We are the Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges, a nonprofit organization.
Our mission is to support the work of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys Refuges protecting wildlife and the habitat needed for the wild to thrive.
Our mission is to support the work of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys Refuges protecting wildlife and the habitat needed for the wild to thrive.
Hurricane Idalia Caused Refuge Closures
River Trail boardwalk. Photo by USFWS staff.
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Fishbone Creek Road! Photo by USFWS staff.
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Good news is, some are now open
Refuge Updates Due to Hurricane Idalia - September 23
- There will be a Seahorse Key Open House, as scheduled, on October 13. See more details here.
- The Nature Drive is open. Thanks to Refuge staff who worked tirelessly to reopen it.
- The Shell Mound pier is gone, and for safety reasons the area remains closed to hikers as well as vehicles. The dock, which was due to be rebuilt this fall, is closed completely. It will probably remain closed until the reconstruction project is complete.
- The River Trail is indefinitely closed until Refuge staff can rebuild the entire boardwalk - this project is funding-dependent. Sadly, the trail had only recently been re-opened after trees fell and damaged them earlier in the summer.
- On the Dixie County side, Fishbone Creek Road is now open, although it still needs a lot of work and requires careful driving.
- Dixie Mainline is open, though watch out for large potholes.
- Shired Island boat ramp is now open, though clean up is ongoing. Please note, though the boat launch is functional, there is currently no restroom or fishing pier.
- On Tuesday, September 12, an FWS archaeologist conducted a post-hurricane assessment at Vista. Details of assessment will be presented when available.
Refuge staff continue working to clear trees, mow, fill, and grade roads from the effects of the hurricane. Staff are hopeful to have all the public lime-rock driving roads (30 miles) open soon. The gated roads (170 miles) will have to wait, as staff work to clear and then mow these roads throughout September. If a road is closed to vehicular traffic, visitors can still bike or walk it.
The road to Shell Mound. photo by USFWS staff
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The road nearing Shell Mound parking area. Photo by USFWS staff
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Fishbone dock Photo by USFWS staff
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"Patience will be needed to get us through all the cleanup and repairs," reports Refuge Manager Andrew Gude. "Our thoughts and efforts are with the larger Big Bend community as we all recover from this damaging event. Please keep the folks and businesses impacted in mind."
Photos of the damage are from Refuge staff. They were taken on Thursday August 31.
A Note from Refuge Manager Andrew Gude about Refuge Hunts
2023-2024 Refuge Hunt Dates
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The Refuge remains open to all activities during hunts. Hunters and non hunters are expected to share the Refuge and be respectful of each other. You are advised to:
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Shell Mound
Well before Hurricane Idalia, the Refuge had contracted, to have the Shell Mound Observation Pier rebuilt. Construction is scheduled for October or November 2023. The pier will probably stay closed until construction. During construction the pier and lower portion of the drive-in area will be closed, but the Archaeological Mound Trail and Dennis Creek Trail will remain open.
Shell Mound Observation Pier is closed due to damage from Hurricane Idalia and will remain closed until reconstruction is complete.
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Dennis Creek Trail will remain open during Shell Mound Pier construction.
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Shell Mound Archaeological Trail will remain open during Shell Mound Pier construction.
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How to Connect with UsJoin Friends
Read our Blog, About what we do. Read our email News Brief Subscribe to our email News Brief Visit our Online Store
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Junior Ranger Workbook
Refuge Forester Daniel Barrand working with new Junior Rangers
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Visit Both of our Refuges
The Lower Suwannee Refuge is open daily from dawn to dusk for appropriate recreational uses including boating, hiking, fishing, biking, and birding. FWS Lower Suwannee Information Brochure.
The Cedar Keys Refuge is made up of 13 small islands offshore from the City of Cedar Key. Atsena Otie Island and the sandy beaches of the other islands are open to visitors. They must be accessed by personal boat. All interior and/or vegetated areas of the islands, other than Atsena Otie, are closed to visitors in order to protect the resident and transient birds nesting on them. Also, the waters and beaches around Snake Key (~100m) are closed to all entry March through June, since Snake Key is a major nesting area. Entry to closed areas on any of the islands is by permit only. FWS Cedar Keys Information Brochure.
The Cedar Keys Refuge is made up of 13 small islands offshore from the City of Cedar Key. Atsena Otie Island and the sandy beaches of the other islands are open to visitors. They must be accessed by personal boat. All interior and/or vegetated areas of the islands, other than Atsena Otie, are closed to visitors in order to protect the resident and transient birds nesting on them. Also, the waters and beaches around Snake Key (~100m) are closed to all entry March through June, since Snake Key is a major nesting area. Entry to closed areas on any of the islands is by permit only. FWS Cedar Keys Information Brochure.
Seahorse Key
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Our beautiful River Trail is closed because of damage from Hurricane Idalia. Repair is funding dependent and unlikely to be provided in the upcoming federal budget.
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The Shell Mound pier was totally destroyed by Hurricane Idalia. Luckily the Refuge had already contracted to replace it because of earlier damage. It may be repaired by the end of the year.
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Suwannee River seen from the River Trail
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Tram Ridge Trail
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Vista property
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Visiting the Refuges at this time of year presents an additional wildlife experience, as evidenced by the video above, taken on Beaver Dam Road on the Dixie County side of the Refuge. If you love our Refuges you surely have been followed down the trail by swarms of noseeums as well as dive-bombing, blood-thirsty deer flies.
Friends board member Dan Kline is a mosquito and fly research entomologist. His articles on our Science page, will give you the skinny on these wild creatures and what it is like to track them down in the field. He doesn’t mention how to decide who is tracking whom!
Friends board member Dan Kline is a mosquito and fly research entomologist. His articles on our Science page, will give you the skinny on these wild creatures and what it is like to track them down in the field. He doesn’t mention how to decide who is tracking whom!
Butterflies of the Lower Suwannee
If you are interested in butterflies, we have an abundance of information and activities for you. The most recent ones were a walk out at the Refuge, and a talk at the Cedar Key Library, both by Friends Board Member Barbara Woodmansee. If you're curious about the multitude of species of butterflies and moths you may happen across at the Refuge, you can watch her entire presentation on the YouTube link here. And, shop at our online store to purchase Barbara's beautiful and informative guidebook before you venture out to the Refuge for some butterfly hunting. Other materials produced by Friends for butterfly lovers include:
- A Life List of all the butterflies on the Refuge, including a challenge to help find a few butterflies that likely are on the Refuge but have yet to be definitively documented here.
- An illustrated Guidebook to the Butterflies of the Lower Suwannee Refuge.
- A butterfly brochure
- Butterfly tee shirts
- Butterfly of the Month
- Butterfly FAQs
- Butterfly surveys and walks. Stay tuned for more scheduled walks.
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A Gatorama of Refuge Photos
Gator and turtle friend. Photo by Larry Woodward.
Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
P. O. Box 532 Cedar Key, FL 32625 friends@friendsofrefuges.org We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. |
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