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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
November 23, 2017
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December 6
Please plan to attend the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Annual Meeting on W
ednesday, December 6, at 1 p.m.
in the Visitor & Nature Center Auditorium.
Click
here
for the agenda.
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Click above to learn more about year-end giving to support "Ding" Darling
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Happy Thanksgiving!
We give thanks for all of the wonderful donors, visitors, volunteers, and staff that make the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge the best national wildlife refuge in the system. Here's wishing you and yours a day blessed with family and friends.
The "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center is closed today only. Wildlife Drive, however, remains open, and Tarpon Bay Explorers is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the last rentals at noon.
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New Classroom Look
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The "Ding" education team: Resident volunteer Ginny Kopperl, intern John Murray, Conservation Educator Sara Hallas, intern Olivia Rose, and resident volunteer Ken Kopperl.
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Congratulations to the "Ding" Darling conservation education team for a great job cleaning up and inventorying the Visitor & Education Center Classroom. Thousands of school children and free program attendees pass each year through this space dedicated to learning about the environment. Now they will feel even more welcomed and comfortable.
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November 28: Giving Tuesday
Following Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday shopping season with Black Friday and Cyber Monday,
Giving Tuesday kicks off the philanthropic season with a day to give back. Mark your calendars now to join others on Tuesday.
Click
here
to donate early. Thank you for your support in helping to enhance the conservation work at the Refuge.
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This year, the Refuge adds a new Horseshoe Crabs program to its calendar of free tours and activities.
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The 2018 winter season calendar of free programs and tours begins on Tuesday, January 2, and runs through April 8. Daily programs begin at 8:30 a.m. and include such diverse topics as Nature Photography, Beach Walk, Birds of Prey in Southwest Florida, and Indigo Trail Walk.
"We have something for visitors of all ages," said Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland. "The free Refuge programs and tours last anywhere from a half hour to two hours."
For a full calendar of programs and tours and descriptions, click
HERE
. Free educational programs are made possible through support from the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society and generous donors like you.
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2018 Film Series
The sixth annual "Ding" Darling Wednesday Film Series kicks off its bi-weekly showings this winter with a schedule of seven films that explores natural facets from pollinators and coral to wild Florida and the war on coal. The series runs January 10 through April 4. First up,
Wings of Life
, narrated by Meryl Streep and produced by Disneynature, celebrates the importance of pollinators. One of the season's highlights READ MORE
Thanks to our 2018 Film Series sponsor:
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Teacher Grants Deadline
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Students at Royal Palm Exceptional School in Fort Myers visited the Butterfly Estates as part of their project "Conservation 911," funded by a DDWS grant last school year.
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November 30
marks the deadline for our 12th annual teacher grant applications. Up to $10,000 in grant awards are available to teachers in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Hendry counties this school year for conservation education-related projects. Teachers in the five-county area may apply for grants up to $1,000 READ MORE
Did You Know?
In the past 11 years, DDWS has granted more than $73,000 to local schools for environmental projects. The teacher grants are funded by the DDWS Conservation Education Endowment Fund established by Jay "Ding" Darling's grandson, the late Kip Koss. To make a tax-deductible donation in support of the fund, contact DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller at 239-472-1100 ext. 4 or by clicking
here.
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AT THE REFUGE NATURE STORE
Holiday Quilts
Let these handmade holiday quilts put the warmth in your holiday season this year. You'll want one for your home and
another to give someone special. The quality craftsmanship is stunning and the price only $100 each.
Spoonbill SPF 40 Shirts
Just in, these men's long-sleeved SPF 40 shirts display a watercolor-like image of a roseate spoonbill wading in a mangrove estuary. The crew-neck design features the "Ding" signature logo on the back, a smaller spoonbill on the front, and "Sanibel Island, FL" along the right sleeve. Perfect for winter weather, it costs $40. Watch for the same design to come in women's sizes with a V-neck design.
Stop in and pick up your holiday gifts and souvenirs today. Or contact Store Manager
Jeanne Walsh
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about mail-ordering these and other
featured products
.
Remember, proceeds from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs, research and overall conservation efforts.
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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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Sandhill Cranes
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Location
:
South East, New Mexico
Totemic Fauna
: Lesser Sandhill Crane, Northern Shoveler, Coyote
Fun for the Family
:
Wildlife watching, photography, nature trails, and an 8-mile driving loop
Visitor's Tip
:
The refuge is famous for supporting one of the most diverse populations of Dragonflies and Damselflies in North America. Check out its Dragonfly Festival held the second Saturday in September.
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Re
gistration Is
Open
: Go Wild for "Ding" -
In the Nest
Get ready to celebrate Go Wild for "Ding," our annual major fundraiser on Wednesday, February 14, 2018. This year's theme celebrates Valentine's Day with the theme In the Nest.
Click here to register for one or more of only 225 available reservations. This event fills up quickly, so don't wait to register. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Sanibel Community House and features a great dinner, live and silent auctions, and live entertainment. For more information about the event, click HERE.
2018 Sponsors:
CHAMPION
PROTECTOR
Peter & Paula Bentinck-Smith
Mike & Terry Baldwin
DEFENDER
 Sponsors are still needed
. Click
HERE to see sponsor levels. To become a sponsor, please call Carrie Alexander at 239.472.1100 ext. 4
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Do You Plan to Include 'Ding' Darling in Your Estate Plan?
Read about our
45/82 Society, and please
email us or call 239-472-1100 ext. 4 about becoming a member of this special group of people.
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Kicking 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.
In each issue of "Ding" of the Wing, we will share a quick tip on how you can reduce the use of plastic in your life. For more information on being
environmentally aware, visit our
Go Green web page.
Balloons.
Fly-away balloons not only create litter, they pose threats to wildlife. Birds and turtles ingest the deflated balloons, believing them to be food. The strings attached to the balloons get hung up in trees and high wires and have been known to cause bird strangulation. Avoid using helium-filled balloons as a celebratory ritual. Click
HERE
to explore alternatives.
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Take Action
A recent application by a North Captiva Island property owner was made to the Lee County's Land Development Code to allow placement of a septic land on the water side of the local Coastal Construction Control line.
By taking this approach, the owner sidestepped the normal approach for this type of request which would involve gaining a variance to current legislation, would require notification of adjacent property owners, and provide an opportunity for their comments.
The proposed change is inconsistent with the County's Comprehensive Plan and, if approved, would permit other property owners the same right. Any move that heightens the potential for contamination of our local waters threatens our local environment, the Refuge, our wildlife and our economy. The issue is to be reviewed early
Monday, November 27, by the Local Planning Agency. Please take action and contact the agency requesting their opposition to the above change
HERE.
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Click
here to see this week's wildlife sightings
It is back! The
White-crowned Pigeon
was seen on Ding's Shell Mound Trail Wednesday morning (11/15). The Pigeon's range usually extends North to about the Everglades, but for the past several years one or two have occasionally ventured as far North as the Refuge. If you try to find it....it always reminds me is a big gray football when it is high in the trees. It is usually quiet and does not move around very much, so it is often a tough search. Thanks to Eary Warren for the photo.
The
White Pelicans
love to hang out on the sandbar by the Observation Tower - head out there on Wildlife Drive and spot them for yourself! With a wingspan of about nine feet, you can't miss them soaring above you in the skies!
Thanks to Sylvia Guarino for the photo
T
o 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 Philanthropic Coordinator,
Carrie Alexander
, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Volunteer Holiday Party
- December 15, 2017
Free Winter Programs
- January 18-April 8, 2018
Volunteer Awards Luncheon
- February 9, 2018
Puffin Researcher Stephen W. Kress Dinner - February 22, 2018 (Registration opening soon)
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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 Sierra Hoisington and Amanda Brooks
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