FALL 2025
MANAGER’S MESSAGE
Hello to all! I would like to extend my hearfelt thanks to our dedicated park staff and the Barnacle Society volunteers for all their hard work this spring and summer. Together we have been trimming back the vegetation and caring for our treasured historic buildings, insuring they remain preserved for future generations.
I am also pleased to welcome our new museum registrar, Vinny Nastasi, to the team. Vinny brings with him a degree in history and a deep passion for his home town of Coconut Grove. We are excited to see the energy and expertise he will bring to the Barnacle.
Looking ahead, we are preparing for some exciting larger projects this year, including the Pavilion replacement, a new boat dock and seawall, and our Landscape and Hydrological project. At the same time, we continue to make progress on many smaller projects that together will serve to greatly enhance the experience of our visitors.
It is both a privilege and a pleasure to serve as the Manager of this historic place.
Thank you to each of you who help keep our history alive and thriving.
Daniel Kelsey, Park Manager
Greetings Barnacle family and friends!
The Barnacle Society has been happily at work putting together a concert series for you, your family and friends to enjoy. Our moonlight concert series is the second Friday of each Month with gates opening at 6 and live entertainment from 7-9. It is a perfect way to wind down from the week, pack a picnic or grab your favorite take-out, and come throw a blanket on the lawn! You are welcome to bring your favorite beverages too - just remember that you must take all your trash and recyclables with you when you leave.
Here are the dates for the remainder of 2025:
October 10th Will Thomas well known locally for his interactive sing-along yacht rock. He is a wonderful entertainer, and this will be fun for all!
November 14th Mama Fuma returns with Cuban/Caribbean Funk and Southern Rock, a true crowd pleaser you don’t want to miss!
December 12th French Horn is back at the park with French flair, energetic jazz, swing and more. If you haven’t attended one of their performances, mark your calendars now!
There is so much more to share and we welcome you. So, stop by and speak with one of our rangers to learn how you can enjoy the park. There are so many ways from Volunteering to yoga classes on the bay, musical events, boat building workshops, wonderful dog-centered events or just bring a book and enjoy the natural beauty and peace of our shared home on Biscayne Bay.
Thank you for supporting our efforts, we do it for you and couldn’t do it without you. See you soon!
Mary Scott Russell, President, The Barnacle Society
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE BARNACLE
Sawdust and Shavings
by John Palenchar
Egret at Shake-A-Leg
Things are busy at the Boathouse as the refit of EGRET continues. The masts have been repaired and primed and ready for a second coat of primer, then paint. Construction of the new floorboards has commenced and the milling of the boards from 2x6” planks has produced lots of sawdust!! Plans are underway to haul EGRET and continue the fitting of her new floorboards. Many thanks to Harry Horgan at Shake-a-Leg, who has agreed to have EGRET in their hangar while we pursue this project.
Other projects are ongoing at the Boathouse—the building of a “prototype” interpretive sign has begun as well as the new (model) boat-building project for which we now have three participants (details in a future article!).
And, thanks to our new Park Museum Registrar, Vincent (“Vinnie”) Nastasi, the Boathouse windows have been given their first washing in years! Thanks, Vinnie—“Let there be Light!”
Big pile of sawdust
First floor boards
Deteriorated base of main mast, now replaced with new wood
Egret main and mizzen, repaired, primed, and ready for paint
The Barnacle’s “Artistic Muse”
by Mike Chapman and John Palenchar
Over the years, starting with Commodore Munroe himself, The Barnacle has inspired many artists to capture the natural beauty surrounding it.
Continuing in the photography tradition of the Commodore (see his photos of early Miami in Arva Moore Parks’ The Forgotten Frontier or adorning the walls of History Miami downtown), Park Ranger Albert Carrasquillo has taken some amazing photos of wildlife at The Barnacle.
Albert’s recent photo of a heron on one of the pilings of The Barnacle’s former dock inspired Boathouse Volunteer, Danny Garcia, to do a “quill” pen and ink rendition of the haunting image (Danny fashioned his quill from a feather found on-site). We encourage others to submit their Barnacle-inspired artworks to the News Packet to share with our readership.
Heron on piling - photo by A. Carrasquillo
Heron on piling - quill pen and ink by Danny Garcia
Renew your membership
The support of our community helps ensure the future of The Barnacle. Your membership makes a huge impact in the maintenance of the museum, the grounds, and all the amazing projects in the Boathouse. Please take a moment to renew your membership, or to become a member if you have not done so already. Thank you for supporting The Barnacle!
THE NATURE OF THINGS AT THE BARNACLE
by Suzanne Koptur
Brave and gentle, strong and sweet - Lancewood
In the spring, the small white lancewood flowers have a delicate fragrance, not only perfuming the air for us but also attracting their pollinators. In the fall the lancewood fruits ripen from green to black: delicious oily fruits for birds to provide energy for their travels south in migration or for wintering in Florida. The black fruit is held onto the plants on a red fruit stalk; the red/black color combination occurs throughout the plant kingdom, a contrast that draws the attention of birds who collect the fruits or seeds to eat and disperse them.
Lancewood flowers (photo by John Bradford)
Lancewood fruits - photo by George Rogers
Lancewood (Ocotea - formerly Nectandra - coriacea) is in the Lauraceae, the same family as cinnamon and avocado. The lancewood fruits are like tiny avocados, with a much higher seed-to-fruit pulp ratio than we find in an avocado. The edible part of the fruit is a thin shell around the seed, and many birds and rodents eat that part off and drop the seeds. Many seeds end up not far from the parent trees, though birds may swallow them, then regurgitate them after they have flown some distance away. Others may swallow them and the seeds pass through their digestive system, coming out the other end, often resulting in greater dispersal distances!
In tropical montane forests, trogons such as the resplendent quetzal subsist on diets of oily fruits of plants in this family, migrating up and down the mountains as the different species come into fruit. At the Barnacle, we might see birds like wood thrush, veeries, or maybe a white-crowned pigeon eating lancewood fruits.
Wood thrush singing its beautiful song
all photos from e-bird
Veery with a dark fruit a little smaller than a lancewood fruit
White-crowned pigeon, well known for eating poisonwood berries, also eat lancewood fruits.
Volunteer spotlight
Pinar Bulut
Pinar at the front of the park
Many visitors entering the Barnacle Historic State Park over the last year have been greeted by Pinar Bulut. A native of Turkey, Pinar sought to learn more about her Miami home by volunteering.
When Pinar offered her services, she suggested a good position would be at the “iron ranger”, welcoming everyone and reminding them to pay the entrance fee. This small fee, $2 per person, can add up with the large number of visitors that come in to stroll with family, friends, and pets. The money collected goes a long way to providing valuable funds for the operations of the park, yet without a reminder, many visitors neither pay nor give it a second thought. Recent improvements make it easy to pay in a variety of ways: cash in an envelope, by credit card at the office, and even electronically using a QR code. On a beautiful Saturday, with Pinar at the welcoming table, the park brings in more than $200 dollars. (In case you are wondering, events held at the park, such as concerts, pay the park $2 per person as part of the event’s expenses).
In Pinar’s words: “During the days I spent at the park entrance, what delighted me the most was seeing visitors not only from the United States but from all around the world—arriving full of curiosity and leaving in awe of Mr. Munroe’s genius and the park’s peaceful, magical atmosphere. It’s a hidden and enchanting corner in the heart of a chaotic city, with untouched history and playful little surprises.”
At this writing, Pinar has returned to Turkey for a while to take care of her health*, sending her regards to all and saying “I truly love that place and the entire Barnacle community.” We all look forward to welcoming her back to active duty when she returns to Miami!
*If you might like to send Pinar a card her mailing address is:
Pinar Bulut;
Ebubekir Cd. Sinpaş Sealybria Sit.
46/A Semizkumlar Silivri
Istanbul Turkey
Celebrating Kevin’s birthday, left to right: Pinar Bulut, Kevin Floyd (Park Service Specialist), Marcie Henderson (admin), Gabi Bello Ugalde (ranger and webmaster), and Albert Carrasquillo (ranger).
Pinar at her post by the “Iron Ranger”
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
Kevin Black, 2nd VP
Graham Coords, 3rd VP
Rafael Felippe, Treasurer
Debra Wellins, Recording Secretary
John Palenchar, Corresponding Secretary
Directors
Peter Berman, Ashley Castillo, Olivier de Lavalette, Marc Stone, Pam Shlachtman, Walt Walkington
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.