Happy New Year’s Eve to all! With 2023 just around the corner, let’s take a look back at 2022 and review the year…
New beginnings…
These past 12 months have brought many memories and milestones to Pigeon Key! 2022 kicked off strong with the reopening of the Old 7 Mile Bridge in January, allowing locals and tourists to access the historic 2-mile stretch to Pigeon Key. Access to the island using the ramp from the bridge was open once again as well, bringing many faces both old and new to enjoy the history and beauty of our little island.
The interns and staff got to experience a turtle release when the Turtle Hospital brought a sub-adult Loggerhead sea turtle named Sheldon to Pigeon Key to be released back into the wild. The Pigeon Key Foundation also partnered with No Shoes Reef, who donated $15,000 to us, in addition to forming a collaboration with Reef to sell sandals, with 30% of the profits coming directly back to Pigeon Key!
Midway merriment…
With the reopening of the bridge, the ferryboat to our island was replaced with our train, the Pigeon Key Express! Visitors now get to experience a piece of history in a new way, almost like the tourists from 100 years ago who traveled down the Keys via the Overseas Railway. We are open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, so book your ride today!
At the end of August, Pigeon Key said farewell to the intern class of 2022 and to Casey, our previous Education Director, who left our island after 8 years working here. She left her mark on the island, our educational programming, and everyone who worked with her. Under her direction, Pigeon Key was voted Marathon’s Best Summer Camp two years in a row in 2021 and 2022! Callie has since stepped up into the role of Education Director and with the help of Maia, the new Education Coordinator, is working hard to make 2023 another great year of education, history, and fun!
Hurricane Ian luckily did not hit the Keys directly, and Pigeon Key was able to weather the storm with minor damages. The cleanup effort took a few weeks, but with the help of staff members and local volunteers, we were able to get our island back together and open to visitors once again! Thank you again to the Interact Club of Marathon High School!
Closing out and looking forward…
We also recently finished a successful fundraising campaign on Christmas, so thank you to all who donated and shared! The money will be put toward improving our educational programs, providing scholarships for students to visit us, and maintaining the grounds of the island. If you were unable to donate to the campaign but would still like to contribute, visit our donations page to donate and learn more ways you can help the Pigeon Key Foundation.
Now, as the year comes to an end and a new education season is on the horizon, everyone here on Pigeon Key is looking forward to meeting the intern class of 2023! Keep an eye out for a blog post about them in January. We are also very excited for another great year of visiting school groups, summer camps (registration dates will be announced soon), and more!
Once again, Happy New Year’s Eve, and from everyone at the Pigeon Key Foundation, we hope you have a wonderful New Year!
