Dora DeMaria, Reef Relief
Dora DeMaria may or may not have been a fish in a previous life. She is most certainly a fish in this one.
As assistant executive director of Reef Relief, DeMaria is at home in her element. Born and raised in the Florida Keys, she always knew she wanted to work in the field of ocean ecology and carved her path to do just that, working along the way on projects with FSU Marine Turtle Research, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and on the Netflix original, “Chasing Coral.”
DeMaria began working at Reef Relief in 2017, and in that time has taught over 20,000 students. Teaching is where she truly soars, or more appropriately, swims. Having taught swim lessons for over 10 years, leading Coral Camp, Reef Relief’s annual summer camp, which gets kids out on the reef and in the water, was a natural progression.
Each June, Reef Relief offers two concurrent programs: Coral Camp serves kids 6-12, and the Reef Explorer Camp, which focuses on keeping older kids engaged through trips such as primitive camping in the Dry Tortugas and at John Pennekamp Coral Reed State Park.
In those waters and on those shores DeMaria imparts her passion, leading the next generation to connect with the ecosystem she holds so dear.
If there was an Olympic medal for camp activities, in which sport would you earn a gold medal? Fish identification, it’s my favorite thing to teach the kids.
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up? I always knew I wanted to be involved in something involving the ocean and ecology.
What is your strangest habit or superstition? It’s not necessarily a superstition, but I believe when I see a dolphin on an outing, it means good luck & that everything is going to work out. No one can have a bad day if dolphins are involved.
What is your spirit animal? Trumpetfish are my favorite! They’re just fun – long, kinda awkward, and they love hanging out in corals.
Who is your favorite dynamic duo, real or fictional? (No hesitation) Spongebob and Patrick.
What emoji do you use most often? Upside down smiley face. It’s a good one when you don’t know what to say.
What is your favorite camp snack? Nerds Clusters
What is one normal, everyday thing that gives you the “ick”? Hand dryers. I hate seeing the grime underneath them.
Which reality show would you crush it on? “Survivor.”
Team Ciara or Team Amanda/West? Ciara all the way.
Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met? Sylvia Earle – she was one of the pioneering women in marine science, a champion for ocean awareness and conservation.
What is your favorite summer camp memory? One that always stands out – I was on a snorkel trip and most of the group had gone back. I was out with a 7-year-old when a GIANT spotted eagle ray swam right under us. This girl, years after, would remind me of it. Another great memory was with the Reef Explorers (older kids). We were camping in the Dry Tortugas. I woke up to find turtle tracks and followed them to the mother, still on the beach. I woke the campers, at sunrise, and they all quietly watched for 45 minutes while she covered her nest and made her way back to the ocean.
Any hidden talents? And how did you discover you could do it? Not so much hidden, but I enjoy underwater photography, capturing the patterns of the fish. I don’t think people realize how much I enjoy it.
What’s the best costume you’ve ever worn? Just recently my husband and I were the kissing statue that used to be in front of the Custom House. One year, my friends and I were all Disney zombie princesses.
Three words to describe why you love being a counselor: Inspiring, fun, energetic.
What do you do on the weekend to unwind? I’m always on the water – sandbars, boating, taking underwater photos, paddleboarding.
Favorite travel destination? Bonaire in the Caribbean. It’s a great country for diving, with so many cool underwater animals, and the water is so clear and blue.
Weirdest item you’ve ever bought on impulse? I recently bought an inflatable pool on Prime Day. I fill it with ice on hot days. It was actually a great purchase, but I definitely bought it during happy hour.
Dumbest way you’ve ever hurt yourself? So many! They all involve accidentally kicking something.
If you had to abolish one food item, what would it be and why? Mushrooms. They’re just blech.
SARAH HUMPHREY, Education Director, Pigeon Key
By Alex Rickert
Keeping a watchful eye on dozens of children and teens is enough of a job in itself. Put them on an island two miles out in the ocean, and you’re looking at the average summer challenge for Pigeon Key Education Director Sarah Humphrey.
The Ohio native and Kent State University grad came across an internship posting at Pigeon Key after leaving a graduate program in marine science at the University of South Carolina. Realizing her passion lies in education when she had more fun as a teaching assistant for a freshman oceanography class than in her own research labs, she made her way across the Old Seven Mile Bridge for the first time in 2023. Now, the island is her home.
“Once you get here, it’s a totally different experience from what you can read on a piece of paper,” she said. “We’re open to the public, but as soon as those gates close, it’s your own private island. There’s nothing stopping me from going to watch a sunset on the dock every night. I realized people are paying lots of money just to do that somewhere else.”
In the hottest months of the year, she shares many of those sunsets with the island’s overnight camp students, alternating each week between day camps and sleepover sessions. This year will mark her fourth summer, welcoming back repeat campers who’ve grown up in front of her eyes.
“In our overnight camps, when our kids show up on Monday they’re all quiet and shy, and by Friday, they’re completely different,” she told us. “Last year, a group of girls were straight-up bawling because they had to leave each other. They sat there for an hour and a half in the parking lot talking and exchanging phone numbers. It’s sweet to see those connections happening and know I probably played a small part in it.”
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up? The first thing I can remember was a marine biologist. It bounced around a little, and I wanted to be a zookeeper for a bit. I basically am one now – just for kids.
What is your strangest habit or superstition? Every year, our interns paint the buoys that school groups sign with fun designs. In 2024, one of the interns painted a buoy with three hurricanes on it – and we had three hurricanes that year. So now, no one is allowed to paint hurricanes.
Who is your favorite dynamic duo (real or fictional)? Frog and Toad from the children’s books. They’re best friends; they have each other’s backs and they go through the ups and downs together. There’s a lot of life lessons in those books.
What emoji do you use most often? The laughing emoji. The straight one, not crooked – it was the original.
What is your favorite camp snack? It’s a meal – Sloppy Joes. We have them every Friday, and they’re magical. Mix and bun, no toppings.
What’s the one rule you give kids at the start of the week? “Make sure I don’t see it.”
What’s one thing you look forward to about camp? Seeing how much these kids are growing up. They show up one year and they’re teeny tiny kids, and the next year they’ve grown by four or five inches. It’s so cool to see them develop as people.
Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met? I lived five minutes away from LeBron (James), so I met him a few times. His alma mater was playing against our school. His niece was playing on their team, and my sister was playing on ours. Then I met Dennis Rodman randomly at a Target, and I met Sydney Sweeney in Key West.
Three words to describe why you love being a counselor: Rewarding, fulfilling and inspiring.
Favorite place you’ve ever visited? It would have to be Roatan. I remember snorkeling out there, seeing the mesoamerican reef. It was gorgeous to see the locals and what it would be like to live a completely different life – less tech, slowed down and with a wildly different infrastructure.
Weirdest impulse buy? I bought a little desk lamp that’s a duck lying down. You hit the duck to turn the light on.
Dumbest way you’ve ever hurt yourself? When I was little, I broke my humerus (upper arm bone). On the jungle gym bars, I jumped off a platform aiming for the fourth or fifth bar, knowing full well I couldn’t reach it. Kid confidence is so different from adult confidence.
What one food item would you abolish forever and why? Absolutely cilantro – no more cilantro for anybody. Or blue cheese. I have the “soap gene,” so it’s really hard to describe just how awful cilantro smells and tastes for me.
Photo by Alex Rickert
Jane Gillette, Founders Park
By Charlotte Twine
Jane Gillette is the full-time recreation coordinator and camp counselor at Founders Park in Islamorada. And she may be better suited for her occupation than anyone else. Why? She was born and raised in a traveling carnival.
“I grew up in fun,” she says laughing. “I am a carnie, born and raised!”
A fourth-generation carnie, Gillette’s family has been running traveling carnivals in New England for 80 years. Her great-grandfather’s high-diving act involved lighting himself on fire and diving into a tiny pool far below.
Don’t worry, Gillette and her generation didn’t have to light themselves on fire. They kept it tamer, with safe-but-still-fun activities, including rides, snacks, games and prizes.
“I started out helping with games and food, then I made cotton candy, slushies and fried dough. Then I ran a water-race game.”
In other words, Gillette knows how to show kids a good time. This year, for summer camp at Founders Park, she’s planning a party with a water slide, a theater week, a 10-foot-long-banana-split-making session, and a disco dance party.
“Seeing the kids happy when they are laughing and having fun makes me feel good,” she said.
Of course, Gillette was game to fill out our Keys Woman questionnaire, which is also fun and creative by design. Here’s what she said.
If there was an Olympics for camp activities, in which sport would you win a gold? (Laughs) I am really bad at sports. It’s really arts and crafts. That’s what I’m good at.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be an actor. Then when I got out of that phase I wanted to be a lawyer. In high school, I wanted to do crime scene investigation and forensics. Part of me wants to go back to that, a large part does not.
What is your spirit animal? I feel a connection with foxes. I appreciate the idea that foxes are very smart.
Who is your favorite dynamic duo (real or fictional)? Dana Scully and Fox Mulder (of the sci-fi series “The X-Files”).
What emoji do you use the most often? The salute is used the most. Second is the smiley face with the cowboy hat.
What is your favorite camp snack? I like salt-and-vinegar chips and Flaming Hot Cheetos. Basically, any chips that can hurt me.
What is one normal everyday thing that gives you the “ick”? Traffic in the Keys is a tough one.
Which reality show would you crush it on? I’ll be honest, I don’t watch TV. But I like “Game Changer,” which is part of CollegeHumor’s Dropout platform. (CollegeHumor is a massive online comedy streaming service that launched the Dropout platform in 2018.)
Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met? I have never met a famous person, but I’ll say myself and my family because we once did an episode of “Wife Swap.” Also, my cousin, Lexia Gillette, just won Miss Maryland USA.
What is your favorite summer camp memory? Last year I did a magic-themed week. I gave each kid a survey, then “graded” each one to find out which Hogwarts House each kid would be part of. The kids absolutely loved it. The parents even waited while they picked up the kids so they could watch.
Any hidden talents? How did you discover you could do it? I do a lot of Dungeons & Dragons with friends. My friends started a game at Florida Keys Brewing Co., and I’m a Dungeon Master. I’m a storyteller at heart.
Three words to describe why you love being a counselor. Fun. Engaging. Rewarding.
What do you do to unwind on weekends? I don’t get a lot of time off. It depends on the week. If I’m feeling “inside,” I’ll do role-playing video games. If I’m feeling more extroverted, I love to go explore and do things. I’ll take a hammock to Harry Harris and sit there and read.
Weirdest impulse buy? Right after high school, I found a globe-shaped bar at a thrift store. It sat in storage before I could use it. But I knew I wanted it to be a centerpiece in my home one day.
Dumbest way you’ve ever hurt yourself? A lot of dumb ways, to be honest. During staff training with adults, I slammed my head on somebody else’s shoulder. I’ve sneezed and hit my head on corners of furniture. Lots of silly ways.
What one food item would you abolish forever, and why? I would abolish olives. I can’t stand them! I never met an olive I like. They’re just gross. But I like olive oil.
