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Artwork by Artist in Residence Ed Anderson.
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'Ding' Interns
Each year, DDWS helps support about a dozen interns in the fields of education, biology, visitor services and nonprofit philanthropy. Recently, we bid farewell and best wishes to two interns.
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Mind Your Line
Rapid Response Team
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| RRT Volunteer Nancy Riley at task |
The
Mind Your Line
monofilament-busting
effort has qualified eight volunteers to serve on its Rapid Response Team (RRT). When Mind Your Line, a team begun by Refuge volunteers, receives reports on sighted fishing line or other gear tangled in mangroves, it can call upon RRT volunteers to remove monofilament immediately, using their own equipment. The effort supplements the work of the Friday team that regularly cleans up local waterways on both Sanibel and Captiva islands.
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 Holiday Hours
Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year's celebration and good health and prosperity in 2020. We want you to know how grateful we are for your being a part of our extended family and for all that you helped us accomplish in 2019. See our
annual report for a full picture of what your philanthropic dollars have set into motion in the name of wildlife conservation and education.
In honor of New Year's Day, the Refuge and DDWS offices will be closed all day January 1, along with the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center. Offices and the Center may close early on New Year's Eve, December 31.
Wildlife Drive and Tarpon Bay Explorers will remain open both days during normal hours.
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January 2: National Bird Day at the Refuge
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Watch a free showing of Dancing with the Birds on National Bird Day at the Refuge.
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Take a free guided birding bike ride, watch a free film, and take advantage of free bird crafts and Refuge Nature Store specials at the Refuge on Thursday, January 2, in honor of National Bird Day. Visit our website for a
FLYER listing a schedule of the day's activities.
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ShopDingDarling.com Short Sale
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Get cozy this winter with this full zip fleece jacket with embroidered Refuge logo, available to order online from anywhere in the U.S. |
Visit our new e-commerce site on Friday and Saturday, December 27 and 28, to receive 10% off on all purchases of $5 or more. 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.
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January 15: High School Photo Contest Deadline
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"Leaves at the Beach" by Nathaniel Pechinino, from Island Coast High in Cape Coral, took second place in the 2019 contest. |
The seventh annual "
Ding" Darling-Theodore Cross High School Photography Contest deadline is January 15, 2020. It invites high school students in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades, and Hendry counties to compete for prizes that include a Canon
READ MORE
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Through February 5:
Clyde Butcher Photographic Exhibition
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Drop in anytime between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to view the free exhibition. |
During the ongoing Refuge 75th Anniversary
Clyde Butcher Photographic Exhibition through February 5, 2020, in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center, guests can view Butcher's American Everglades Collection for free daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 Thanks to Mark & Gretchen Banks for sponsoring the exhibition.
Learn how to purchase Butcher prints to benefit the Refuge HERE
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EVCO Tickets Still on Sale
They are selling quickly, so don't miss your opportunity to secure tickets for the 35th annual
Everglades Coalition Conference (EVCO). DDWS is host sponsor for the conference, titled America's Everglades: All Hands on Deck, which takes place
January 9-11, 2020, at the South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island. The conference brings together community leaders, decision makers, agency representatives, political figures, and the general public to discuss and debate critical and timely issues related to Everglades restoration. It is the largest annual forum to advance Everglades conservation and restoration.
In addition to being the host sponsor, DDWS will be moderating a breakout session at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 11, titled
"National Wildlife Refuges: 800,000 Acres in Support of Everglades Restoration."
The session will focus on the importance of the Refuge System and conservation of its lands to Everglades restoration and all Floridians.
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New from Mary Frances
Ready for take-off? Bring your love for conservation along on the road! This glamorous travel-themed (below, right) handbag pairs perfectly with a trip to visit one of the more than 560 other wildlife refuges across the nation. Featuring a dark silver top-handle and removable 24" chain strap, it is convertible to a crossbody or shoulder bag.
Bee a pollinator's best friend with the captivating wildflower clutch. Akin to Florida's Spanish Needles wildflower, a favorite among native pollinators, the vibrant 3D flower on the front of this bag really pops. Wear it as a clutch, complete with a back slit pocket perfect for tucking in easily accessible essentials, or a crossbody with the 23" removable chain strap.
Pick up your favorite Mary Frances bags today or contact Nature Store Manager
Ann-Marie Wildman
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for information about 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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Time is running out to make charitable deductions to impact your 2019 income taxes. New tax laws make it even more lucrative for adults ages 70-1/2 and older to make
contributions
.
Your contributions to the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society support water quality studies, wildlife conservation, and the opportunity to educate future generations on the importance of preserving the planet.
Learn more
about making a year-end gift to support the Refuge through DDWS.
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ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Why Do Some Water-Related Projects Take So Long?
by Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
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Jim and Sarah at a recently completed small pump station in the Everglades |
Not long after the 2018 outbreaks of blue-green algae and
red tide subsided, a newly elected Governor DeSantis issued
an executive order
that promised rapid improvement in the quality and quantity of Florida's water. Soon thereafter, Governor DeSantis began overhauling the board of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) with the goal of making the board more responsive to south Florida's water-related challenges. Given the urgency of eliminating future algae outbreaks combined with all the public statements that help is on the way, many members of the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society have questioned why the projects to address our water-related issues are taking so long to implement. This report will provide insight into that question READ MORE
In case you missed it
: A
recent article
in
Field & Stream
documents some of the progress that has been made in the battle to improve water quality in Florida.
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 2020 Film Series
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On February 5, the free showing of Water & Power exposes the story of corporate greed in California. |
The eighth annual "Ding" Darling Wednesday Film Series kicks off its biweekly showings this winter with a schedule of seven films that explore natural facets from bluebirds and bees to man's interference with water supplies and the Florida Everglades. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society hosts the free film showings in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center with sponsorship from
Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts. Seating is limited and
READ MORE
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Watch the trailer
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Special thanks to our Film series sponsor
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75th Anniversary Sponsorship Opportunities
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Jim & Patty Sprankle are "Call of the Wild" level sponsors for this season's Go Wild. |
As excitement builds for the "Ding" Darling
75th Anniversary Celebration
, so too does the demand for support for a
calendar-full
of special events. We count on sponsorships to support the Refuge by bringing event attendees here to educate and enrich them with a love of nature.
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Jim & Dulce Doss are among the sponsors who have stepped up so far to support
Project Refuge.
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Learn about the different upcoming
sponsorship opportunities
to find one that fits your interests and passion. All sponsorship donations are tax-deductible, and now's the time to make donations eligible for your 2019 taxes. For more information, contact
Dot Voorhees
at 239-472-1100 ext. 239.
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WoW Challenge Met! Still Need Truck
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An artist's rendering of WoW's look by former intern, May Jernigan.
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We are thrilled to announce that, thanks to the extreme generosity of our membership, we were able to meet the anonymous $50,000 dollar-for-dollar challenge grant for our Wildlife on Wheels (WoW) outreach mobile unit by the end-of-year deadline. A big "Ding" thanks to all of our conservation education-minded donors.
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WoW will wow students and adults alike with its hands-on exhibits. |
To bring the project to completion by our March 2020 goal - in time to be part of our 75th Anniversary Celebration- we need to raise an additional $45,000 to $85,000 to purchase a heavy-duty truck. We are seeking a truck donation or monetary donations and pledges of any size. Please contact Sierra Hoisington at 239-472-1100 ext. 4 for more information or visit our donation page.
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WoW is in need of a new or used heavy duty pick up truck large enough to pull a 36 foot trailer.
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David Pham as a YCC worker in 2018 |
We occasionally hear from former interns and staff who have gone on to do great things in the world of conservation since leaving "Ding." David Pham, who worked as a Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) summer high schooler, told us his story when he returned to volunteer for "Ding" Darling Day in October. He related how the YCC experience impacted his future:
"Working at 'Ding' Darling was a new experience for me because I have never worked with the environment before. I started realizing how much we interact with the environment each day. I found this experience to be enriching because it taught me how much I should value the things that we live around. I now want to go to the University of Florida to major in environmental engineering; the Refuge forged my decision, because I want to give back to the environment."
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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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Prairie Dogs
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Location: 10,778; Kirwin, Kansas
Totemic Fauna:
Prairie Dog, Whooping Crane, Greater Prairie Chicken
Visitor's Tips:
The wildflower trail is at its most spectacular in June. A quarter-mile trail through Prairie Dog Town allows visitors to observe these animals.
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| Prairie Chicken |
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Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
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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.
Recycling Holiday Lights
Don't toss your lights in the trash just because a few bulbs are burnt out. Replace the bulbs, instead. For light strings beyond repair, find out
how to recycle Christmas lights
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
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| Great Crested Flycatcher by Rebecca Clemens |
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The Great Crested Flycatcher is a fairly common bird at the Refuge, spending much of its day high in the canopy of trees. Did you know that they are the only Eastern flycatchers that nest in cavities, sometimes interweaving snakeskin?
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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Event Tickets on Sale
Tickets are currently on sale and beginning to fill up or four big events this coming season.
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Click above to purchase tickets
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February 12, Go Wild for "Ding" - Lovin' Spoonbills
fundraiser at 5:30 p.m., The Community House. Tickets $150, include silent and live auctions, dinner, and entertainment. Tickets are selling quickly for this one, so purchase yours today.
Thank you to our sponsors to date:
Call of the Wild: Jim & Patty Sprankle. Champion: Barbara & Todd Bluedorn; Boomer Duvin & Family Guardian: Jim & Dulce Doss; Bill & Diane Valerian Protector: Hank & Linda Spire; Doug & Sherry Gentry; Mike & Terry Baldwin; Tiffany Kaliko & John Silvia; Ron E. & Josephine Smith; Sarah Ashton Broker Assoc.- ReMax of the Islands; John & Kay Morse. Defender: Mitchell's Sandcastles; Sanibel Moorings; Gresham Family, William & Barbara Millar; Bob & Kathy Wiesemann; RS Walsh Landscaping; Stewart & Sons Insurance. |
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Click above to purchase tickets
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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.
Thank you to our sponsors to date:
Guardian: Lee County Solid Waste; Jim & Dulce Doss; Jim & Patty Sprankle Protector: Pfeifer Realty Group; Bob & Kathy Wiesemann. Defender: Boomer Duvin & Family, Mitchell's Sandcastles; Doug & Sherry Gentry; Sanibel Moorings. |
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Click above to purchase tickets
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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.
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National Wildlife Day Celebration - February 24, 2020
Global Recycling Day - March 18, 2020
Spring Migratory Sale at Nature Store - April 15, 2020
Earth Day at the Refuge - April 22, 2020
Endangered Species Day at the Refuge
- May 15, 2020
World Environment Day/National Bird Day Celebration - June 5
75th Anniversary "Ding": The Man, The Art, The Stories Exhibition Opening - October 20, 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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