--- title: Protecting Your Future description: By Warren Wnek    The sun hadn’t appeared, yet, but young Dean Savage and I were nearing our destination, Canaveral National Seashore’s Playalinda Beach. Even though the trip had been […] --- - [Home](https://www.anglersforconservation.org) - Events Show submenu for Events - [🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 Outreach Programs](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/programs) - [🗓️ Events Calendar](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/events) - Education Show submenu for Education - [Bait & Tackle](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/fishing-tackle) - [Boating Safety](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/seagrass) - [Casting](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/casting) - [Knot Tying](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/monofilament-line-recycling) - [Know the Fish](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/know-the-fish) - [Safety & Rod Handling](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/rod-safety) - Support Show submenu for Support - [Get Involved](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/get-involved) Show submenu for Get Involved - [Work with Us](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/work-with-us) - [Volunteer](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/volunteer) - [Buy A license Plate](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/get-involved) - [Create a Facebook Fundraiser](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/get-involved) - Giving Show submenu for Giving - [Become a Sponsor](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/sponsor) - [Become a Corporate Sponsor](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/become-a-sponsor-0) - [Memorials & Tributes](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/memorials-tributes) - Abous Us Show submenu for Abous Us - [AFC History](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/afc-history) - [Blog](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/blog) - [Contact Us](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/rod-safety-0-0-0-0-1) - [Home](https://www.anglersforconservation.org) - Events Show submenu for Events - [🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 Outreach Programs](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/programs) - [🗓️ Events Calendar](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/events) - Education Show submenu for Education - [Bait & Tackle](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/fishing-tackle) - [Boating Safety](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/seagrass) - [Casting](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/casting) - [Knot Tying](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/monofilament-line-recycling) - [Know the Fish](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/know-the-fish) - [Safety & Rod Handling](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/rod-safety) - Support Show submenu for Support - [Get Involved](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/get-involved) Show submenu for Get Involved - [Work with Us](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/work-with-us) - [Volunteer](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/volunteer) - [Buy A license Plate](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/get-involved) - [Create a Facebook Fundraiser](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/get-involved) - Giving Show submenu for Giving - [Become a Sponsor](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/sponsor) - [Become a Corporate Sponsor](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/become-a-sponsor-0) - [Memorials & Tributes](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/memorials-tributes) - Abous Us Show submenu for Abous Us - [AFC History](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/afc-history) - [Blog](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/blog) - [Contact Us](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/rod-safety-0-0-0-0-1) [Conservation](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/blog/tag/conservation) # Protecting Your Future [Carla Perscky](https://www.anglersforconservation.org/blog/author/carla-perscky) 14 September, 2025 ***By Warren Wnek***    The sun hadn’t appeared, yet, but young Dean Savage and I were nearing our destination, *Canaveral National Seashore’s Playalinda Beach*. Even though the trip had been planned for a while, Dean still wanted to know why we had to get up so darn early! Our day together had started as a promise I’d made to Dean back when he was helping out the AFC get nearly 1500 rods and reels prepared for this past year’s *Fish Earth Day Hook Kids on Fishing* programs. Even though I am 40 years his senior, I was as excited as Dean about our fishing trip! To reach *Playalinda*, we’d first need to negotiate a long, flat two-lane country road through a vast wilderness, aka the *Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR)*. As the sun’s light began to appear, the morning’s cobalt sky became awash in wispy clouds of lightly painted orange, red and pink. A delicate misty fog hung over the pristine collage of hardwood hammocks, saltwater marshes and open grasslands. Along the way I explained to Dean how there was a growing group of people wanting to develop a portion of the *MINWR* called *Shiloh*. Dean asked if the *Shiloh* area looked anything like this, and I answered, “Yes.” He instinctively replied, “Why?”, and I explained that ignorance was the primary factor. The *Shiloh* portion of the *MINWR* borders the northwest end of the *Refuge* and the *Indian River Lagoon*, and is only a stone’s throw west of the Mosquito Lagoon. The area encompasses red, white and black mangrove shorelines, hardwood hammocks, open wetlands and grasslands. The *Central Florida Bird Watchers* website states that, ‘The Shiloh area is about as close to natural Coastal Florida as you can get.’ Dean and I landed with surf fishing tackle in hand on *Playalinda*, minutes before the earth rolled into its familiar position, and from the beach we watched as the sun appeared once again. We enjoyed a fine morning’s fishing with AFC friends Captain John Kumiski and Tom Raftican, but in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think, ***“Are all of these protected lands in jeopardy? Will humans plow over the last park, refuge, or sanctuary, a little piece at a time, in the name of progress?”*** It is time for our voices to be heard. We need to establish well informed and educated opinions on the importance of protecting legacy lands like these from a death of a thousand cuts, and let the people charged with protecting these areas know that we are watching. 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