Miami-Dade County Military Families Build Community while Fishing at Biscayne National Park

September 19, 2023

Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2023)/OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – The National Park Trust, National Park Service (NPS), and Our Military Kids partnered this past weekend to bring military personnel and their families to Biscayne National Park in Florida for a day of fishing on the waters of Biscayne Bay.

The National Park Trust was awarded funds by the NPS and is partnering with Our Military Kids to provide National Guard, Reserve and post-9/11 combat-injured service members and their families access to outdoor recreation opportunities in national park sites nationwide. At Biscayne National Park, families started their day learning about the natural and cultural history of the park and then learned how to fish from local fishing experts. In the afternoon, families boarded a fishing boat and headed out to Biscayne Bay for a few hours of fishing, sight-seeing, sunshine and salt air. Participants successfully practiced catch-and-release fishing techniques with many species, including grunts, blue runners, snappers, chubs and even a parrot fish.

“We are thrilled to be working with the National Park Trust and Biscayne National Park,” said Kara Dallman, retired U.S. Navy Veteran and Executive Director of Our Military Kids. “Military families have served and sacrificed, and this outing was an opportunity for OMK families to bond together while learning lifelong outdoor skills and enjoying new activities.”

As part of this event, participating military families were presented with their Interagency Military Annual Pass, which provides entrance or access for one year to more than 2,000 federal recreational sites, including all National Park Service sites, for current military members and their dependents.

“We are excited about this opportunity to engage with our local military families.” said Penelope Del Bene, superintendent of Biscayne National Park. “Recreating in the park provides opportunities for the families to create memorable experiences while connecting to nature in meaningful ways.”

“National Park Trust is honored to partner with Our Military Kids and the National Park Service to engage military families with a service member in the National Guard or Reserve or in treatment for combat-related injuries as we work to establish lifelong relationships between local military communities and local national park sites. Exposing families to outdoor education and recreation will help ensure future generations of park enthusiasts,” said Grace Lee, National Park Trust executive director.

This event at Biscayne National Park is the third of four outdoor recreation events in 2023 at national park sites across the country. Other event locations include Assateague National Seashore, MD, Mount Rainier National Park, WA, and Cabrillo National Monument, CA.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, National Park Trust’s mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, the Park Trust has acquired many of the missing pieces of our national parks, benefiting 53 national park sites. Our national youth education and family initiatives, including our Buddy Bison Programs and National Kids to Parks Day, serve hundreds of Title I schools annually and cultivate future park stewards. We believe that our public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all for current and future generations. Find out more at parktrust.org.

Media Contact: Ivan Levin at 540.818.5818 or ivan@parktrust.org.

ABOUT OUR MILITARY KIDS

Our Military Kids® is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering extracurricular activity grants to children, ages 3-18, of deployed National Guard, deployed Reserve, or post-9/11 combat wounded, ill, or injured Veterans in treatment. OMK activity grants build the children’s self-confidence, enhance family wellness, and strengthen a shared sense of community.

Since 2004, Our Military Kids has proudly provided 85,000 activity scholarships worth $32 million to children and teens in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit ourmilitarykids.org.

Media Contact: Michelle Criqui at 703-734-6654 or media@ourmilitarykids.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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