November 23, 2017 – (Key West, FL). Key West Art & Historical Society Distinguished Speaker Series at Tropic Cinema Features Biscayne National Park
Key West Art & Historical Society welcomes Distinguished Speaker Series guests and co-authors Kirsten Hines and Dr. James A. Kushlan at the Tropic Cinema on Thursday, November 30 at 6:00pm for an evening presentation of selections from their newly published book “Biscayne National Park.”
Through words and pictures, Hines, a nature travel writer and photographer, and Kushlan, a biologist, writer, and conservationist, will highlight the rich history that spans over 5,000 years of Biscayne Bay’s timeline—from the original Native Americans, to its “discovery” by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513 and three centuries of colonial rule, to the era of wreckers and rugged homesteaders in the 1800s, to the nouveau riche of the 1920s and 30s, up to the modern era, with more than half a million annual Park visitors and a nearby population of over 2.5 million residents.
The book celebrates the Golden 50-year anniversary of Biscayne Bay’s placement among federally-protected places, a hard-won victory by dedicated local conservationists in 1968. The greater part of Biscayne Bay, the northernmost section of the Florida reef tract, and the only federally-recognized underwater archaeological trail in the United States are now protected in Biscayne National Park, also home to South Florida’s oldest structure, the circa-1825 Cape Florida Lighthouse.
Copies of “Biscayne National Park,” which include Hines’ images of the park as it is today along with supporting historical images, will be available for purchase and signing.
The Distinguished Speaker Series project is sponsored in part by the Helmerich Trust and the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of the Arts and Culture and the State of Florida. Additional support provided by the Marriott Key West Beachside Resort.
Tickets are available at kwahs.org/education/distinguished_speaker_series; $5 for members, $10 for non-members—advanced ticket purchase is recommended. For more information contact Adele Williams, Director of Education, at 305-295-6616, x115. Your Museums. Your Community. It takes an Island.
IMAGE:
Authors Kirsten Hines and Dr. James A. Kushlan will appear at the Tropic Cinema at 6:00pm, Thursday, November 30, for a presentation of selections from their newly published book “Biscayne National Park,” as part of the Key West Art & Historical Society Distinguished Speaker Series. (Photo by Kirsten Hines)