Samsons Island Nature Park is about to get spruced up with new directional signs during a Oct. 19 cleanup planned by neighboring Indialantic Rotary Club members.
Now the club members hope other civic groups will follow suit to increase use and appreciation of the beachside’s hidden environmental gem. The island, owned by the City of Satellite Beach, is named after Sam Fuchs and his sons, who, in 1968 donated approximately 26 acres to the city. Satellite Beachs Island Recreation Director Cassie Warthen on Friday hiked the northern section of the 52-acre island park with club officials to come up with a list to set priorities for directional and informational signs.
Peering out from the weeds along some of those trails were the faded old signs from previous maintenance efforts that have fallen by the wayside.
Hiking with Warthen was parks employee Dori Hughes, who ferries the public to the island each Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. on the city’s new pontoon boat departing from a dock behind the Satellite Beach Fire Station.
Also on hand was project chairman Indialantic Rotarian Dan Layton, who lives in nearby Tortoise Island and often kayaks to the man-made streams on Samsons Island.
After the outing, Warthen reported to the club that the park needs the majority of the new signs on the hiking trails on the north and south end rather than focusing on the center (referred to as Main Street). She requested nine arrow signs plus signs directing visitors to three restrooms, the island’s three docks, and Mount Samson, for a total of 18 signs.
An additional group of signs, needed if funding allows, included seven arrows and signs directing to the education pavilion, kayak launch and other facilities such as campsites.
Layton is preparing to obtain donated lumber and sign-making help and is looking for volunteer laborers for the Oct. 19 work day; he will also be putting in a request to students at nearby Satellite High School.
Prior to the 1950s, the Samsons Island area consisted mostly of salt marsh and mangrove wetlands, with the island created when dredged material was deposited onto those wetlands.
In 1972, the city dredged two channels between the Grand Canal and the Banana River to create an island for a place to establish a recreational development; the other half was purchased by the city. The island lay dormant until 1990, when, at the recommendation of a citizen committee, it was designated a passive recreation park.
There have been cleanup and improvement projects on the island, and areas have been “adopted” by groups over the years, but all those efforts are now dormant, perhaps resulting from long periods with limited use because of limited public access by the city ferry, Warthen said.
For more information about Samsons Island Nature Park, including public ferry information, contact the Satellite Beach Recreation Department at 321-773-6458.
