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All the United States Florida Vero Beach Pelican Island

Pelican Island

This small island was the first National Wildlife Refuge ever created in the United States.

Vero Beach, Florida

Added By
Tony Dunnell
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A pelican at home on Pelican Island.   John and Karen Hollingsworth/USFWS/cc by 2.0
Pelican Island.   Gentry, George - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/public domain
This brown pelican was caught in an oil spill before being cleaned and released at the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge.   U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region/public domain
American white pelicans and a brown pelican at rest on Pelican Island NWR.   George Gentry, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/public domain
Sign at Pelican Island in 1950.   Amce Roto Service/public domain
Pelican Island.   Gentry, George - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/public domain
Plaque at park notes the issuance of a 2003 US Postage stamp commemorating the centennial of the NWR system.   dfculbert / Atlas Obscura User
The Cenntennial Walk - a boradwalk that overloks Pelican Island. Each new NWR get’s its name inscribed in a chronological boardwalk.   dfculbert / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In the late 1800s, the birds of Pelican Island were under threat from hunters, their numbers dwindling to the point of extermination. But thanks to the dedicated work of a local boat builder and some influential naturalists, Pelican Island was declared a national reserve, the first of its kind in the United States.

The protection of Pelican Island, which is located in the Indian River Lagoon east of Sebastian, Florida, began with just one man: Paul Kroegel, a local boat builder who took it upon himself to protect the island’s population of brown pelicans.

Armed with nothing but a small sailboat and a double-barreled shotgun, Kroegel guarded the pelicans against two growing threats: plume hunters, who were hunting them for their lucrative feathers to sell to the fashion industry, and sports hunters who were killing them just for fun.

Paul Kroegel soon gained the support of a number of influential ornithologists and naturalist organizations, including the American Ornithologists’ Union and the Florida Audubon Society. With their help, the plight of Pelican Island was brought to the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt, a man known as a strong conservationist.

On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an Executive Order creating the Pelican Island Reservation. It declared that Pelican Island “is hereby reserved and set apart for the use of the Department of Agriculture as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds.” In doing so, Roosevelt had created the nation’s first wildlife refuge, a landmark moment in the history of the American conservation movement.

At the time, the protected status was provided for the small five-acre mangrove island and the pelicans, egrets, herons, spoonbills and other birds that lived on it and in its immediately surrounding waters. It also provided protection for the plants and animals of Pelican Island.

Later, however, the protected status was extended into what is now known as the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. This far larger refuge now protects 5,400 acres of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Florida. This provides protection for more than 130 bird species, as well as the refuge’s seagrass beds, oyster bars, mangrove islands, salt marshes and maritime hammocks. Within the lagoon live West Indian manatees and sea turtles, both of which are endangered.

In 1963, Pelican Island was designated a National Historic Landmark due to its status as the first federal area set aside specifically to protect wildlife. Thirty years later, in 1993, the refuge was designated as a Wetland of International Importance. Paul Kroegel, the man who once guarded the island with a shotgun, would surely have been proud.

Today, however, the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is up against budget cuts that have reduced staff numbers. While this won’t necessarily threaten the wildlife directly, it could bring about a decline in maintenance and a growing level of neglect.

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Conservation Birds Islands Wildlife Animals

Know Before You Go

Pelican Island is located in the Indian River Lagoon near Sebastian, Florida. The wider Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge extends out from the island encompassing around 5,400 acres of protected waters and lands. Boat and kayak tours are offered by local tour operators. You can also contact the Indian River Chamber of Commerce for more information (call 772-567-3491). Because nesting birds are easily disturbed, visitors are not allowed to get too close or to disembark. Different birds make their homes in the refuge at different times of the year, so check in advance if you want to see a specific species.

Community Contributors

Added By

Tony Dunnell

Edited By

dfculbert

  • dfculbert

Published

October 14, 2019

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Sources
  • https://blm-egis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=1bf63545428c4877a07f0b72689a4e73
  • https://www.conservationfund.org/projects/pelican-island-national-wildlife-refuge
  • https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Pelican_Island/about.html
  • https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Pelican_Island/wildlife_and_habitat.html
Pelican Island
11820 Jungle Trail
Vero Beach, Florida, 32963
United States
27.796621, -80.432414
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Nearby Places

Paul Kroegel Statue

Sebastian, Florida

miles away

Indian River Citrus Museum

Vero Beach, Florida

miles away

Juan Ponce de León Landing Park

Melbourne Beach, Florida

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Vero Beach

Vero Beach

Florida

Places 2

Nearby Places

Paul Kroegel Statue

Sebastian, Florida

miles away

Indian River Citrus Museum

Vero Beach, Florida

miles away

Juan Ponce de León Landing Park

Melbourne Beach, Florida

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Vero Beach

Vero Beach

Florida

Places 2

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