Crane Point is one of those special places that is as peaceful and relaxing as it is educational and entertaining. Whenever people go there they resolve to return soon, but it is never soon enough.</p><p>With some big improvements under way, now is a perfect time to renew your appreciation of our unique Keys history and environment. It’s never too late to add this hidden paradise to your list of New Year’s resolutions.</p><p>Nearly 30,000 guests visit the Crane Point Museum and Nature Center each year, a unique American tropics preserve that is virtually invisible from the busy highway. Once you turn off U.S. 1 at mile marker 50, bayside, you enter an ancient tropical world of 63 acres filled with history, trails, wetlands, mangroves, gardens, critters, spectacular shorelines and views. You can get a sense of this place’s rich historical and environmental treasures by just pausing for a moment along a trail.</p><p>While the effects of Hurricane Wilma are no longer as evident, the cleanup and restoration continue, along with the removal of invasive species, upgrading of the grounds (which includes the replacement of damaged signs), and the ongoing preservation of archaeological sites and environmentally sensitive habitats. </p><p>You can still walk the nature trails to learn about Keys native plants and animals and stop at the saltwater lagoon to observe a variety of Keys fish just below the surface. The hammock loop trail, part of which is an elevated boardwalk, is a perfect way to see some of the 160 species of native plants found in the hammock.</p><p>Kids can play on a pirate ship (in costume if they wish) or bravely probe the saltwater touch tank at the Children’s Activity Center. A working beehive lets them watch some local honey-makers at work, producing a treat that is sold in the gift shop.</p><p>The Museum of Natural History illustrates some colorful Keys inhabitants from the past, including Native American settlers, Spanish explorers, and more recent Keys pioneers, as well as the butterflies, tree snails, sea turtles, Key deer, and tropical fish that also call these islands home. </p><p>Crane Point has done an excellent job of preserving its history of human settlers back well over 700 years. Calusa Indians were probably the first residents, attracted by the source of fresh water and good fishing.</p><p>Down the trail, the Adderley Town Historic Site was once home to the first documented settlers, George and Olivia Adderley, who lived here from 1903 until 1950. Their Adderley House, made from burnt seashells, has survived for 100 years and is still standing. It is the oldest Keys house outside of Key West. Adderley Town was once a stop on Flagler’s Overseas Railroad.</p><p>Walking along a shady walkway through a dense tropical forest, the Marathon Wild Bird Center is another must-see stop. Run by Kelly Grinter, their mission is the rescue and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned birds for eventual release into the wild. </p><p>Further down the trail is Crane Point itself, and a spectacular view of Florida Bay. </p><p>Not all of Crane Point’s wonders are on the ground or in the water. On a clear night the skies are full of stars, easier to see without nearby bright lights. Astronomer David Heeschen and members of a local stargazer’s club conduct monthly sessions on the property, allowing visitors to view countless galaxies millions of light years away. </p><p>Conservationists</p><p>Francis and Mary Crane from Massachusetts purchased the land in 1950, back when the Middle Keys were home to around 600 people and a zillion mosquitoes. The Cranes added a short causeway over to Old Rachel Key where they built their home, one of the first elevated structures in the Keys. Today the Crane House is also undergoing a facelift. </p><p>The Cranes were ardent conservationists and horticulturists who worked to preserve the hammock and enhance it with flowering exotic trees and shrubs. Later, the Florida Keys Land Trust was created to save the Keys’ tropical woodlands. In 1989 the Trust purchased Crane Point, saving it from development as private homes and a shopping center. A couple years later the Museum of Natural History and the Florida Keys Children’s Museum were established there.</p><p>The modern-day successor to the Cranes is the executive director of the Florida Keys Land and Sea Trust, former Monroe County commissioner Keith Douglass. His staff includes education director Elizabeth Moore, gift shop manager Pamela Bellissimo, and outreach director Laura Fowler. </p><p>Douglass’ enthusiasm for Crane Point and its future is highly contagious. In the past year since he has taken over, he has reached out to other organizations with similar concerns for the Keys environment. </p><p>“The Middle Keys is a hotbed for environmental education,” he says. “We have been collaborating with the Dolphin Research Center, Pigeon Key Foundation and the Turtle Hospital to promote each other through the Chamber of Commerce with discount passes.”</p><p>Douglass also wants to make Crane Point more visible from the Overseas Highway by adding attractive vertical roadside banners along the front of the property. These and new trail signs are part of the site’s user-friendly “sign-</p><p>age,” which directs visitors to the property and then guides them along interpretive pathways.</p><p>The ongoing changes are a small part of a three-phase master plan that is driving the growth and improvement of Crane Point for the next few years and beyond. Douglass tirelessly recruits sponsors and supporters for Crane Point’s aggressive expansion and improvements. </p><p>A major addition will be the proposed Keys Discovery Center, which will provide a memorable first impression — a visually striking lobby, new gift shop, information and ticketing desk, food service, public restrooms and reflecting pool. From there, visitors can enter the permanent exhibitions, take a guided or self-guided tour or spend some time on the Discovery Deck.</p><p>But one of Douglass’ primary goals is the education of visitors, from the group of Switlik Elementary kids, led by teacher Beth Pinkus, who camped out here on a recent weekend, to the visitors who arrive each day from around the world. On his list of future enhancements are new facilities for longer educational programs. A week-long camping experience to be called “The Land and Sea Youth Camp” will conform to national and state science curriculum standards and be offered nationally. New shower and bathroom facilities are being added to accommodate the participants. </p><p>“It’s great when we can use this land to educate both locals and visitors,” says Douglass. “If we can whet their appetite for a day, that’s great, but if we can get them for an extended period, they will be forever changed.”