INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — More than a half-dozen national wildlife refuges and conservation areas were commemorated Friday at Pelican Island Wildlife Refuge with a plank dedication ceremony at the Centennial Trail boardwalk. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar visited the refuge and was on hand to help install the newly minted planks.
“I enjoy coming here to Pelican Island,” Sec. Salazar told the crowd of about 100 people, not just to celebrate the addition of more conservation lands to the nation’s system, but to ensure that such conservation efforts continue.
Given the economic climate of not just Washington, D.C., but the nation at-large, Sec. Salazar urged the crowd to continue supporting conservation programs and to not be bashful in letting their elected leaders know they want those programs to remain funded.
“We can’t go backward,” Sec. Salazar said, adding that outdoor recreation is vital to the nation’s economy and represents 6.5 million jobs.
Officials dedicated boardwalk planks to refuges and conservation areas, including the Everglades Headwaters Conservation Area and National Wildlife Refuge, the Swan Valley Conservation Area in Montana, the Sangre de Cristo Conservation Area in Colorado and New Mexico, the Valled de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, the Rio Mora Conservation Area and National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, and the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in Illinois.
Sec. Salazar, with the help of Becky Hamilton and her son, Clay, rededicated the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge plank in memory of Hamilton’s husband, Sam, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 54. Hamilton had served as the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was the first such conservation area, established in 1903 by then-President Theodore Roosevelt, who felt the need to set aside protected lands for migratory birds and, especially, the area’s pelicans.
The refuge’s Centennial Trail serves as a timeline of sorts, marking the growth of the country’s wildlife sanctuaries.
“They are all so unique,” said Pelican Island refuge deputy project manager Karen Hillier of the numerous refuges and conservation areas.
Just six days on the job, Hillier said she was enjoying being a part of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge.
“We need to have green space,” she said.
Kristen Beck, president of the Pelican Island Preservation Society, was also on hand at the event, taking in the dedication ceremony.
“I think it’s great,” she said of having such a ceremony at the nation’s original refuge. “It highlights the great history we have here in the area and brings awareness to conservation.”
Beck said the key for visiting the refuge is to remember that it wasn’t designed for people – but for animals, instead, calling the lands “rough” and “rustic,” not “manicured” like parks.
Visitors can take guided tours, kayak tours through Florida Outdoor Center, go birding, and even butterflying in the well-established butterfly garden along the Centennial Trail.
“There’s always volunteering opportunities,” Beck said, encouraging anyone interested in learning more about volunteering to contact her through the Florida Outdoor Center at (772) 202-0220.
The Pelican Island Preservation Society is planning a Pelican Ride later this year – a bike ride from Washington, D.C. to Pelican Island Wildlife Refuge, stopping at various refuges along the way.
Anyone interested in participating in the ride – be it as a cyclist, a driver, a volunteer, or a public relations assistant – should email info@firstride.org.