Barrier Island Center Field Trip

The Barrier Island Sanctuary Management and Education Center (Barrier Island Center) is an educational center located in the heart of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a major nesting site for sea turtles.

How this Center came to be a reality is a story of cooperation between agencies and organizations - the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program (EEL), the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC), and the Richard K. Mellon Foundation. The Mellon Foundation donated the 34-acre parcel to Brevard County, the EEL Program developed and now manages the Center, and the Caribbean Conservation Corporation has partnered with the EEL Program to conduct the educational programs offered at the Center.

The Center opened May 10, 2008. It offers visitors a variety of sea turtle related exhibits and educational activities, including guided hikes throughout the year and turtle walks in June and July. The artwork for the exhibits in the Center was created by Melbourne Beach graphic design artist and scientific illustrator Dawn Witherington and is simply stunning in its beauty and detail. (Blair and Dawn's book, Florida's Living Beaches, is a must-have for any Florida beachcomber.) There's a slide show in the right-hand column that will give you an idea of just how interesting and unusual this place is.

The Center is chock full of talented staff. EEL South Beach Region Program Manager Ray Mojica is a computer whiz, and it shows in the wonderful interactive displays that entertain as well as instruct. Leslie Sprague from the CCC and her volunteers have created a gift shop that is a treat in itself (keep it in mind for Christmas gifts - it features the work of many local artists). The Center offers programs and classes ranging from how to construct a rain barrel to making oyster mats to helping put a roof on the Coconut Point Sanctuary Trail kiosk. Donna Lee Crawford is the Sanctuary Steward, and amongst many other things, she arranges for the Center's special events each month and send out a flyer on them (she also creates the most elegant plant arrangements out of natural materials). Nichole writes an excellent quarterly newsletter. Be sure to sign up to receive the monthly flyer and the newsletter (see Reference Links below or call Donna Lee at 321-723-3556). Grace runs the children's activity center, and the recent summer camp is already legendary! So much good stuff in one tidy building!

Outside, on the south side of the Center, a beautiful boardwalk down to the beach goes through lush native vegetation. On the north side of the Center, a hiking trail begins at the Center and continues across A1A.

This is a wonderful educational resource - if you have children, grandchildren, or visitors, be sure to take them to the Barrier Island Center.

Barrier Island Center
Just The Facts

"BIG PICTURE" LOCATION: South Brevard, Barrier Island

WHEN TO GO: The Center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.

HOW TO GET THERE: The Center is located on Hwy A1A, 14 miles south of the Melbourne Causeway (also known as 192), and 3 miles north of Sebastian Inlet State Park. There's not much down that direction, so keep a sharp eye out for this building on the east side of the road.

BRING MONEY? The Center is free, but I'm sure you'll want to purchase something in the gift shop!

WHERE TO PARK: There's a nice parking lot, but a word of warning. The gate to the parking lot is locked at 5:00, and if you leave your car in there while you're at the beach or riding around with somebody else, your car will be locked in. I know this to be true. :)

WHAT TO DO: There are numerous exhibits, a beautiful little theater with sea-turtle related shows running constantly, a deck overlooking the ocean, a boardwalk leading down to the beach, and a hiking trail. This photo shows a group hiking Barrier Island Ecosystem Center Trail on the west side of A1A.

For more information, or to sign up for turtle walks in June or July, call 321-723-3556.

WHAT TO WEAR: The Center is air conditioned and pleasant, but if you're going to walk down to the beach or hike through the trail, you'll want the usual water, hat, and bug repellant.

PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS: The Center, the outside deck, and the boardwalk to the beach are fully handicapped accessible. The hiking trail is not. Check out the restrooms in the Center - even the tiles on the wall follow the ocean theme!

WHERE TO EAT AFTERWARDS: About 1 1/2 miles to the south of the Center is Longpoint Cafe. The food is excellent - it's cooked from scratch, so it takes a while. I like their chicken fingers, but the Cuban sandwich is excellent and comes with an unusual dipping sauce. The staff is genuinely friendly. I think it is only open for breakfast and lunch, so if you plan to eat dinner, you'll want to head north 8.5 miles instead, and stop at the Surfin' Turtle in the Publix shopping center or Rosati's Pizza, 3 miles past the blinking light at Floridana Beach.

HOW TO HELP: If you are local, volunteer to work in the Center or on beach cleanup days. Support the EEL Program.

REFERENCE LINKS:
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
Brevard County Environmentall Endangered Lands Program (EEL)
Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC)
Richard K. Mellon Foundation
Barrier Island Center newsletter and monthly events flyer - email Donna Lee at donnaleecrawford@me.com
Florida's Living Beaches, by Blair and Dawn Witherington