Wildlife refuge hits milestone in moving to county

$This is Quigley. Andersen's dog got him involved with the ECWR four years ago when he found a baby squirrel. [Ramon Rios\SRPG]$

NAVARRE — Bill Andersen is bringing his beloved Emerald Cost Wildlife Refuge closer to home with the help of Santa Rosa County. The refuge will relocate from from Fort Walton Beach to the northern end of Navarre when construction is complete in early part of summer this year, according to Bill Andersen, president and chairman of the board for the ECWR.

On Jan. 24, the Board of County Commissioners approved $194,000 to the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge to complete the medical rehabilitation center at their new site in Navarre. The completion of the medical facilities is a requirement by law before any of the animals can relocate to the new site. The ECWR is currently located at 105 Santa Rosa Boulevard in Fort Walton Beach.

The money will come from the $1.4 million of Tourist Development Committee reserves. This leaves Andersen with about $250,000 to raise to complete the $979,844 project.

The ECWR project has been a dream of the Andersens since joining the organization four years ago. Andersen and his wife Carol started the project by donating 2.3 acres of land their own land near the waterfront in Navarre estimated at over $200,000.

"I went from taking lives to saving lives," Andersen said.

Andersen's last job was Commander, Air Force Special Operations Training Center, where he led a force of 1,050 military, civilian, and contract personnel executing an annual budget of $84 million according to the ECWR website.

The relationship between Andersen and the ECWR started with his dog Quigley. "One afternoon, Quigley found a baby squirrel and was trying to eat it," Andersen said. He made some calls to get the squirrel medical attention and found the ECWR.

"I signed up as a volunteer the next day," Andersen said. "I've always liked critters."

Andersen says today the ECWR educates 5,000 schoolchildren a year and rehabilitates 1,500 to 2,500 animals a year from 152 different species. In 2018, they rehabilitated 1,800 animals. There are two types of animals at the ECWR said Andersen: ambassadors, animals that cannot be released into the wild because of injury or inability to hunt for themselves and those that can be released into the wild. The latter are kept separate, away from the public so they don't imprint or get used to people.

"Our mission is education, conservation and rehabilitation for the welfare of Florida fauna," Andersen said.

When completed, the ECWR will have two large buildings surrounded by more than twenty animal enclosures. One building will house a classroom and space for information and gifts. The second structure will house the medical rehabilitation center and necropsy room.

Anderson thanked Impact 100 for their contribution of $100,300 for their education and outreach center, the county for $194,00 for the medical center, the private donation from Chelissa Ryon of $10,000 and the many residents of the Santa Rosa, Escambia and Okaloosa Counties for their continued support.

Go to emeraldcoastwildliferefuge.org or call 850-650-1880 to donate or get more information.