The
Beautification of Duck Key
In
the early 1950s Duck Key was not a lush tropical island.
Prior to development visitors to Duck Key would see
curved prop roots of red mangove trees existing along
parts of the shore line and native palms and broad gumbo
limbo trees rising above prickly pear cactus and
sprawling scrub further inland.
Construction
of canals, roads, and the placement of fill caused much
of Duck Key to be scarified. Resort developer, John
Newkirk, gave south Florida nurseryman, Jack Bard, the
task of establishing a Duck Key Nursery and preserving
selected native trees already established on the island.
To these Bard added thousands of Florida native and
exotic plants. New roads, homes and hotel buildings would
be landscaped with mahogany, seagrape, Jamaican dogwood,
crabwood, ironwood,date palms, coconut palms, and pigeon
plum trees.
Property
Association Efforts
Since
its formation in 1971 the Duck Key Property Owners
Association has had as one of its goals the
beautification of Duck Key. In addition to a right of way
maintenance program, DKPOA with membership support has
undertaken a variety of projects. In the 1980s attempts
were made at reestablishing coconut palms lost after a
lethal yellow attack, and tabebulia and pongam trees were
planted along Bimini Drive . In 1994 the beautiful Snyder
'Duck Key' Park was established near the entrance to the
residential islands and in 1996 DKPOA completed extensive
planting clearing, and pruning near island
bridges.
In 2003 DKPOA
held an island clean day and planted trees along Bimini
Drive.
CLICK
ON THE LINKS BELOW for information on the Duck Key
community, its architecture,Venetian style bridges,
trees, growth, efforts at beautification, and resort
influences.
