On Tuesday, May 5th, at the beautiful home of Wayne and Marti Huizenga on the New River, over 100 community leaders gathered to hear more about the plans the Friends of Birch State Park have to “Bring Birch Back!”. The rain held off just long enough for the guests to enjoy being outdoors on the river and watch a video on the legacy of Hugh Taylor Birch and the historical significance of the gifts of land he gave to both the City of Fort Lauderdale (3 miles of open beach!) and the state of Florida (180 acres between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway for a state Park). During a brief program, President of the Board of Directors, Jim Ellis, and Gale Butler, executive director of Friends, recognized the contributions of Birch Willey, nephew of Hugh Taylor Birch, for his willingness to help promote the Park, and William Walker, CEO of the Water Taxi, thanking him for the Park’s new partnership which made Birch Park an official Water Taxi stop. Our heartfelt thanks go to Wayne and Marti for their graciousness in hosting the gathering.

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