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What better teacher than a president of the United States — in this case, our nation’s 26th president. Himself suffering from cholera and asthma, more than any other U.S. chief executive officer, Teddy Roosevelt promoted the “vigorous life,” particularly outdoors. He did so, not only for his own well being, but especially for his children, all children.

Sound familiar? Not surprisingly, that’s exactly what the founders of our very own non-profit Marine Discovery Center had in mind when they all but coined the word “ecotours” and hosted area youth aboard a then-privately owned, small pontoon boat on which they started a “hands-on feet-wet” experience designed to teach the value of an estuary, especially theirs.

One of America’s natural treasures, our IRL, the nation’s most prolific and biologically diverse estuary, ranks at the top of all avian breeding grounds, Florida’s brown pelicans foremost among the hundreds of coastal beach birds saved from poachers, starting with Mr. Teddy’s 1903 stroke of the pen setting aside the peninsula’s Pelican Island as a national preserve.

Just short of 100 years later, a handful of private citizens residing near the shores of a grand estuary often referred to as “Mosquito Lagoon” quietly followed the president’s lead. Not only were they enthralled by the majestic pelican, but concluded that all our native water birds could use some recognition. Then evolved the use of words like “preserve”, “conserve”, “protect”, “nurture” and “restore”, applicable in particular to coastal marine habitats, those sheltered birthing grounds for critters as diverse as sharks, sea cows, dolphins, crabs, conchs, Roseate spoonbills, stingrays, clams, and something called plankton, the “drifters” of microscopic seafood for most all aquatic animals.

Initiatives like oyster bed replenishment, mangroves replanting, shorelines’ clean-up and youth summer camps, serve to acquaint our kids with crustaceans, mollusks, beach drift, jellyfish and sea stars. Youth of all ages learn to respect and identify shoreline plants like sea oats, turtle grass, cabbage palms and saw palmetto. Stuff like glasswort and eelgrass, sea grapes and waxmyrtle, vital to ecosystems, find their way into childrens’ vocabularies, uniquely providing a holistic understanding of the complexity, diversity and fragility of the Lagoon.

Far more than a scenic tour boat operator, the MDC collaborates with public school districts, Florida Fish & Wildlife, colleges and universities, boat builders, agencies for the disabled and handicapped and all manner of marine science educators for the explicit purpose of showcasing the estuary. Oh, yes, they also operate the city’s water taxi, itself a muted teacher, and, a waterborne NSB billboard.
It never ceases to amaze me that this body of water and marshland stretches from Ponce Inlet to Kennedy Space Center and Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge, through the Hallover Canal, then down the Indian River to Jupiter Inlet. From its bow to its stern, that’s a real long dinghy ride. Ought to be a national preserve! Where’s wilderness warrior Teddy when we need him.

Oh, the IRL (Indian River Lagoon) is officially an Estuary of National Significance. To check it out, go to http://www.nationalestuaries.org. A little research will spur you to kayak the backwaters of this treasure, discover ecotouring firsthand and speak estuarine fluently. It follows then that you become a Florida Master Naturalist, replenish an oyster bed, plant some mangroves and sponsor a kid at next year’s MDC summer camps. Now that’s pure Rooseveltian.

Though a well-worn cliche, East Central Florida’s economic future is tied to the IRL-Estuary’s ecological health. Preserving it and our inland freshwater springs is a necessity.

Paul Mayer’s columns started as excerpts from “Letters to Seven Children” in the former Observer Smyrna Breeze.