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This year's
Sanibel Blues & Jazz Festival takes place on
Sunday, November 3
, from 12 noon to 7 p.m. The Sanibel Captiva Optimist Club, which hosts the fourth annual festival, donates a portion of the proceeds to support the Refuge.
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Store Volunteers Needed
The Refuge Nature Store is looking for volunteer assistance in staffing the cash register and for other retail tasks. It's a great way to meet people from all over the world while supporting the conservation and education efforts at the Refuge. Store personnel are looking for workers any day of the week, but particularly on weekends. For details, contact Store Manager
Ann-
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241.
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TOMORROW
November 1
Season Events Tickets Go on Sale
Buy them for holiday gifting. Buy them for yourself.
 TOMORROW, tickets go on sale for four big events this coming season. Click on the links below,
starting at
6
a.m., to visit the website and purchase tickets for:
- February 12, Go Wild for "Ding" - Loving Spoonbills fundraiser at 5:30 p.m., The Community House. Tickets $150, include silent and live auctions, dinner, and entertainment.
- March 10, "Twist Tie Optional" Luncheon for Project Refuge: A Couture Fashion Show Using Trash at 11 a.m., Sanctuary Clubhouse. Tickets $100, include lunch and fashion show.
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Reserve early for the special author events with Michael Grunwald on March 20.
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- March 20, Michael Grunwald The Swamp lecture at 7 p.m., The Community House. Tickets $30, include book-signing.
- March 20, Michael Grunwald The Swamp cocktail and nosh reception at 5:30 p.m., The Community House. Tickets $125, include author meet-and-greet, VIP lecture seating, and book-signing.
Click
HERE for an entire calendar of season's events.
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WoW Challenge Grant
Make a gift for the holidays in honor of someone and double your impact
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An artist rendering of WoW's look by May Jernigan.
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DDWS has received an anonymous challenge grant to help raise support to bring the Refuge's Wildlife on Wheels (WoW) project to fabrication. The grant will match donations made by December 31, 2019, dollar for dollar up to $50,000. "For children of all ages, as well as adults, this 'traveling refuge' will drive to distant schools, libraries, after-school programs
READ MORE
WE NEED A TRUCK! We are also looking to see if anyone has connections to truck dealerships that can donate (or give us a major discount) for a new or used
1-Ton (3500) Dually with an Air-Bag Suspension and a Gooseneck Hitch.
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WoW will wow students and others with hands-on exhibits.
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tax write-off purposes in 2020. Please consider making your year-end donation in support of our WoW
project and
double your impact
! Click here and note "WoW" project or contact Birgie Miller at 239-472-1100 ext. 4.
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Selling Quickly! Look at these Holiday Cards & Ornaments
Our 2019 holiday cards feature exclusive holiday illustrations donated by DDWS
Artist "in Residence" Ed Anderson
. Each pack of 12 includes three apiece of four designs. The message inside reads: "The best part of the season is remembering those who make the holiday meaningful."
Pair them with our freshly arrived "made in the USA" Beacon ornaments, custom-tagged with J.N. "Ding" Darling for the utmost "Ding" cheer.
Shop to support the Refuge at one of our upcoming events. During regular store hours on Sunday, December 1, The Refuge Nature Store is participating in
Museum Store Sunday
, a special shopping experience encompassing one-of-a-kind stores across the nation and showcasing their varied and uniquely curated mission-specific gifts. Tuesday, December 3, our annual
Holiday Shopping Night
runs after hours from 5 to 7 p.m. (see more below).
Shop then or stop in today for your holiday cards and gifts. Or contact Nature Store Manager
Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for information on mail-ordering store products.
Remember, members of "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society receive a 10% discount at the Nature Store. Profits from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs and wildlife research.
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Photo courtesy of Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
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'Ding' LE Officers Help with Turtle Trafficking Arrests
Law enforcement officers at "Ding" Darling participated in surveillance that helped result on October 18 in the arrest of two wild-turtle traffickers by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). State officials released nearly 300 of the poached box and mud turtles and diamondback terrapins on Sanibel Island. Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) has taken on a long-term monitoring program for the tagged turtles.
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"Ding" LE officer David Moore
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"Illegal wildlife trade continues to escalate into an international crisis and Sanibel Island isn't immune from these brazen acts that can
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'Ding' LE Officer John Thompson
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destabilize our ecological communities," said Kevin Godsea, Acting Refuge
Manager. "Wildlife trafficking is both a critical conservation concern here at home and a threat to global security with significant impacts on the national interests of the U.S."
Kevin urges that if anyone notices suspicious activity at the Refuge or anywhere on the island, including persons wearing backpacks and collecting things in the wilds, to report the activity immediately by calling the Sanibel Police non-emergency number: 239-472-3111. Or contact FWC at 888-404- 3922, *FWC or
#FWC by cell phone, or by sending a text to
Tip@MyFWC.com
. Click HERE
to read more about FWC's Wildlife Alert Reward Program.
Do not attempt to approach such individuals as they could be
extremely dangerous.
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November 4: ShopDingDarling.com Launches
Fans of the "Ding" Darling Nature Store will no longer have to wait until they visit the Refuge to purchase some of the unique
souvenirs and gifts the store has become known for.
On November 4 at 9 a.m.,
ShopDingDarling.com goes live for purchasing from anywhere in the U.S. DDWS operates the Nature Store to support the Refuge through the sale of logo apparel and memorabilia, kids toys, eco-friendly kitchen accessories, art, birding guides and other
nature books, fair-trade decorative pieces, and a wide variety of gifts related to nature and conservation. In phase I of the store's e-commerce site rollout, it will carry a limited number of items available for online order. Gradually, staff will add more items, but in the meantime, in-store items not included on the site still are available by phone order at
READ MORE
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Now, as the year winds down, is the time to start planning for charitable deductions on your 2019 income taxes. New tax laws make it even more lucrative for persons ages 70-1/2 and older to make
contributions
.
Your contributions to the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society support our new water quality studies, wildlife conservation, and the opportunity to educate future generations on the importance of preserving planet Earth.
Learn more about making a year-end gift to support the Refuge through DDWS.
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Advocacy: What has the Blue-Green Algae Task Force Delivered?
by Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
In January, Governor DeSantis issued
executive order 19-12
. Part of that executive order called for the establishment of a Blue-Green Algae Task Force to focus on expediting progress towards reducing the adverse impacts of blue-green algae blooms now and over the next five years. Given the devastating impact that the blue-green algae had on the Refuge last year, the work of this task force is critically important to us.
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The Blue-Green Algae Task Force in meeting
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After holding a series of six meetings across the state of Florida, the task force recently released a report with
READ MORE
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Clyde Butcher at work, image by Woody Walters
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The public is invited to the free kick-off celebration of the Refuge 75th Anniversary Clyde Butcher Photographic Exhibition on
Wednesday, November 13, starting at 9 a.m. in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center. Guests will be the first to view Butcher's American Everglades Collection. The opening will include refreshments and, starting at 10 a.m., an opportunity to meet the world-famous photographer, who will be available for a limited number of book signings outside the
READ MORE
Special Thanks
Thanks to Mark & Gretchen Banks for sponsoring the exhibition, and to Wayne & Linda Boyd for sponsoring the opening celebration.
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Are You Following?
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#SpoonbillSaturday
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| 5 Question Friday |
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With such fun and photo-fantastic features as 5
Question Friday stories and #SpoonbillSaturday, the
DDWS Instagram
page
keeps our more than
11,300 followers visually engaged. If you're not following us, you should be!
And when you post pictures of the Refuge on your Instagram page, please tag us at
@dingdarlingwildlifesociety so we can like them.
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December 3: Holiday Shopping Night
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| The store gets all merrily decked out for Holiday Shopping Night. |
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Free refreshments, extended hours, and complimentary gift wrapping: Mark your calendar for Tuesday, December 3, the date of the Refuge Nature Store's sixth annual Holiday Shopping Night in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center. Staff
will keep the store open two extra hours after the center closes, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The date also marks the nationally promoted Giving Tuesday, and the store will set up a Giving Tree that allows donors to easily contribute to education, land acquisition, and research READ MORE
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DAR Donation to support WoW
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DDWS' Sierra Hoisington accepts a $250 check from DAR's Anita Pinder and Patti Elkin with Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland.
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Last week, the Estero Island Chapter, National Society Daughters (DAR) of the American Revolution presented a $250 check to the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society for the Refuge's Wildlife on Wheels (WoW) campaign.
"Our threefold DAR mission of historic preservation, education, and patriotism are enhanced by groups like the "Ding" Darling Society in preserving wildlife, the environment and educating the public, especially students, with the WoW bus," said member Anita Pinder.
All gifts to support WoW, made before the end of the year, will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a donor grant. To make a gift to support WoW and double your impact, click HERE
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2nd Annual Merit Badge University a Success 
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Scouts worked on their Flyfishing and Kayaking badges, among four others.
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More than 70 scouts visited "Ding" Darling Saturday for the second annual
Merit Badge University. Some highlights of the day, according
 to Ranger Monica Scroggin, who heads the project: "three fly fishing ties were learned, five fish were caught, 16 miles were cycled, 28 different bird species were identified, and hundreds of photos were taken!" DDWS supports Badge U with assistance from Tarpon Bay Explorers, which donates the use of bikes and kayaks, and sponsor LCEC.  |
 Tarpon Bay Explorers 75th Specials Begin
As the Refuge approaches its
75th anniversary in December 2020,
Tarpon Bay Explorers, the Refuge's official recreation concession, begins offering free and discounted activities on Sanibel Island.
Starting on November 9, it discounts all boat and kayak tours -- which include a Nature & Sealife Tour, Evening Boat Tour, and guided kayak tours throughout the day -- by 25 percent on select Saturdays through 2020. All boat tours include a touch tank presentation and narrated cruise into Tarpon Bay. Kayak tours include instruction and explore the bay and Commodore Creek Trail. Call ahead
READ MORE
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February 12, 2020: Go Wild for 'Ding' - Lovin' Spoonbills
This season, in honor of the Refuge's
75th anniversary,
Go Wild for "Ding" celebrates our iconic Roseate Spoonbill. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 12. The eighth annual fundraiser will take place in The Community House on Sanibel Island. Tickets go on sale November 1. For sponsorship information, contact
Dot Voorhees at 239-472-1100 ext. 4.
"Roseate spoonbills are "Ding" Darling's most iconic bird, so we saw it fitting to make them the official totem for the refuge's 75th anniversary celebration, which runs
READ MORE
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'America's Best-Kept Secret'
In each issue of "Ding" on the Wing, we showcase one of the more than 560 refuges across the U.S.A.
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Gopher Tortoise
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Location: 392 acres at the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida
Totemic Fauna: Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Gopher Tortoise, Brown Pelican
Fun for the Family: Beaching, shelling, fishing, and snorkeling among fort ruins
Visitor's Tips: Access to the refuge is by boat only. Commercial guide boats provide daily tours of the refuge from Fort de Soto Park. There are no restrooms or potable water sources. Parts of the beach designated as year-round
bird sanctuaries are off-limits to the public.
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In each issue of "Ding" of the Wing, we share a quick tip on how you can turn your lifestyle greener. For more information on being environmentally aware, visit our
Go Green web page.
Six Ways to Make Your Travel More Sustainable
- Choose air travel as a last resort, and fly economy when you do. Did you know that traveling first class can double the carbon footprint of your flight?
- Visit to less-traveled destinations or schedule travel to popular spots in the off-season to better sustain local economies.
- CO2-neutral accommodations such as Olakira Camp in the Serengeti and Kong Arthur Hotel in Copenhagen benefit the planet.
- Instead of the most crowded national parks, consider better-for-the-animals national wildlife refuges.
- Pack reusable shopping bags, dishware, and straws.
- Stay, eat, and shop at local and independent vendors.
Click HERE for more suggestions from Lonely Planet guides.
Doing Our Part to Reduce Plastic
"Ding" Darling is committed to and has led the way on the islands in reducing the single-use plastic products that plague our planet and threaten wildlife. Thanks to DDWS' efforts, we have eliminated plastic shopping bags and one-time-use plastic water bottles in the Refuge Nature Store and at Tarpon Bay Explorers' gift shop. In recent years, the Refuge has also installed a filtered water refill station and DDWS has transitioned to compostable plates, cups, and flatware for event use. We have a no-straws policy. We encourage others to do the same!
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
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| Photo by: Nate Arnold |
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A juvenile Green Heron looks startled to be this week's wildlife sighting. This specific heron species usually hunts from shore, rather than by wading like other herons. You can identify the juveniles by their buffy spots and feather edging on the wings.
T
o see more wildlife photos click on our social media links:
If you have taken any beautiful, interesting, or just plain goofy photos at the Refuge, send them to Development Officer
Sierra Hoisington
, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Museum Shopping Sunday
- December 1, 2019
75th Anniversary Film Series
- January 8-April 1, 2020
Endangered Species Day at the Refuge
- May 15, 2020
Official 75th
Anniversary Celebration
- December 1, 2020
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These are just snapshots of some of the things taking place at your Wildlife Refuge. Please check our
website to learn more!
Sincerely,
"Ding" On The Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton. Designed by April Arthur & April Boehnen.
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