 You don’t want to miss this!

Make sure to mention DELTA NU ZETA to allow 15% of proceeds to go towards reducing soil erosion in Haiti🌳

We had an amazing time celebrating Tallahassee’s 56th Annual Festival! Thank you to everyone who joined us during the parade as well as the booth.
Let’s continue to spread the word of our mission to end catastrophic soil erosion in Haiti!🪴🇭🇹
Thank you Strickland for all your hard work and dedication!

JOIN US on April 16th Beef O Bradys Tallahassee location ! Starting at 7pm, we will be raising money for our Haiti Grass Project with the help of Delta Nu Zeta at Florida State University . There will be fun trivia, raffles, and more surprises!🤭🏆 You don’t want to miss this!

Make sure to mention DELTA NU ZETA to allow 15% of proceeds to go towards reducing soil erosion in Haiti🌳

Special thanks to Andrea Strickland, Campbell Walker, Rachel Faulmann and Sara Smith for manning our booth at the Tallahassee History Festival. A key historical aspect, Soil erosion in Haiti started as way back as the 17th century when the French cut down trees for fuel, lumber and furniture and without reforestation. Now in our seventh year, communities in Haiti are making good progress on land reclamation through the planting of deep-rooted grasses and trees. The second picture is Elephant grass planted to stabilize sloping land in Haiti. For details visit our website https://www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org

Better Universe and Citizens (BUC) Welcomes Mike Zang

Better Universe and Citizens would like to formally welcome Mike Zang to the Haiti Grass Project (HGP) team. Zang has been serving HGP since March of 2022, assisting in outreach and communications, strategizing project resources and planning, and working to deepen relationships between HGP and FSU students and faculty in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Moving forward, Zang will serve as HGP’s coordinator bringing with him a decade of work experience with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Student Conservation Association, Tall Timbers Land Conservancy (TTLC), and the Urban Ecology Center (UEC). His interest and expertise spans outdoor environmental education, land stewardship, habitat restoration, organic farming, permaculture design, and community development.

Zang is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at Florida State University. Christopher Weider, BUC Board member, exclaims, “Zang’s extensive experience and knowledge on environmental issues makes him a valuable asset toward the Haiti Grass Project cause.” When asked about the significance of HGP’s work, Zang said: “Being able to work with HGP has been an honor and privilege. This project focuses on ecological restoration in Haiti in a way that empowers villages and communities from the ground-up, literally. This grassroot approach recognizes the significance and efficacy of small-scale, community-based education and training in the context of broader crises like climate change, biodiversity loss, and food systems.”

For more details on the Haiti Grass Project, please visit our website at www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org
Contact us at [email protected]

Better Universe and Citizens extends a big thank you to Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club, who has provided a grant of $3000 towards the Haiti Grass Project. This donation will go towards training local communities in sustainable best practices, bringing awareness, and planting heat-tolerant grasses. Read more about their grant here: https://www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org/blog-impact/sanibel-captiva-3000

Florida State University Kappa Alpha Theta sorority members recently raised $636 to support the Haiti Grass Project! Thank you to Andrea Strickland, the sorority's service director, for leading this fundraiser and to Dr. Bryant Harden for providing insight into the FSU Center for Global Engagement CGE Program. Read more about their outstanding contributions by visiting https://www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org/news

Better Universe and Citizens is excited to begin working with Father Patrick Verdiue, the priest for St. Joseph Church in Carcasse, to expand the grass planting to the Southern part of Haiti! This new project aims to establish several grass nurseries in Carcasse and includes environmental education initiatives for St. Joseph students.

Read the full article on our website: https://www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org/blog-impact/verdieu-nurseries

Meet the amazing team of intern Project Specialists that are sustaining Better Universe and Citizens’ conservation efforts this summer: Sophie Vega, Marissa Goss, Kelyn O’Dell, and Sofia Gasbarro! 🌾 CLICK HERE to learn more about what they do and their positive contributions to the community: https://www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org/blog-impact/summer-interns

We are so thankful for the work they do for the community in Haiti.

The Haiti Grass Project Receives a Grant from the McLean Rotary Club!

Better Universe and Citizens is proud to announce that we have received a grant from the Rotary Club of McLean, Virginia to establish grass nurseries in schools in the northern part of Haiti. The grass nurseries will be established in 2023 and the grass will be transplanted to eroded areas in 2024. This project is in partnership with St. Mary's Catholic Church & Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Barnesville, Md, St Joseph's church in Haiti, and the University of Jeremie in Haiti.

Click here to read the full article on our website: https://www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org/news

Click here to read the full article on our Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/haiti-grass-project-receives-grant-from-rotary

It’s World Ocean Day! Did you know that caring for our land can actually help the ocean too? When we plant perennial grass, we protect marine life by reducing soil erosion and runoff.

Better Universe and Citizens We promote environmental conservation practices and education awareness

Thanks to those who worked hard to prepare for the Springtime Tallahassee Parade and those who marched in the grand parade. We had so much fun! We got round of applause along the entire route! We are committed to reducing soil erosion in Haiti. Help spread the message. For details and to support the cause visit https://www.betteruniverseandcitizens.org or Better Universe and Citizens.

Visit us at the Tallahassee Science Festival on October 21, 2022. Learn more about the environmental work communities are doing in Haiti.

Tawainga Katsvairo was honored to meet Rotary International (RI) President for 2024-2025, Stephanie Urchick. She reminded us that the trees Rotarians planted during RI President Ian Riseley (2017-2018) contributed towards reducing soil erosion. Rotarians do great humanitarian work worldwide.

Join us at the Florida State University campus for a presentation on the Haiti Grass Program on Tuesday, September 13, 7:00 – 8:00 PM. The Environmental Service Program at FSU hosts the presentation.

The University of Reading Video demonstrates the work Better Universe and Citizens is doing in Haiti. Barren and compacted soil impedes the movement of water into the ground in Haiti. Hurricanes and floods cause dangerous floods.
In the video, the water did not get into the ground (infiltrate into the ground) even after hours on the dryland. In the case of Haiti, this water that fails to infiltrate into the ground rushes to the ocean carrying the agricultural-rich topsoil and polluting fisheries and corals. Because rainwater is not infiltrating into the ground, the water table retracts lower, limiting the availability of groundwater for boreholes. Saltwater is being reported in parts of Haiti, filling the aquifers that would normally be occupied by fresh underground water.
Planting grasses and vegetation reduce floods and mudslides during hurricanes, protects marine life, and ensures the availability of underground water for drinking purposes.
https://lnkd.in/e3fTKxR4

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Why heavy rain might be dangerous after drought Taken at the of Reading Harris garden, finding 3 different areas of grass with different amounts of watering. It demonstrates the problem that pa...

The sobering reality of the situation in Haiti!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/08/06/haiti-violence-international-community-response/

Opinion | As Haiti sinks into pandemonium, the international community is silent The Western hemisphere's poorest country is seized by gang violence and a humanitarian meltdown. The world's callous disregard is an affront to decency.