New Everglades exhibition opening in Boynton

The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge west of Boynton Beach will have its grand opening on Oct. 17 of its Visitors Center and new $1-million, state-of-the-art Everglades Exhibition.

Starting with a color guard, flag raising and ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, the festive day long Grand Opening events will include:

• The unveiling of informative and interactive new exhibits and displays, including The History of the Refuge, Everglades Attitudes, the refuge Management Game, an American alligator “gator hole” diorama and a tribute to Arthur R. Marshall.  Two showcase exhibits will be the night sounds room and virtual airboat tour.

• The premiere of a memorable new video that will capture the imagination of every visitor.

• Participatory events for the whole family such as Cypress Boardwalk and Marsh Trail tours, canoe rides, a static helicopter display, environmental education programs for children, light refreshments and more.

The exciting new Visitors Center exhibits were funded by private donations and governmental grants, with special thanks to the Batchelor Foundation, Inc., Samuel & Joyce McLendon, American Express, Florida Department of Environmental Protection/Florida Recreational Development Assistance Program and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“A wealth of gratitude is expressed to Nancy Marshall, president of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, who championed the fund raising efforts for the exhibits,” said Pelizza. “Without her assistance, we wouldn’t have the caliber of exhibits that people can see starting October 17. Nancy’s focus and unending desire to teach people about the Refuge and our Everglades Ecosystem enabled her to raise more than a half million dollars for the project”.

“The National Wildlife Refuges are America’s promise to its citizens that there will always be places where wildlife and wildlife habitat can survive. The Everglades, known as the ‘River of Grass,’ is one such treasure,” said Josette Kaufman, executive director of the Marshall Foundation.

About the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge:

Located at seven miles west of Boynton Beach, FL.  the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1951 and covers more than 221 square miles of natural habitat, the largest northernmost portion of the unique Everglades. Home to the American alligator and the critically endangered Everglades snail kite, as many as 257 species of birds may use the Refuge’s diverse wetland habitats in any given year. The Refuge was established under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929. For more information, please call 561.732.3864 or visit www.fws.gov/loxahatchee.

Related posts:

1. 25th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference in January
2. New funding for Everglades from Recovery Act
3. Strong breeding season for wading birds indicate healthier environment in Everglades
4. Bards of a Feather Hosts Round-Robin Poetry Reading in Boynton Beach
5. SFWMD closes US Sugar purchase to improve Everglades

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Posted by Andrea Freygang on Oct 5 2009. Filed under Culture, Environmental, Events, Everglades, Local news, Non-profit organizations, Palm Beach, Water management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry