South Florida National Parks Trust

News & Events

Biscayne National Park Marks a Milestone

Biscayne National Park celebrates its 40th birthday this coming October with a series of events over three days. On Friday, October 17 the South Florida National Parks Trust will host a benefit dinner and silent auction at the Deering Estate at Cutler to honor eight “park champions” who campaigned 40 years to protect Biscayne Bay and establish Biscayne National Monument, the forerunner of today’s park. Tickets for the event are priced at $150 apiece. Proceeds benefit the park’s environmental education programs. For details, call 305-665-4769 or contact the Trust at info@southfloridaparks.org.

The celebration continues on Saturday, October 18 with a “state of the park” symposium hosted by the National Parks Conservation Association at the Deering Estate at Cutler. For details on the program and reservations, contact NPCA at 954-961-1280 x 203.
The celebration concludes on Sunday October 19 at Biscayne National Park with a free birthday party featuring a live concert by Grant Livingston, refreshments and lots of hands-on activities for kids and families. For details, call 305-230-7275.

SAVE THE DATES!

New Book Tells the Story of how Biscayne National Park Came to Be

Few places in the United States can boast of having one national park in their backyard. Miami has two — Everglades National Park, dedicated in 1947 to protect the incredible biodiversity of the Everglades, and Biscayne National Park, South Florida’s original water park, established in 1968 after a bruising fight over the fate of Biscayne Bay and its barrier islands.

Environmentalist Lloyd Miller tells the story of that battle in his new book, Biscayne National Park: It Almost Wasn’t. Miller, a trustee of the South Florida National Parks Trust, writes about how a handful of activists began a low-budget campaign to protect the bay in the 1960s and eventually rode that campaign to Washington, where they succeeded in establishing the largest marine park in the National Park System.
Miller, 88, founded the Safe Progress Association in 1962 to halt construction of an oil refinery on Biscayne Bay near Homestead Air Force Base.

At the time, the refinery looked like a fait accompli, but Miller and his allies ultimately prevailed, thanks to some key support from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, who embraced the idea of a national park to protect the bay and its barrier islands.
President Lyndon Johnson signed the legislation creating Biscayne National Monument on October 18, 1968. Miller was invited to attend the signing ceremony that day at the White House along with other key supporters. The park was expanded in 1980 to 173,000 acres and re-designated as a national park.

Biscayne National Park: It Almost Wasn’t is available for $14.95 at the park’s visitor center in Homestead, or by contacting the Trust at info@southfloridaparks.org

Across the Bay - Photographs by John D. Andersen
Biscayne National Park August 22-November 16, 2008

The latest show in our Community Artist Program at Biscayne National Park features the work of South Florida fine art photographer John D. Andersen. Across the Bay showcases the natural beauty and explosive color that make the largest marine park in the National Park System a true national treasure. The exhibit can be seen daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center through November 16.  The visitor center is located at 9700 SW 328 Street, nine miles east of Homestead, Florida. For more information about the show, call 305-230-7275 or visit the park’s Web site at www.nps.gov/bisc.

The Community Artist program is made possible through the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council and the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, First National Bank of South Florida and Sedano’s Supermarkets.