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The stock market (S&P 500 index) has increased nearly 19% in the last 6 months. If you have a stock portfolio and a number of stocks with significant gains, you can avoid capital gains taxes by donating appreciated stock directly to charity, like the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society. It's very easy and can be done in less than 5 minutes. Call Executive Director Birgie Miller at 239.292.0566 or via Email and she will answer questions and send the necessary stock transfer information. |
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The DDWS staff has been busy bringing the healing sunshine and beauty of the
Refuge to the public through 30-second social media videos. Follow on Facebook to see our #DailyDoseofDing, brief virtual visits to the Refuge.
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Whether you live on Sanibel Island or in a completely different environment in faraway places like Illinois or California, we want to see what you're seeing in your habitat while you are staying safe at home. Thank you to Len Twaskas for sharing a backyard nature photo of mallard ducks.
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| | Thank you to Len Twaskas from Lehighton, Pennsylvania, for sharing this image of Mallard Ducks from her backyard. |
Please email your nature photos so we can share them in "Ding" on the Wing and by social media. Include details about the photographer and where the photo was taken.
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Now is the time to give back to nature what we have received through these difficult times. As 2020 draws to a close, year-end giving allows us to express gratitude for the role the Refuge has played in our survival these months. Please take a moment to read our Year-End Solicitation Letter and make a tax-deductible donation that serves your health as well as the health of our environment.
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Social Media Kudos
 Congratulations to the DDWS social media team for reaching a new milestone of 15,000 Instagram followers! They're known for their clever captioning of striking wildlife pictures. You're missing out if you haven't joined our Instagram flock.
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 Holiday Closings
The Visitor & Education Center and Refuge offices will be closed December 24, 25, and 31, and January 1. The Center's restrooms will remain open during regular hours as will Wildlife Drive and its trails and Bailey Tract. Tarpon Bay Explorers will also remain open for normal operating hours except for Christmas, December 25, when it closes for the day.
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Last-Minute Holiday Shopping?
Find toys, cold-weather apparel, and nature-inspired stocking stuffers at our two brick-and-mortar stores.
There's double the convenience this year for your last-minute holiday shopping. Have you visited our new Nature Store2 at 2250 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel Island? It has a lot of the same merchandise as the flagship Refuge Nature Store, plus more. It opens Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Hours at the flagship Nature Store in the refuge Visitor & Education Center are Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 12:30 to 4 p.m. Both stores are closed December 25 and January 1. The flagship store also closes on December 24 and 31, according to federal decree for the Visitor & Education Center.
Remember, profits from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs, wildlife research, and overall conservation efforts.
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| A sneak peek inside the completed WoW
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On December 12, the Refuge debuted its long -awaited Wildlife on Wheels (WoW) urban mobile classroom at Big Lots store at 4901 Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. The turnout was favorable with lots of positive reactions from visitors who toured the exhibits in a safe, distanced manner.
Thanks to our hardworking team and all the generous donors who have made this exciting moment happen. Special thanks to donors "Omi and Bubble" who encouraged the DDWS and Refuge team to think outside the box and gave the initial lead gift to get the project off the ground and running.
In January, WoW will make its first school visit for one week at Tice Elementary, an under-represented school in Fort Myers. More public and school-site travels are in planning stages for the urban mobile classroom. Monitor the WoW page for the latest news.
Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland and DDWS Development Officer Sierra Hoisington lead the efforts, working with our Urban Education Leader, Melissa Maher; two bilingual Spanish interns; other educators; volunteers; and drivers.
"This has been the most challenging and rewarding project I have ever worked on," said Sierra. "I'm so thankful to have been given the opportunity to co-lead a project that will do so much good in our community. This was the first community event of many more and we are heading to Lee County schools in January."
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Watch a 48 second tour of WoW
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Thank you to our volunteer CDL drivers, Cliff Young and Ken King.
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|  | | Exploring a Gopher Tortoise burrow | |
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The Ninth Annual "Ding" Darling & Doc Ford's Tarpon Tournament takes place May 14, 2021, having been postponed from the 2020 date due to COVID-19. That means the prize purse is twice the original size, as all 55 teams donated their 2020 fees and will kick in fees again for 2021.
Although the tournament is sold out, teams can add their names to the waiting list by contacting April Boehnen. Fee for a new team of four is $1,000 this year.
In its eight years of existence, the tourney has raised nearly $500,000 to support wildlife research and conservation efforts at the Refuge. Support comes entirely from the sponsors listed below, the Captain's Dinner silent auction and other donations. Learn more about sponsorship and contact April to add your name to this prestigious list:
Title Sponsor
Starting Position Sponsor
Champion Sponsors
Premiere Sponsor
Presenting Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
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Remember, profits from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs, wildlife research, and overall conservation efforts.
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 ADVOCACY IN ACTION
You Can't Always Get What You Want
by Sarah Ashton and Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
In previous articles, we discussed why some environmental projects that directly impact the Refuge, such as the construction of the C-43 reservoir and the restoration of the Caloosahatchee River Watershed, are inherently lengthy. Another inherently lengthy project is the work the Army Corps of Engineers is doing to create the Lake Okeechobee System Operations Manual (LOSOM). LOSOM is important to the Refuge because it sets the strategy for water releases out of Lake Okeechobee.
On November 19, 2020, Florida's Blue Green Algae Task Force held its first meeting since July, and the principal agenda item was for the Army Corps to discuss LOSOM. The Army Corps had come up with a metric that members thought quantified the risk associated with Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). The plan was for the Army Corps to review the metric and get feedback from the task force prior to READ MORE
In Case You Missed It
The Army Corps of Engineers has started reducing the flows out of Lake O. See more.
The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the final version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. See more.
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Going Green: Clean Green
Easy Steps to Sustainability in 2021:
1. Carry reusable shopping bags in your car. Place them in your front seat beside you, so you remember to take them in the store with you.
2. Bring your own coffee mug with you to coffee bars.
4. Carry reusable containers when you eat out to package your leftovers.
5. Dispose of plastic bags responsibly. Most home recycling services cannot recycle them, and they often end up clogging operations. Take them to plastic bag recycling bins frequently found at grocery stores, or place them in with regular trash.
6. Reuse newspaper plastic wrappers as pet cleanup bags.
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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. that is open to the public.
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| | Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Servic |
Location: 16,410 acres; Vetal, South Dakota.
Totemic Fauna:
Sandhill Crane, Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel, Trumpeter Swan.
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Trumpeter Swan
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Visitor's Tip: Hiking is allowed in all areas open to the public, but please stay out of closed areas to minimize disturbance to plants and animals.
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Click HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings.
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Photo by Cathi Bodine
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Photo by Marletta Short, a 2020 "Ding" Darling Photo Contest Honorable Mention Winner
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Manatees have been seen at the Refuge. While dining on a variety of sea grasses and algae, Manatees can actually eat up to a tenth of their body weight in just one day, that's around 130 pounds.
To 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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Volunteer Training - January 14, 2021
Go Wild for Jeopar-Ding - TBA
Clyde Butcher Book Signing - February TBA
Earth Day at the Refuge - April 22, 2021
Artist-in-Residence Exhibition - October-Mid-November 2021
Niki Butcher Photographic Exhibition - Mid-November-December 2021
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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 interns Cait Nalley and Hollis Hatfield
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