Welcome to St. Vincent NWR
Bat House. Credit: USFWS
Partnerships Create Home for Refuge Bats
For years, colony-forming bats of St Vincent National Wildlife Refuge have dwelled in the attic of the old hunting cabin, a wooden lodging structure located on the barrier island near Apalachicola, Florida. Their twilight departure patterns the air and guano droppings on the porch provide a distinctive fragrance. In 2006, Ryan Barberides of Lynn Haven built four pole bat houses as part of his Eagle Scout project. He was assisted by the Bonita Bay Environmental Youth Club and Boy Scout Troop #321 in placing the poles on the island. Currently the four houses are located just south west of the cabin and all four show evidence of use.
The St. Marks and St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuges will now be issuing quota hunt permits and expanded amenity fees through the Total Licensing System used by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Applications will be accepted June 15 - July 30. The web link below will take you directly to the special opportunity worksheet. http://myfwc.com/RECREATION/Hunt_LimitedEntry.htm For hunt dates and permit numbers, please click here - 2009-10 Refuge Quota Hunt Worksheets Available News Release |
Credit: Thom Lewis, USFWS
St. Vincent NWR is in Franklin County, Florida, is an undeveloped barrier island just offshore from the mouth of the Apalachicola River, in the Gulf of Mexico. The refuge is managed to preserve, in as natural a state as possible, its highly varied plant and animal communities. Ten separate habitat types have been identified: tidal marsh; freshwater lakes and streams; dunes dominated by live oak/mixed hardwood understory; scrub oaks; relatively pure stands of cabbage palm; and four different slash pine communities, each with its own unique understory species. St. Vincent is an important stop-off point in the Gulf of Mexico region for neo-tropical migratory birds. The island is a haven for endangered and threatened species, including bald eagles, sea turtles, indigo snakes, and gopher tortoises. Wood storks use the refuge during their migration. In addition, the refuge serves as a breeding area for endangered red wolves.
Getting There . . .
The Refuge Office/Visitor Center is in the Harbor Master Building at 479 Market Street, Apalachicola, Florida. Refuge signs on Highway 98 will direct you to the Center. The Center is open Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:00 E.S.T. St. Vincent Island is 9 miles southwest of Apalachicola and is surrounded by water. The closest public boat ramp to the island is located 22 miles west of Apalachicola at the end of County Road 30-B. From that boat ramp it is one-quarter of a mile across to the island. Boaters should be sensitive to winds, tide fluctuations, currents, storms, and oyster bars.
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