The Friends of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock State Park (Friends of Pennekamp) was created in 2019 to preserve the parks’ natural and cultural resources and to support, promote and enhance services to the public. Since inception, the friends have secured funding for buoys installed at the coral reef, hosted the Delicate Balance of Nature lectures in virtual format, and conducted the Earth Day poster contest for area students in 2020 and 2021.
Currently, the Friends of Pennekamp have several exciting projects for which they are fundraising: an accessible playground at John Pennekamp State Park featuring marine creatures and educational kiosks; a coral cam underwater observation station in the park’s waters; and at Dagny Johnson State Park, a boardwalk for the portion of the trail that traverses the mangroves. Plans also include installing interpretive kiosks and benches at Dagny Johnson as well as maintenance of the butterfly garden there and support of the Native Plant Nursery.
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