Miami, FL - On Saturday, March 28, more than 300 South Florida residents from diverse backgrounds will come together to experience the natural beauty of Everglades National Park, explore a historic Cold War missile defense site, and learn about national park restoration efforts in their backyard.
The free, eighth annual March for Parks event offers guided park tours, games, raffle drawings, and demonstrations of park restoration efforts. Free transportation is available from numerous locations throughout Dade and Broward counties. Event organizers are hoping to encourage a new set of visitors to support Everglades National Park by making its visitor base as diverse as the communities that surround the park.
“It’s important that we cultivate park supporters that represent our entire community,” said Nadine Patrice of South Florida Community Partners.
March for Parks participants will have the opportunity to explore the latest addition to Everglades National Park--the Nike Hercules Missile Base, a historic Cold War missile defense site. Designed to protect the southern U.S. from a Cuban nuclear attack, the Nike Missile Base opened shortly after the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Members of the U.S. military staffed and operated the site until it closed in 1979. The National Park Service took over the site, removed the missiles, and recently re-opened this area as a public exhibit. The site is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a classroom of living history.
March for Parks is sponsored by the South Florida Community Partners, a dynamic group of residents, entrepreneurs, students, professionals, activists, and volunteers who join National Park Service staff to enhance cultural diversity in South Florida’s national parks by providing programs, resources, and opportunities that are available to all.
“Although ethnic and racial groups call South Florida home, many are largely underrepresented from national parks as visitors and their stories remain untold,” said Jackie Crucet of the National Parks Conservation Association.
In 2000, the National Parks Conservation Association and a group of local citizens formed the South Florida Community Partners. The group is dedicated to increasing ethnic representation among national park visitors and encouraging diverse users to become life-long advocates for our national parks. To recognize this need, the group created the annual March for Parks event, the first March for Parks in Florida was held in 2001.
Event Details
Date: March 28, 2009
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Everglades National Park
40001 State Road 9336
Homestead, Florida 33034
Free Transportation Locations
Buses will be available at the following locations: Ft. Lauderdale TriRail Station at 8:30 a.m.; Hollywood TriRail Station at 8:30 a.m.; Golden Glades Park & Ride at 8:30 a.m.; MLK Metrorail Station at 9 a.m.; Notre Dame Catholic Church at 8:30 a.m.; Overtown NET Center at 9 a.m.; Ada Merrit Elementary School at 9 a.m.; and Florida City, City Hall at 9:30 a.m.
For more information about the March for Parks event, contact the South Florida Community Partners at 877.858.7337 or click here for our fact sheet.
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