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Manatee Kisses
Thanks to
Tarpon Bay Explorers, the Refuge's recreation concession, for this sweet shot of a baby manatee kissing its mother. TBE staff is reporting plentiful Florida Manatee sightings in the bay right now due to reduced boat traffic and robust mating activity. Although tours are not yet available at the concession, you can rent a paddlecraft or pontoon to get out there and look for wildlife. Call 239.472.8900 or visit their
website.
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Support Your Local Food Bank
Check out
Feeding America to find the food bank closest to you out of a network of 200.
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#DingatHome to Evolve into Virtual Summer Camp
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The Schmitz family of Plymouth, Minnesota, watched #DingatHome videos while distance learning
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Since March 23, Refuge and DDWS staff have been entertaining and educating families at home with its
#DingatHome
series of engaging videos every weekday at 10 a.m. Tomorrow, May 29, will be the last broadcast of #DingatHome. But stay tuned for a new, exciting virtual summer camp program that will run three days weekly starting June 10. Watch next week's "Ding" on the Wing for details about participating in Nature Explorers.
#DailyDoseofDing
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 for those who can't make it.
The posts have become a much-anticipated feature, boosting Facebook numbers to more than 15,000 followers.
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Refuge Status
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Pontoon rentals are among the services now again available at
Tarpon Bay Explorers, where the boat ramp and gift shop are also in operation under CDC guidelines and as a designated
SanCap Safe business. The Refuge and Refuge Nature Store have also pledged compliance to the Chamber of Commerce's
SanCap Safe initiative in anticipation of opening the Visitor & Education Center.
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The Refuge continues to evaluate the risk of its operations to visitors, staff, and the local community. In keeping with recent state and city directives and national guidelines, staff are developing a phased plan to reopen facilities as they meet staffing, distancing, and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.
There are no changes to the status of operations since
last week's bulletin. Keep updated on developments on our
COVID-19 web page. And in the meantime, we urge you to #StayHome as much as possible, get out in nature when you can, and maintain social distance and mask guidelines when you must go out.
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DDWS-Funded Water-Research Equipment
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One of the two new water-research stations installed in "Ding" Darling waters
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As research equipment that monitors Refuge waters was becoming obsolete at the end of 2019, the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society stepped in to purchase new, updated equipment known as sondes.
The in-water stations measure various factors that help biologists determine the health of the water via logger systems. The new sondes connect to a 4G network and send data to a cloud-based application that Refuge staff can access in real time.
"We then report that data each week to the Army Corp of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District in collaboration with the city of Sanibel, Lee County, SCCF [Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation], and Fort Myers Beach," said Senior Refuge Biologist Jeremy Conrad. The new Refuge sondes also provide
READ MORE
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Gifts for Dad
Looking for that perfect Father's Day gift? Look no more. This weekend ONLY, get 20% off our beautifully crafted Sanibel Woodchart, made from Baltic birch in exceptional detail. Ship it directly to Dad, wherever he is. It will arrive ready to hang.
Also take 20% off colorfully cool stainless steel, triple insulated canteens and tumblers by Corkcicle in our bestselling designs and colors. Send Dad his new favorite reusable water bottle or coffee cup today.
Use promo code COOLDAD at checkout to take 20% off your purchase of the Sanibel Woodchart and any Corkcicle tumbler or canteen today through Sunday, May 31.
 Questions about purchasing online and shipping to anywhere in the U.S.? Please
email
us as we work remotely during pandemic stay-at-home guidelines.
Remember, profits from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs and wildlife research.
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ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Keep Our Water Clean - Oppose the 'Savings Clause'
A clause in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000, called the "savings clause," states that Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects must not interfere with the legal allocation of water that was in affect when WRDA 2000 became law.
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings and Sen. Rick Scott are working to add language to WRDA 2020. That language would usurp the process that the Army Corps of Engineers is currently going through to create new guidelines for managing Lake Okeechobee by applying the savings clause to how the Army Corps manages Lake O even though the process of managing Lake O is not a CERP project.
READ MORE and VOICE YOUR OPINION whether or not you are a Florida resident.
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 Support Those Who Support Us
The island business community needs us now, more than ever. Each week, we are highlighting local businesses that have provided support for conservation efforts at the Refuge through the years. They have invested in the community and the Refuge, and we hope the community will do what they can to help them.
Jensen's Resorts: A deep-seated Captiva Island tradition, the sister resorts of Jensen's on the Gulf Beach Vacation Rentals (239-472-4684) and Jensen's Twin Palms Historic Cottages & Marina (239-472-5800) represent the "true Captiva" experience. Fans love the resorts for their charming, old-Florida style and endearing family personalities known for their impromptu music jams and "Mullet Marches."
Cast About Charters: Fully reopened, it operates daily for small-group fishing, shelling, nature, and custom charters with Capt. Ben Biery. Rates are for half-day (4 hours) through full-day (8 hours) trips. Call Capt. Ben at 704-608-9328 to explore the beautiful waters of Sanibel and Captiva.
Blue Giraffe Island Dining: Back open for dine-in and take out, bring the family - and even the furry members - for from-scratch breakfast, lunch, and dinner any day of the week. From create-your-own-omelets to signature clam chowder and luscious pies, Blue Giraffe feels like home away from home at Periwinkle Place Shopping Center. Call 239-472-2525 for takeout.
 Sales Training International: It offers Customer Service Online Training Courses that include the skill sets therapists use most to calm emotions and mitigate stress. Colleagues, staff, customers, friends, and family need to access these skills now more than ever. Take care of others, take care of yourself. |
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Blast from the Past
As we approach the official
75th Refuge Anniversary
on December 1, 2020, we take a look back,
through historic photographs,
over the past three-quarters of a century that the Refuge has been in existence.
Photo to the left: The Refuge built its first observation tower, known as the Bird Tower, in the Bailey Tract in 1954. Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling himself created the Bailey Tract by purchasing the first acre from the pioneering, eponymous Bailey family to dig an artesian well for the benefit of wildlife in the early 1950s. Eventually, funds for the remaining 99 acres came from the Federal Duck Stamp, a program Darling had created to raise money to conserve land across the U.S. The tower was razed in 1976. (Thanks to
Images of America: J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge by Charles LeBuff for some of the information provided here.)
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Your Backyard Nature
Whether you live on Sanibel Island or in a completely different environment in faraway places like Minnesota or Arizona, we want to see what you're seeing in your habitat while you are staying safe at home.
Thank you to Arlene Doran of Illinois for sharing her backyard nature photo of an Eastern Bluebird nest.
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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Live Middle School Science Lessons offered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Each weekly, half-hour
Facebook Live event
offers lesson plans and at-home activities for students. Join Conservation Connect Live at 1 p.m. EDT on Thursdays for real science with live interaction from the FWS workers making it happen.
Here's the upcoming schedule:
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5/28 - Waterfowl
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6/4 - Small Mammals
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Green Under Quarantine
As guidelines relax for getting out in public, we urge you to maintain best reusable practices in place at home.
You may think that switching to disposable cups, plates, and cutlery will prevent the spread of coronavirus, but actually you're creating more waste, and exposing waste collection services to what you're putting out for collection. Instead, remember to continue washing your hands with soap and hot water before and after eating.
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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.
Location: 3,582 acres; Meredosia, Illinois
Totemic Flora & Fauna: Wood Duck, Illinois Chorus Frog, Rusty Blackbird
Visitor's Tips: Visitors can enjoy a one-quarter mile accessible nature trail and scenic overlook on Carver Lake.
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| Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings.
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| Photo credit: David Jeffrey |
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We're tripping over ourselves to get back to "Ding!" Snowy Egrets sure love to put on a show for the camera, whether it be their erratic movements or their wispy feathers flying out of place. These extra wispy feathers are actually developed on their backs, necks, and heads
during breeding season.
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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 75th Anniversary Island "Spoonie" Island Scavenger Hunt Kick-off
- TBD
75th Anniversary "Ding:" The Man, The Art, The Stories Exhibition Opening
- October 20, 2020
75th Anniversary Proclamation at City Hall - November 3, 2020
Official 75th
Anniversary Celebration
- December 1, 2020
Clyde Butcher Book Signing - December TBD
Volunteer Training
- January 14, 2021
2021 Annual Fundraiser - February 10, 2021
Niki Butcher Photographic Exhibition - November 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 April Arthur & April Boehnen.
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