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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
March 3, 2016
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| Photo by Ruth Ann Schwart |
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Adding to Refuge Land Holdings
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Our latest campaign strives to acquire the outlined tract of land along Wulfert Road.
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Our campaign is underway to acquire 8.51 acres on Sanibel Island's Wulfert Road, near the exit of Wildlife Drive, as part of a crucial wildlife corridor for the Refuge.
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| Gopher Tortoises are among the crucial creatures the Wulfert acquisition will benefit. Photo by Terry Baldwin. |
DDWS must raise $2 million in private funds to purchase the parcel, which lies between SCCF land and the Refuge. Donors have already committed $500,000 of needed funds, so the goal is to raise the remaining
**$1.5 million by February 2017.**
If not preserved by the Refuge, the land could be developed with as many as five dwellings and one boat dock into Pine Island Sound, as already approved by
READ MORE
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Tomorrow, March 4:
Ditch of Dreams
Lecture
For centuries, men dreamed of cutting a canal across the Florida peninsula.
Ditch of Dreams: The Cross Florida Barge Canal and the Struggle for Florida's Future
, by Steven Noll and David Tegeder, examines the politics and preservation movements behind the long-running controversy. As part of the free "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture Series, Noll will present two programs about the book
beginning
at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
on
Friday, March 4, 2016, in the free Visitor & Education Center on Sanibel Island.
Heedless of environmental concerns, water transportation advocates consistently lobbied the federal government to connect the Atlantic Ocean to
READ MORE
Partial funding for this program was also provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Thank you to our 2016 Lecture Series Sponsors:
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 Lecture Videos on YouTube
Have you been disappointed when turned away from a Friday lecture in our packed auditoriums? Then you will be happy to know you can still see lectures you may have missed. We are now uploading videos of the lectures on
the DDWS YouTube channel. Look for them early the week following the lecture on YouTube and in "Ding" on the Wing.
Watch last week's Roseate Spoonbill lecture by Jerry Lorenz by clicking above
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Residents of Sanibel and Captiva islands can still realize savings on solar energy conversion through the collective buying power of SanCap Solar Connect, by signing up on or before
the extended deadline of March 15, 2016.
"We originally set the deadline for February 2016 because
READ MORE
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Farewell to a Friend
On February 24, 2016, longtime and loyal volunteer
Dr. Glen Gresham
passed away under hospice care. Glen volunteered at the Refuge, along with his wife Phyllis, since November 2003,
clocking nearly 1,500 hours.
"Glen worked great with our visitors, orienting them to the Refuge and helping them identify birds and plants," said Volunteer Coordinator Jeff Combs. "He was a great friend and will be missed by his fellow volunteers, the entire Refuge staff and myself."
A memorial service to celebrate Glen's life will take place at 11 a.m. on March 19, 2016, at the Sanibel Congregational UCC.
Click here
to read Glen's obituary.
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Thanks to Our Go Wild Event Sponsors & Auction Donors and those who attended!
T
hanks to the following for helping us raise money to benefit Refuge wildlife research and land acquisition projects with their generous support through attendance, sponsorships, donations and auction purchases for the Go Wild for "Ding" - Dance of the Reddish Egret event February 23.
Sponsors:
Champion: Mark & Gretchen Banks; John & Kathy McCabe; Jim & Patty Sprankle Guardian Sponsors: Matzaluna Italian Kitchen; South Seas Resort. Protector Sponsors: Bailey's General Store; Peter & Paula Bentinck-Smith; Jay & Cindy Brown; Amanda Cross; Sarah Ashton, Jim Metzler; Trader's Store & Café; Don & Ann-Marie Wildman; Island Cinema. Defender Sponsors: Big Red Q Quickprint; Hightower Advisors of Ft. Myers; Cast About Charters; Mike & Terry Baldwin; Doug & Sherry Gentry; George & Wendy's Seafood Grille; Greenwood
Consulting Group; Phyllis & Glen Gresham; Gulf Coast Landscape Supply; Dick & Emily Muench; Queenies Ice Cream; Sanibel Sweet Shoppe; TradeMarky Films; Vortex Optics
Auction Donors:
50% Off Framing, Anisa Jewelry, Terry Baldwin, Laura Ball, Mark & Gretchen Banks, BIG ARTS, Billy's Bike Shop, Blue Coyote Supper Club, Broadway Palm, Bubble Room, Cast About Charters, Luc Century, Disney World, Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille, Jerry Edelman, Florida Repertory Theatre, Florida Weekly, George & Wendy's Seafood Grille, Gulf Coast Landscape Supply, Judy Hicks, Al Hoffacker Half-Cracker Photo, Island Cinema , Island Pizza Company, Island Therapy Center, Richard Johnson, Sarah Lathrop, Lazy Flamingo, Lighthouse Café, Pat Lussier, Matzaluna's Italian Kitchen, John McCabe, Birgie Miller, Lyn
 Morningstar, Over Easy Café, Ann Peay, Queenie's Ice Cream, Rosie's Café and Grill, Carol Rothman, Sanibel Art & Frame, Sanibel Catering by Bailey's, Sanibel Fish House, Sanibel Seashell Industries, Sanibel Sweet Shoppe, South Seas Island Resort, Jim & Patty Sprankle, Sunset Grill, Synergy Sportswear, Tarpon Bay Explorers, Traders Store & Café, Vortex Binoculars, Ralph & Jean Woodring |
Saturday, March 5: Live Butterflies
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Zebra Longwing butterfly by Terry Baldwin
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Join us in the Visitor & Education Center Auditorium A on
Saturday, March 5, at 1 p.m. for a "Live Native Butterflies of Southwest Florida" program. Speakers Gary and Alice Lavimoniere, volunteers at both the Refuge and the Butterfly Estates in Fort Myers, will follow a short PowerPoint presentation with on-going interpretation until 2 p.m.. The presentation features five live native butterfly species, plus host plants, live caterpillars, and chrysalides.
Admission is free.
Click here for a schedule of other free programs and tours during the winter season.
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Lecture Friday, March 11
Women & Florida's Environment
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| Leslie Poole by Deirdre Macnab |
Dredge-and-fill projects, air pollution, and pesticides spread so uncontrollably in Florida during the twentieth century that they sparked an environmental movement within the state. Women often led the fight. Leslie Kemp Poole's
Saving Florida: Women's Fight for the Environment in the Twentieth Century chronicles women's conservation efforts.
The author will present two programs
beginning at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
on Friday, March 11, 2016, in the free "Ding" Darling
READ MORE
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Wednesday, March 16: Crash: The Tale of Two Species
The documentary film
Crash: The Tale of Two Species continues the fourth annual "Ding" Darling Film Series on
March 16 at 2:30 p.m. in the Visitor & Education Center auditorium.
Each year the red knot, a small shorebird, embarks on a 10,000-mile journey that coincides in Delaware Bay with the annual spawning of the horseshoe crab. The crab eggs fuel the birds for one of the largest migrations on earth, but crab populations are in decline
READ MORE
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April 22: Federal Junior Duck Stamp Judging
On
April 22, 2016
, "Ding" Darling Reufge celebrates
Earth Day
with an exciting, first-ever event: the
judging of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest.
Started right here on Sanibel Island by elementary art school teacher Jaye Boswell, the Junior Duck Stamp program involves thousands of entries nationwide. The final federal-level judging selects a winner from Best of Show winners throughout the 50 states and territories. The winner's work selected at "Ding" Darling will grace the 2016-2017 Junior Duck Stamp.
The public is invited to attend the judging at the Refuge Visitor & Education Center. Seating will be limited and on a first-come basis. Times will be announced
closer to the date, so please stay tuned to "Ding" on the Wing emails or call the Refuge for up-to-date information.
Jaye Boswell, "Mother of the Junior Duck Stamp Program," judges a recent Florida-wide competition at "Ding" Darling, where the state judging is held annually.
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April 29: Tarpon Tourney Registration Deadline
ONLY 1 spot remains!
A 100-percent purse promises to make the fifth annual "Ding" Darling & Doc Ford's Tarpon Tournament on May 7, 2016, the hottest competition on the water. It pays out 100 percent of entry fees as tournament awards. Registration deadline is April 29. The field is limited to 50 boats, and has filled up quickly
READ MORE
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Tourney anglers practice safe catch and release.
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Sponsors are still needed to help raise money for the conservation efforts at the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
The following are current sponsors:
Title Sponsor:
Presenting Sponsor:
Platinum Sponsors:
Gold Sponsors:
Click to see sponsor levels. Email or call Birgie Miller at 239-292-0566 to become a sponsor.
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C
ampers learn about nature photography, among other outdoor skills.
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2016
Nature Explorers
Summer Day Camp
Thanks to continued support from anonymous donors, the Refuge will host its second annual day camp program for the summer of 2016. This year the camp has been extended to six consecutive week long Nature Explorers Day Camp sessions, starting on June 20, 2016. Campers may attend only one session.
Deadline for application is April 29.
Each session will be limited to 14 middle school students (completed fourth, fifth, or sixth grade) from the Lee County and surrounding school districts or home school equivalent. Students attending Title 1 schools will receive preference. Lottery drawings
READ MORE
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New and gorgeous, artful wooden bowls of Sanibel Island artist Marianne Ravenna now grace our store shelves. Made from beechwood, and individually decorated with acrylic paint then coated with polyurethane, they are safe for use with cold foods. The small, shell-themed bowls cost $95 each; the large fish bowl is $275. The Nature Store is also taking orders for custom bowls and bowl sets.
Visit,
email, or call 239-472-1100 ext. 241 to purchase your gifts today. Proceeds from all Nature Store purchases benefit Refuge conservation programs.
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'Ding' & Politicians
As election campaign balderdash continues to flood the news, let's take a look at a comment from Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling in a 1938 political cartoon that appeared in the
Des Moines Register
. The Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist often lampooned politicians and frequently took up the cause of conservation. Here he does both.
Click on the cartoon to see it enlarged.
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Special Visitor Edition
This has been an unbelievable week for birders at the Refuge! We have had a VERY special visitor. Learn more in the following commentary by world-renowned birders, Don & Lillian Stokes.
"How exciting that a rare Great White Pelican should find a welcome in J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge. First discovered on Sunday, this bird was last seen Tuesday morning preening on the sandbar at the Tower Pond in 'Ding' Darling in the company of the American White Pelicans, then she flew and joined a small group of American White Pelicans headed east...." READ MORE
In the photos below of the Great White Pelican, take note of its distinct yellow-orange eye patches, yellow chest coloration, and multicolored bill. It is much larger than the group of American White Pelicans that it has been seen with.
If
you have taken any beautiful, interesting,
or just plain goofy photos taken at the Refuge, send them to Society intern
Carrie Alexander
for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Smithsonian Water/Ways Exhibit - October 29-December 9, 2016
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These are just snapshots of some of the things taking place at your Wildlife Refuge. Please check our website at
www.dingdarlingsociety.org to learn more!
Sincerely,
"Ding" On The Wing composed by
Designed by Sarah Lathrop and interns Carrie Alexander and Anna Grubb
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