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Located on a 1,500-acre preserve two miles north of Matanzas, students in the program use what they learn in the classroom to give tours to visitors and school groups about the land's history, trails or ecosystems. Free tours were given on April 27 to commemorate Earth Day by "showing the public what's in their own backyard and why they should care," [Hala Laquidara] said.
"We want to show the public the diversity of the Princess Place Preserve," she said. "The county doesn't have enough money to do inventory ... but they don't know what they're preserving, so we felt that we act as a steward of the land since the park houses us."
"The kids have been amazing," said [Patricia Reonas], adding that she tries to guide the students to think about things like placing the trees in places that won't obstruct views. "Originally the irrigation lines had been cut, there were weed-eaters; ... (but) now the trees are back up to being healthy."