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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
September 6, 2018
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Refuge funding continues to decline; private philanthropic support helps fill in the gaps. Thank you for your support.
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Click the logo to learn more about our 45/82 Society and leaving "Ding" Darling in your estate.
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#LearningLav Virtual Tour
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Bailey Tract Reopens
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The Refuge restrooms are in the top 10 list of contestants in the 2018 America's Best Restroom Contest. Voting for the contest began Monday, August 6, on the contest's
website.
The public is invited to vote all day every day through September 18 and we need your vote! There is no limit to the number of times you can vote each day, so vote often
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Detail of restroom interior with educational messaging
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and share on social media and with friends. Judging criteria READ MORE
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Students in an engineering class at Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples vote for "Ding" Darling's Learning Lavatories.
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Click
HERE
to see a quick video tour of #LearningLav.
Click
HERE
to view our Facebook photo album and share images.
Please encourage all of your friends to
VOTE
.
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by Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee co-chairs
The recent environmental attack on the Refuge has two primary components: blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) and red tide (
Karenia brevis)
. Blue-green algae  requires warm fresh water, sunlight, and a high concentration of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. The record rain we had in May caused a heavy load of nutrients to flow into Lake Okeechobee, which added to the substantial load of nutrients already in the lake to create a toxic cocktail of blue-green algae.
Saltwater in the gulf typically serves to limit algae blooms in the Caloosahatchee estuary.
However, in early June the Army Corps of Engineers began large-scale discharges of freshwater out of Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers. The result was algae blooms making their way to the Refuge.
For more on blue green algae and some of the steps being taken to combat these outbreaks,
read more
.
Red tide forms 10 to 40 miles offshore and is carried in by bottom currents. It is a naturally occurring phenomena, and while there is no unequivocal scientific proof that nutrient pollution either causes this form of red tide nor increases its frequency, data indicates that nutrient pollution can enhance the severity of outbreaks.
In 2006 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched a six-year
research project
on this topic. Researchers
concluded the sources
of nutrients that feed red tides are "multiple, diverse and complex," and included runoffs from estuaries like the one fed by the Caloosahatchee. For more on red tide
click here
.
The DDWS continues to work with a broad range of organizations to better understand the environmental threats to the Refuge and what can be done to mitigate them. We will update you as more is known and, where appropriate, will request your active engagement in defending the Refuge.
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In response to the terrible toll red tide is taking on local fish populations this summer, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has enacted rules mandating catch-and-release of snook and redfish.
The order began on August 30 and will expire at 11:59 p.m. on October 12, unless rescinded or extended by subsequent order. It affects waters from the northernmost point of Anna Maria Island in Manatee County to Gordon Pass in Collier County. Click HERE to read more.
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At 8:30 a.m., join a guided tour and clean-up along Indigo Trail and Wildlife Education Boardwalk.
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National Public Lands Day
The Refuge will celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 22, with free admission to Wildlife Drive, discounts at Tarpon Bay Explorers, and special activities. Wildlife Drive opens at 7 a.m. for free touring and closes at 7 p.m. Narrated tram tours will run at regular cost and schedule - 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 3 p.m. The always admission-free "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center opens
READ MORE
Click
HERE
for the National Public Lands Day flyer.
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Postponed during the restoration project, two new Purple Martin birdhouses have at last been "planted" in Bailey Tract to replace others that have fallen apart. The two houses appeared on the
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Photo credit: Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Refuge's holiday wish list at the end of 2017, and several donors stepped up to make them happen. Many thanks to the generous contributors!
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ARCI Executive Director Dr. Kenneth Meyer plants a decoy to attract Mangrove Cuckoos at the Refuge.
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Cuckoo Tagging Success!
Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) attached a tracking device to its second post-breeding Mangrove Cuckoo on Friday, August 31. Reports ARCI Executive Director Dr. Kenneth Meyer: "We are grateful to the Refuge and Society staffs for all the wonderful and enthusiastic interest, support, and help in the field. We are excited about this opportunity to track 2 cuckoos presumed to have nested the Refuge during the nesting season, before they migrate to the wintering destinations we hope to identify within the next 1-2 months. This will be a very important addition to the data we have accumulated from the 4 cuckoos we tracked by satellite over the last 2 years."
The DDWS provides the bulk of the funding for this research on the Refuge, and donations for this and other wildlife research is always needed. Email Executive Director Birgie Miller by clicking HERE with interest in supporting wildlife research.
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On November 17, the Refuge and "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society will host their first Merit Badge University for registered Boy Scouts of America. Scouts will have the opportunity to earn up to two out of six badges offered that day. Cost is $20 for up to two classes, lunch, goodies, snacks, badge workbooks, and materials. Each class is limited to 15 scouts on a first-signup basis. It is filling up quickly, so register today by calling 239-472-1100 ext. 249. To learn how you can support this university, contact the DDWS by clicking HERE
Click
HERE
to view the program's flyer.
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Every Kid in the Refuge
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Fourth-grade classes that visit the Refuge sign up for students' one-year free passes.
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As part of the federal Every Kid in a Park initiative, "Ding" Darling is participating by issuing free annual passes to any fourth-grade student and homeschool equivalent in the U.S. during the 2018-2019 school year.
The passes are available and valid through August 2019 at any national wildlife refuge, national park or forest, and other federal land. They provide free admission for every fourth grader, accompanying siblings up to age 15, and up to three accompanying adults. "The Every Kid in a Park program is part of an ongoing effort READ MORE
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Shannon MacKenzie
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A letter from summer education intern Shannon MacKenzie:
Dear "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society & Donors:
Thank you for the opportunity for me to work at J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Having this internship has meant the world and beyond to me. When I first arrived here, Sara [Hallas, Conservation Educator] handed me a polo with the words "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge Intern." I immediately texted my mom a selfie of me wearing it and said, "THIS IS SO COOL!"
I have aspired to have a job similar to this since I met my first ranger. When I was younger, my mom would take us to all the national parks/refuges. We would fill out the junior ranger worksheets and receive our badges. To this day I have a bag with a collection of all of them. Even when I was little I looked up to rangers and knew someday I wanted to be one. Although I wasn't in brown (yet), having a shirt in my hand that said USFWS Intern meant so much to me. It was a chance for me to try out the occupation I have had such an infatuation with since I was little.
I have learned so much from working here. It is has taught me how to be a better educator, and has confirmed that I want to pursue a career in conservation education, specifically as a ranger. Leading school groups of 50 kids has taught me patience, and how to keep children entertained while educating them. There was a program that we put on for children where we played various animal sounds, they had to guess what it is, and then we told them a fun fact about the animal. They had so much fun playing and it was exciting to see their faces light up when playing and learning.
One of my greatest accomplishments while working at the Refuge was when I created, coordinated, and implemented the World Oceans Day program. The program increased visitation, while informing visitors on the issues facing the ocean, such as plastic straws. It was cool to have the island eliminate straws and see the public put the pieces together to understand why. This program will now be an annual event for the Refuge.
This internship has shaped me and molded me into the person I am today, and the person I want to be in the future. Last year, when people would ask me what I wanted to do after I graduate, I would tell them I wanted to teach people about the environment and become either a teacher or a ranger, and I genuinely had a hard time deciding. After this internship, the decision is easy: ranger. I love everything a refuge stands for and I could not be prouder to have worked here the past few months.
Thank you for the opportunity,
Shannon MacKenzie
(To learn how you can support interns like Shannon, please call the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society at 239.472.1100 ext. 4 or by clicking HERE to make a gift now.)
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Photo Contest Deadline September 15
Deadline for the annual "Ding" Darling Days Amateur Nature Photography Contest is September 15. All entries must be submitted electronically. The contest, sponsored by the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, is held in conjunction with
"Ding" Darling Days
, October 12-14, 2018. Complete contest
rules
READ MORE
Click HERE to enter and view past winning photographs.
Ben Vanos' Green Heron Raising Its Crest too first place in 2017's "Ding" Darling Days
Amateur Nature Photography Contest.
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Activities in the Kidz Kool Zone will include Animal Yoga and face-painting.
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'Ding' Darling Days: New Kidz Kool Zone
Family Fun Day, -- which culminates this year's 30
th
annual
"Ding" Darling Days
on Sunday, October 14 - will bring a new feature to the weekend-long event. Kidz Kool Zone will run concurrent programs and activities inside the Visitor & Education Center geared for families. While live wildlife presentations, archery, crafts, live music, and other all-free fun happen outside, Refuge staff and  volunteers will offer indoor alternatives for those wanting to get out of the sun.
Kidz Kool Zone activities include story-and-a-craft, face-painting, Animal Yoga by Ambu Yoga and Ranger Toni, puppet shows, and make-and-take paintings and crafts.
The weekend kicks off with Friday's Get Outdoors Day, followed by Saturday's traditional Conservation Art Day. Visit our event website for a
calendar of events
Click
HERE
for a beautiful flyer/poster.
Sincere gratitude goes to our 2018 sponsors, who make it possible to offer this educational event free to the public. With the devastation caused
ROSEATE SPOONBILL SPONSOR
GREAT EGRET SPONSORS
GREAT BLUE HERON SPONSORS
SNOWY EGRET SPONSORS
 
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Learning Made Fun
Now that school is back in session, kids' brains are wired for learning. Keep the science lessons going at  home to create environmentalists and biologists of the future with the Refuge Nature Store's varied selection of learning kits.
Stop in and pick up your kid kits today. Or contact Store Manager
Ann-Marie Wildman
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about mail-ordering these and other
featured products.
Remember, members of "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society receive a 10% discount at the Nature Store. Proceeds from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs and wildlife research.
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In each issue of "Ding" on the Wing, we showcase one of more than 560 refuges in the U.S.A.
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American Alligator, courtesy of
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Location:
34,000 acres; Anahuac, Texas
Totemic fauna:
American Alligator, Mottled Duck, Monarch Butterfly
Fun for the Family
: Fall Fishing Day takes place on October 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the refuge.
Visitor's tip:
The boardwalks and overlooks provide great vantage points, so bring your camera and binoculars.
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| Mottled Duck by Joe Blackburn |
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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
Pack a Waste-Free Lunch
Are you sending your child to school with the best choices in packaging? Each child who brings a brown bag lunch to school every day generates 67 pounds of waste each year (
source
). Do away with throw-away lunch packaging. Buy a cool, reusable lunch box or bag. Avoid products such as Lunchables, packaged with so much plastic and waste, kids have a hard time even getting them open. Make your own packages, instead, with fresh food and reusable sectioned containers.
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.
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Click
here to see this week's wildlife sightings
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| A very stoic Reddish Egret looks upon the Refuge as the birds return to this sanctuary area. Thank to you Janet Kirk for this photo |
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| This Roseate Spoonbill sifts through the waters by the observation tower along Wildlife Drive. |
To see more wildlife photos like this one, click on our social media links:
If you have taken any beautiful, interesting, or just plain goofy photos taken at the Refuge, send them to Development Officer,
Sierra Hoisington, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Volunteer Holiday Luncheon
- December 14, 2018
Free Winter Programs - January 7-May 5, 2019
Volunteer Awards Luncheon
- February 8, 2019
Go Wild for "Ding" Fundraiser - February 13, 2019
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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 Sierra Hoisington.
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that benefit most of the wildlife that inhabits the Tract. Species such as secretive marsh birds and others dependent on cordgrass marsh habitats will benefit as a result.
