Ybor City

Green Team

Tampa's Green Team

About Us

Tampa's Green Team is an environmental stewardship program in partnership with AmeriCorps and Volunteer Florida that addresses many of the city's sustainability and resiliency goals. Some of what you'll find the Green Team doing is litter removal, tree plantings and maintenance, establishing community gardens, invasive species removal, park beautification, community education, youth engagement and more! Each member of the team is passionate about creating a healthy environment for future generations.

Volunteer Florida
AmericCorp Florida

Program Highlights

Since launching in 2023, Tampa’s Green Team has:

  • Removed over 66,000 lb. of trash within city limits and from the Hillsborough River
  • Planted over 1,620 trees in City of Tampa parks
  • Removed over 6,570 lb. of invasive plant species from various parks
  • Planted over 18,740 plants in various gardens around Tampa parks and communities
  • Educated over 5,770 of Tampa’s community about environmental stewardship and sustainable practices
  • Provided critical sustainability trainings, infrastructure tours and professional development to 36 AmeriCorps members, including accredited certifications such as: CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), UF/IFAS Florida Friendly Landscaping Professional, and the Coalition of Community Gardens Urban Agriculture Specialist.
  • Other Program Impacts: staff Emergency Response initiatives (sand bag distribution, community resource pop-up activations, and storm debris removal), help establish community gardens at numerous Hillsborough County schools and City of Tampa community centers, and tabled at or supported countless community events and partner-led environmental initiatives for organizations such as: Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Tampa Bay Watch, and the Coalition of Community Gardens.

We're Back and We're Hiring!

City of Tampa AmeriCorps Environmental Stewardship Program: Tampa’s Green Team

The City of Tampa has partnered again with Volunteer Florida and AmeriCorps to continue to offer the first city-sponsored environmental stewardship program in the State of Florida!

The City of Tampa will be accepting applications for a 5th cohort of members to serve as AmeriCorps Members alongside City of Tampa staff, in an effort to make our local community and earth a better place!

 

DEADLINE: 2026-2027Applications will go live on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 and will be accepted until Monday, July 6 at 11:59 PM.

 

Accepted members will serve in full-time or part-time roles from August 17, 2026 – July 31, 2027. Full-time members are required to serve a minimum of 1,700 hours and part-time members are required to serve a minimum of 1,200 hours. Scheduling is flexible, 7 days a week, but Tuesdays are mandatory full-days for all members. 

Members will serve with a variety of City of Tampa departments including Tampa Parks & Recreation, the office of Sustainability & Resiliency, Community Engagement, Solid Waste, Water and Wastewater in addition to numerous partnering non-profits to help make the community and earth a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable place to work, live and play.

 Join Tampa’s Green Team!

2026-2027 Application: City of Tampa AmeriCorps Environmental Stewardship Program

Applications for the AmeriCorps Green Team 2026-2027 cohort will be available Tuesday, May 19 - Monday, July 6 at 11:59pm.

What you should be interested in:

Planting and Maintaining Trees
Gardening
Reducing Marine Litter Debris
Environmental Education
Sustainability & Resilience Issues
Being Part of a Team & Making a Difference

What you will receive: (Full Time)

Monthly living stipend of $2,125 over the 52 week period
$6,850 Educational Award upon successful completion of service year*
Federal Student Loan Forbearance
Professional Development
Health Care Coverage
Lots of Exercise Outdoors

* Not limited to degree-seeking educational experience. May be used for Outdoor Bound and National Outdoor Leadership Schools (NOLS).

What the Green Team members have to say about their experience:

“Not everyone has the privilege or knowledge to engage in sustainability practices. Being part of a team that makes that more accessible for Tampa communities makes me really proud.” 

Anaís Diaz-Young

“Every bottle you pick up matters. Every tree you plant matters. It’s been moving to witness how consistent, small acts of service are the backbone of change.”

Andrea Rengifo

Achievements

Some of the main goals the Green Team has worked on are increasing Tampa’s tree canopy, clearing marine debris and litter, clearing storm drains, and spreading awareness through community outreach programs and events. All those actions, and more, fall under the umbrella of environmental stewardship and support the Green Team’s goal of working toward a more sustainable city!

Tampa was once referred to as “The world’s biggest tree city” due to trees covering 36% of our landscape. The tree canopy has receded by 4.6% since 1995. Increasing the tree canopy will reduce urban heat by providing shade for building and sidewalk surfaces, deflecting radiation from the sun, and releasing moisture into the atmosphere. 

Tampa Bay is located on the Gulf of Mexico and the Hillsborough River runs through the city. Keeping the waterways clean is integral for a healthy and balanced ecosystem. Marine debris also washes up into the mangrove trees and on the living shoreline, which aid to reduce storm surge during hurricane season, thus posing serious health risks to them and the community at large. 

Plastic in all forms, polystyrene foam, mylar confetti, textiles, metal, cigarette filters and more, can often be found as litter in many public places in cities, and they can be toxic for soil and wildlife. Over time plastics break down into tiny pieces called microplastics that mix into the soil of plants and trees and are accidentally ingested by wildlife, causing serious health complications and even death. Picking up litter and removing as much debris as we can on a regular basis helps curb these very serious side effects of plastics. 

Storm drains are used to trap in excess water to help prevent flooding. Litter and tidal debris can block these drains thereby making flooding more probable in that area. Without proper removal of storm drain debris and litter, these materials often end up washing into the water ways, harming marine life. 

Spreading awareness via engaging with community members while picking up litter and planting trees, tabling at events being held throughout the city, social media posts, press conferences, and developing educational programs for students at various community centers and schools. We have partnered with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, the Coalition of Community Gardens, Hispanics for the Environment, Tampa Bay Kayak Anglers, Gasparilla Music Festival, the University of South Florida, Tampa International Airport, Nature’s Classroom and Freedom Boat Club among others.

How To Plant a Tree | Step-by-Step Tutorial