Key Biscayne environmentalists are mobilizing after learning that the Biscayne Nature Center, a nonprofit that educates thousands of Miami children each year about coastal ecology, is being evicted from its building in Crandon Park. They have launched a petition drive demanding a reversal of the decision by the County parks department.
The center’s two-story building was paid by donations and a state grant, and was gifted to the Miami-Dade school district after starting inside a hot dog stand in 1969. It is named after environmental pioneer Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who helped transform the center and whose statue is nearby. It features a collection of artifacts and a saltwater aquarium and a “touch tank” popular with young visitors.
The eviction decision was communicated to the center’s executive director last month — but apparently had no review from either the school district or Raquel Regalado, the District 7 commissioner and a former school board member herself.
“All programming and related operations must end by Nov. 23, 2025,” the letter from Devin Meheen, an assistant director, reads. “Please ensure that all equipment, materials, and personal property are removed from the premises by this date,” The letter was obtained by the Independent from a source knowledgeable about the center but who was not authorized to speak.
READ MORE: A new future begins in Biscayne Bay with planting 'coral babies'
There is no reason given in the letter, other than the approaching expiration date of a programming partnership license.
Christina White, the new director of the parks and recreation department, did not respond to a message seeking an explanation. She took over from Maria Nardi in June after leading the Elections Department for many years.
Mari Tere Rojas, the chair of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, said Saturday the eviction was news to her.
“We have not been contacted by Miami-Dade Parks Recreation and Open Spaces Department of this development, but we’ll look into this situation next week,” she said.
Theodora Long, the center’s executive director, said she was hoping to speak with County officials as well, but declined comment until she could do so. She said the center hosts up to 15,000 students a year for field trips and other programs from all over the County.
A change in use for the building could be problematic, because activities in Crandon Park must win approval from the Crandon Park Amendment Committee. The committee, created as part of a legal settlement, oversees the deed restrictions put into place years ago by the Matheson family, which donated the land.
Bruce Matheson, who sits on the panel, told the Independent Saturday no one informed him about the change either and said he too would be reaching out the school district about the eviction.
“If we allow this to happen, we are not just losing a building; we are sacrificing a vital part of our environmental and educational heritage,” an online petition launched Saturday reads.
This story was originally published in the Key Biscayne Independent, a WLRN News partner.
