Whether you’re pining for a Keys vacation but can’t get away quite yet, or are prepping for an upcoming trip to the island chain, you’ll want to watch “The Florida Keys: 200 Years of Paradise,” slated to debut this spring on Public Broadcasting Service channels across the U.S.

The fascinating 60-minute TV documentary explores the culture and history of the Keys from the early 1800s to the present. It was produced by South Florida PBS for broadcast during the island chain’s bicentennial year — this year — that commemorates the Florida Legislature’s establishment of Monroe County on July 3, 1823.

The program (partially underwritten by the Keys tourism council) takes you on a journey through the region’s dramatic history, seen through the eyes of residents who live and interpret that history every day.

Topics include the Florida Keys’ booms and busts, cultural and artistic expression, sport fishing and community leaders, industries like shipwreck salvage, natural disasters and renewal, environmental conservation and the legacy of Black pioneers.

Comments from Keys historians and others introduce viewers to the human side of the island chain’s two centuries of history — giving the story a deeply personal flavor.

“The Florida Keys: 200 Years of Paradise” is to be distributed nationally by American Public Television beginning March 1, and it’s expected to air on some 249 public television stations around the country. So check your local listings for scheduled airtimes to make sure you don’t miss it.

Meanwhile, three events are slated in Key West that showcase different elements of the Keys’ intriguing two-century cultural heritage.

Presidents in Paradise. Descendants of former president Harry S. Truman and five other U.S. commanders in chief will discuss their famous relatives and American bipartisanship Saturday, Feb. 18, at Key West’s Harry S. Truman Little White House.

The Presidential Family Forum is the centerpiece of Presidents Day weekend activities at the 111 Front St. residence — the place where Truman spent 11 working vacations during his 1945-1953 administration. Today the property is Florida’s only presidential museum.

In addition, Clifton Truman Daniel (former President Truman’s oldest grandson) will star as his grandfather in the one-man play “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” Sunday and Monday, Feb. 19-20. A seasoned actor and author, Clifton is the first direct descendant to portray a presidential ancestor in a stage production — and this one is absolutely unforgettable.

A Conch-Centric Celebration. Join several dozen other people and attempt to “blow your own horn” in Key West Saturday, March 4, during a celebration of the Florida Keys’ rich history known as the Conch Shell Blowing Contest.

In the 19th century, when Key West’s economy was largely based on salvaging cargoes from sinking ships, seafarers used the conch’s fluted pink-lined shells as signaling devices — blowing piercing blasts to attract attention. Today native-born residents refer to themselves as Conchs and the Florida Keys island chain is often called the Conch Republic.

The “conch honk” challenge is presented each spring by the Old Island Restoration Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the architectural and cultural heritage of Key West. In the lush garden of the island’s Oldest House Museum, 322 Duval St., entrants vie to see who can coax the most impressive sounds from their “instrument.”

Remembering Tennessee. Internationally renowned playwright Tennessee Williams, who lived in Key West for more than 30 years, once said of his chosen home, “I work everywhere, but I work best here.” Explore his writing and life in the island city during the Tennessee Williams Birthday Celebration, with events scheduled throughout March.

Expected highlights include guided curator tours of the Tennessee Williams Museum, located at 513 Truman Ave. Birthday month activities also include screenings of films based on Williams’ plays, a walking tour of the playwright’s Key West, a lecture and readings, a theater production and a commemoration of the 112th anniversary of Williams’ March 26 birth.

What else is going on in Key West and the Keys over the next few months? Just check here — and then catch the PBS documentary and begin planning your next visit.

Ever since the Florida Keys were settled two centuries ago, the island chain has been known for its residents’ adventurous seafaring spirit. Today, that spirit remains among the Keys’ most appealing attributes. And contemporary visitors can find it in museums and attractions, tales of sunken treasure and dive trips to famed shipwreck sites.

Many early settlers in Islamorada and Key West were wreckers — salvaging goods from ships that sank along the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef, which runs parallel to the Keys. While the wreckers’ strict code mandated rescuing crews and passengers first, they also profited from salvaged cargo. In the mid-1800s, wrecking made Key West the wealthiest city per capita in the U.S.

Keys visitors can relive that era at the Upper Keys’ Indian Key Historic State Park, a small island that was once a busy port established by wrecker Jacob Housman in the 1800s, or at the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum, featuring re-enactors and salvaged artifacts.

A century earlier, fleets of Spanish galleons regularly sailed past the Keys carrying goods and treasures from the New World back to Spain. Many sank in the area, including 13 ships from Spain’s 1733 fleet.

Among the galleons was La Capitana, the flagship of the 1733 fleet, which sank off the Upper Keys. In the late 1930s, pioneering diver Art McKee began salvaging the vessel’s remains — recovering cannons, silver and gold coins, weapons, navigational instruments and silver bars.

Dubbed the father of modern treasure diving, McKee also uncovered the sites of the Infante, Herrera, Chaves, San Pedro and San José. His exploits are chronicled in a remarkable exhibit at the Florida Keys History of Diving Museum in Islamorada.

The Keys’ most famous wreck is immortalized at Key West’s Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. The museum showcases artifacts and treasures from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, lost in a 1622 hurricane and discovered off Key West in 1985 by shipwreck salvager Mel Fisher. Items on display include gold chains, cannons, navigational instruments, coins and heavy silver bars.

Today’s adventurers can indulge their own seafaring spirit by diving the Keys’ Shipwreck Heritage Trail. Featuring nine wreck sites stretching from Key Largo to Key West, the trail was established by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to spotlight the island chain’s rich maritime history.

Its wrecks range from McKee’s San Pedro to modern cargo and military ships and artificial reefs. Among them is the Thunderbolt, intentionally sunk in 1986 some 4 miles south of Marathon in 120 feet of water.

Three other significant vessels also beckon Keys divers. The 510-foot Spiegel Grove, the third-largest ship ever intentionally sunk to create a new reef, is positioned about 6 miles off Key Largo in 130 feet of water. It has attracted divers, fish and other marine life since its 2002 sinking.

The 210-foot freighter Adolphus Busch Senior lies in Lower Keys waters approximately 5 miles southwest of Big Pine Key. Divers have been exploring the artificial reef since it was sunk in 1998.

The second-largest vessel ever to be sunk as an artificial reef is the 523-foot General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, scuttled in 2009 about 7 miles off Key West. Its hull rests on sand at depths averaging 145 feet, but its superstructure rises to about 45 feet below the surface.

Only a few ships that sank in Florida Keys waters carried gold or other rich cargoes. But from Spanish galleons to modern-day artificial reefs, they all offer treasured adventures for divers.

Sunny, breezy subtropical holidays in the Florida Keys & Key West are filled with warmth and good cheer throughout the 125-mile-long island chain. From Key Largo to Key West, the 2022 holiday season features spirited events such as lighted boat parades, historic inn tours, only-in-the Keys frivolity, sparkling waterfront celebrations and other island festivities.

In the weeks leading up to the holidays, check out the enchanting events listed here.

Now through Dec. 10: Zonta’s Festival of Trees. The Zonta Club of Marathon, a women’s service organization, offers a free-admission display of decorated trees at its 12th Annual Festival of Trees at Marathon Garden Club, 5270 Overseas Highway. Attractions also include “Lunch with the Grinch” Saturday, Dec. 10. The upscale ticketed “Toast to the Season” is scheduled that evening at the garden club with champagne, music, libations and tasty treats. A drawing for all trees and holiday baskets is set for 9 p.m. While admission to the Festival of Trees is free, raffle tickets can be purchased for a chance to win a favorite tree.

Now through Dec. 23: Old Town Trolley’s Holiday Sights & Festive Nights Tours. The popular green and orange trolleys, festively adorned with holiday lights, showcase Key West’s best-decorated neighborhoods, buildings and homes on fun-filled 60-minute excursions. Tours depart each evening from the island city’s Mallory Square at 6:30, 7, 8 and 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 9: Key West Art & Historical Society Holiday Bazaar. The Key West Art & Historical Society hosts its sixth annual concert and holiday shopping event on the sweeping porch and walkway of the historic Custom House Museum at 281 Front St. The 5-9 p.m. free-admission event features a holiday light show produced by Key West High School’s Conch 5 Studios, unique gifts crafted by local artisans, musicians, choirs, food, libations and photos with Santa.

Dec. 9, 10 and 11: Lighted Boat Parades. Lighted and festively decorated boats, from fishing craft and cruisers to tall ships, are to cruise waters surrounding the Florida Keys. Celebrate the season with the Holiday Lighted Boat Parade of Stock Island (Dec. 9); the Key Largo Boat Parade on Blackwater Sound, themed “A Cartoon Christmas”; the Schooner Wharf Bar/Absolut Vodka Lighted Boat Parade (Dec. 10) around the Key West Historic Seaport and harbor; or the Key Colony Beach Christmas Boat Parade (Dec. 11).

Dec. 9 and 16: Holiday Historic Inn Tours. Old Town Key West is filled with unique historic inns, and two Friday evenings of 6-8 p.m. tours offer a chance to glimpse lavish decorations and experience holiday cheer, treats at bed-and-breakfast properties and two popular Key West attractions.

Dec. 10: Pops in the Park Concert “Joy to the World.” Islamorada’s family-friendly, free-admission holiday concert, themed “Joy to the World,” offers traditional and pops music by the Florida Keys Community Concert Band. The Burton Bell Ringers are to be special guests. Attendees can bring chairs and blankets to the 4-5 p.m. outdoor concert at Founders Park’s amphitheater, mile marker 87 bayside.

Dec. 11: Christmas on the Sheriff’s Animal Farm. Children and adults love visiting the unique Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Animal Farm, just northeast of Key West at 5501 College Road on Stock Island. The farm, open 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, is educational for visitors and a haven for feathered, furry and fluffy creatures that are nurtured and cared for by jail inmates. Holiday highlights include photos with Santa.

Dec. 15: Third Thursday Art Walk. Showcasing the area’s fine arts, music and culinary nuances, Islamorada’s Morada Way Arts & Cultural District features national and local artisans whose work is showcased in galleries at Morada Way between mile markers 81 and 82, as well as beer tastings and live music. Admission is free to this outdoor pre-holiday celebration. The 6-9 p.m. Art Walk is held the third Thursday of each month.

Dec. 17: Winter Wonderland at Crane Point. At Crane Point Hammock Museum & Nature Trails, 5550 Overseas Highway in Marathon, families can enjoy an evening winter wonderland. Attractions are to include reindeer ponies and Santa Claus, holiday decorations, a chocolate fountain, other seasonal treats and libations for purchase — plus a forecast of snow!

While this listing outlines a handful of the Florida Keys’ seasonal highlights, there are plenty of other colorful festivities to enjoy as well. A complete roster of holiday activities and special events throughout the Keys can be viewed here.

Caitlyn “Caiti” Currie, who captains Key Largo water excursions for Pirates Cove Watersports and for school groups out of MarineLab at the Key Largo Undersea Park, is passionate about keeping the Florida Keys’ aquamarine waters clean.

Through Pirates Cove, located at Reefhouse Resort & Marina, Caiti enjoys captaining boats for and participating in Dive Against Debris trips.

Like many Keys environmentalists, she holds two jobs to be able to do meaningful work that she loves. At MarineLab — a Marine Resources Development Foundation program on Largo Sound at the park housing Jules’ Undersea Lodge — she educates student groups of all ages about Keys ecosystems.

The landlocked native of St. Louis, Missouri, packed her bags for Key Largo about 10 years ago. Previously she had studied marine archaeology at Southeast Missouri State University and conducted educational field research at the Sanisera Archaeology Institute in Menorca, Spain.

Caiti immediately landed a boat mate’s position at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. A couple of years later, she began studying for her captain’s license and earned it at age 25.

Her seven-year stint at Pennekamp ended when the coronavirus pandemic struck, and Pirates Cove offered her a captain’s job.

During her limited spare time, Caiti enjoys her two Labrador–Australian shepherd–mix dogs and performing with the Key Players theatrical troupe.

Keys Voices: When did you first come to the Florida Keys and why?

Caitlyn “Caiti” Currie: In 2013. I realized after college that I hated the cold weather too much, so I wanted to be somewhere it was warm all year round and where there were shipwrecks. I like water, warmth and buried treasure.

KV: What aspects of the Keys environment or way of life matter most to you?

CC: I really like how most everyone down here loves to do some activity on the water. Whether paddling, snorkeling or fishing, everyone likes to get out and enjoy our unique ecosystems. Not only do they enjoy it, they care about it! Our local community really gets involved in helping take care of our reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves.

KV: Who or what inspired you to become passionate about respecting and protecting the Keys’ natural world?

CC: Working on snorkel boats, glass-bottom boats and running eco-tours has allowed me to see firsthand how our ecosystems have been affected over the years. I can’t imagine what they looked like 50 to 60 years ago!

KV: How does that passion influence your work or profession?

CC: I try to make sure the companies I work for care about our environment and conditions as much as I do, if not more so.

KV: What are some of the ways, personally or through your work, that you connect with and/or help protect the local environment and unique lifestyle?

CC: Damage to our different ecosystems has encouraged me to educate visitors on how to properly interact with the environment they’re in, so that it can be enjoyed for years to come.

KV: What keeps you energized, challenged and focused on your path?

CC: My peers and co-workers constantly keep me energized about helping to educate others. Where I work, mainly at Pirates Cove Watersports, we do multiple Dive Against Debris trips throughout the year to help clean up the oceans. At MarineLab, we take school groups out to experience the different ecosystems and learn about them in depth.

KV: What do you hope your positive environmental actions will accomplish?

CC: The more we educate our visitors, the better our reefs can be in the future as more people realize the impact they can have on our beautiful and unique reefs — just with their everyday habits.

KV: What message do you want your actions and example to communicate to people you encounter?

CC: To encourage others to be appreciative of our environment down here and help us to preserve it.

KV: What’s your favorite natural or eco-friendly activity in the Keys?

CC: I’m not sure if I could pick a favorite activity! It’s a tie between diving and snorkeling.

The continental United States’ only contiguous living coral barrier reef, which parallels the Florida Keys, hosts huge populations of tropical fish and other creatures. Purple gorgonians, giant boulder corals, elegant finger corals, colorful shrimp, shy and skittish lobsters, bashful nurse sharks and rays provide an incomparable display of undersea life to divers and snorkelers.

The Keys reef is easy to get to and easy to navigate, while the warm clear water makes a long dive comfortable and enjoyable.

Around Halloween, however, the region’s underwater beauty goes hand in hand with offbeat fun.

That’s because Halloween in the Keys brings a popular yet unusual event: the Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest (yes, involving actual pumpkins) in Key Largo waters. (Key Largo, by the way, is the northernmost part of the island chain and is renowned as the Dive Capital of the World.)

Set for Saturday, Oct. 29, the contest is now in its 24th year and features intrepid “artists” descending approximately 25 feet beneath the surface. Their task: transform orange pumpkins into masterful sculptures incorporating frightening facial features, playful denizens of the sea or traditional toothy grins.

As well as design challenges, participants must contend with two other elements. First, hollow pumpkins are naturally buoyant. In other words, they tend to float — which means subsea sculptors must work with a potentially moving target AND keep it from drifting away.

Second, as seasoned pumpkin carvers know, hollowing out the gourds’ interior reveals seeds and stringy “guts.” These float too, and often attract quick-swimming reef fish that move in for a closer look and a nibble on the intriguing tidbits — so dodging finned “spectators” becomes part of the artistic process.

Each year, however, the pumpkin carvers not only persevere but report having a great time — competing to craft the most innovative creations to win prizes and bragging rights.

Previous years’ pumpkin entries have featured everything from traditional triangle eyes and toothless grins to shark-mouthed sneers, dolphin silhouettes and many other sea creatures. One crafty past competitor even came up with a “fishy” skeleton.

Certified divers can join in the Oct. 29 competition with Amoray Dive Resort, located at mile marker 104.5 in Key Largo. The two-location dive includes tanks, weights and a pumpkin ready for carving. Reservations are an absolute MUST.

Once the carving is complete, the top pumpkin chosen by the experienced judges (who double as the crew of the Amoray Diver dive boat) earns its creator a complimentary dive trip for two.

If you’re an advanced- or wreck-certified diver, Key Largo waters also offer another one-of-a-kind underwater adventure: the chance to dive on the 510-foot U.S. Navy ship Spiegel Grove, the world’s third-largest ship ever intentionally sunk to become an artificial reef. The vessel has enthralled trained divers since June 2002, when the Key Largo community rallied to sink it as the backbone of a new reef ecosystem.

Designed to carry cargo and craft for amphibious landings, the Spiegel Grove operated from 1956 until its decommissioning in 1989, and helped enforce America’s Cold War strategy by rushing troops and equipment to support friendly governments.

Today, the venerable vessel rests in 130 feet of water about six miles off Key Largo. Enveloped by delicate corals and invertebrates, the top deck is about 60 feet below the ocean’s surface.

The ship is so wide that, on many days, the view of the superstructure will fade into a green-blue abyss. On the clearest days, however, the sandy bottom is visible.

For wreck divers who intend to enter the upper deck areas of the Spiegel Grove (which were specially prepared to lessen the risk of such activity), knowledge and proof of certifications regarding diving in overhead environments is required.

Whether you’re coming to the Florida Keys to carve a pumpkin underwater, explore a unique reef ecosystem or embark upon an only-in-the-Keys shipwreck dive, you’ll find plenty of professional dive operators to help you immerse yourself in the underwater realm. For more information, just click here.

In the unforgettable “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, the buccaneers were guided by a code of conduct that was originally created by the Brethren Court of pirate lords. Theoretically, its rules were strict and unbending — but before the end of the first film, heroine Elizabeth Swann convinced the crew of the pirate vessel Black Pearl that “they’re more like guidelines, anyway.”

Though buccaneers are few and far between in the Florida Keys (sometimes called America’s Caribbean), Keys residents and others who love the island chain are definitely guided by a code of conduct.

This code was designed to protect a treasure richer than any pirate gold — the region’s amazing natural environment. The Florida Keys are paralleled by the continental United States’ only living coral barrier reef, which is often called the third largest in the world. Much like a tropical rainforest, the reef ecosystem supports an incredibly diverse population of plants and animals.

The entire land mass of the Keys is surrounded by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which was established in 1990 by the U.S. government. Visitors to the island chain will also find land-based refuges where birds, wildlife and their habitats are protected — including the Lower Keys’ National Key Deer Refuge that’s home to shy, soft-eyed miniature deer the size of large dogs.

So what exactly IS the code of the Keys?

Its core is the 10 Keymandments. Unlike the Bible’s 10 Commandments, which advise people what NOT to do, the Keymandments advise travelers what they CAN do to have a meaningful, memorable vacation while respecting and helping preserve the Keys environment.

Lighthearted yet educational, they’re guidelines for enjoying a sustainable travel experience in the laid-back subtropical spot.

ONE: Plant a coral (or adopt one of the cute little things, but don’t touch them on the reef).

TWO: Support the wildlife (volunteer food, funds or time to a local wild bird center).

THREE: Take out the trash (especially if it’s floating in the water).

FOUR: Capture a lionfish (any time and any size — we can show you how).

FIVE: Leave a digital footprint (share pictures with fans, friends and followers).

SIX: Hike it, bike it or hoof it (it’s low on eco-impact and high on fresh tropical air).

SEVEN: Catch dinner (and release all the fish you know you can’t eat).

EIGHT: Use a mooring buoy at dive sites (save your back and leave the anchor alone).

NINE: Conserve vs. consume (reduce, reuse and recycle even on vacation).

TEN: Get off the beaten path (you can hike, bike, walk, kayak or paddleboard along Keys trails).

While the code of conduct in the “Pirates” films proved to be somewhat elastic, the Keys code should be followed at all times by everyone who cares about the area’s environment. In fact, the Keymandments are a modern-day addition to more than a century of efforts to preserve it.

Discovering the island chain’s natural world is easy with a knowledgeable local eco-tour guide or watersports operator — whether on a kayaking paddle through tranquil waters and surreal mangrove tangles, an excursion to view dolphins in the wild, or a dive or snorkeling trip in America’s first underwater park.

To explore eco-adventures in the Florida Keys, just click here. And don’t forget … to protect and preserve the Keys’ environmental treasures, always follow the code.

As most people who care about the Florida Keys probably know, the island chain felt impacts from Hurricane Ian’s tropical storm-force winds and storm surge Tuesday night and Wednesday, when Ian passed well to the west of Key West.

So this week, Keys Voices is breaking from its usual format to provide a post-Ian update.

Major Florida Keys & Key West infrastructure remains intact throughout the 125-mile-long island chain.

Key West International Airport reopened to commercial and general aviation service Thursday morning, according to Monroe County Airports Director Richard Strickland. However, he advised arriving and departing passengers to check with their airlines before going to airports for scheduled flights.

The area of the Keys most impacted by Ian appears to be Key West, where some roads were temporarily flooded because of storm surge or blocked because of fallen trees. City crews have been working tirelessly to remove downed tree limbs and clean remaining debris from streets and landmarks including the famed Southernmost Point.

Alyson Crean, the city’s public information officer, said about 100 Key West-area homes were impacted by flooding from the storm surge, but she provided the good news that no significant damage to buildings was reported from Ian’s tropical storm-force winds.

The other parts of the island chain, from the Lower Keys through Marathon and Islamorada to Key Largo, are east-northeast of Key West so Ian was farther away from them as it passed — and therefore, they had far fewer impacts.

One family on Stock Island, adjacent to Key West, got a surprise as they cleaned seaweed from around their boat ramp: a green sea turtle hatchling  buried in about a foot of seaweed. Eight-year-old Khannan Mellies and his family promptly named the tiny turtle “Ian,” and it was transported to the Middle Keys’ Turtle Hospital for care and an eventual release back into the wild.

People who usually drive to the Keys will be glad to know that the Florida Keys Overseas Highway is open and traffic is flowing normally — though the Keys’ Sheriff Rick Ramsay cautioned everyone to be aware of the potential for road debris and standing water in some places.

Electric power went out in parts of Key West during Ian, but was restored to all customers by Friday — and people in the rest of the Keys have power as usual. Regular household and business water flow in the island chain was never interrupted.

Almost all Keys lodging facilities escaped significant impact from the storm and are open.

Most attractions, venues, watersports operations, restaurants and bars are open, with others planning to reopen in the coming days. Visitors with any questions should contact them individually.

Some state parks in the Keys may not reopen immediately; those planning to visit state parks should contact them individually as well.

Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson, which lie 70 miles west of Key West, partially reopened to the public Oct. 2. Seaplane service has resumed, but dock repairs are needed before ferry service can resume.

Those of us in the Keys and Key West are endlessly grateful to be spared the brunt of the storm’s impacts, and will do what we can to help others who were hard hit. We encourage Keys Voices readers to do the same.

If you’re a foodie seeking authentic casual dining experiences in the Upper Keys, you’re in luck. That’s because Upper Keys food trucks offer creatively crafted cuisine that provides a quick-serve, fun alternative to oh-so-boring fast-food joints.

Florida Keys food trucks — each with personalized freshly made specialty fare — are generally operated by hands-on locals who are owner-chefs.

For them, the outlets are a creative way to showcase culinary talent without the investment of a brick-and-mortar restaurant. And for foodies exploring Florida’s southernmost island chain, the venues are a convenient, inexpensive way to sample only-in-the-Keys cuisine.

Want to know more about favorite food trucks in the Upper Keys? Read on!

Craig’s Island Time Catering food trailer, currently found in Tavernier at the pool area of Ocean Pointe Suites at 500 Burton Drive, is operated by Craig Belcher — known as the creator of the Keys’ “World Famous Fish Sandwich.” Often stationed at multiday events and festivities, the roving trailer is known for its “famous super fish sandwich” with grilled or fried mahi-mahi on whole wheat bread, tomatoes, tartar sauce and melted cheese. Also popular are chicken sandwiches, cracked conch, seafood platters and hamburgers. Call 305-852-9424.

Seaside Eatery, located at 98275 Overseas Highway (mile marker 98) near Sal’s Ballyhoo’s restaurant, serves fresh all-vegan fare with house-grown herbs and fresh produce. Specialties are “sammies” including Lyndsay’s bahn mi created by owner Lyndsay Peterson — plus flavorful salads and wraps, breakfast items, Taiwanese boba oat milk teas and Key limeade. The truck is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Seaside fans will be glad to know that plans are in the works for a second truck, this one to serve vegan pizza. Visit seasideeateryflkeys.com or call 305-465-0999.

Nearby, One Grind, in the Florida Keys Overseas Highway median at mile marker 98, specializes in breakfasts and offers a caffeinated jolt along with burritos, bagels and avocado toast. Known for eye-opening coffees and espresso drinks, One Grind serves lattes, macchiatos or flat whites crafted from ground-to-order whole beans. Teas and iced raspberry, blue butterfly and coco mocha refreshers are also popular thirst-quenchers. And animal lovers have another great reason to favor One Grind: owners Rosemary Critelli and Christine Cooper donate tips to a local humane society. Additionally, part of each sale of their “Rescue Collab Coffee,” dubbed the “Foxy Brown,” is donated to Pawsitive Beginnings Fox Rescue in Key Largo. The truck is open daily (except Wednesdays) from 7 a.m. to noon and has outdoor seating. Visit onegrindkl.com 0r call 305-902-0534.

 In Islamorada, A Movable Feast — positioned on Sundays and during the wonderful monthly “third Thursday” Morada Way Art Walk at 151 Morada Way — offers European pastries and elegant sweets, pierogies, jumbo pretzels and artisan breads (yummm!). Other fare includes international tacos, gourmet grilled cheese, serious sliders, flatbreads and authentic Neapolitan pizzas. Owners Tony and Maryna Corallo established the “Original Upper Keys Food Truck” in 2017 and also cater events. Plus the couple is opening a new Key Largo retail outlet, called A Movable Feast’s Bakehouse and Provisions, later this year for order-ahead, take-out specialties. Visit a-movable-feast.com/food-truck or call 305-304-0556.

Other well-regarded Islamorada food trucks include the Jalisco Taco Truck, serving tacos and burritos at Florida Keys Brewing Co.’s outdoor beer garden at mile marker 81.6; and Green Turtle Roadside BBQ, with barbecue specialties at mile marker 81.2.

Hungry yet? When you’re in Key Largo and Islamorada, sample the offerings from one (or all!) of these popular trucks — and start creating your own list of favorites to revisit.

Erin Muir, a sixth-generation Upper Keys native, is descended from two founding Florida Keys families — the Albury and Lowe families that settled in the Keys in the 1860s — whose roots run as deep as those of the mangroves lining the island chain’s shoreline.

Erin, Mote Marine Laboratory’s newly named Upper Keys engagement manager, handles outreach and engagement with locals and visitors at Mote’s new land-based coral nursery. Located near Reefhouse Resort & Marina’s conference center in Key Largo, it’s to be unveiled in mid-August.

Mote opened its first satellite land-based coral nursery at Bud ‘N Mary’s Marina in Islamorada in 2021. The two nurseries have a combined capacity of 40,000 coral fragments.

Erin’s knowledge of state and local government and Keys benefactors is extensive. She’s a former state legislative aide to Holly Raschein, now a Monroe County commissioner, and led fundraisers for the Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation.

At Mote, Erin is developing small-group eco-tour packages to include participation in hands-on coral fragging, or propagation, activities.

Mote is in the midst of a 10-year, science-based Florida Keys Coral Disease Response & Restoration Strategic Initiative. The program uses genetic strains of coral that demonstrate enhanced resiliency to rising water temperatures, increasing seawater acidity and coral disease. The initiative includes multiyear monitoring to assess survival and ecosystem health.

Erin has lived most of her life in the Keys, except for six years at the University of Florida.

She and husband Sam, a Florida Power & Light engineer, also spent 18 months in southern Alabama. Now, with young children Violet and Charlie, they live surrounded by her close-knit family in Tavernier.

Keys Voices: When did you first come to the Florida Keys and why?

Erin Muir: My family emigrated here from the Bahamas in the 1860s to farm limes and tomatoes. We are lucky to call this unique place home.

KV: What aspects of the Keys environment or way of life matter most to you?

EM: Living in a community that has such a great appreciation of our area’s natural beauty and a deep understanding of the need to protect our environment.

KV: Who or what inspired you to become passionate about respecting and protecting the Keys’ natural world? 

EM: My mom inspired me and decades of students she taught at Key Largo School. She made learning about the delicate balance between our unique and interconnected marine ecosystems engaging and fun — whether it was learning about the shelter red mangroves provide to young fish, seeing what tiny creatures you can shake out of a handful of sargassum or identifying bird species in the Everglades.   

KV: How does that passion influence your work or profession?

EM: It is a source of pride to know that the small part I play with Mote contributes to such positive impacts on our local environment.  

KV: What are some of the ways, personally or through your work, that you connect with and/or help protect the local environment and unique lifestyle? 

EM: I’m focused on helping others to connect with and engage in Mote’s science-based reef restoration efforts in the Upper Keys. I help people understand perils facing our reefs and the hope that Mote’s restoration efforts bring for revitalizing this precious ecosystem.

KV: What keeps you energized, challenged and focused on your path?

EM:  Our children, Violet and Charlie, keep me motivated. My grandfather, who grew up in the Upper Keys, tells us about quality of the reefs and abundance of marine life when he was young. That abundance has declined for my parents’ generation and my own. Changing that course, and making sure my kids get to experience more beautiful and resilient reefs and plentiful fisheries, keeps me focused on my path.

KV: What’s your favorite natural or eco-friendly activity in the Keys?

EM: We recently took the kids to stroll/scoot the Old Seven Mile Bridge out to Pigeon Key. It was exciting to see sharks, rays and other marine life from the bridge. My mom and I got our Keys history fix with our visit to the island. It was a wonderful day!

KV: What do you hope your positive environmental actions will accomplish? 

EM: Mote’s coral disease response and restoration initiative will add over 1 million corals back to our local reefs, which will be an incredible accomplishment for all of our scientists, staff, volunteers and supporters.

KV: What message do you want your actions and example to communicate to people you encounter? 

EM: Everyone can play a role in helping restore our coral reefs. You don’t have to be a marine biologist or scuba diver. Just channel your passion into action because, whether those actions are small or large, they collectively lead to positive impacts.

Autumn Blum, the founder of Stream2Sea reef-safe skin-, hair- and body-care products, is a part-time Key Largo resident, an avid diver and a cosmetic chemist who developed sunscreen products billed as the world’s only ones proven safe for saltwater and freshwater fish and coral larvae.

Through partnerships with Reef Renewal USA and Virgin Voyages, Autumn launched a “Crazy for Coral” mission to plant 10,000 corals — a project that kicked off on Earth Day, April 22, and runs through July 31. More than 8,100 had been planted by late June.

Newly inducted into the elite Women Divers Hall of Fame, Autumn is hailed as an entrepreneur, clean-ocean advocate, PADI master scuba dive trainer and highly skilled Trimix CCR diver. She’s also the founder of Scuba Girls, a community of more than 25,000 women divers.

After growing up near Sarasota, Florida, Autumn earned an organic chemistry degree at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

At age 23, she worked as an organic chemist and created her first organic skincare line. Twelve years later, it was carried at 3,000 health food stores in a dozen countries.

After selling the company, she took time off to scuba dive.

In 2015, after a dive trip to Palau helped her realize that ingredients in body-care products are toxic to fragile aquatic ecosystems, Autumn founded Stream2Sea in Wauchula, Florida.

Stream2Sea mineral-based sunscreen products have passed the stringent Haereticus Environmental Laboratory’s Protect Land + Sea certification, which tests and proves safety for freshwater and saltwater fish and coral larvae.

Rolling Stone magazine recently named Stream2Sea Sport Sunscreen as its top recommendation among “best reef-safe, eco-friendly sunscreens.”

Autumn’s products include wakame seaweed, aloe vera, tulsi or holy basil, green tea and olive leaf — and they DON’T contain endocrine disruptors or toxic ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Autumn has given presentations in the Florida Keys, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands and to the National Science Academies about the need to ban toxic sunscreens. Stream2Sea, a member of the “1% for the Planet” global environmental organization, donates 1% of revenue back to conservation and restoration projects.

The company is currently developing a deodorant and pet sunscreen.

While Autumn’s Stream2Sea manufacturing plant is located in Florida’s Hardee County, she and husband John spend as much time in Key Largo as possible.

Keys Voices: When did you first come to the Florida Keys and why?

Autumn Blum: My parents took me scuba diving in Key Largo after I got certified at 14.

KV: What aspects of the Keys environment or way of life matter most to you?

AB: The water is central to my life, and this is exemplified in every facet of the Keys environment. Everything about living in the Keys revolves around the water. Choosing to only use products with ingredients safe for our waters is such a simple step.

KV: Who or what inspired you to become passionate about respecting and protecting the Keys’ natural world?

AB: I love the laid-back atmosphere of the Florida Keys, and how stress seems to melt away here. But what I love the most about the Keys is the water — and those who work to protect that water.

KV: How does that passion influence your work or profession?

AB: My profession follows my passion. I’ve been a cosmetic chemist for more than 20 years, so I was aware of the potential toxicity of chemical sunscreens and body-care products even before researchers documented the damage. When I started Stream2Sea, I knew that we would have to do real aquatic safety testing.

KV: What are some of the ways, personally or through your work, that you connect with and/or help protect the local environment and unique lifestyle?

AB: Through partnerships with conservationists and new ways to help educate people that what we put on our bodies can and does make a difference.

KV: What keeps you energized, challenged and focused on your path?

AB: Knowing that I’m making a difference. It takes a village to effect change in our world, and I love the members of this village! But the clock is ticking for our reefs. That keeps me motivated.

KV: What do you hope your positive environmental actions will accomplish?

AB: We all need to protect our coral reefs, taking whatever steps are within our power. Learning about reef-safe sunscreens is a “gateway” to other steps to encourage personal action to promote conservation. Two drops of the wrong product are shown to harm everything in a 20-gallon aquarium — what would that whole bottle do?

KV: What message do you want your actions and example to communicate to people you encounter?

AB: Learn how to read labels. The terms “reef safe” and “natural” have no real regulations. When purchasing sunscreen, look for a label that reads non-nano titanium dioxide or non-nano zinc oxide. Every drop in the bucket adds up.

KV: What’s your favorite natural or eco-friendly activity in the Keys?

AB: Scuba diving, of course! Lately I have paired that with planting coral and cleaning the nurseries. I’m loving it!