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About Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Location:

1987 Scrub Jay Way, 3.5 miles east of Titusville on rt 402, Titusville, FL 32796, US

Mission Statement

The mission of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is the conservation, management and where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. We are land stewards, guided by Aldo Leopold's teachings that land is a community of life and that love and respect for the land is an extension of ethics. We seek to reflect that land ethic in our stewardship and to instill it in others.

Description

Since its establishment in 1963, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has preserved open space and protected habitat for thousands of species of plants and animals. It is an important stop over for migratory birds and a wintering home for waterfowl. It has been recognized as a globally important bird area providing nesting habitat. It is also home to 14 state and federally listed threatened and endangered species including sea turtles, manatees and Florida scrub jays. Over the decades the refuge's popularity as a place to fish, hunt, bird, photograph and kayak has increased until today the Refuge hosts over 1.5 million visits each year.