EVERYTHING outdoors
WILDLIFE REFUGE GETTING
The concept provides
for increased space
for meetings and
presentations, as well
as a classroom that will
open onto an event
lawn — a great new
option for events at the
refuge. There also will
be an outdoor playscape,
which is being designed
to blend with and reflect
the natural surrounding
environment.
The facility also will
feature a larger Nature
Store, a driving force
behind the fundraising
for MIWA, which
supports refuge activities
at not only Merritt
Island, but also Lake
Woodruff National
Wildlife Refuge.
A focal piece of the
outdoor space is a
replica of the Clifton
Schoolhouse. From
about 1891-1910, this
African-American school
was located on North
Merritt Island.
The North Brevard
Heritage Foundation
describes the facility
as made of lumber
and building materials
bought in Titusville, and
shipped by sailboat to
north Merritt Island. It
was a 12x16 structure of
heart pine lumber with
two sets of glass-paned
windows and a roof
made of cedar or cypress
boards. The structure
The Merritt Island National Wildlife
Refuge is getting a brand new
Community Conservation and
Education Center soon, replacing the
existing visitor center.
The $4.6 million dollar project funded by the Fish
and Wildlife Service hopefully commences before the
end of 2020. A facility that is almost double the size
of the existing building (8,100 square feet) is planned
with many enhancements and upgrades.
The project is being boosted by the Merritt
Island Wildlife Association (MIWA), which
serves as the “friends” group to the refuge (www.
merrittislandwildlifeassociation.org). This volunteer
group is actively raising the funds needed to produce
the exhibits for the center and outfitting the meeting
spaces and classrooms with new technology. With
help from organizations and individuals, fundraising
is almost complete for the exhibits — estimated at
over $1 million.
rested on hand-cut
coquina blocks about 1
foot off the ground.
Although much of
the original Clifton
Schoolhouse materials,
uncovered in the early
2000s, are in storage
in Titusville, the
replica is being built
of durable materials to
better withstand the
elements. Students in the
construction program
at Astronaut High
School are building the
structure as a program
project. It should be
completed by the end of
this school year and will
be transported to the
refuge and displayed at
the current visitor center
until being permanently
installed after the new
facility is completed.
The Conservation and
Education Center also will
serve as a trailhead for the
multi-modal trails being
developed as part of the
Coast to Coast Trail and
the St. Johns River to Sea
Loop. The trail will run
adjacent to State Road
406 along the railroad line
and continue all the way
to Playalinda Beach. This
trail is funded through
construction and will be a
showcase trail for residents
and visitors alike.
New Community Center
Marcia Gaedcke is president of the Titusville Area
Chamber of Commerce and a lifetime resident of
Titusville and Brevard County. She is a passionate
leader and a serial volunteer, concerned about
the future of our community and economy, and
is willing to roll up her sleeves and work for the
betterment of Brevard.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the Community
Conservation and Education Center or how to get involved,
e-mail miwa@merrittislandwildlifeassociation.org or stop
in at the Refuge Visitor Center.
Learn more about the Clifton Schoolhouse at
nbbd.com/godo/history/CliftonSchool/
060 // EVERYTHINGBREVARD.com
/merrittislandwildlifeassociation.org
/
/EVERYTHINGBREVARD.com
link