HOMESTEAD, Fla. —  The National Park Service is offering the public a special opportunity to experience Everglades National Park at night. The Dark Sky Festival will take place on Feb. 21 from 1 to 10 p.m. in Flamingo, Fla.  

Family-friendly events and activities feature astronomy, photography and nocturnal nature set against one of the darkest night skies in South Florida. The festival is part of the park’s 3rd annual Dark Sky Month celebration with night sky programming throughout February.  

Night sky photographer Anthony Sleiman will lead a presentation on night photography in the Everglades and an Introduction to Night Sky Photography workshop, sharing techniques for capturing stars and nighttime landscapes. 
Highlights include: 

• Starry night backcountry boat tour (advance tickets required) 
• Night sky photography workshop with Anthony Sleiman 
•  Ranger-led programs, including a sunset photography workshop and dynamic night sky programs 
• Night sky exploration stations, featuring blacklight scavenger hunts, bat monitoring and hands-on telescope building 
• Telescope viewings with knowledgeable staff and volunteers 
• A food truck and hot drinks available for purchase throughout the evening 

All festival activities (except the boat tour) are free with your park entrance. Parking is available at the Guy Bradley Visitor Center, located 38 miles (approximately one hour) from the park’s southern entrance in Homestead. A free shuttle will transport visitors from the visitor center to the main activity locations in Flamingo throughout the evening. All event locations and shuttle buses are accessible. 

The Dark Sky Festival is open to the public and well suited for families, photographers, and anyone interested in the night sky. Visitors are encouraged to bring warm layers, bug spray, a flashlight with a red filter, and curiosity. 
For festival details and other Dark Sky Month activities, visit: 
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https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/everglades-dark-sky-celebration.htm 
Shark Valley Nighttime Photography Workshop reservations accepted at: 
https://evernpi.org/shooting-stars-shark-valley-photography-workshop/  
Starry Night Backcountry Boat Tour tickets are available at: 
https://flamingoeverglades.com/boat-tours/

EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Kate MacGregor joined the National Park Service, community members, and partners today to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the newly redeveloped Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center at Everglades National Park. 

Community members, park partners, and agency representatives gathered in Everglades City for remarks and the ribbon cutting. National Park Service staff led tours of the resilient new structure and improved grounds, while the park concessioner, Everglades National Park Adventures, offered complimentary boat tours with park rangers to view the site from Chokoloskee Bay. 

“This project reflects a clear and consistent priority of our President Donald J. Trump: restoring our nation’s beautiful public spaces, strengthening national parks, and investing in resilient infrastructure that will endure for future generations,” said Deputy Secretary of the Interior Kate MacGregor. “Today we open the doors of this beautiful facility for the gateway communities of Everglades City and Chokoloskee, Florida and we reaffirm the commitment of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to ensure that the American people will have safe and enjoyable access to the Everglades for decades to come.” 
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Speakers at the event included: 

• Kate MacGregor, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior 
• Pedro Ramos, Superintendent, Everglades National Park 
• Howie Grimm, Mayor, Everglades City  
• Rodney Barreto, Chairman, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission  
• Chauncey Goss, Chairman, South Florida Water Management District  
• Eric Eikenberg, CEO, The Everglades Foundation 

 
The visitor center building is elevated to meet modern coastal resiliency standards and the entire site has been adapted for storms and other environmental conditions. Its design incorporates sustainable features, including energy-efficient systems and durable materials suited for a coastal high-hazard zone. The building is also fully accessible, with an elevator and paved pathways ensuring that all visitors can enjoy the surrounding views and facilities.  

Named in honor of the renowned advocate whose writing and activism helped secure national park protections, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center will serve as the primary gateway to the park’s Gulf Coast district. Situated on a beautiful waterfront site, the redevelopment reopens the most important public access point to Chokoloskee Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands, offering visitors recreational opportunities to take a boat tour, rent a kayak, attend a ranger talk, watch wildlife, or simply enjoy a sunset.   

Everglades City holds a special place in the park’s history. When President Harry S. Truman dedicated Everglades National Park in 1947, he delivered his remarks just down the road at the then–Everglades City Airport, affirming the nation’s commitment to protecting this unique wilderness. The new visitor center continues that legacy at the very place where the park’s story formally began. 

You can learn more about the event and the Gulf Coast district of Everglades National Park by visiting Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center (Gulf Coast).  

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The National Park Service issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Shark Valley Site Plan Environmental Assessment. The Environmental Assessment analyzed the likely environmental impacts of the project, which proposes improvements to address parking congestion and flooding at the Shark Valley area of Everglades National Park. The FONSI establishes that, based on the Environmental Assessment, there would be no significant impact on the environment as a result of the selected action.  

"Not only will this effort address a major safety concern, these improvements will make it more convenient for the public to enter and visit Everglades National Park,” said Superintendent Pedro Ramos of Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks. “We appreciate all the public input we received to ensure the planned projects deliver a high-quality visitor experience at Shark Valley.” 

The purpose of the Shark Valley Site Plan is to enhance visitor safety and experience as well as park operations at Shark Valley. The site plan is expected to make the Shark Valley roads and facilities more resilient to flooding impacts from intensity or frequency of tropical storm events. The proposed improvements will also minimize congestion along the Entrance Road and in the parking lot. 

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the park considered two alternatives and one “no action” alternative in the Environmental Assessment, which was available for a 30-day public comment period from Feb. 9 to March 11, 2023.  

The selected action was Alternative C which places the overflow parking lot inside the entrance gate in the same general area as the current lot, north of the visitor center. The existing traffic pattern from the entrance road through the current parking area will remain. If parking in that lot is full, visitors will be able to proceed to the overflow parking lot. The selected alternative will provide the safest vehicular and pedestrian access to the visitor center and will be the least visually intrusive to the surrounding environment.  

The other improvements for this project include raising sections of the tram road, adding shade structures and benches along the tram road, raising and widening the entrance road to two inbound lanes and one outbound lane, adding a second fee station and expanding the first to include an employee restroom, and rehabbing the onsite administrative complex for park operations.  

This decision has been made after considering environmental impacts to resources including vegetation, wetlands and soils; wildlife and species of special concern; hydrology and water quality; visitor use and experience; human health and safety; and lightscapes and viewsheds. The NPS will implement multiple mitigation measures and best management practices to protect the natural and cultural resources onsite.  

The FONSI and related documents are available for viewing at ParkPlanning - Shark Valley Site Plan (nps.gov) 

The Shark Valley area is located at 36000 Tamiami Trail, 25 miles west of Krome Avenue. Visitor opportunities include wildlife viewing, walking or biking the tram road, and taking a guided tram tour. For more information visit Shark Valley Visitor Center - Everglades National Park (nps.gov) 

Learn more about Everglades National Park online at nps.gov/ever or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.