Discover Venice 2023-2024
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1512151
Beautifying Venice is a fashion statement Staff Report O ne day during season while shopping on West Venice Avenue, you might step out of a store and notice a group of men and women in the wide median, wearing lime green T-shirts. If you ask any shop owner what's up, more than likely, they will tell you those folks are volunteers on Venice Area Beautification Inc.'s Venice In Bloom Team, one of a handful of groups of volunteers who work hard to maintain Venice's natural beauty. If you pull out your iPhone and look up "VABI," you'll find more information at VABI.org. You also can call and learn the organization has been recognized for its efforts. VABI is a 33-year-old non-profit organization composed of several volunteer-supported committees or teams. Its volunteer participation varies throughout the year, depending on the season, ranging from 50 to 150 members. Some folks on the Venice In Bloom Team are creating hanging baskets, some are watering them. Others are pruning or weeding. All appear to be enjoying themselves. The team takes care of flowers and flower pots downtown (Tampa Avenue, Venice Avenue and Miami Avenue) and in a couple of places off Venice Island. In October of last year, just days after Hurricane Ian came through, the city learned it won an award for its efforts to beautify downtown, in large part due to VABI's work. (America in Bloom judges visited in April 2022.) But you also find out that there is more than one team, and more than one color of T-shirts. The Keep Venice Beautiful Team is the bright, yellow-shirted volunteers who clear debris, weed and also plant, mostly in the public beach access areas and numerous public parks throughout the Venice area. Volunteers working in the Monty Andrews Arboretum are called the Monty Andrews Arboretum Crew. They wear orange work shirts and often are seen weeding and trimming the trees in this 4.5-acre portion of West Blalock Park. Another group is the Public Art Committee, which funds many of the beautiful murals that adorn exterior walls downtown and elsewhere. (They don't have a designated T-shirt.) Urban Foresters wear light aqua work shirts and are installing a 1.75-mile- long urban forest along the east bank of the Intracoastal Waterway, south of the Historic Venice Train Depot. "For critters and people" is the motto that the Urban Forest team uses. While city parks are groomed to be pretty and calming, this is a forest, not intended to be a place to go for a picnic. VABI exists on donations and grants, not city funds. Most of the grants that VABI applies for these days are for the Urban Forest. The Urban Forest project is in the final stage. After completing your meal and waving to Venice In Bloom Team members, you go to the VABI office under the north bridge to fill out applications and waivers. Which team might you join? The VABI office, also considered to be located behind Venice Theatre, is open year round, but only three days a week (Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays). For more information, call 941- 207-8224. PHOTO BY TOM O'NEILL VABI volunteer Ken Altreuter, from the KVB Team ("Keep Venice Beautiful"), carries trimmings along the Venetian Waterway Park trail on Thursday, Oct. 5. 12 Discover Venice