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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
March 31, 2016
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Horseshoe Crabs mating by Education Intern Jenny Rieke
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Bully! Joe Wiegand as Teddy Roosevelt regales the crowd.
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Tomorrow, April 1:
Teddy Roosevelt
This is no April fool's joke!
Joe Wiegand has been bringing President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt to life for more than a decade and has performed in all 50 states and overseas, including a White House appearance in honor of Roosevelt's 150th birthday.
As part of the free "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture Series, Wiegand will address the audience as members of Congress on period conservation issues during his two "Teddy: The Conservation President" presentations that will take place
beginning at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
on Friday, April 1
READ MORE
Thanks to our wonderful 2016 Lecture Series sponsors for making these lectures possible!
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NOTICE: Lecture Seating Policy
Seating for the lectures is limited and available on a first-come basis. Arrive one hour early to help assure seating. Early arrivals can save one seat each and then may explore the Visitor & Education Center or Indigo Trail before the lecture starts. Saved seats must be filled 15 minutes before lecture time or risk reassignment.
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Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Manager John H. Hartig.
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Friday, April 8 Lecture
Urban Conservation Lecture
John H. Hartig's
Bringing Conservation to Cities: Lessons from Building the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
tells the story of how innovative public-private partnerships are making nature a part of everyday urban life in the automobile capitals of the U.S. and Canada
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The author, refuge manager for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and an award-winning writer on conservation science, will present two programs
beginning at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
on
Friday, April 8 in the free READ MORE
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Artist Jim Sprankle serves as a judge in the Florida contest
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Junior Duck Stamp:
Something to Quack About
On Tuesday, March 29, judges selected winners in the annual Florida Junior Duck Stamp Competition out of 2,766 contestants throughout the state in grades K-8. The judging was held, as it is each year, at "Ding" Darling.
Best of Show placer Megan
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A Tundra Swan portrait by Megan Zou of Miami took Florida's best of show.
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Zou f
rom Miami will advance to the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition which this year for the first time will be held at "Ding" Darling, as part of our Earth Day celebration on
April 22, 2016
. The public is invited to the judging from 9 a.m. to noon. Seating is limited and on a first-come basis. The winning Federal JDS will be announced at noon.
Click here
to read more.
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Wednesday, April 13 Film: Is Your Life Too Plastic?
T
he documentary film
Bag It: Is Your Life Too Plastic?
completes the fourth annual "Ding" Darling Wednesday Film Series on April 13 at
2:30 p.m.
in the Visitor & Education Center auditorium.
Bag It
begins its mission with the ill effects of plastic bags, then evolves into a wholesale investigation into plastic and its effect on waterways, oceans, wildlife, and our own bodies. It connects the dots between plastic and around 100,000 marine animal deaths each year, plus human disease
READ MORE
Thanks to our 2016 Film Series Sponsors:
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Watch the Bag It trailer here |
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April 29:
Deadline for Day Camp
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Day campers learn the principals of nature photography.
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April 29, 2016, marks the deadline
for the second annual
Nature Explorers Summer Day Camp
, which runs six weeks this year starting June 20. Campers can apply for one five-day session.
Click here
for more information and an application.
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Refuge staffers recently found a nest of the White-eyed Vireo on the property to be acquired. The bird is one of more than 80 land and marine species whose habitat the acquisition will protect.
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Help Save Our Island!
"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society has undertaken a campaign to acquire more than 8 acres on Sanibel Island's Wulfert Road as a crucial wildlife corridor for the "Ding" Darling Refuge. We must raise $2 million in private funds to purchase the parcel, which lies between SCCF land and the Refuge.
Donors have already committed $600,000 in gifts and pledges of needed funds, so the goal is to raise the remaining $1.4 million by February 2017. If not preserved by the Refuge, the land could be developed with as many as five dwellings and
READ MORE
To make a gift or pledge or for more information, contact DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller at 239-292-0566 or by email.
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| Bobcat and Gopher Tortoise seen on the Wulfert property the Society is raising money to protect. Photos by Kyle Sweet of the Sanctuary Golf Club |
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Check Out Our
Monofilament Busters
Our volunteer Monofilament Busters team works tirelessly to keep our and other island waterways clear of the fishing line, hooks, lures, and other gear that injure and kill birds, sea turtles, and other local creatures. Check out and like the
Monofilament Busters Facebook page
to learn more about responsible disposal of fishing gear.
(Right) Carelessly discarded monofilament fishing line can cause harmful and even fatal damage to wildlife.
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Thank you to our Sponsors!
Thanks to our tourney sponsors.
To become a sponsor, email or call (239-292-0566) Birgie Miller.
Title Sponsor:
Presenting Sponsor:
Platinum Sponsors:
Gold Sponsors:
Auction Donations for the Tarpon Tournament are being requested.
Email or call Birgie Miller at 239-292-0566 to donate and help the Society raise funds for conservation efforts at the Refuge.
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| Screech Owl photo by Patty MacInnis |
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White Ibis photo by Al Hoffacker of
Half-crackerphoto.com
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On the right is the foot of a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Notice anything? The jagged surface is its Pectinate Claw. The Yellow-crowned Night Heron uses this rough surface to preen itself -- much like we use a comb! Thanks to Resident Volunteer Patty Wettstein for the photo and the information!
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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Spring has sprung and the rainy season lurks right around the corner.
Be prepared with a Galleria Folding Umbrella, now available in the Refuge Nature Store. Rainy days no longer need to be gloomy with these colorful umbrellas made from durable 100% poly. Galleria has been providing quality umbrellas throughout the United States for more than 20 years. Ours come in nature patterns including cardinals, butterflies, blue jays, hummingbirds, and seagulls - all available now while supplies last.
Call 239-472-1100 ext. 241 or
email to order yours today. Or drop in to see what else we have on the shelves to help you make your "wild" spring statement.
Remember, proceeds from all sales go toward Refuge wildlife research and conservation education programs.
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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 Chelle Koster Walton. Designed by Sarah Lathrop and interns Carrie Alexander and Anna Grubb
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