Wildlife Refuge Getting New Community Center

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.

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 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.

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/

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.