For more than 60 years, the region of Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys - from the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge at Sunshine Key, mile marker (MM) 40, to Stock Island at MM 5 - has advocated the responsible utilization and preservation of the vast natural wonders found there, earning the region the title of the Natural Keys. The Lower Keys are home to two national wildlife refuges, a national marine sanctuary and a state park, and are surrounded by a marine environment filled with abundant terrestrial and marine wildlife. Established in 1957, the National Key Deer Refuge protects the endangered Key deer - a subspecies of the Virginia white-tailed deer, ranging in size between 45 and 80 pounds fully grown - and its habitat. Today the refuge encompasses more than 8,000 acres of prime Key deer territory ranging from Bahia Honda Key to the eastern shores of Sugarloaf Key, out to the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. In the ocean waters off Big Pine Key, divers and snorkelers explore the spectacular coral and marine life of the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary. Established in 1981, the sanctuary is regarded as one of the best reefs for diving in the world. Each July, the Looe Key Sanctuary hosts a popular underwater music festival that promotes the preservation of the Keys coral reefs. Since Dec. 5, 1998, divers have been exploring a new artificial reef approximately five miles southwest of Big Pine Key - the intentionally scuttled 210-foot former island freighter, the Adolphus Busch Sr. Just north of the Lower Keys, the adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico offer refuge and breeding areas to great white herons and other migratory birds and wildlife in the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1938. The refuge features more than 375 square miles of open water and islands, and stretches from Key West to just north of the Seven Mile Bridge. White herons are North America's largest wading bird and are only found in the Florida Keys and the South Florida mainland, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Visitors can access the area by kayak, canoe or shallow-draft boat. Featuring one of the top-10 beaches in the United States as designated by several travel studies, Bahia Honda State Park on Bahia Honda Key, MM 37, offers camping, picnicking, watersports and beautiful beaches. Camping is widely popular throughout the Lower Keys, with 12 campground and recreational vehicle parks from which to chose. Outdoor activities in the Lower Keys include both inshore and offshore fishing, kayaking throughout the nearby shallow waters, birding, golfing and walking. Big Pine Key is located a half-hour drive from Marathon and approximately the same distance from Key West International Airport. Alternately, Lower Keys visitors can fly into Miami International Airport and experience the beautiful drive across the many Keys bridges that link the island chain. For more information, call the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce at (800) 872-3722 or (305) 872-2411, or write the chamber at P.O. Box 430511, Big Pine Key FL 33043. Or stop by the chamber offices at MM 31 oceanside on Big Pine Key.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN BIG PINE AND THE LOWER KEYS Bahia Honda State Park, MM 37 oceanside, Bahia Honda Key, www.dep.state.fl.us/parks/district5/bahiahonda/. Home to the Florida Keys' finest beach, Bahia Honda State Park also features picnic and camping facilities, a marina, rental cabins, watersports shop and convenience store. The 524-acre park is open from sunrise to sunset, while concessions are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For concession and marina information call (305) 872-3210, for camping reservations and park information call (305) 872-2353. Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary, established in 1981, the Looe Key sanctuary is named for the HMS Looe, a British frigate that ran aground on the shallow reefs in 1744. The Five- to 35-foot deep waters surrounding the reef provide spectacular views of sponges, soft corals, vibrant elkhorn and staghorn coral thickets, and a wide variety of fish. Commercial dive charters provide excursions to Looe Key from Big Pine Key, Little Torch Key and Ramrod Key.

National Key Deer Refuge and Watson Nature Trail, Key Deer Boulevard at MM 30.5 bayside, Big Pine Key, (305) 872-2239, www.nationalkeydeer.fws.gov/.

Tiny deer no larger than a mid-size dog roam freely here. A nature trail winds through protected pinelands. The visitor's center, located in the Winn Dixie Shopping Center, 701 Key Deer Blvd., is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Blue Hole, Key Deer Boulevard, MM 30.5 bayside, Big Pine Key. An old rock quarry, used for construction of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway, now provides a freshwater habitat for alligators and wading birds. Theatre of Dreams, MM 30.4 oceanside, (305) 872-9648. Upstairs and behind Rogers Furniture, Big Pine Key. This 60-seat community theater brings productions and assorted acts from around the Keys to Big Pine audiences. Seating is limited and shows are presented periodically. Advance reservations required. Perky's Bat Tower, MM 17 bayside, Sugarloaf Key. Visitors can discover an early Florida Keys attempt at mosquito control. In 1929, late Lower Keys resort owner Richter Perky erected this wooden structure to house bats to eat the mosquitoes that pestered his guests. Although his plan failed, today Perky's Bat Tower is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Adolphus Busch Sr. Wreck diving came to the Lower Keys in a big way on December 5, 1998, with the intentional sinking of the 210-foot Adolphus Busch Sr., a former island freighter purchased by the local dive community with the assistance of Adolphus Busch IV, and sunk perfectly upright and intact in 100 feet of water some seven miles southwest of Big Pine Key. It seems each day more and more marine life calls this fascinating wreck home. The Sheriff's Animal Farm, MM 5 bayside, Stock Island. On the grounds of the Monroe County Detention Center, this children's attraction features horses, ponies, cows, ducks, geese, pigs and other animals. The farm is open Sunday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m.

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