LABELLE — Welcome to the March 2024 Hendry-Glades Audubon program series! The seventh program of the season will be a presentation by Frederick Hubbard about the Environmental Awareness Academy at the Dallas Townsend Agricultural Extension Office located at 1085 Pratt Blvd. in Labelle on Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

Frederick Hubbard received his BS in Environmental Horticulture and MS in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida. He began his career as an environmental supervisor with the Florida Department of Agriculture before transitioning to the school system. Fred spent 10 years dedicating his time and knowledge to his students where he taught fifth grade math and science as well as serving as the Science Department Chairman.

Over 15 years doubling as a horticulturist and servicing as the first executive director of Patch of Heaven Sanctuary (POHS), he co-built all the forest, garden, and wetland areas with Roberto Del Cid. In 2019, he co-created the Environmental Awareness Academy (EAA) with Linda Freeman (GEN2050) at POHS in response to a need to provide educational opportunities for under-resourced, under-served immigrant youth that became POHS’s workforce during a rigorous land reforestation project at Patch of Heaven Sanctuary. In 2023, Fred transitioned to executive director of the Environmental Awareness Academy, Inc to focus on EAA’s mission to empower youth around the world to become more resilient and self-sufficient through environmental education.

EAA provides intensive, hands-on, outdoor science education, alongside classroom courses, with the goal of creating pathways to secondary education, college education, entrepreneurship, and economic stability for under-served, under-resourced youth. Fred resides in South Florida with his family.

For information about Hendry Glades Audubon email: Steve Buczynski at stephenbuczynski@gmail.com or Margaret England at hgaudubon@gmail.com.