Fall 2016 Updates and More!
The weather may be cooling down on Pigeon Key, but we are enjoying our fall that has been filled with education groups, outreach events and more. We have an average daily temperature of 75-80 degrees and water temperatures averaging around 75 degrees! Tours continue to run daily and the staff has been occupied with island […]
Captain’s Licenses!
The full time staff of The Pigeon Key Foundation and Marine Science Center are getting their OUPV Captain’s licenses! OUPV stands for “Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels”. This license allows the Captain to operate a vessel up to 100 gross tons, which is a boat ranging from 75-90 feet long. The OUPV license is also […]
Shark Tagging!
Pigeon Key has a lot of wildlife that surround our tiny island! Whether it be migratory fowl or the countless species of fish that live under our dock, there is always something to marvel at. The Pigeon Key Foundation and Marine Science Center’s Conservation Angling program allows visiting students of all ages to experience the […]
Marine Protected Areas
Marine protected areas, also known as MPAs, set aside designated marine environments to conserve critical habitats like coral reefs! Every Education groups that stays at the Pigeon Key Foundation and Marine Science Center visits Sombrero Key Reef; a local MPA six miles south of Pigeon Key. Marked by a 142-foot lighthouse, this spur-and-groove reef formation […]
World Oceans Day 2016
“Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.” — Sylvia A. Earle, The World Is Blue: […]
Treasure Village Montessori Day-Trip
The second and third grade classes of Treasure Village Montessori of Islamorada recently spent the day at the Pigeon Key Foundation and Marine Science Center learning about invertebrates and sharks! The group of excited youngsters collected all types of critters during an island tidepool and were able to get hands on and hold all of […]
Earth Day Celebration!
The first Earth day was on April 22, 1970 and 20 million Americans came together to celebrate environmental reform. Later that year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created. In 1990 Earth Day went international and is now celebrated in more than 193 countries. Although environmental issues and concerns have shifted through the decades, April […]
Florida Manatees
The West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) is a fascinating and delightful animal that has been known to stop by Pigeon Key from time to time. The common name “West Indian” doesn’t refer to the country of India, but actually the colonial name for the Caribbean, the West Indies. The West Indian Manatee is a mammal, which […]
Meet our 2016 Education Interns!
The Pigeon Key Foundation and Marine Science Center would like to introduce our newest staff members that have joined our team for the 2016 Education Season! These four interns will aid in the teaching of marine science programs to our visiting school groups and summer camps! Matt Sheffield joins us from Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated from […]
2016 Summer Camp Registration is OPEN!
2016 SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Our Marine Science Summer Camp dates have just been released and are open to ages 8-16! The Pigeon Key Foundation & Marine Science Center gravitates towards hands-on learning and provides campers with a fun and pivotal, one-of-a-kind experience in the Florida Keys. Campers can look forward to snorkeling at Sombrero […]