The Alliance for Florida's National Parks

The Alliance for Florida's National Parks The official philanthropic partner for Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas National Parks and Big Cypress National Preserve

The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks is the official philanthropic partner for Florida’s national parks, providing opportunities to support education, exploration and conservation programs in Big Cypress National Preserve and Biscayne, Dry Tortugas, and Everglades National Parks.

10/05/2026

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Join us this Saturday, October 10, for the Big Cypress Celebration!

Enjoy many free family-friendly activities and outdoor experiences including:

🐊 Face painting & nature-based activities
πŸ₯Ύ Guided hikes every 30 minutes (9 AM–3 PM)*
🎢 Live music by Gator Nate
🍴 Food available for purchase including Juanchitos Grill
πŸ‘› Handmade tribal goods for sale by Randelle Osceola
🌿 Presenting speaker William β€œPopeye” Osceola of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida Business Council
🎨 Painting activity by local artist DaveL
πŸ‘• Every hike ticket includes a limited edition 2026 Big Cypress Celebration t-shirt*

𝟏𝟎𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐒𝐜𝐀𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 π›πžπ§πžπŸπ’π­ π“π‘πž 𝐀π₯π₯𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅π₯𝐨𝐫𝐒𝐝𝐚'𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐚π₯ 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐀𝐬.

Check out the full agenda and purchase a guided hike ticket:
https://www.floridanationalparks.org/events/big-cypress-celebration-2026

*Must purchase a ticket for the guided hike. T-shirts available while supplies last. *

Big Cypress Celebration is one week away! 🌿Join us Saturday, October 10, at Burns Lake Campground in Big Cypress Nationa...
10/03/2026

Big Cypress Celebration is one week away! 🌿

Join us Saturday, October 10, at Burns Lake Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve for a one-day event celebrating the preserve’s 52nd anniversary.

Enjoy guided hikes (ticket required), live music, local food, art workshops, and nature-based activities for all ages. Participants learn about the preserve’s ecology and cultural history while experiencing it firsthand.
Grab your tickets and guided hike spots now at the link in bio.

Let’s settle a s’mores debate: Gooey or toasty marshmallows?Comment your vote below and tell us your perfect s’mores com...
10/03/2026

Let’s settle a s’mores debate: Gooey or toasty marshmallows?

Comment your vote below and tell us your perfect s’mores combo!

Then join us October 22 for Stories & S’mores at Matheson Hammock Park! Our FREE family-friendly event will include:

🌟 Story time with special guest speaker Suki Lopez, aka "Nina" from Sesame Street
πŸ”₯ S'mores around the fire
πŸ• Pizza and refreshments
🌳 Family time surrounded by nature

RSVP today: https://brnw.ch/StoriesandSmores2026

The Alliance is proud to share that the National Park Foundation has awarded grants to support the Open OutDoors for Kid...
10/02/2026

The Alliance is proud to share that the National Park Foundation has awarded grants to support the Open OutDoors for Kids and Junior Ranger Angler at Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park!

Through Open OutDoors for Kids, approximately 14,000 fourth-grade students each year can take part in field trips, live virtual programs, ranger classroom visits, teacher workshops, marine science experiences, and more.

Junior Ranger Angler introduces youth and families to fishing and stewardship through free, ranger-led experiences, with equipment, bilingual materials, and transportation support helping make participation more accessible.

This work is funded by the National Park Foundation. The National Park Foundation is the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service.

πŸ“Έ: NPS photo by Ashley Castellanos Rodriguez
πŸ“Έ: National Park Service

09/30/2026

When people picture a national park, they usually picture footpaths, not trails built for swamp buggies and off-road vehicles.

Big Cypress National Preserve is different. It is one of the few units in the entire National Park System where visitors can legally explore on an off-road vehicle, which provides access to a side of the national preserve that most people never see.

Explore the story behind this backcountry adventure and the work that helps keep Big Cypress accessible for future generations: https://www.floridanationalparks.org/blog/exploring-big-cypress-national-preserve-by-off-road-vehicle-a-different-way-to-see-the-backcountry

Florida Trail Association

"The faster the world changes around us, the more valuable national parks become." The Alliance for Florida's National P...
09/29/2026

"The faster the world changes around us, the more valuable national parks become."

The Alliance for Florida's National Parks CEO, Lulu Vilas, recently visited Rocky Mountain National Park for the annual National Park Friends Alliance Fall Meeting. In 2025, park partners contributed more than $720 million dollars in support of America’s national parks!

Last week, 160+ friend's groups from across the country gathered to share ideas, celebrate the people and partnerships behind thriving parks. It was a pleasure meeting with so many like-minded individuals including Jeff Reinbold, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation; and Paul Coussan, Vice President of Government Relations at the National Park Foundation. A special thank you to Southwest Airlines for providing a travel voucher for this opportunity. Additionally, thank you to Katie Nyberg, Haley Billey, and Lauren Harnishfeger for their hard work in putting this conference together.

We look forward to bringing fresh ideas, new resources and connections back home to Biscayne National Park, Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.

: Dry Tortugas National Park was named Las Tortugas by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de LeΓ³n in 1513 because of the many ...
09/28/2026

: Dry Tortugas National Park was named Las Tortugas by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de LeΓ³n in 1513 because of the many sea turtles found in the area. The islands later became known as the Dry Tortugas due to the lack of fresh water.

More than 500 years later, the islands continue to inspire exploration and discovery. 🏝️🐒

πŸ“Έ: Dry Tortugas NPS

This National Public Lands Day, we're taking a look back at some recent accomplishments from Big Cypress National Preser...
09/26/2026

This National Public Lands Day, we're taking a look back at some recent accomplishments from Big Cypress National Preserve that demonstrate the value of continued investment in education, exploration, and conservation of our parks.

➑️ Click through to discover some of the work happening behind the scenes at Big Cypress.

πŸ“Έ : Big Cypress National Preserve

πŸŽ‰ GIVEAWAY: Here's something fun for the whole family! πŸŽ‰We're giving away Family-of-Four Guided Hike Tickets to Big Cypr...
09/25/2026

πŸŽ‰ GIVEAWAY: Here's something fun for the whole family! πŸŽ‰

We're giving away Family-of-Four Guided Hike Tickets to Big Cypress Celebration on October 10, plus four limited-edition 2026 Big Cypress Celebration T-shirts!

How to Enter:
βœ… FOLLOW The Alliance for Florida's National Parks
βœ… LIKE this post
βœ… COMMENT below and tell us which activity you're most excited to experience with your family at Big Cypress National Preserve
βœ… TAG a friend in the comments

Be sure to SHARE this post to your Stories or Feed to help spread the word about this exciting event and opportunity!

One winner will be selected at random across Facebook and Instagram profiles and notified on Friday, October 2.

A special thank you to our board member Roxanne Whiddon for generously donating this giveaway prize!

Learn more about this family-friendly day of adventure and exploration at Burns Lake Campground: https://www.floridanationalparks.org/events/big-cypress-celebration-2026



This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.

09/24/2026

5 EVERGLADES EXPERIENCES 🐊

Comment β€œEverglades” and I’ll send this list of adventures in the national park straight to your inbox. It’s perfect for first-timers or seasoned South Florida explorers 😎

Address

1172 S. Dixie Highway, #470
Coral Gables, FL
33146

Telephone

+13056654769

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