Fifty years ago, when the Crandon Park Zoo was still open, folks across the Key were accustomed to hearing the lions roar in the late afternoons. That meant feeding time was near.
After the zoo closed in 1979 and the animals had been safely relocated to the more spacious new zoo in south Dade, the property sat empty and overgrown for a dozen years.
But thanks in part to the hard work and vision of a dedicated group of local volunteers, The Crandon Park Gardens opened on the old zoo grounds in 1991. And while longtime residents of the Key may fondly remember the sound of the lions roaring, many of us treasure the Gardens for just the opposite reason: the quiet. In fact, locals often refer to the space as The Quiet Gardens.
In contrast to the bustling energy found on much of the rest of the island, the Gardens offer peaceful solitude. Visit on a weekday morning and you might have the place all to yourself. You can take a leisurely stroll or bike ride around the old animal enclosures or relax on a bench under the shade of a towering banyan tree.
There is plentiful wildlife to appreciate. It’s hard to miss the colorful plumage of the free-roaming peacocks or the platoons of iguanas scurrying about. One can marvel at the flocks of bright white ibises foraging for insects on the lawns, watch tricolored and great blue herons skillfully fishing in the ponds, or admire graceful Florida softshell turtles paddling through the mangrove lagoons. The rhythms are soothing.
Yellow caution signs warn visitors of the presence of federally-protected crocodiles in the area, but sightings of the reptiles are not common.
Were it not for the persistence and volunteer labor of members of several garden clubs – working in partnership with the County’s Parks and Recreation Department and Art in Public Places program – The Crandon Park Gardens as we now know them might not exist. Over the years, multiple constituencies within the county have advocated for more active uses of the property – such as a theme park or Scout camp or sculpture garden – but the Gardens have remained a passive recreational area.
Michele Estevez recalls attending Saturday-morning work sessions at the Gardens. “Over the course of a couple years, we cleaned out the old animal enclosures and tackled the weeds, clearing the way for earth-moving equipment to come in. We wore gardening gloves and carried machetes. I brought my son Fredy with me every week and he helped.”
“It was a team effort,” says Michele, “with five or six of us showing up most Saturday mornings.” Other community members closely involved in clearing and prepping the nearly 50-acre site, planting new shrubs and trees, and coordinating with local government offices include Ellen Merritt, Valerie Cassidy, Dorothy Cohen, Dorothea Bailey, Jean Trochet and many more.
The grand opening and dedication ceremonies for The Crandon Park Gardens took place on March 30, 1991. A harpist and other musicians provided background music as guests strolled the winding pathways and sampled food from local restaurants.
There aren’t too many places in South Florida like The Crandon Park Gardens. In fact, there aren’t any. Where else can you stroll around an old zoo grounds and enjoy a picnic lunch under the shade of a banyan tree?
For the last #lighterside column, click here.
Comments are closed.