In 1977, Jack Parker asked students in his Environmental Science class to work on various campus environmental projects. Two of the students, Diane Stoll and M. Rapaport proposed the development of an environmental preserve on the campus. Professor Parker, the Director of the Environmental Studies Program and Assistant Director of the FIU-FAU Joint Center for Environmental and Urban Problems, adopted the project and integrated the Stoll/Rapaport plan with several other student ideas. The initial project focused on the establishment of a native hardwood hammock on the south end of the preserve.

Over the next year, several students, faculty and staff worked to implement that idea. This included Jack Parker, Mary Ann Ogden, student and research associate of the FIU-FAU Joint Center, Charlie Henington, Supervisor of Grounds, and Donn Ashley, Director of the Physical Plant. Financial support for the establishment of the hardwood hammock was received from The FAU-FIU Joint Center and FIU's Student Government Association. Frank Smathers donated 18 very large native shade trees and Joyce Gann, owner of the Tropical Greenery Nursery, donated many other native trees and shrubs.

Although some areas covered with the invasive exotics were cleared with bulldozers, other areas needed to be hand-cleared to preserve the native plants. Over many Saturday workdays, students in the FIU Environmental Action Group worked with environmental faculty and the FIU physical plant to survey and mark the plants and then hand-pulled the inappropriate non-native ones.

In addition to the hammock, a French intensive gardening area was installed on the southwest corner by Anthropology professors Jerry Brown and Judith Hoch-Smith, working with several classes.

In October 1977 FIU Executive Vice President Joseph Olander announced that the University had set aside seven acres just east of the soccer and baseball fields for this "Environmental Preserve and Education Area". He stated that "this will serve as official notice that President Crosby has approved the wildlife, flora, and fauna restoration area" As stated by Professor Jack Parker, the initial plan was for the preserve to be "a multipurpose area which can be used for ecological research and study by various disciplines, and for relaxation by students, staff and faculty". In addition to the hardwood hammock and gardening area, the future preserve would include a "cypress swamp/aquatic area, a pine/palmetto/grassland area, a picnic area, a nature path and a jogging trail".

Dedication Ceremony

The dedication of the preserve was carried out May 3, 1978 as a component of Dade County's celebration of "Sun Day", an Earthday-type national celebration of the coming of a solar energy revolution. Dade County Commissioner Harvey Ruvin and Dade County School Board Chairman Phyllis Miller presented proclamations recognizing "Sun Day". Just before sunset, FIU Executive Vice President Joseph Olander formally dedicated the preserve by declaring that " I utilize the authority vested in me by President Harold Crosby and the Florida Board of Regents to dedicate officially the Florida International University Environmental Preserve and Education Area and commemorate it to the use of FIU students, faculty and staff, as well as the citizens we serve". Then the commemorative sign on the south end of the preserve was unveiled. Exactly at sunset, well-known modern dance performer Poldi Orlando and her dance troupe led the several hundred people in the audience in a special "sun dance" she created for the occasion.

In June 1978, Executive Vice President Olander set up a steering committee for the Environmental Preserve which included several environmental faculty, physical plant staff and some prominent members of the local community. After several years of low activity, the committee, spearheaded by Professor David Lee, was reconstituted in the mid 1980's. During the next six years, thousands of student volunteer hours were contributed to the maintenance and development of the preserve. These efforts, led by several environmental /biological faculty, were coordinated by an FIU Campus Environmental Intern who was annually selected to receive an award from the FIU Sanchez Environmental Internship Fund.

The Environmental Preserve Committee established that the "primary purposes of the Preserve are
1. The preservation of the native fauna and flora present in the preserve,
2. The establishment of diverse ecological communities
3. The promotion of learning about South Florida's natural heritage, and
4. The promotion of scientific research on the native flora and their ecology."

The committee also established rules for the environmentally-sound maintenance of the preserve. Also they recommended that several priority projects be carried out. Over the next 6 years, many projects were carried out including:

• With the help of Charlie Hennington, a chickee was constructed at the northwest edge of the hardwood hammock and adjacent to the large Australian pines.
• A butterfly garden was designed and planted next to the chickee area by Campus Environmental Intern, Eddie De Aragon (in consultation with several campus ecologist, particularly Professor Tom Pliske)
• A guided nature trail and a guidebook were designed by prominent local environmental educator Mabel Miller (in consultation with Professors Lee and Parker). The trail, including signage was funded by FIU's SGA and implemented by the environmental student group, staff from Physical Facilities and several faculty members. In 1989, the trail was finished and a ribbon-cutting was carried out by FIU President Mitch Madique, followed by a celebration picnic.
• In April 1990, the preserve was the site of a major celebration of Earthday. This included a major planting to extend the hardwood hammock to the southwestern corner of the preserve. It included fundraising for the Children's' Rainforest Project through a plant-a-thon, a picnic and a concert in the preserve by a faculty singing group.

In August 1992, the preserve, particularly the hardwood hammock area and the nature trail, were severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew. This led to several years of low activity in the management and development of the Preserve. In addition, the university misplaced the trust funds used to fund the Campus Environmental Internship so there was no longer a key coordinator of volunteer efforts for preserve management.
In the late 1980's and early 1990's several factors led to a decline in preserve maintenance and development:

1. In the late 1980's, the FIU Administration converted the Environmental Preserve Committee into the FIU Landscape Committee.
2. University assistance in the development and maintenance of the Preserve virtually disappeared with the departure of Carol Bailey.
3. The university misplaced the trust funds used to fund the Campus Environmental Internship so there was no longer a key coordinator of volunteer efforts for preserve management.
4. In August 1992, the preserve--particularly the hardwood hammock area and the nature trail--was severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew.
5. In the mid 1990's, the chickee was vandalized and burned.

In the summer of 1998, the FIU Administration proposed the building of several fraternity houses in the preserve and asked several faculty to discuss this. On July 15, Jack Parker re-established an ad hoc Environmental Preserve and Education Area to negotiate changes to the boundaries of the preserve with the university administration. After extensive discussions, the university proposed a building plan that would have destroyed the southern area of the preserve. The faculty rejected this so the university decided to build the fraternity houses on the east side of the campus. In following years the FIU administration continued to suggest using the northern portion of the Preserve as a building site but found alternate sites each time. In 2002 the Faculty Senate established a standing Committee to look after the Preserve.