Chirp! is an immersive, educational initiative designed to spark a lifelong love for the environment in youth from underserved and marginalized South Florida communities. Nurturing curious young minds with the wonders of birds and nature helps develop a meaningful connection to our region’s native flora and fauna, empowering future stewards of our natural world.
CULTIVATE EDUCATE EMPOWER
The free Chirp! Program cultivates environmental literacy by engaging youth ages 5 to 12 in hands-on educational activities. Topics include: Introduction to Birding, Native Plants and their Pollinators, Bird Adaptations, Bird Migration, Environmental Stewardship, and Climate Change.
Tropical Audubon Society’s wooded campus provides an enchanting setting for students to immerse themselves in a green oasis in the heart of High Pines, just east of downtown South Miami. Participants can wander the nature trails that thread Tropical Hardwood Hammock and Pine Rockland demonstration forests where birds flit and forage in the leafy canopy. They can try their hand at field sketching; explore pollinator gardens that attract and support the birds, bees, butterflies, bats and beetles who feed our planet; and play interactive, lesson-driven bird physiology games.
Following program completion, each participant is presented with a certificate of achievement, recognizing them for their curiosity about and commitment to our South Florida ecosystems.
Coordinated by TAS Education Director DJ Mlodozeniec, Chirp! is offered on the second Saturday of September through May (except February and December). Contact DJ at daniel@tropicalaudubon.org to schedule your group's visit (program offering dates can be flexible).
Chirp! is supported in part by our founding benefactor, the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation.
Program DETAILS
WHO: For underserved local youth ages 5 to 12. Open to Community Groups of up to 50 attendees. Chaperones are required.
WHAT: Free, 3-hour Environmental Education Program
WHEN: Second Saturday, September through May, except February and December (flexible)
WHERE: Tropical Audubon Society, 5530 Sunset Drive, Miami FL 33143 (Transportation funding available!) A modified Chirp! program can be brought to your group!
WHY: Spark a lifelong love for the environment in youth from underserved and marginalized South Florida communities.
For more information about curriculum, scheduling options, or off-site programming, contact DJ Mlodozeniec: daniel@tropicalaudubon.org
Meet Chirp! Coordinator Daniel John “DJ” Mlodozeniec
Daniel John Mlodozeniec joined Tropical Audubon Society in March 2025 as Education Director. The Western New York native brings with him an impressive expertise in environmental education, from directing summer nature camps, community science projects, afterschool STEM classes, and programs for youth and adults. He especially enjoys leading bird-themed programs, most notably “owl prowls.”
In addition to his considerable work experience in WNY, Daniel, who goes by “DJ,” enjoyed a stint at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia as an Environmental Education Coordinator, designing and leading programs to attract visitors to the refuge, and teach them about swamp ecology. He also helped promote the Okefenokee Swamp as a potential UNESCO World Heritage Site.
DJ was introduced to the Everglades as part of his studies at the University at Buffalo, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies. He immediately fell in love with the River of Grass and would thereafter return to South Florida regularly to deepen his understanding of the Everglades.
He’s now pouring his passion for South Florida’s unique ecosystems into his environmental education role, and strongly believes that by connecting locals to their natural world, he’s fostering a sense of care, curiosity, and belonging, which in turn may inspire conservation advocacy.
In his free time, DJ enjoys camping, canoeing, fishing, wildlife photography and anything that involves outdoor adventure.
Banner Photos: (right to left) Painted Bunting by David McGowen; Child holding plant courtesy of Canva; Atala Butterfly in Coontie by Colin Knight.