Enjoying and Protecting Public Lands
I have dear friends from seminary who hope to visit all of the National Parks in America in their lifetime. Though they have made some impressive trips abroad they have loved, among them to India, Australia, and Antarctica, my friends enjoy camping, RV’ing, and traveling in the United States, and cherish the public lands that our fore-parents wisely preserved for future generations of Americans to treasure, enjoy, and preserve. Bill and Kathy have visited all but five of the National Parks in the contiguous forty-eight states, several in Alaska, and all those in Hawaii, with plans to visit a few more in California this November.
While not campers, my husband and I had the joy of visiting two of the three official national parks in Florida with our friends, including Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park. Born and raised in Florida, I felt saddened that I had never been to either park before this adventure with our friends. We stayed at an RV park near Homestead for the first night. After a delicious RV breakfast, we headed out to visit Biscayne National Park, which is 95% water. We perused the Dante Fascell Visitor Center, where the helpful rangers introduced us to the history and beauty of the park before departing on one of the many tour excursions offered there. We learned about the history of Biscayne Bay and those who helped shape the National Park, and saw gorgeous water and wildlife on a three-and-a-half-hour tour.
The next day, we headed for the Florida Keys. After a night’s rest, we made our way before daybreak to the ferry terminal in Key West where we boarded the Yankee Freedom Ferry to the seven small islands comprising the Dry Tortugas, 70 miles west of Key West. Discovered by Ponce De Leon in 1513, the islands were named for the large turtle population found there. They are described as “dry” because they lack any fresh water source. Fort Jefferson on Garden Key, a part of the Dry Tortugas, is yet unfinished though construction began in 1846. At its height it held within its walls nearly 2,000 people. An expert naturalist at the fort gives guided tours of 45 minutes, or you may download a self-guided tour to print out or view on your cellphone.
The snorkeling is great, with reefs and colorful tropical fish surrounding the Garden Key where Fort Jefferson is located, and complimentary snorkeling equipment is provided. There are more than 300 species of birds that have been spotted on the seven small islands as they are a vital layover for migrating birds between South America and the United States. And the beaches are stunning. The ferry was comfortable and smooth across pristine waters and we all agreed it was well worth the time, money and effort to have visited this remote national park.
Our friends went on to visit Everglades National Park the next day, but we opted to head home, having already seen a fair share of alligators on the Wakulla River. After hearing their report, we should have made the effort to stay and take in the natural beauty of the third national park that our state affords us, Everglades National Park.
For thousands of years south Florida was a finely balanced ecosystem. That was challenged by colonial settlers and developers who wanted to convert the wetlands into farmlands and communities. The Everglades National Park was established in 1947 as the first National Park created for its biodiversity. It is also one of the few to be gifted by the state in which it was located to the federal government. It was established to conserve the natural landscape and prevent further degradation of its land, plants, and animals, protecting 1.5 million acres. Our friends enjoyed an informative airboat tour that we are sorry we missed.
September 26 is National Public Lands Day (NPLD), and the theme for 2026 is “Caring for our Shared America.” The theme emphasizes that what we share, we must also care for together with cleanups, plantings, invasive plant removal, trail maintenance and other service projects as well as financial donations.
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), Congressionally chartered in 1990, is a non-partisan, non-advocacy organization working to make the environment more accessible, relevant, and connected to people’s daily lives. NEEF focuses on K-12 Education, conservation, and health. Under “conservation,” they plan and promote NPLD. According to their rich website https://www.neefusa.org/ last year more than 900 events were held with 55,000 volunteers across all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. The hope is for an even greater turnout this year so that we can celebrate and serve the lands that sustain us.
Public lands include national parks, forests, monuments, wildlife refuges, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, lakes, rivers, and state, county, and city parks. Spaces that we have in abundance in our lovely corner of the state.
Joe Murphy, a lifelong Floridian and retired elementary science teacher who contributes to NatureCoaster.com writes: “Public lands do more than give us places to hike, paddle, bird, and explore. They provide billions of dollars in ecosystem services: clean water, clean air, flood control, pollinators, fisheries support, eco‑tourism opportunities, and carbon sequestration. Green space creates green for local communities by supporting natural systems that work for us essentially for free.”
September 26 is National Public Lands Day (NPLD), and the theme for 2026 is “Caring for our Shared America.”
John Leshy, Emeritus Professor at the University of California College of the Law in San Francisco, has spent sixty years tracking the trajectory of federal public land policy. He served under several Presidents. In 2025 he received the Horizon Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Environmental Law & Policy from the Harvard Environmental Law Society. He writes: “holding and protecting large amounts of public land in national ownership, open to all, has been extraordinarily visionary and beneficial. America’s public lands have long made the United States a world leader in land conservation, and they have helped foster global networks of protected lands.”
In the days ahead, I hope to be more like my friends, Bill and Kathy, taking the opportunity to explore public lands. I pray we all will continue to support the protection of 640 million acres of public lands for the enjoyment of all, the preservation of habitats and species, and the betterment of humanity.
Happy National Public Lands Day!
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