Staying Fit
| Stretching south off the U.S. mainland from Miami, the Florida Keys are a beautiful chain of islands spread over 125 miles, from Key to Key West. Like so many coastal areas, the keys’ fragile ecosystem is threatened by overt water pollution, climate change and development, but there are ecologically friendly ways to experience the islands’ wildlife and tropical beauty. These are a few:
Nature appreciation
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See sea turtles on the mend. Viewing sea turtles in the wild is captivating, but the animals’ proximity to humans has meant they've been injured by boats, fishing-line tangles and other dangers. That's where the Turtle Hospital in Marathon steps in. Open to the public and a popular stop for both visitors and locals, the hospital rehabilitates injured sea turtles with the intention of release back into the wild. For those that don't recover enough to be released safely, the hospital works with accredited zoos and aquariums to find forever homes. The public is welcome to come out and watch rehabilitated sea turtles return to the sea; you can find the dates of upcoming turtle releases on the hospital's Facebook page.
Details: The Turtle Hospital's Education Center, 2396 Overseas Highway; open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with guided educational programs on the half-hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; reservations are recommended (book online or call 305-743-2552); $30 for adults, $15 for children 4 to 12.
Support bird rescue efforts. The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center (missionwildbird.com) in Tavernier, between Islamorada and Key Largo, is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing wild birds back to their native homes. Birds that can released back to the wild make their permanent home at the onsite Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary. The natural refuge houses more than 90 nonreleasable birds, representing nearly 40 different species.
Details: 93600 Overseas Highway; 305-852-4486; open every day from sunrise to sunset; admission is free, though a donation of $10 per person is appreciated.
Coral Restoration Foundation™
Volunteering
Clean up the waters. When Hurricane Irma hit the Keys in the fall of 2017, debris from land found its way to the water and remains tangled in the mangroves along the shore or submerged below the water's surface. The mission of the nonprofit Conch Republic Marine Army is to remove as much of the detritus as possible using kayaks, canoes and manual labor. To date, the organization and its volunteers have removed 408,060 pounds of it so far; that’s 204.03 tons! But there is still a lot of work to do — an estimated 2 million pounds still need to be removed throughout the Florida Keys.
Conch Republic Marine Army hosts a cleanup each Saturday morning leaving from Big Pine Key. The cleanup is free to attend, and lunch is provided; additional information about what to wear and bring is available on the website.
