Partners & Sponsors From the President’s Desk

The Pelican Island Wildlife By Cheryl Cummins

Festival is a PIPS event
produced with the help of Last Friday, for the first time, I had the privilege of actually being on Pelican
working partners and Island. I joined many other volunteers on the final day of the recent
financial sponsors. restoration project to help plant mangroves and Spartina grass. It was a very
memorable experience.
Partners
U.S. Fish & Wildlife I would like to thank all of you who attended our General Meetings in
Service November (postponed from October due to Hurricane Wilma) and January.
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We had two great speakers. In November, Steve McCulloch of Harbor
City of Sebastian
---- Branch gave a very interesting and informative talk on the dolphin research
Keep Indian River Beautiful in the Indian River Lagoon. Then at the January meeting, Heather Stapleton,
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Pelican Island Elementary Education Coordinator for the Environmental Learning Center, gave an
School EcoTroop equally great presentation on stormwater runoff and its affect on the Indian
River Lagoon.
Sponsors Our next General Meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on April 24th at the North
Sebastian River Boat Tours Indian River County Library. A speaker has not been confirmed yet, but we
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Kayaks etc. hope to have someone give us an update on all the restoration work that was
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done on Pelican Island in January and February. So mark your calendars and
Indian River Federal Credit
plan to attend the next meeting on April 24th. ….continued on page 4
Union
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Art Designs by K
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Don Ray UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Florida Power & Light

---- Saturday, March 11, 2006 – Pelican Island Wildlife Festival –
Disney's Vero Beach Resort Riverview Park, Sebastian
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Sebastian Animal Hospital Sunday, March 12, 2006 – Pelican Island Wildlife Festival
and Bird Clinic, Inc. (RAINDATE)
----

L.A. Dodgers Monday, April 24, 2006 – Annual/General Meeting*

Monday, June 26, 2006 – General Meeting*
Monday, October 23, 2006 – General Meeting*

*All General Meetings starting in 2006 will be held at 7:00 pm

at the North Indian River County Library that is located at 1001
Sebastian Boulevard (C.R. 512) in Sebastian.

Pelican Island Preservation Society, INC. --- Pelican Flyer -- February 2006 1
Refuge Report
By Joanna Taylor, Refuge Ranger
After decades of erosion, the tiny island that began
our nation’s commitment to wildlife conservation is
getting restored. Since President Theodore
Roosevelt established Pelican Island in 1903 as a
5-
acre preserve and breeding ground for native
birds, the island has shrunk to half its original size.
In 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
partnered with St. John’s River Water Management
District, Florida Inland Navigation District and
others to halt the erosion taking place on the north
and west sides of the island by enhancing an oyster
shell breakwater in that vicinity and planting
mangroves and smooth cordgrass. Since this initial
restoration work in 2001, the island has grown from
2.2 acres to 2.8 acres and the breakwater has been
effective in breaking up wave energy to halt the
erosion process. However, the growth rate
(accretion) of the island has fallen short of
expectations because most of the mangroves and
smooth cordgrass plugs that were planted drowned
because the eroded portion of the island was too
low to support the new vegetation. To compound
that problem, the hurricanes of 2004 caused
additional erosion.
The solution to this problem, which began on
January 9, 2006, required several days of helicopter
transport of 250 tons of fossilized oyster shell and
1000 cubic yards of sand to the island. Following
this addition of shell and sand, 12,000 plugs of
Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) and 50
adult mangroves (donated by the Marine Resources
Council) were planted within the restored area with
the help of twenty volunteers per day for three days.
The project, as proposed, will restore one acre of
former mangrove forest by raising the existing
elevations an average of 8 inches, protecting the
restored shoreline with additions to the existing
oyster shell wavebreak, and planting of the restored
shoreline with Spartina and adult mangroves.
Smooth cordgrass should quickly stabilize the new
sand, and ultimately facilitate the succession of
mangroves. In addition to benefiting Pelican Island
directly, this project will be a benefit to the Indian
River Lagoon by providing additional settling
habitat for shellfish, and additional estuarine
Pelican Island Preservation Society, INC. --- Pelican Flyer -- February 2006
vegetated habitat for fish and 17 species of wading
and sea birds.
Later this year, after nesting season on Pelican
Island, the offshore sandy shoal project is expected
to take place in conjunction with the Sebastian Inlet
Tax District. The District would provide sand and
seagrass to create a larger offshore shoal for the
long-term protection of Pelican Island.
Funding partners that have made the restoration of
Pelican Island possible, include St. John’s River
Water Management District, Florida Inland
Navigation District, Coastal Resources Group, the
Marine Resources Council and the Pelican Island
Preservation Society.
Staff Comings and Goings
We are sad to report that Takako Hashimoto,
Refuge Operations Specialist, will be leaving us in
February. Takako has
accepted a wildlife biologist
position at Florida Panther
National Wildlife Refuge in
Naples, Florida. Although
we are very happy for her,
at the same time, we feel a
great loss. Takako came to
us just before the
Centennial in 2003 from
Chassahowitzka National
Wildlife Refuge. As
Refuge Operations Specialist here at Vero Beach,
she has assisted our refuges with many of its
administrative operations, coordinated volunteers
for the Wildlife Festival, conducted sea turtle
inventories, established volunteer workdays for
habitat restoration and picked up all the slack from
employees we have lost to other positions. Takako
does her job with springs in her shoes and a big
smile on her face and she has a unique way of
inspiring others to be better stewards of our planet.
We know she will be missed by many, but she will
still be in Florida and her work email address will
not change. Her last day will be February 18.
2
Volunteer Kudos
In January, long awaited recognition was given to 1000 Hours Milestone
volunteers for their contributions in 2004 and 2005 David Cox
to both Pelican Island and Archie Carr National Ilka Daniel
Wildlife Refuges. The Annual Volunteer
Recognition event was held at McKee Botanical 1250 Hours Milestone
Gardens and there was an element of surprise in the Jerry Heyes
air. Below is a summary of the award categories
and their recipients. All our volunteers, combined, 2250 Hours Milestone
contributed over 6,000 hours of volunteer service Walt Stieglitz
for our refuges. That’s equivalent to one full-time
and one part-time employee for the past two years. “Best of Show”
Thanks goes out to all volunteers that have and Suzanne Valencia
continue to help us accomplish our goals. The
following day, the Refuge hosted a volunteer field Volunteer of the Year Award
trip to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Bob Montanaro - 2004
Kennedy Space Center. For more information Chris Vann - 2005
about other volunteer activities, visit our website at
www.fws.gov/pelicanisland OR call Joanna Taylor Friends Groups “Leadership Awards”
at (772)562-3909 ext 258. Walt Stieglitz – President PIPS 1997 - 2003
David Cox – President PIPS 2003 - 2005
50 Hours Milestone Jerry Heyes – President Friends of the Carr Refuge
Richard Bosse 1998 – present
Katherine Dileo
Bud Kleckner WILDLIFE FESTIVAL
Alice Rowe
Mark Salvato NEEDS YOU!
The fourteenth annual Pelican Island Wildlife
100 Hours Milestone Festival will be held in Sebastian’s Riverview
Cheryl Cummins Park on Saturday March 11, and many volunteers
Rita Karpie will be needed to help us throughout the day.
Jeff Luther Volunteers will be needed for a variety of tasks,
Steve Massey including parking, staffing the photography
Bill Schell contest exhibit, assisting with booth operations for
Kathleen Severance Pelican Island Preservation Society, Friends of the
Suzanne Valencia Carr Refuge and Pelican Island and Archie Carr
Chris Vann National Wildlife Refuges, exhibitor unloading
Scott Webb and check-in, volunteer check–in and hospitality
tent operations, event break down, boat tour
250 Hours Milestone guides, observation deck information station,
Rich Mermer naturalists at the Centennial Trail at the Refuge
Bob Montanaro and more. Volunteer sign-up has begun! If you’d
Denise Leeming like to see how you can help us before the event,
Ann Putman you may come to our festival planning meetings
on March 2, and March 9. For more information
750 Hours Milestone or to sign up, contact Refuge Ranger, Joanna
Rachel Tritaik Taylor at (772)562-3909 ext 258 or
Joanna_Taylor@fws.gov

Pelican Island Preservation Society, INC. --- Pelican Flyer -- February 2006 3
 Pelican Island Preservation Society
P.O. Box 1903
Sebastian, FL 32978-1903

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

Continued from page 1…..
Board members and volunteers are busy preparing
for the 14th Annual Pelican Island Wildlife Festival
at Riverview Park on Saturday, March 11th. (See
the insert for more details.) We invite all of you to
participate in our first Silent Auction! Local artist,
Kathern Welsh, has donated an original, signed oil
painting for one of two auction items. The other
item is a signed print of “Snook in Mangrove” by
another local artist, Don Ray. Be sure and check
the Silent Auction sheet frequently throughout the
Festival so you can be the lucky one to take home
one or both of these items.

Purchase a raffle ticket, too, for a chance to win an

Ocean Kayak Frenzy, complete with seat, paddle,
and life jacket. Or you could win one of many other
great prizes that have been donated.

A Kayak Poker Run to benefit the Pelican Island

Preservation Society will kick off the event at 8:00
a.m. The Run will launch from the Wabasso
Causeway and end at Riverview Park with a prize
for the best poker hand. Anyone interested in
signing up to participate can call (772) 794-9900.
That’s it for this quarter. Hope to see all of you at
the Pelican Island Wildlife Festival in March and
the General Meeting in April!
PIPS OFFICERS
President………………….Cheryl Cummins
Vice-President…………….…Steve Massey
Treasurer…………….….……Walt Stieglitz
Secretary……………………..…David Cox
Please note that all memberships expired in
April of 2005 and need to be renewed for
the 2005-2006 year. If you have any
questions regarding your membership,
please call Walt Stieglitz at 772-663-9750.
Visit PIPS on the web at
www.pelicanislandfriends.org
Pelican Island Preservation Society
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Please check one:

Student (under 18) - $5/yr.

Individual - $10/yr.

Family (Joint) - $15/yr.

Contributing - $50/yr.

Corporate / Business - $100/yr.

Supporting - $250/yr.

Life - $500
Name(s)___________________________________
Company__________________________________
Address___________________________________
City/State/Zip______________________________
Phone(Day)____________(Eve)________________
Email_____________________________________
Send completed application & dues to
PIPS Membership
P.O. Box 1903, Sebastian FL 32978-1903

Pelican Island Preservation Society, INC. --- Pelican Flyer -- February 2006 4