Everglades National Park Alert - Palm Key, South of Flamingo

Message From Lori Oberhofer, Wildlife Biologist Everglades National Park

HOMESTEAD, Fla.:  In a continuing effort to protect nesting Roseate Spoonbills, effective immediately the west side of Palm Key is closed to all access. In order to minimize disturbance and maximize nesting success for the Roseate Spoonbill and other nesting wading birds, a seasonal closure is needed.   

Palm Key is located in Florida Bay approximately 2.5 nautical miles southwest of Flamingo. The area within 150 feet of the western edge of Palm Key as marked by buoys will be closed to all entry. Roseate Spoonbills are currently nesting in trees along the western edge of this island. Disturbance from boating activity can flush adult birds off nests leaving eggs and chicks exposed to extreme hot/cold temperatures and predators such as crows or vultures. A seasonal closure will protect birds and nests from disturbance.

The temporary closure will be removed once biologists determine that the nesting colony is no longer active.

For additional information, contact park information at 305-242-7700 (during regular business hours, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.).

WHAT: Emergency closure of the west side of Palm Key, to protect nesting birds in this area from human disturbance.

WHEN: Immediately, until the end of nesting season and the announcement is made that the closure buoys are removed.

WHERE: Palm Key is located in Florida Bay approximately 2.5 nautical miles southwest of Flamingo.

Media Note - Photo Credit National Park Service, Rodney Camauf

This and other park releases are available at http://www.nps.gov/ever/parknews/newsreleases.htm

More information on Everglades National Park can be found on the park website at http://www.nps.gov/ever

 

Roseate Spoonbill Courtesy of Everglades National Park Service, Rodney Camauf

Roseate Spoonbill Courtesy of Everglades National Park Service, Rodney Camauf

Palm Key Restricted Area Courtesy of Everglades National Park Service, Rodney Camauf

Palm Key Restricted Area Courtesy of Everglades National Park Service, Rodney Camauf

November Field Trip-Dagny Johnson

Images by Bradley Elgincolin

The Interpretive Walk (Field Trip 10/17/2015)

Saturday's Ranger led field trip ended up not being a swamp walk. Due to the low turnout we opted for an interpretive walk for the first 3/4 of a mile down the Old Ingraham Highway.

This turned out to be a good choice. Along with the interesting information provided by Ranger Rudy Beotegui we had the rare opportunity to see not 1 or 2, but 3 Diamond Back Rattle Snakes. Rattle snakes are normally solitary animals, but can be found together during breeding season.

This field trip illustrated the point, that you never know what you will find when you visit the Everglades.

Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks Will Increase Entrance & Camping Fees Beginning October 1st

HOMESTEAD, Fla– Starting on October 1, Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks will increase entrance fees for visitors in order to fund important maintenance and improvement projects within the park.  Everglades and Dry Tortugas have not increased park-wide fees since 1997.

“This increase in fees will allow us to continue to protect, preserve and share the special places at Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks with current visitors and future generations.  After carefully considering the impact of a fee increase on visitors and community members, we came to the conclusion that this is the right course of action to improve facilities and services important to visitors,” said Superintendent Pedro Ramos.

Entrance fees have supported a wide range of projects that improve the park and visitor experiences, including trailhead signs, developing and installing exhibits in visitor centers, improving park water systems, providing ranger-led programs, and improving Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility.  An example is the new Shark Valley Visitor Center, which was partially funded with Recreation Fees.

Additional revenue from this fee increase will address deferred maintenance project costs for parks around the country. The National Park Service defines “deferred maintenance” as work activities that were not performed when scheduled on fixed assets (such as a bridge) and subsequently delayed until the future (most often due to funding constraints). These assets are necessary to provide the public an enjoyable experience in harmony with resource protection which is the economic engine for local communities across the nation. In Florida, the deferred maintenance amount comes to almost $192 million. According to Deputy Superintendent Justin Unger, the cost of Everglades National Park’s deferred maintenance comes to almost $63 million. At Dry Tortugas National Park, that number is closer to $56.5 million.

In the fall of 2014, the National Park Service conducted a nationwide review of entrance fees. To solicit public input, a civic engagement campaign was launched in December 2014 and January 2015 regarding the Everglades and Dry Tortugas proposals.  During the public comment period, input was solicited by the park from local officials and the public through 5 public meetings held throughout the area.  Briefings were also provided for Congressional, nearby Federal, State, County and City officials, and stakeholder groups.

The new marine waters boater education program, which is expected to soon be approved as part of Everglades National Park's General Management Plan, is being developed and is expected to be available in 2016. More information about the program will be announced well in advance of the course's launch date so that the public is aware of course details as soon as possible.

WHAT:              Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks will increase entrance fees for visitors in order to fund important maintenance and improvement projects within the park.  (Please see the attached chart for more details.)

WHEN:             Starting on October 1, 2015                                      

WHERE:           Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks              

For information and directions to the park please visit the park websites at http://www.nps.gov/ever or http://www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm or call (305) 242-7700 (during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).



September Field Trip - Lunar Eclipse

Photos by Bradley Elgincolin

Photos by Ken Johnson

Images by Bob Richardson

Images by Sara Settles

August Field Trip

Images by Ken Johnson

Images by Bradley Elgincolin

Parish Kohanim a Canon Explorer of Light Photographer - Special invitation to the SFNPCC

The Kendall Camera Club is proud to announce that famous Canon Explorer of Light photographer. 
Parish Kohanim will be our guest speaker on March 28, 2015 from 7:00pm-9:00pm in the Evelyn Greer Park

PARISH KOHANIM BIOGRAPHY

Commitment, passion and love to elicit “magical beauty” is the paradigm of Parish’s intuitive philosophy of three decades of photography.  Consistently original, diverse and inventive are the hallmarks of his photography.

His uncommon use of colors, whether vibrant or pastel, as well as multitudes of tonalities in his stunning and luminous black and white images have become his distinctive and unique signature and style.
 
During his career, he has worked commercially for many Fortune 500 Companies, IBM, Coca-Cola, DeBeers to name a few and his work has appeared on the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazzar, Forbes, Time and Newsweek. 

Parish has been a Canon “Explorer of Light” since its’  inception in l994 and a Canon Print Master, which consists of a very exclusive group of photographers worldwide. 

Parish was named  “One of the World’s Top 100 Photographers” in 2011, 2012 and 2013 by Graphis.In June of 2013 several of Parish’s fine art images were part of an exhibit of American artists shown at the Taylor Foundation in Paris, and now the works are in a permanent collection in Barbizon, FR.
 
Parish has an insatiable desire to explore and expand his artistic horizons and  he remains true to his approach to simplicity and to the visual dialogue that is intuitive and innate. - Visit Parish Kohanim Website

April Field Trip - Trans Am Series

Images by Linda Mair

Images by Jason Eldridge

Photographing Starry Skies Workshop

Images by Sara Settles