Happy National Wildlife Refuge Week – October 2021

Join us as we celebrate the outdoors in the Florida Keys and enjoy the flora, fauna and wildlife of the Wildlife Refuges. Learn more about this program celebrated across the National Wildlife Refuge System.

PLEASE NOTE: all events will follow CDC safety guidelines and social distancing recommendations.

Schedule of Activities in the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge:

NOTE: EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND CANCELLATION BASED ON CURRENT STATUS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

• October 12 – Let’s go Paddling! Morning Kayak trip in the Lower Keys
• October 15 – Morning bird watching – walking trip in the Lower Keys
• October 15 – Take a Walk! Sunset photo walking tour in the Lower Keys
• October 16 – Native Plant Day
• October 17 – Lets Talk Trash!  Join us for a Clean-up in the Lower Keys

October 12 – Let’s go Paddling! Morning Kayak trip in the Lower Keys

WHEN: Join us on October 12th at 10.00 am Launch time:  10.15 am

WHERE: Koehns Avenue boat ramp on Big Pine Key. The ramp is at the north end of Koehns Ave. Depending on the winds, we’ll either cruise the coastline or paddle over to Annette or Mayo Key.  Plenty of parking but no restroom facilities. Plan on a 2 hour trip subject to weather conditions on the day.

WHAT TO BRING: Please bring your own gear, nothing will be provided.  Free to join in.

October 15 – Birdwatching in the Lower Keys

WHEN: Friday October 15th MORNING – 8.00 – 9.30 am

WHERE: LOCATION TO BE CONFIRMED

BRING: Binoculars or camera, sturdy water shoes, drinking water, sun protection.

Free to join in. RSVP to keydeer@fws.gov.

October 15 – Take a Walk! Sunset Photo Tour in the Lower Keys

WHEN: Friday October 15th at Sunset  – 6.30 – 8.00 pm

WHERE: EXACT LOCATION TO BE CONFIRMED – Big Pine Key

BRING: Camera, wide angle lens, tripod and remote camera release for slow shutter speeds (if available)

Free to join in. RSVP to keydeer@fws.gov.

October 16 – Native Plant Day/Give-away

WHEN: Saturday October 16, 10.00 am – 12 noon

WHERE: Outdoor Parking lot of the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Nature Center, 30587 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key.

Florida Keys plant lovers can test their knowledge of Florida Keys Native plants by taking part in our ‘Plant Trivia’. Answer a question correctly and pick a native plant or two to take home.

Visit the Butterfly Garden situated in front of the Nature Center and learn which plants attract butterflies.

Learn which native plants provide food for local and visiting birds.

Meet members of the Florida Keys Wildlife Society at their Information table. Learn what the Society does. Discover volunteer opportunities.

October 17 – Let’s Talk Trash! Cleanup event in the Lower Keys

Help us keep our natural areas trash-free by joining in our cleanup event.

WHEN: Sunday October 17,  9.00 – 11.00 am – SEE below for more information

WHERE: Oceanside – MM33 on Overseas Highway, turn onto Long Beach Road. Landmark – Big Pine Fishing Lodge at MM33. Continue along Long Beach Road for 1/2 mile, meet the Ranger at the Refuge gate (left side of road).

PROVIDED: We will supply trash bags, hand sanitizer, water cooler to refill your water bottle. We have a limited number of long-handled grabbers.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring gloves, hat, sun protection and a water bottle.

The Litterati App – what is it? Learn about the Litterati App, WHAT IT’S for,  HOW to use it during trash cleanups.

Watch the TED talk on Litterati: Jeff Kirschner: This app makes it fun to pick up litter

The earth is a big place to keep clean! Litterati is an app for users to identify, collect and geo-tag the world’s litter – Your information is added to the database of trash being collected in more than 100 countries. This catalog of data will be used to work with brands and organizations to reduce the amount of litter and maybe even stop litter before it reaches the ground and our oceans.

Watch the Video on how to use the Litterati App: https://litterati.org/tutorial-videos

Here’s a tutorial on how to make your own Smart Litter Picker! https://www.instructables.com/DIY-Assemble-a-DataGrabber-Tool-for-Efficient-Litt/

OPTIONAL: For those who wish to track their trash collection, we are offering brief training & setup on the Litterati App at 8.30-9.00am before the cleanup starts on Sunday.

Note – the Litterati App needs to be downloaded to your phone prior to the cleanup. You will need a fully charged phone. We have a limited number of camera mounts for phones.

Where an activity has not been scheduled, take a walk or bicycle ride in the Refuges where access allows, kayak the surrounding waters, have a picnic , enjoy the outdoors.

Event details are subject to change.

As more information becomes available it will be posted here.