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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
January 28, 2016
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| Red-shouldered Hawk by France Paulsen |
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| Little Blue Heron by Gary Biltgen |
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| One of "Ding's" research Reddish Egrets. Photo by Jim Bennight. |
TOMORROW, January 29:
Reddish Egret Lecture
Dr. Kenneth Meyer, from the Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) in Gainesville, conducts a groundbreaking study at the Refuge to learn more about the movement of Reddish Egrets. The researcher will present two programs titled "The Dance of the Reddish Egret - From 'Ding' to North Florida" beginning at
10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday, January 29, in the free Visitor & Education Center. Meyer is currently tracking five Reddish Egret individuals he originally tagged at "Ding" Darling refuge. The Reddish Egret (
Egretta rufescens), known for its erratic "dancing"
READ MORE
Click here
to view the season's lecture series schedule.
A BIG thanks to our 2016 Lecture Series sponsors.
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Wednesday, February 3: Vanishing of the Bees doumentary
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| Vanishing of the Bees Trailer |
The film Vanishing of the Bees continues the fourth annual "Ding" Darling Wednesday Film Series on February 3 at 2:30 p.m. in the Visitor & Education Center auditorium. Honeybees pollinate one-third of the food we eat, and they are threatened by a worldwide phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder. This 87-minute film chronicles the fight
READ MORE
Many thanks to our 2016 Film Series sponsor for its generous support.
For brief synopses of this season's films, please
click here
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Legacy Gift
When Ruth Rachel wished to honor the memory of her deceased sister,
Chris Glancy, she thought immediately of "Ding" Darling. "Chris loved 'Ding' Darling," Ruth said. "We used to visit there when my father was alive, before Chris moved to Florida in 2006. She loved the birds." Shortly after she moved to the area, Chris began volunteering at the Refuge. In 2008, she started working part-time for the Society as the relief manager in the Refuge Nature Store and also assisted with membership bookkeeping and fundraising.
As the former senior vice president for United Way of Central Indiana, Chris provided valuable assistance to DDWS until she retired in March 2011. When Chris passed away on September 20, 2015, many staff and volunteers mourned her absence. So it was fitting, her sister concluded, that she memorialize Chris with an endowed fund for Refuge education that Ruth and other family members and friends could also contribute to. Ruth recently made a contribution to the fund in honor of Chris' birthday on February 3.
"An educational fund to help people learn about birds is a great way to keep the memory of Chris and her passion alive," said Ruth. For information on contributing to the fund, please email
Birgie Miller
or call 239-292-0566.
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Don't miss out on the largest annual fund raising event to benefit the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge!
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Master Wood Sculptor Jim Sprankle
has carved a feather for this special drawing.
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Only 150 Chances at $150 each
Grand Prize:
Hand-carved and -painted Reddish Egret Feather pin valued at more than $5,000 AND membership in the exclusive Sprankle Feather Club
(fewer than 50 members)
which "flocks" together once a year.
Don't miss an opportunity to win one of three prizes in this special drawing. The drawing will be held at the February 23, 2016 Go Wild for "Ding" Event, but
winners need not be present to claim their prizes.
DDWS is selling only 150 chances
at $150 each, and they are going fast.
Other prizes include professional photographic and framed Reddish Egret portraits by Terry Baldwin and
Al Hoffacker
.
Winners need not be present to claim their prizes.
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 Live Auction
We just added an original one-of-a-kind Jim Sprankle carving of an American Avocet to our list of exciting live auction items for the February 23 Go Wild for "Ding" - Dance of the Reddish Egret fundraiser.
Click here
to purchase your reservations for the event. Only 70 spots remain.
Advance reservations are required.
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More than 40 items will be auctioned off at Go Wild for "Ding." They vary from Red Sox and Minnesota Twins baseball tickets to framed wildlife photography prints. One of our favorite items of the night is a framed limited edition Audubon print of Reddish Egrets valued at more than $2,000.
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Attendance at the February 23, 2016
Go Wild for "Ding"
- Dance of the Reddish Egret is by
reservation o
nly.
Tickets are $100 each and include an island-restaurants buffet, beer & wine, live music, and auctions.
Defender Level:
Big Red Q Quickprint,
Cast About Charters
,
Hightower Advisors Fort Myers
, Mike & Terry Baldwin, Doug & Sherry Gentry, Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc., Glen & Phyllis Gresham,
Gulf Coast Landscape Supply
, Dick & Emily Muench,
Queenie's Ice Cream,
Sanibel Sweet Shoppe
, TradeMarky Films,
Vortex Optics
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Become Part of the Feather Flock
Don't miss your chance to belong to the exclusive, fun-loving Sprankle Feather Club. Here are pictures from this week's annual event - a "wild" Poker Run at the Refuge.
Click here
for
information
on entering this year's Go Wild for "Ding" - Dance of the Reddish Egret drawing.
Need not be present to win.
Click here to
purchase chances
for a Reddish Egret Feather Pin and membership in the Sprankle Feather Club, plus other prizes.
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An American Flamingo was again sighted last week at Bunche Beach - a pretty-in-pink precursor to Valentine's Day. Want to see flamingo's for yourself?
Through February 28
, the wildlife photography of
Al Hoffacker
will be on exhibit in the Visitor & Education Center. The exhibit features an exclusive display of six portraits the photographer captured of the American Flamingo who visited the Refuge last winter. Other wildlife images by Hoffacker are on display in the auditorium as well.
If you are shopping for romantic outdoor adventures on Valentine's Day, click here for Tarpon Bay Explorers' suggestions.
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Welcome Biology Interns
Two new biology interns joined the team effort at the Refuge in January. Patrick Fuller and Lindsay Partymiller plan to stay at least through June 2016 as part of the Refuge's intern program supported by the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society. Partymiller, originally from York, Pennsylvania, most recently lived in Bend, Oregon, where she worked for Bird Research Northwest, a project
READ MORE
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Friday, February 5:
Sex, Drugs, & Sea Slime Lecture
In
Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans' Oddest Creatures and Why They Matter
, marine scientist Ellen Prager takes readers deep into the sea to introduce an astonishing cast of fascinating and bizarre creatures that make the salty depths their home. As part of the free "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture Series, the author will present two programs
beginning
at
10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 in the Visitor & Education Center.
Hidden beneath the sea's waves, a staggering abundance and variety of active creatures engage in the never-ending struggles
READ MORE
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Tuesday, February 9: 
Film Sneak Peak
Another chapter in the Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling story will unfold on
Tuesday, February 9 at the free sneak preview of the film "
Darling Is Back" at
1 p.m. in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center. The "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society is co-hosting
READ MORE
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 "Ding" Does National Training
Three representatives from "Ding" Darling braved the "blizzard of the millennium" last weekend to network with more than 150 other Friends groups and Refuge staff from around the country. Below, Refuge Manager Paul Tritaik, DDWS Publicity and Media Specialist Chelle
Walton, and Associate Director
Sarah Lathrop deliver a workshop on our efforts to engage underserved families in the greater community during the Moving Friends Forward conference at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in
West Virginia
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Porcelain Garden Lithophane Night Lights: Artwork that comes to life when you plug them in. Made in the U.S.A., the handcrafted night lights are created using techniques from the 1800s called lithophanes. Light shines through the varied thicknesses of porcelain and causes beautiful images to appear.
The technique involves wax carvings, plaster molds, and fine porcelain casts fired at 2300 degrees for 12 hours to achieve translucency. Timelessly classic, this light will never go out of style and will cast a warm, soothing glow in your home to create fond memories of your visit to "Ding" Darling and Sanibel Island.
The night lights come in styles including cardinals, sea turtles, sand dollars, sunsets, and dragonflies for $34.99 each.
Email or call 239-472-1100 ext. 241 to order your artful lights today. Remember, proceeds from all Nature Store purchases directly benefit Refuge wildlife and research and education projects.
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Compete for a pair of quality binoculars and other prizes
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Discover Ding Contest
Our friends at Discover Nature Apps are running a contest through April 2016. Every visitor who downloads the app, takes a tour of the Wildlife Drive, and earns a Roseate Spoonbill Badge wins a cool "Give your phone the bird" shirt. 25+ likes for a wildlife sighting, photo, or score wins a Discover Nature hat. And the photo, sighting, or score with the most likes will win a top-quality pair of binoculars. Look for more details available on the Discover Nature Apps Facebook page. So, download the app - available for both iPhone and Android devices - and come on over. Click here
to download today.
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Looks like everyone at the Refuge is ready for an afternoon nap! We've been told that yawns are contagious -- what do you think?
Now be honest with us,
did these pictures make you yawn?
Thanks to Jim Bennight, Paul McKenney, and Sylvia Guarino for the photos
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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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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