Pelican Island trail to reopen

Pelican Island trail to reopen Oct. 6 in Sebastian

The Centennial Trail at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge will reopen Oct. 6 during National Wildlife Refuge Week.

A public event will dedicate the trail as a National Recreation Trail and highlight the improvements completed this summer.
Recent improvements include replacing all 547 worn planks with new, denser boards and engraving the refuge names deeper so that they won't wear away.
The design and installation of 16 permanent educational panels along the trail was also completed with the help of a combined Wild Birds Unlimited and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant and additional funds from the Pelican Island Preservation Society.
The dedication event is at the Pelican Island Viewing Area, one-half mile south on Historic Jungle Trail off Highway A1A in Sebastian and will begin at 7 a.m. with a family early-bird tour of Bird's Impoundment Trail.
The National Recreation Trail dedication will begin at 8 a.m. at the Pelican Island Viewing Area

The National Recreation Trail dedication will begin at 8 a.m. at the Pelican Island Viewing Area, followed by a tour of The Centennial Trail.
Tours of the refuge butterfly garden will be offered throughout the morning and the Pelican Island Preservation Society, the refuge friends group, will be selling special National Wildlife Refuge Week T-shirts. Refuge trails will remain open to the public throughout the day and on a daily basis thereafter.
For more information, call Joanna Webb at (772) 562-3909 ext. 258 or e-mail pelicanisland@fws.gov.