There’s something appealing about pocket parks. The spontaneity. A moment outside. And a chance to identify flora and fauna native to this area with apps like iNaturalist and Merlin . . . .
I’ve subjected my birding and native plant friends to my numerous mistaken identifications—I’ve been known to confuse anhinga and cormorant or the Brazilian pepper and Dahoon holly. They’ve been accepting. My confusion of snowy egrets with the great egret was acceptable. After all, the black legs with yellow feet are distinguishing characteristic known to true birders, not amateurs.
Recently, I’ve returned to two nearby, small parks nestled between the Indian River Lagoon and the Melbourne Causeway with plans to immerse myself in nature and perfect my use of nature apps.
The parking lot at Front Street serves as a meeting point for many walkers, joggers and cyclists who head across the Melbourne Causeway (192) to Indialantic (almost 2 miles).
From Front Street to Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point, adjacent to the causeway, is a mere 10-minute walk. However, given the scenery and wildlife, I spent more than an hour here.
It’s a landscape dominated by odd-looking plants and animals that look like they have come from the drawings of Arthur Rackham and Dr. Seuss—mangroves with tangles of prop roots, often referred to as walking trees, cabbage palms and sea grapes, the occasional ibis and herons. Great Blue Herons, which land in their nests or on a branch amid a flurry of flapping wings, but they are so graceful when they soar. Perhaps one of my favorites, the anhinga, often on a post or shrub, wings outstretched to dry between dives.
Bottom - anhinga
Paved walkways along the IRL are bordered by thickets of mangroves. Two families of Great Blue Herons have built nests in an Australian pine. These rickety looking constructions, which look as if they could be carried away by a tropical breeze, provide space for the heron couples and demanding offspring.
Nesting Great Blue Herons
Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point seems to be a draw for walkers and a few fishermen, who follow the paved path beneath the causeway. Friends have reported seeing a manatee and numerous species of birds late in the day. But my mid-morning walks yielded only one Great Blue Heron and an anhinga. Or was it a cormorant?
Entry to Kiwanis (yellow vehicle is on 192)
Fishing at Kiwanis Park
Bridge on Melbourne Causeway, looking east
I returned to Front Street then walked to the port in search of species to identify with my phone app. The usual pelicans and pigeons. Two white egrets in a culvert.
But wait! An unusual bird at the port. A falcon? It scooped and dived, fluttered, then swooped and dived again. I sent my video to a birding friend.
--It’s a kite, my birding friend said.
But apparently, my error in identification was an acceptable mistake. After all, these Peregrine kites are designed to frighten pigeons. . . .
# # #
If you go—
Front Street parking, adjacent to the port, has boat ramps, covered picnic tables and clean public restrooms. It is the site of community events such as Lagoon Day in the fall and the Fourth of July fireworks.
Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point – has about a dozen paved parking spaces, one covered picnic table area and two port-a-potties.
You can make a quick visit to these parks if you have less than an hour, but it’s best to plan for a half-day outing to combine these nature walks with a visit to the Historic Downtown, all within a two-mile radius. You’ll find numerous options for quick snacks or leisurely brunches for a variety of tastes and budgets.
If you go with children--
My adult children still remember our weekend bike rides across the causeway. We’d pause at high point of the bridge to catch our breath and look for dolphins. Then on the downhill stretch, we’d stop to watch the nesting Great Blue Herons. The reward—breakfast Beaujean’s, a New Orleans style café, which has since closed.
Walk from Front Street to Kiwanis Park
Ichabod's Dockside and port
Path at Kiwanis Park
Related Works
To learn more about the Florida environment and the importance of mangroves as well as green spaces. . . .
“Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition: Mangroves Are The Unsung Heroes of Lagoon Ecosystem.” Space Coast Daily. 26 July 2024. https://spacecoastdaily.com/2024/07/brevard-indian-river-lagoon-coalition-mangroves-are-unsung-heroes-of-lagoon-ecosystem/. Accessed 11 February 2026.
“Florida’s Mangroves.” Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 13 December 2024. https://floridadep.gov/rcp/rcp/content/floridas-mangroves. Accessed 11 February 2026.
Lau, Clement. “Parks as a Cornerstone of Sustainability.” National Recreation and Park Association. 13 September 2024. https://www.nrpa.org/blog/parks-as-a-cornerstone-of-sustainability/#:~:text=Green%20spaces%20absorb%20rainwater%2C%20reducing,promoting%20sustainability%20in%20diverse%20environments. Accessed 12 February 2026.
“Learn Why Parks Are Important!” Baton Rouge Environmental Commission / Recreation. https://www.brec.org/WhyParksareImportant#:~:text=Parks%20provide%20intrinsic%20environmental%2C%20aesthetic,and%20workers%2C%20and%20attract%20retirees. Accessed 12 February 2026.
Moses, Jessie. “Tell Me About: Threats to Mangroves in Florida.” Thompson Earth Systems Institute. Florida Museum. 2 June 2022. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/tell-me-about-threats-to-mangroves-in-florida/. Accessed 11 February 2026.
