Wellington

“It’s truly a gem,” Napoleon said of the Wellington Environmental Preserve.

Over the last 10 years, the Moncada property was left unused and became overgrown with invasive species.

Scott Fletcher, a member of the village staff who is known as “the guardian of the preserve,” said the multiyear project will begin by clearing the land of all invasive vegetation and installing water pumps.

Fletcher said the 410 acres in Wellington’s Environmental Preserve were once farmlands that were donated or bought by the village and rehabilitated to their original wetland functions. The 45 acres will give Wellington an additional 30 million gallons of stormwater storage.

“It pumps and cleans our water,” said Fletcher, who has maintained the preserve since it opened to the public in 2010. “We will restore it to The Everglades.”

Carol Ralph, the president of Wellington’s Gardening Club, said the village is aiming to replace all the invasive species in the 45-acre property with 700 Florida trees.

“Its a huge undertaking,” Ralph said.

Ralph said the Wellington Garden Club will establish a botanical garden in the proposed learning center to educate visitors on the area’s history and its native vegetation. She added that the Wellington Environmental Preserve is a place where people can see native Florida wildlife.

“We need these preserves,” Ralph said.

“And need to do everything to preserve them.”