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.
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
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The biting insect season is upon us! Visiting the Refuges at this time of year presents an additional wildlife experience. Friends board member Dan Kline is a mosquito and fly research entomologist. His April article on our Science page, will give you the skinny on
no-see-ums, Culicoides mississippiensis. |
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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River Trail
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Tram Ridge Trail
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Suwannee River seen from the River Trail
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Vista property
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Shell Mound
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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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