Beetles, thrips & trail building: Beetle Release and Trail Marking Day

Published on March 11, 2026

Get ready for a morning of bugs, boots and community stewardship. Residents, neighbors and nature lovers are invited to join the City of Port St. Lucie for a hands‑on conservation event as we help transform a 2.4‑acre green space in the Whispering Pines neighborhood. Join us Saturday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Bonus: This is an excellent opportunity for the media to capture great action shots!

The event will feature the official release of beneficial biological control agents, specialized air potato beetles and Brazilian pepper thrips, led by Dr. Carey Minteer and her team from the Minteer Biological Control of Weeds Lab. These beetles help manage invasive plants naturally, offering an eco‑friendly alternative to chemical treatment. Volunteers also will shape new walking paths using natural and recycled materials to form a rustic, low‑impact nature trail. There also will be a community cleanup to refresh and restore the space.

Where: City‑owned green space inside Whispering Pines (SW Hiawatha Street, SW Homeland Road and SW Lovell Terrace)

This volunteer event is part of Naturally PSL Conservation Corps' pilot project to foster environmental stewardship, supported by the Trust for Public Land's On Common Ground Program. Over the past several months, neighbors have actively shaped the future of this space through ideation sessions, green‑space planning and hands‑on volunteer work.

Earlier this year, 36 volunteers and two goats teamed up with City staff and the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences experts to remove 425 pounds of litter and 33 pounds of invasive seedlings, pushing this restoration project forward in a big way.

Residents will play an active role in enhancing this green space through the Love Your Block program, powered by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins. The Love Your Block mini‑grant cycle for the Whispering Pines neighborhood is now open, and residents interested in improving the green space are encouraged to apply at CityofPSL.com/LoveYourBlock.

To learn how to volunteer or become a sponsor, visit CityofPSL.com/NaturallyPSL.