<i>Family Fun Fest</i> Celebrates National Parks with <i>This Land is Our Land</i>

Date: February 6, 2007
Contact: Gary Bremen, 305-230-1144, x3084

Biscayne National Park is a great place to learn, explore and have fun, but there are nearly 400 other National Parks out there. The February installment of the park’s popular Family Fun Fest series takes place from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 11, 2007 with a taste of what some of Biscayne’s “sister parks” have to offer. The free event takes place at the park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center. Stations located around the visitor center provide a variety of interactive and hands-on activities, including:

• The Longest Cave — Make a model of Mammoth Cave, the world’s longest cave!
• Makahiki — Explore the culture of Hawai’i at Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site!
• Art Rocks! — Create your own postcard from Petroglyph National Monument! Don't forget your address book!
• Hold Your Water! — Discover some the amazing adaptations of Joshua trees, Saguaros and other desert plants.
• The Big Picture — Take a virtual road trip to over a dozen National Parks on a giant map.

Participants will receive a paper passport to be punched at each station as they complete the activities. Those who complete all five activities will earn a special button to help remember the day. Family Fun Fest takes place on the second Sunday of every month from January through May. April’s event will take place on April 15 (the third Sunday) to avoid a conflict with Easter.

The series is made possible through a grant from the Captain Bob Lewis Boat Center Yamaha Billfish Challenge, with assistance from the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve. Additional support this month comes from Roger Williams National Memorial, Mammoth Cave National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pu’ukohola Heiau National Historic Site, Joshua Tree National Park and a host of volunteers.

Future events include:

• The Rainbow Connection — March 11
  Think Biscayne’s all blue? Don’t forget orange sponges, yellow fish and purple snails!
• Disco Lives! — April 15
  (Third Sunday - this month only!)
  What do Biscayne National Park and disco music have in common? Lots!
• POP: Predators on Patrol — May 13 Everybody’s gotta eat, and that means somebody else has to get eaten!

The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is located at 9700 SW 328 Street, nine miles east of Homestead, Florida. Call 305-230-7275, extension 0 for more information.