📸: Photo courtesy of Katie Murphy
Who are you? What do you do?
I am the Director of Development & Communications for The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks. We support not one, not two, but FOUR national park units throughout South Florida. Many people think that, because these spaces are managed by the National Park Service, they receive all of their funding from the federal government. While a significant portion of their budgets are covered by Uncle Sam, we provide funding for the types of programs that help connect local communities to these public lands, with our greatest area of support being youth environmental education.
Wax poetic for a minute and tell us: what brings you most alive about this city?
The brilliance of the Miami sky is what makes me feel most alive. I spent nearly two decades in New York City, walking around in the shadows of skyscrapers, where the stars only very rarely ever made an appearance. Seeing the remnants of the moon hanging in the purple pink of the oncoming day or the sun turning into a fireball of orange that sets the waters below into shimmery pools of liquid gold takes my breath away and re-energizes me at the same time, every time.
How does Miami help you do what you do or influence your work?
Simply put, what I do at The Alliance is for the people of Miami. I am all about creating new avenues of exploration within our national parks and breaking down the barriers that are hindering folks from getting out into the swamp or onto the bays. The more that people are able to experience these spaces firsthand, the more connected they feel to them, and the more they work to protect and preserve them.
What’s your favorite Miami memory?
My favorite Miami memory is running the Miami Marathon for the first time, passing through all of my favorite neighborhoods with my dad on the sidelines cheering me on (he spent a total of three hours waiting for me in different spots!), and then celebrating victory with the UNKWN Run Club in Wynwood.
If you could eat only one meal from a local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It’s a tie between the beet burger at Le Chick and the Hong Kong-style french toast from Zitz Sum. Equally drool-worthy in very (very!) different ways!
Outside of the obvious stop above, share your other top destinations for where you’d go on your perfect Miami day.
I am ridiculously outdoorsy, but I do try to balance it with some indoor time. My perfect Miami day would be a morning run around Brickell and across the William M. Powell Bridge, followed by a rooftop brunch, a stroll through the Rubell Museum, capped off with an after-hours bike ride through Shark Valley to watch the sunset from atop the observation tower! And then late night sips at Dante’s Hifi!
What’s your favorite local social media account to follow and why?
I take a lot of pride in the stories I tell through @nationalparksFL, but @lucamartinez.fl is an amazing up-and-coming photographer (he’s only 17!) with a real eye for the beauty of the outdoors and the natural world. And, of course, you know I have to plug my own account: @tomboykatie.
If you could give any one piece of advice to locals, what would it be?
Some of the most magical natural wonders of the world are right in your backyard in the form of our national parks. Both Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park offer free ranger-led programming that is a tremendous resource and mainly gets utilized by tourists, not so much by locals. Let’s change that!
What’s an unpopular opinion you have about the city?
I think that turn signals are actually useful, but apparently I’m the only one!
What are you looking forward to this year?
I’m looking forward to celebrating the 75th anniversary of Everglades National Park, taking place this December!
That’s a wrap on this week’s Locals to Know. Know someone who ought to be featured or would like to be featured yourself? Reach out by sending an email to [email protected] with the subject line “TNT Locals to Know 2022.” If chosen, you might just see yourself or a friend in a future newsletter.