On August 21, 2011 Biscayne National Park will celebrate the National Park Service’s 95th birthday with cake, educational art activities for the kids, and a “meet and greet” book signing with Janeen Mason, the illustrator and author behind the “Ocean Commotion” book series and the park’s current art exhibit Drawn to the Sea. The free event takes place at the park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center, located 9 miles east of Homestead, Florida at 9700 SW 328 Street.

The event begins at 1:00 p.m. with educational art activities in the park’s “Think Tank” Education Center, continuing until 2:30 p.m.. At 2:00 p.m. Janeen Mason will read from her book Ocean Commotion: Sea Turtles in the Dante Fascell Visitor Center Auditorium. Mason will be available throughout the event to talk to visitors about her work and sign copies of her books (which are available for purchase from the park’s Cooperating Association). At 2:30 p.m., all participants are invited to share a piece of birthday cake on the front porch of the Dante Fascell Visitor Center as a kickoff to the celebration of the National Park Service Centennial in 2016. This celebration is made possible through a partnership with the South Florida National Parks Trust and Sweet Chip: Cakes by Eilyn. For additional information, call 305-230-7275, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/bisc.