Plan to join us in march, 2025 for the 122nd anniversary celebration with president theodore roosevelt!

Thanks to everyone who participated and supported us for another amazingly fun celebration of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge this year!  We had a wonderful picnic supper to start the weekend off with Ted Roosevelt IV and his wife joining us, along with several members of the Kroegel family.  It was a gorgeous evening and some enjoyable music provided by Penny & Mike.  The Vero Beach 32963/VeroNews.com published a story about the event with some fun photos of the picnic supper with the Kroegels and Roosevelts.  Check out the story here.

Interested in being a sponsor for our celebration of the 122nd anniversary of Pelican Island? Click here for more information.

We invite you to join us the weekend of March 14-16, 2025 to celebrate the 122nd anniversary of Pelican Island as the first National Wildlife Refuge. The celebration will once again be new and different from the wildlife festivals we’ve hosted in years past in Sebastian. Joe Wiegand, aka President Theodore Roosevelt, will be joining us, bringing the history of Pelican Island, our nation’s first National Wildlife Refuge, to life. Events are planned at various locations and will feature a wildlife display and other activities at the entrance to the Refuge’s Centennial Trail.

For location, and more information about the Pelican Island NWR, visit their website here. On their site you will find a link to a map showing the location of facilities at the Refuge. There are signs for the Refuge at the northern entrance to Jungle Trail, about 3.5 miles north of the A1A/route 510 intersection. Once on Jungle Trail, the first facility you will come to is a Welcome Area and restrooms on the left; additional portable restrooms will be available for the event. A little farther south on the right, you will encounter the Centennial Trail and Pelican Island Viewing Area, the location of activities that will be occurring at the Refuge on March 15th and 16th.

The Pelican Island Conservation Society is the “friends” group for the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. Your participation supports the Refuge, as well. Thanks for your interest and engagement! We hope you can join us for some or all of the fun activities planned - see more details below.

Schedule of Events

Friday, March 14, 2025

Fireside with Theodore Roosevelt, Heritage Center, Vero Beach. Photo by Sandy Peterson

  • School visits with President Roosevelt

  • “Fireside Chat” With Theodore Roosevelt. The featured event will be an evening fireside chat with President Roosevelt at the Heritage Center in downtown Vero Beach. The evening will include after-dinner drinks and desserts including Indian pudding - one of Teddy’s favorite desserts. President Roosevelt will regale us with stories of his childhood and how he became known as the “conservation president.” He will also talk about how he came to designate Pelican Island as our first National Wildlife Refuge. There will be ample opportunity for mingling and backslapping with President Roosevelt. There will also be a continuous slideshow of historic photos of the Refuge, Paul Kroegel, the first Refuge warden, wildlife and more recent images from the Refuge. The event will be 7 to 9pm, and reservations are required at $50/person. Click here for online reservations.

Saturday, March 15, 2025
Pelican Island NWR - entrance at the north end of Jungle Trail, off Hwy A1A - click here for more location information.
Centennial Trail, 10am to 3pm

Teddy Roosevelt with Sandy Peterson and US Fish and Wildlife staff

Rodney Kroegel Conservation Area, 11296 Indian River Drive, Sebastian

  • Rodney Kroegel was the son of Paul Kroegel, Pelican Island’s first game warden. The Area is adjacent to the Paul Kroegel homestead in Sebastian and is now conserved by Indian River County. The Area has yet to be opened to the public, awaiting installation of interpretive signage and restoration of Rodney’s photography workshop. Please visit the Indian River County Conservation Lands Program website for location information and watch for details as to when it will allow for visitation.

Environmental Learning Center, 255 Live Oak Drive, Wabasso, 5:15pm to 7:45pm

  • Sunset wine and cheese cruise to Pelican Island with Teddy Roosevelt, aboard the ELC’s pontoon tour boat. Please come with your appetite and be ready to nosh, while we enjoy a scenic cruise with President Roosevelt to catch the birds returning for their evening roost at Pelican Island, and learn a bit about the history of Pelican Island from the President himself. We will provide various wines and water, along with some delectable treats for the trip. Reservations are required at $70/person and can be made by clicking on the Reserve Your Seat button below. Please note, the reservation service will solicit that you cover the transaction fee and leave a “tip,” both of which are optional and at your discretion. A refund will be provided in the event the trip cancels at the discretion of the ELC’s captain, due to weather. Please arrive early at the ELC’s entry pavilion to check in and use the facilities - there are no restrooms on board.

Sunday, March 16, 2025
Pelican Island NWR - entrance at the north end of Jungle Trail, off Hwy A1A
Centennial Trail, 11am to 3pm

  • Meet-and-greet with President Theodore Roosevelt at Centennial Trail, from 11am to 3pm. Stroll the Centennial Trail for a view of Pelican Island and learn the history of our nation’s first National Wildlife Refuge and enjoy the wildlife!

  • Stop by the PICS tent for a free ice cream treat.

 

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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.