The Space Coast Chapter will have a presence to promote Surfrider's mission, programs and our chapter events.
Cocoa Beach, Florida, March 16th, 2024, 10:30 AM
6 PM, at the Cocoa Beach Pool Pavilion
The Friends of the Thousand Islands, in conjunction with the City of Cocoa Beach and Brevard County’s Environmentally Endangered Lands, is holding the 1st Annual Thousand Islands Fest. A family fun and educational event celebrating the Thousand Islands and the progress being made to heal the Indian River Lagoon.
The Thousand Islands Fest is designed to showcase the beautiful mangrove islands in the Banana River Lagoon, off the shores of Cocoa Beach. This is paddling paradise. There will be kayak safety demonstrations and Fin Expeditions, a Cocoa Beach kayak tour firm, will provide free waterway tours for the public. Wildside Tours, a Cocoa Beach based pontoon tour firm, will ferry people to Crawford Island where there will be a Florida Native Plant Tour and Native Flute Playing. Tours are 1 st come, 1 st serve.
There will be 3 music acts and short presentations by leading organizations who are working together to improve our Lagoon. Speakers include the EEL’s Program (Environmentally Endangered Lands), BIRLC (Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition), Brevard County Natural Resources SOIRL (Save Our Indian River Lagoon), IRLNEP’s OneLagoon (National Estuary Program), City of Cocoa Beach, City of Cape Canaveral, Florida DEP Aquatic Preserve (Department of Environmental Protection), Brevard Zoo, and MIWA (Merritt Island Wildlife Association). There will be 16 organizations showcasing how progress is being made to heal our Lagoon with many demonstration projects.
There will be kid friendly hands-on activities, including a scavenger hunt and meeting rescue wildlife from the Florida Wildlife Hospital. Food trucks and a native plant sale will be present. Cocoa Beach schools - CB Jr/Sr HS, Roosevelt Elementary and Freedom 7, will be showing how the schools are actively involved. We will have a Geocaching component where an EEL’s
Treasure Coin can be earned. The Pavilion is located off Minutemen Causeway, adjacent to the Country Club and Pool on the shore of the Banana River Lagoon.