Did You Know... Sebastian

Did you know the City of Sebastian is home to the first designated wildlife refuge in the United States? Pelican Island in the Indian River Lagoon has stood for more than a century as a haven for brown pelicans and other native water birds. Paul Kroegel, one of Sebastian's earliest settlers and a staunch conservationist, was concerned about hunters who were killing many of the area's birds to provide plumes for ladies' hats. Kroegel, along with the Florida Audubon Society and American Ornithologists' Union, urged President Teddy Roosevelt to protect the area. In 1903, President Roosevelt issued an executive order to set aside the little Florida island as a "preserve and breeding ground for native birds." Three-acre Pelican Island marked the first time federal lands were dedicated to the protection of wildlife. Kroegel was named the first wildlife refuge manager and maintained his post until 1926. A statue of Paul Kroegel stands at the edge of the Indian River Lagoon at Riverview Park in Sebastian. He faces southeast, keeping watch over Pelican Island. In March 2003, the City of Sebastian played host to a three-day Celebration of a Century of Conservation and the 11th Annual Pelican Island Wildlife Festival sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Pelican Island Preservation Society. U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Gale Norton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams and the U.S. Postal Service opened the ceremony by unveiling the first wildlife refuge commemorative stamp honoring Pelican Island. Reprinted from Quality Cities January/February 2005 Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Back to City Trivia Home