Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, FL

Pelican Island acquired its fame at the turn of the century from the wildlife photographers and naturalists who visited the area. Many of these people were disturbed by the slaughter of countless pelicans, herons, egrets, and other birds by plume hunters. A local resident, Paul Kroegel, who cared about the pelicans on the island, became their staunch protector and enlisted the support of noted ornithologists, such as Frank Chapman, who helped establish the Audubon Society.

At the urging of Mr. Kroegel, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an Executive Order on March 14, 1903 that permanently set aside the three-acre island as a wildlife sanctuary, making Pelican Island the first National Wildlife Refuge. Since then, the National Wildlife Refuge system has grown to become the world's largest network of lands managed for wildlife with over 500 refuges totaling over 93 million acres.

The waters and wetlands of the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge form a complex ecological system supporting hundreds of species of birds, fish, plants, and mammals. A dozen federally listed threatened and endangered species live here, including the endangered West Indian Manatee, roseate tern, piping plover, wood stork, green sea turtle, Kemp's ridley sea turtle, and hawksbill sea turtle.