Thanks to everyone for participating in this year’s Pelican Island NWR celebration, the 123rd, of our nation’s first Refuge. We enjoyed a casual meet-and-greet with President Theodore Roosevelt repriser Joe Wiegand at the Tiki Bar & Grill to start off the weekend. The featured event was the sunset wine and cheese cruise to Pelican Island, highlighted by multiple varieties of birds returning for their evening roost on the Island. The cruise is always a crowd pleaser and sells out almost immediately. We’re sorry if you were not able to grab a seat on this year’s scenic trip, characterized by bottlenose dolphins and an endless array of Lagoon shorebirds.
We honored our good friend Sandy Peterson, who passed away suddenly on March 10, 2026, one of our long-time members who was passionate about wildlife, and a great photographer, especially of birds. His wonderful photos have been featured on our website over the years, as he often joined us on the cruise.
Following that you’ll find a photo gallery of many photos from this year’s celebration. We are already considering the possibilities for a bigger and better celebration next year, leading up to the 125th anniversary the following year. Please save the dates of March 12-14, 2027 and plan to join us and President Roosevelt as we celebrate this Refuge treasure in our community!
President Theodore Roosevelt and Sandy Peterson, Pelican Island NWR anniversary celebration, March 2023.
Sandy Peterson, May 2021
