Field Journal

Wildlife Refuge

By John Rau
February 2, 2001

When I first signed on with Kennedy Space Center (KSC), I always thought, like most people, that KSC was only about shuttle and rocket launches. Through my investigating, I realized that KSC is very much involved with the environment and how it affects us all.

I started my personal tour at the most logical place I could think of, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Information Center located off State Rd. 3 in Titusville, Florida. There I concentrated on what I wanted to see and where I wanted to visit in the vast 140,000-acre refuge. I began by watching a 20-minute introduction movie on Kennedy Space Center and how it relates to the Wildlife Refuge as a whole. During the presentation an interesting point was brought up; why would you put a place like KSC in the middle of a nature preserve? Having a natural resource in your backyard is good for doing research and for learning how to manage environmental resources. The information discovered from such research is very valuable for understanding our environment. But I believe the main reason why KSC would choose this site for the space program is security. Kennedy is always dealing with sensitive situations, so it makes sense to place the center away from a populated area.

After the movie and brief stop at the information counter, I decided to begin my wildlife excursion and go to a spot were I could experience a good selection of things to see and a variety of wildlife.

Black Point Wildlife Drive
About a 20-minute drive from the Information Center, I was at the entrance to the Black Point Wildlife Drive, a seven-mile journey down a one-way road that meanders though several wildlife stops and points of interest. My favorite spot that I took time out to see was the Bald Eagle Habitat. A pair of Southern Bald Eagles were roosting high above the marsh on a man-made pole. Since 1973 the Southern Bald Eagle has been on the endangered species list. Once in the thousands, the population of Southern Bald Eagles has declined throughout the U.S. Predatory birds seam to love this type of man-made roosting platform. On the way back to KSC 's Visitor Center I ran into a pair of Ospreys perching high on top of a power transformer along the side of the road.

Most of my tour consisted of slowly driving along and taking in the wildlife. There were many species of birds, along with salt marshes and mud flats along this curvy road. Just before the end of the seven-mile trek, I came to a spot called Cruickshank Trail, which was named after Allan D. Cruickshank, a famous wildlife photographer and naturalist. This walking trail stretches for five miles, weaving in and out of the marshes. However, it was very warm the morning I visited and I decided to settle for the five minute instead of the five-mile walk to the observation tower.

I plan on visiting and writing more on the many interesting and informative places here at Kennedy's Wildlife Refuge.