Annual Wildlife Festival

20th Annual Pelican Island Wildlife Festival

The 2012 Pelican Island Wildlife Festival was another successful event, thanks to all who participated, volunteered and attended! Thanks to everyone who helped make it a great event for us and the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge!

We are already starting to plan for next year’s event and have set the date. The 2013 event will be the 110th anniversary celebration of Pelican Island as the first National Wildlife Refuge. The event will once again be held at Riverview Park in Sebastian, on Saturday March 16, 2013. Save the date and be sure and let us know if you are interested in helping out!

Free Parking. Free Admission. Free Activities.

All the event activities at Riverview Park are free, except for kayaking and boat tour activities. The pontoon boat tours to Pelican Island are a suggested donation of $15.

All proceeds from this event supports the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. The most recent project supported by PIPS is the new Joe Michaels Overlook, opened in 2009 and dedicated in May 2010.

The 109^th Birthday Celebration of Pelican Island and the National Wildlife Refuge System

A Celebration of the Treasure Coast’s natural resources and the 109th birthday of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. An average of 8,000 people expected. Many exhibitors line the sidewalks of Riverview Park, including arts & crafts, environmental, and food vendors. Live wildlife shows feature birds of prey and reptiles throughout the day. Discounted Pelican Island tours by pontoon boat depart every 45 minutes. Special kid’s activities and live music are offered non stop throughout the day. An incredible photography display features entries and winners of the festival photography contest. A full day of fun and leisure for the whole family.

This year’s emcee will once again be Teddy Roosevelt, aka Joe Wiegand. Mr. Wiegand has studied President Roosevelt extensively and has re-enacted Theodore Roosevelt in Chatauqua-style events for many years! He is “…A lifelong student of American history, government and foreign policy, Joe is a political science graduate of The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, and a former graduate assistant at the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.”

So be sure and say hi and chat with President Roosevelt and learn a thing or two about history! For more information on Mr. Wiegand, his expertise and reprisal of President Roosevelt, please visit his website at: www.teddyrooseveltshow.com.

Festival Activities

Live Wildlife Shows
Kayaking Activities & Poker Run
Environmental Exhibits
Boat Tours to Pelican Island
Kids Educational Activities & Games
Environmental Arts & Crafts Exhibits
Live Music & Food
Amateur Photography Contest
Historical Reenactments

Click on the links below for a complete list of the event activities, exhibitors and food vendors

Schedule of Events and Activities

Exhibitors and Food Vendors

Raffle

A raffle drawing will be held at the Pelican Island Wildlife Festival. The Grand Prize is a custom made wooden kayak, valued at $1450! The kayak is hand crafted by Mike Beck of Treasure Coast Wooden Boats of Sebastian.

This is a photo of a previous kayak raffle prize made by Mike. You may also find more information and photos of kayaks built by Mike at www.treasurecoastwoodenboats.com.

Raffle tickets are $2 each and can be purchased at the Pelican Island Preservation Society/Festival Information tent on the day of the festival.

Other major raffle items include:

Peavey “Power Slide” electric guitar, donated by Melody Music of Vero Beach (pictured below)
Vero Beach Hotel & Spa Getaway, valued at $500
Tupperware selection, valued at $100
And more!

The raffle drawing for all prizes will be held at the end of the day of the festival on March 17, 2012. You do not need to be present to win.

Forms/Documents/Flyers

Festival/Sebastian Street MapPelican Island Wildlife Festival Flyer

Click on the image above of the Photo Contest Flyer for a full size version.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the photography contest! Below is a list of this year’s contest winners. All photos entered can be viewed online at http://pelican.zenfolio.com.

Best in Show – Tom Dunkerton

Wildlife in a National Wildlife Refuge

1st Place – David Sime
2nd Place – Jim Angy
3rd Place – Bill Dodsworth

Wildlife

1st Place – Layton Parnham
2nd Place – Charles Corbeil
3rd Place – Patricia Corapi

Landscape and Macro in a National Wildlife Refuge

1st Place – David Garrett
2nd Place – David Sime
3rd Place – Charles Corbeil

Landscape and Macro

1st Place – Earl Evans
2nd Place – Kathleen Preston
3rd Place – Kathy Waters

Wildlife – Student

1st Place – Shaw Frederick
2nd Place – Shaw Frederick
3rd Place – Jessica Irons

Landscape and Macro – Student

1st Place – Hannah Holt
2nd Place – Hanna Holt
3rd Place – Jessica Irons

Bird Watching by Boat

The Pelican Island Wildlife Festival includes boat tours through the Indian River Lagoon to Pelican Island. Wintering birds seen on the island may include White Pelicans, Brown Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills and Forster’s tern.

Over 30 species of birds use Pelican Island as a rookery, roost, feeding ground, or loafing area. 16 different species of birds nest on Pelican Island, including the Brown Pelican, Wood Stork, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Reddish Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Green-backed Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Double-crested cormorant, Anhinga, White Ibis, American oystercatcher, Common moorhen.

Wintering birds include the White pelican, double-crested cormorant, Roseate Spoonbill, Blue-wing teal, Lesser scaup, Red-breasted merganser, Ring-billed gull, Forster’s tern, and Common Loon.