MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The Trump administration’s sweeping cuts at national parks across the country now have many concerned about how this will impact programs that protect and maintain these natural spaces.
That includes initiatives at our own national parks here in South Florida. In fact, some local volunteers are so worried, they’re stepping up to try and do what they can to help our parks, and they’re asking all residents to join them.
On a blustery April morning, 12 volunteers from 10 different local organizations joined staff from Biscayne National Park on a very important mission: to clean up the mess on Old Rhodes Key, one of the 42 islands that make up Biscayne National Park.
It’s just south of Elliott Key and north of Key Largo.
“We couldn’t do this without volunteers, for sure,” said Vanessa McDonough, a supervisory wildlife biologist with Biscayne National Park. “There’s so much trash, we have limited staff. It is loaded with trash, there’s going to be a lot of stuff to pick up.”
But even the most seasoned and experienced among the group was unprepared for the tsunami of marine debris that had swept over the island.
“It’s absolutely insane, just the volumes of trash and debris is, I haven’t seen it this bad, and I’ve been on some like serious cleanups. and this is just obscene,” said Dave Doebler, president of Volunteer Clean Up.
Added McDonaugh: “This is not what a National Park should look like, but it is what this National Park looks like.”
McDonaugh has been leading shoreline cleanups like this for 18 years.
“So we’re cleaning it up for the hopes of providing better habitat for the wildlife that uses the island,” she said.
The park executes about 50 of these efforts every year, from December to April.
On average, they remove between 30,000 lbs and 35,000 lbs of marine debris from this fragile environment every season.
“Everything you can imagine,” said environmentalist Andrew Otazo. “Everything that humanity creates and uses a lot of single-use plastics, plastic. Plastics, plastic bottles, plastic bags.”
“Most of this is coming from global currents in the ocean,” said McDonaugh. “And I think it’s really important that people see this.”
Critical work with a future now in question because of the Trump administration’s steep cuts to our national park service.
“So cutting budgets, firing people, and all of that stuff is just offensive,” said MJ Algarra, founder of Clean This Beach Up. “It’s disrespectful, and it’s heartbreaking. So we the people, need to stand up and fight for them, or at least support them.”
Maintaining these precious natural spaces costs money.
Biscayne National Park covers 270 square miles, 95% of which is water.
Fuel is needed to power the boats to patrol the park and bring the volunteers to the islands. Materials are needed to collect the trash and get it out of there.
Plus, there are fees for waste removal once the trash is brought back onto shore. This program relies on government funding in order to make this happen, funding that is now in jeopardy.
“We need resources allocated to address the protection of our natural spaces,” said Doebler. “And so if the federal government doesn’t want to do it, if the state government doesn’t want to do it. If the local government doesn’t want to do it, who else is there?”
The volunteers turned this act of service into a fundraiser. A trash-a-thon, asking donors to pledge an amount for every pound of trash collected, with the money benefiting the alliance for Florida National Parks.
“Central to this mission is to help raise money for some of the deficits that are happening in those cuts,” said Fill A Bag founder Manny Rionda. “I don’t even see it as a partisan issue. I see it as you know, hey, we need to take care of our national parks.”
The Brady Hunter Foundation stepped up big time, pledging $2 a pound.
“There’s a great need, not only for this island, but this park like this is our home, and these people work tirelessly to get these things done,” said Yzahriah Davis, Marketing Coordinator for the Brady Hunter Foundation.
The volunteers could only bring back the trash the two small boats could carry. In the end, after everything was weighed, the group brought back 2,135 lbs of trash.
It was a moment to celebrate, despite knowing there was still so much more left to pick up.
So far, the Trash-a-Thon has raised $9,000 and still going on.
For more information on how to volunteer at Biscayne National Park, click here.
Local 10 News reached out to the U.S. National Park Service for details on how these new cuts are affecting programs like this one at Biscayne National Park.
Below you’ll find their full response:
As part of the broader efforts led by the Department of the Interior under President Trump’s leadership, we are implementing necessary reforms to ensure fiscal responsibility, operational efficiency, and government accountability. While we do not comment on personnel matters, the National Park Service remains steadfast in its commitment to serving the American public and preserving the natural and cultural resources entrusted to our care.
It’s not unusual or unique to this year for questions to come up about staffing or for the staffing needs to fluctuate. As in other years, we are working hard to make it another great year for visitors. We are focused on ensuring that every visitor has the chance to explore and connect with the incredible, iconic spaces of our national parks.
Please help us remind your viewers to plan ahead when considering a park visit! Tips are below:
- As always, travelers visiting national parks this summer should do their due diligence by planning for their trip. This means doing research about the park you’re looking to visit, understanding what passes or reservations you will need, creating a backup plan in case things don’t go as planned, packing the 10 essentials, and making sure you download the NPS App to access park information and maps while in the park. We try to remind visitors to check the park website in the weeks and days leading up to the visit to see if there’s anything visitors should know before coming to the park, like inclement weather or changes. services and hours of operations, as well as safety notices.
- It’s always a good idea to leave your trip plan with a trusted friend who isn’t on the trip with you so that they can keep an eye on you and let authorities know if they haven’t heard from you. As a reminder, parks are not petting zoos! Visitors should not approach, interact with, attempt to feed or pick up wildlife. Use binoculars to observe wildlife from a distance.
- Whether you’re visiting a ‘bucket list’ park, checking out a historical site, or simply enjoying the outdoors with friends and family this summer, please make sure to be a good steward to these treasured spaces. This means following all rules, staying on the designated trails, picking up after yourself, and being kind to others.
- In addition, know your limits! Don’t be afraid to turn back or cut your activity short if you or a member of your party isn’t feeling well. As temperatures heat up, know the signs of heat illness, and what to do if you are starting to experience any symptoms.
- We want visitors to have safe and memorable trips to national parks, but we ask our visitors to prepare adequately for their trip and make good choices while in the park.
Here are our top resources for visitors to plan for a trip to parks this summer: