Football fans will pump more than spirit into the air this weekend. At full capacity, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and its 90,000 fans add about 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
To balance the carbon emissions, about 30 volunteers will plant 200 trees Saturday morning at the Everglades' Torry Island, a 700-acre wetland near Belle Glade.
The effort was spearheaded by the Neutral Gator Initiative, a program formed between the local nonprofit organization Earth Givers and UF's Office of Sustainability.
The planting of 200 native pond apple and cypress trees is part of Neutral Gators' ongoing effort to reduce the carbon footprint of home football games, said Jacob Cravey, organization co-founder.
Cravey said selling energy-efficient light bulbs the week before has made all of UF's home games carbon neutral this season.
According to a UF news release, other games were neutralized through reforestation.
Counting carbon emissions involves factoring in figures from the stadium's energy expenditures as well as output from fans' travel means and hotel usage, according to Neutral Gators' Web site.
The tree-planting effort is sponsored by the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation of West Palm Beach, an organization that helps with Everglades restoration.
In addition, Cravey said, aiding one of Florida's greatest treasures is a great way to bring awareness to the condition of the Everglades.
Cravey said the project is just one in what will be a long, multi-faceted approach to combating climate change.
"It's not over when football season's over," he said.
