ORLANDO, Fla. — Puerto Ricans from all over Florida and beyond come together each year to celebrate the Florida Puerto Rican Parade and Festival in Orlando.

This year's festivities coincided with Earth Day, and Maruxa Cardenas, a member of La Mesa Boricua de Florida, used her group's float to spread awareness about climate change and its impact on migration.

Cardenas knows firsthand the impact of natural disasters on migration. She left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and has been advocating for Puerto Rico to use more solar power.

“Climate change is the root cause of migration," said Cardenas. "Because when we have natural disasters, everybody migrates to places where they can work or have a safe place, a safe home.”

The island's electric grid often struggles, with San Juan experiencing at least one blackout a week.

“I know what it’s like, having done a big grocery shopping for the week and then just having no power for one or two days and everything is going spoiled and ruined,” said Cardenas.

This year's parade and festival was dedicated to Loiza, a coastal town in Puerto Rico known for its rich African history and culture.

But its coastal location also poses challenges, as sea rise is a big problem that causes water to flood the streets and homes during high tide.

To raise awareness about the effects of climate change, Cardenas and her group included a giant moon sculpture on their float.

She hopes this symbol will help bring more solar power to stabilize Puerto Rico.

“A lot of the sea rise has to do with the moon," said Cardenas. "As you know, the moon regulates the water. So we’re using the moon as another symbol for the climate change.”

Florida has the second-largest share of Puerto Ricans in any U.S. state, with over 1.1 million Puerto Ricans making up just over 5 percent of the state's total population, according to the City University of New York.