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6th
Annual Big Cypress Swamp Heritage Festival Saturday, December 3
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Ochopee,
FL – October 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / Join
us for the 6th annual Big
Cypress Swamp Heritage Festival – Saturday, December, 3 2016 – at the
Big Cypress National Preserve Welcome Center, 33000 Tamiami Trail East,
Ochopee, FL 34141. This FREE family-friendly event shines a spotlight upon
the inhabitants of South Florida, whose rugged strength and pioneering
spirit contributed to the shaping of today’s unique and diverse culture.
These unique chapters in American history add to the rich and colorful
tableau that comprises our shared past and present. Join us every year
on the first Saturday of December for this annual event.
The
event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a special Night Sky Program
from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Information on the event can be found at www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/2016-swamp-heritage-festival.htm.
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This
year’s auditorium presentations include Rick Smith’s multi-media presentation
“Patrick Smith’s Florida is a Land Remembered” a visual storytelling about
his father’s book A Land Remembered (11:00 to 12:30 and 3:00 to 4:30);
Franklin Adams sharing remembrances of a lifetime of exploration and adventure
in the Big Cypress and Greater Everglades (12:30 to 1:30); and Clyde Butcher
talking about his work in photography, connection to the Big Cypress and
stories of his adventures through the swamps, rivers and mangroves that
make Florida the unique sub-tropical paradise he calls home (1:45 to 2:45).
“The
Big Cypress Swamp is an
unfamiliar place for many. But once you connect to it, it’s in your soul.
This festival provides an opportunity to be introduced to the Big Cypress
and the people who have made that deep connection to this special place,”
stated Tammy Whittington, Big Cypress National Preserve Superintendent.
Due
to the popularity of auditorium presentations during past festivals FREE
tickets will be required this year. The free ticket site can be reached
from the event web page.
Join
us throughout the day for other campfire presentations, music, demonstrations
and local food. Information for which is all found on
the web page.
This
year’s festival is dedicated to Joe Browder (April 10, 1938 –September
18, 2016), a staunch advocate for protecting natural areas in Florida and
across the country. Joe was instrumental in the creation of both Big Cypress
National Preserve and Biscayne National Monument, later designated as a
National Park. It was through Joe’s persistence that Marjory Stoneman Douglas
started the Friends of the Everglades, an organization focused on stopping
the development of the proposed Everglades Jetport. The completion of which
would have had devastating effects to the Big Cypress.
This
event is made possible through the support of the South Florida National
Parks Trust, the Everglades Association and other generous supporters.
The South Florida National Parks Trust works to improve the quality of
life in South Florida by supporting the national parks and events such
as the heritage festival. for more information on their support contact
them at 305-665-4769.
Pictures
from past festivals can be found at - https://www.flickr.com/photos/bigcypressnps/albums/72157638546197795
About
The National Park Service
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 413 national
parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at
www.NPS.gov,
on Facebook Facebook.com/nationalparkservice,
Twitter Twitter.com/natlparkservice,
and YouTube YouTube.com/nationalparkservice.
Contact:
Bob
DeGross, National Park Service, 239-695-1107 |