Take a day to enjoy the great outdoors while giving back to the community on National Public Lands Day, Sept. 22. The admission gate at The Barnacle Historic State Park will open for free, for members of the general public who wish to join Park Rangers in a morning of coastal cleanup, landscape beautification, and exotic plant removal.
The park team will provide free same-day park admission, lunch, and a tour of the house museum for registered volunteers. Space is limited and pre-registration required ( see below).
Minors require parental consent, and volunteers ages 14 and under must be accompanied by a participating adult. Everyone must wear closed-toe shoes. Long pants and sleeves, sun protection, and a water bottle are strongly recommended. No pets are allowed while volunteering.
According to NPLD organizers, every day, several factors, both manmade and natural, take a toll on public lands, threatening the health and wellbeing of the people and wildlife that depend on them. Public land managers, volunteers, and others who steward these special places work tirelessly to restore these areas, make them more resilient to future threats, and ensure that people and wildlife continue to enjoy them for years to come.
This five-acre state park on the shore of Biscayne Bay is site of the home of Commodore Ralph Munroe, who built the home in 1891. Throughout the year, the public is invited out to enjoy a wide range of events on the sprawling grounds, including moonlight concerts and outdoor films – all in an effort to fund maintenance and programming at this lovely Historic State Park.
Onsite parking is limited to vehicles with a Disabled Person Parking Permit. There is plentiful offsite metered parking available curbside or in several nearby lots and garages.
About National Public Lands Day
National Public Lands Day is celebrated annually at public lands in the U.S. on the fourth Saturday of September. In fact, Sept. 22 marks the 25th Annual National Public Lands Day.
Three federal agencies and 700 volunteers launched the first National Public Lands Day in 1994. By 2010, participation grew to 170,000 volunteers at over 2,000 sites across the country, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
About The Barnacle
The Barnacle Historic State Park is located at 3485 Main Highway. The park is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and events are sponsored by The Barnacle Society, Inc., a non-profit organization created for the preservation and financial support of this historic site.
To register for the event, call 305-442-6866 or email Jessica.Cabral@dep.state.fl.us. For additional information, please visit www.floridastateparks.org/park/The- Barnacle and www.TheBarnacle.org.
