summer 2025
MANAGER’S MESSAGE
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has welcomed me so warmly to The Barnacle Historic State Park.
It's an honor to join a place with such rich history, natural beauty, and a passionate, engaged community.
I would also like to express my deep appreciation and many thanks to PSS Ranger Kevin Floyd for holding the helm in the absence of a park manager.
His leadership, dedication, and care for The Barnacle have helped keep the park thriving, and I am grateful for his continued support as I step into this role.
I look forward to meeting more of our members in the weeks ahead and working together to ensure The Barnacle remains a treasured place where history, nature, and community come together. Thank you.
Daniel Kelsey, Park Manager
Greetings Barnacle family and friends!
It is my privilege to again serve the Barnacle State Park, our remarkable Board, Park management and our wonderful members and visitors as President of the Barnacle again. They say the third time is the charm and I am certain this time around will bring new and special experiences for us all.
We welcome a new Park Manager, Dan Kelsey and several wonderful additions to the Board of Directors, Rafael Felipe, Peter Berman and Kevin Black. We are excited about the experience and talents each of them possesses and welcome them with open arms.
We are anticipating the completion of several large capital improvement projects which have been in the works for some time. Begun by past presidents, John Palenchar and Amy Exum, two outstanding leaders who worked so hard, laying the groundwork for the Landscape erosion mitigation project, new pavilion, fence replacement, and more. In addition to these projects, these two put their hearts into everything they touched, and they did it all, with such energy, dedication and care, it is truly an honor to continue their efforts.
I would be remiss if I did not extend a special thank you to our former Park Manager, Jessica Cabral, she did an outstanding job, and we enjoyed working with her. When she took another position, Kevin Floyd, one of our dedicated rangers, stepped up as acting Park Manager and saw us through the transition seamlessly. We are grateful to them for their outstanding service.
Our Moonlight Concert Series kicks off on September 12th when Endangered Species returns. Pack a picnic, your family and friends, and join us for a lovely evening on the lawn!
More events to come and we will keep you informed about the exciting happenings and construction efforts. We look forward to seeing you at the park with all its simple pleasures on beautiful Biscayne Bay.
Mary Scott Russell, President, The Barnacle Society
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE BARNACLE
Sawdust and Shavings
by John Palenchar
Egret 40-yr dry-dock & repair
Last Fall it was determined that our beautiful Miami-Dade College-built replica of the Commodore’s EGRET needed a major re-fit. She had been in service forty-plus years, and her age was showing. She had been well-cared for over that time, but there were issues which needed addressing—rot in the main mast step, some rot in her bulkhead, deck and keelson—repairs which required the skills and shop space of a professional boatwright. After careful searching by Mike Chapman, such a person and facility were found in Wellborn, Florida where Skip Joest (pronounced “Yost”) plies his trade as Joest Boats, LLC.
After a thorough list of repairs was developed and agreed upon, transport was arranged using EGRET’s trailer and late November EGRET was hauled at Shake-a-Leg and off she went to north-central Florida (Wellborn!) and a complete re-fit. Skip was meticulous and EGRET returned home, “good as new,” but with some pieces that stayed behind (spars, floorboards) still needing repair/replacement. Rot discovered in the mainmast has been repaired and some gaff jaws need renewal. A new set of floorboards is in the process of being built. At this point, hurricane season may delay her “maiden sail” but when she does sail, she will sparkle!
The following is a small sample of the problems found and the repairs done.
Upside-down EGRET. You start at the bottom and work your way up!
After minor repairs, re-drawn waterline and new bottom paint
Stripping the deck revealed some deterioration.
Rotten wood under port-side cleat in need of repair
Rotten wood under port-side cleat repaired!
Toe-rail and rubrail removal. Rubrail had rot and was replaced.
Main mast step rot in need of repair
Main mast step repair in progress
Main mast step repair completed!
Skip Joest’s explanation of problems found in this photo and repair solutions:
“Along the blue tape in the photo is the horizontal joint of the two boards making up the cabin-side that actually separated. This joint was filled several times in the past, this did not stop the separation.
The repair is to route a horizontal grove along this joint and gluing-in a spline, this will stop the separation.
At the forward end of the cabin-side there is a vertical joint where the curved front of the cabin meets the cabin-side, the forward boards are plywood that delaminated at the joint.
The plywood was saturated with epoxy and clamped together to stabilize the plywood and improve the joint.
Also note the horizontal shallow groove in the cabin-side just above the deck. The deck will be covered with fiberglass cloth, it's important the cloth turns down over the shear and the cloth edge ending behind the rub-rail.
At the cabin it's important the cloth turns up along the cabin-side, this shallow groove is for the cloth edge to end and covered with epoxy and level with the cabin-side.”
Main mast deterioration—for a future report.
EGRET heading home from Joest Boats LLC, Wellborn, Florida
“Rejuvenated” EGRET back on her mooring, awaiting repaired main mast and other spars.
THE NATURE OF THINGS AT THE BARNACLE
by Suzanne Koptur
Pigeon plum – an edible native in hardwood hammocks
The distinctive bark of pigeon plum Dan Clark, USDI NPS, bugwood.org
As a jam-maker, I have enjoyed making preserves from a number of native plants, including the sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera). I have been wondering about another species of Coccoloba, C. diversifolia, the pigeon plum. This common and distinctive tree of hardwood hammocks can be seen abundantly at the Barnacle, a handsome, midsize tree that is recommended for native plant gardening. Its gray trunks have patchy bark, an attractive contrast to most other hardwood hammock trees. Flowering pigeon plum trees provide nectar for butterflies and other insect pollinators, as well as fruits on female trees for birds and other animals.
In his book Florida Ethnobotany (2004), Dan Austin wrote that pigeon plum and seagrape were likely lumped by many as they were intent on using the resinous sap of both for tanning purposes. This substance was called kino, and this tannin-rich resin was widely used in medicines, for tanning, as an astringent, and for dyeing cotton.
Pigeon plum is known by a variety of common names: uva cimarrona, uverillo, and uvilla – all versions of wild grape or little grape. Other common names include dove-plum, plum-bush, and dove-grape. Another common name for pigeon plum is tie-tongue, due to the abundant tannins in the fruits.
Female flowers on female tree - if pollinated, these form fruits
Male flowers on male tree photos from Native Plant Nursery
Pigeon plum trees come in two sexes, with female and male flowers on separate trees. If you can’t see the flowers, you can often recognize the female trees as they have claw marks from raccoons climbing them to reach the fruits.
The fruits are small and somewhat pear-shaped when immature, round when mature, only about 1/3 inch long (about half the size of seagrape fruits). They stay green for some time eventually ripening to reddish-to-dark purple. Apparently, if you let the fruits dry out, then rehydrate them, they are less astringent. I will be sure to use that technique when I try them for jam making!
Ripe pigeon plum fruits - photo by Jenny Evans in Eat the Weeds
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
The News Packet was created to inform members and public about The Barnacle Society, The Barnacle Historic State Park, and events and activities there. Published quarterly by The Barnacle Society, it is part of our continuing program to support and preserve the home of Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe. The News Packet represents the method of mail and news delivery before the turn of the 20th century. A small boat sailed to Fowey Rocks Light and received a “packet” of newspapers and mail from passing coastal ships bound for Key West or Jacksonville.
Suzanne Koptur, Editor
BOARD MEMBERS
Officers
Mary Scott Russell, President
Sweet Pea Ellman, 1st VP
TBD, 2nd VP
Graham Coords, 3rd VP
Rafael Felippe, Treasurer
Ashley Castillo, Recording Secretary
John Palenchar, Corresponding Secretary
Directors
Peter Berman, Kevin Black, Olivier de Lavalette, Marc Stone, Pam Shlachtman, Walt Walkington, Debra Wellins
MISSION STATEMENT
The Barnacle Society, Inc. is a volunteer non-profit, citizen-supported organization created to generate public awareness, education, and financial support for the preservation and maintenance of The Barnacle Historic State Park.
PARK HOURS
Friday through Wednesday 9 AM to 5 PM Closed Thursdays, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.