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We Visited Merritt Island During the Government Shutdown - Here’s What We Found
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When the 2025 government shutdown reached Florida’s Space Coast, it quietly reshaped one of the state’s busiest refuges.
In this episode, Chad Gallivanter visits Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, home to spoonbills, manatees, and the shadow of Kennedy Space Center, to document what “open but unstaffed” really looks like. The visitor center is locked behind a chain-link fence. The boardwalk is off limits. The restrooms are closed. A single orange portable toilet stands in for federal infrastructure.
From the rough, rutted loop of Black Point Wildlife Drive to the weathered steps of the observation platform, this is an on-the-ground look at what happens when government stops showing up.
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