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Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary
805 Sykes Creek Parkway, Merritt Island
Historic & Orthinological Interest
Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary is a significant natural resource recognized internationally among Audubon birdwatchers. Take a walk along the dike of the lagoon, and at various times throughout the year you could spot a wood stork, white or brown pelican, snowy egret or belted kingfisher, white, tri-color or blue heron, anhinga, or blue wing teal and cinnamon teal ducks. And yes, be cautious of the occasional alligator!
The sanctuary property was dedicated to the Board of County Commissioners on June 26, 1970 by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida for public outdoor recreational and parks purposes. The portion of the protected area designated as park lands encompasses Kiwanis Island Park and totals 487.91 acres. However, the 457-acre Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary portion is the diked wetland north of Audubon Road, bounded on the west by Sykes Creek and on the east by Banana River Drive housing developments. The official entrance is at the juncture of Sykes Creek Boulevard and Audubon Road. Fisherman recognize the entrance as access to the old humpbacked "Troll" bridge. A trail leads from the parking site to a birdwatching tower, with a canoe launch site at the Mosquito Control access road.
Once inside, urban Merritt Island recedes, and the terrain becomes reminiscent of more primitive times. The earliest know written record of this area was made by Alvaro Mexia in 1605. A young soldier from the St. Augustine garrison, Mexia identified the site on a mapping expedition. Quoting from Irving Rouse's survey of Indian River Archaeology, Mexia's diary says, "Here is the town of Ulumay, the first one of the province of the Ais. In back and adjacent to this town there are many camps." The Ais Indians remained in the area until their disappearance between 1715 and 1720. The shell mounds which were all that was left of these villages were used in the construction of early Merritt Island roads long before their archaeological significance was recognized. Recognition finally came on December 7, 1993, when the Brevard County Historic Commission presented a plaque to the Board of County Commissioners dedicating Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary as an Historic Landmark.
The late Johnny Johnson, a long time member of the Brevard Historic Commission, helped record what little was left of these Ais sites while heading a trailblazing effort along the dike in the 1960s. Today, several miles of walking trail are maintained by a joint effort including Brevard Mosquito Control, Brevard County Parks and Recreation, Brevard County Marine Resources and volunteers. Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department maintains the fishing pier and birdwatching tower, while Mosquito Control manages the salt march mosquito.
Considered probably Brevard County's biggest mosquito producing property, the County began managing the mosquito at Ulumay in the 1950's through diking and water control efforts. In the early sixties, a series of horizontal canals were cut to aid mosquito control efforts. Since that time, adventurous paddlers have taken advantage of the linked waterways in canoes and kayaks. In 1992, a Port Authority mitigation project brought restoration to the wetlands. This project required installation of thirty-six culverts through the dikes to reconnect the wetlands to the lagoon system. The installation was done by the Army Corps of Engineers and is associated with the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission's mission to restore the wood stork rookery.
The rookery, otherwise know as a nesting area, was destroyed by the 1985 freeze. The culverts allow juvenile fish to be pumped into the wetlands creating a "fish nursery", which in turn invites the wood stork to rebuild the Ulumay rookery. The biannual pumping cycle is managed by the Brevard County Mosquito Control. The culverts are closed in January 1, at which time water is pumped in and then allowed to go down naturally until about mid-March when the culverts are opened again. This cycle is repeated in October. Most of the canals disappear during the flooded seasons, creating a paddler's dream.
October through March is ideal for more reasons than paddling the waterways, it is also bird season and a more dormant time for alligators and mosquitoes. Times to pay special attention are during the April/May alligator mating season and the June through August mosquito season. Ulumay is open from 7:00 a.m. to dusk. Group tours can be scheduled by calling the Parks and Recreation Department Naturalist at 321-868-1123.
For more information about Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary—
