Ground breaking ceremony
The ground breaking ceremony was held on April 22, and construction of our new Discovery Center and Aquarium is scheduled to begin in May.
Announcements
Mangrove Boardwalk Re Opens
We are happy to announce that this stunning boardwalk trail through one of nature’s marvels – mangroves, all 1,537 feet of it, is now open and ready to explore.
After many months of reconstruction, involving 100 foot cranes, 2 built on site work barges, many truckloads of building materials, and a dedicated work crew, it is now complete.
“Mangroves are one of the largest and most important ecosystems we protect and now visitors can experience them up close in a whole new way”, said Park Manager Shane Zigler. “I’m excited about the interpretive opportunities this boardwalk will bring and the simple joy of walking it throughout the year. It’s another way we can connect people to resource based recreation while showcasing the natural beauty and ecological importance of these mangroves”, he continued.
The Mangrove boardwalk was a pet project of John Pennekamp Jr., son of our namesake. Three of his adult children were on hand to dedicate the opening in early December.
John Pennekamp and Dagny Johnson get a new Manager
Shane Zigler is no stranger to the Florida Keys. Years ago, he worked here as a dive instructor and boat captain, but the open seas were calling.
That led to a career in Ocean Exploration, which took him around the world for months at a time. When his daughter was born, he started to feel that all the travel made him miss out on her development. So, a land-based career was decided.
He started working for the park service in 2019 at Bill Boggs State Park just weeks before COVID shut it down, but he stayed on, alone, to monitor turtle nesting.
Shane wanted to oversee his own park and soon took the job of Manager at Ft. Lauderdale’ s Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. He admitted during the interview for that job that he would most love to run John Pennekamp.
Now he has the park job of his dreams! Shane hopes to reinvigorate Pennekamp, bring in more excitement and charm. He also wants to work with the concessionaire to bring back dive classes and help make Pennekamp THE stop for diving in the Keys. A partnership with Mote Marine to put in a coral nursery is also in talks.
Shane Zigler is ready to oversee a “massive facelift” of Pennekamp over the next 3 years – new Visitors Center, restrooms and concessions will start construction in the coming year.
“Big, positive changes will bring new life” to the parks, he said, and he is up for the challenge.
Wetland Grant
A large-scale, multi-phase conservation project will soon begin along the coastal wetlands of North Key Largo’s Ocean Forest area. The goal is to protect and restore this environmentally sensitive area of Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. It is one of the only remaining examples of rockland hammock in the U.S., housing a rare assemblage of botanical species and endangered animals.
A National Coastal Wetlands Conservation grant of one million dollars, one of only 12 awarded nationwide and the only one in Florida, will fund phase one. Earthwork is planned to begin in Spring of 2025. The restoration of the wetland and hammock will build more coastal resilience and remove pollution. This will greatly benefit fish, wildlife, especially listed species and provide a home for migratory birds.
Trudy Wilson, the Biologist for both John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson, plans to use the area for education and outreach. First up is coastal debris cleanup, then surveys of existing plants, birds, butterflies, horseshoe crabs and other wildlife living in the hammock. Much of this will be done with the help of local conservation organizations, students and volunteer citizen scientists.
With phase 1 funding secured, the park will be applying for additional grants and seeking the funds for the next phase of work at the site. The Friends of Pennekamp have set up a donation fund …If you would like to donate to this project, please contact the Friends group at pennekampparkfriends.org.