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In Memory &
In Honor Gifts
Click
HERE to see gifts made in honor of and in memory of friends and families to DDWS during September 2019.
Thank you to everyone who supported the Refuge in this thoughtful and meaningful way.
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National Public Land Day
September 28
Ranger Monica Scroggin (right) led a crew of volunteers who turned out on
National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 28, to clean up the beach at the Refuge's Perry Tract, adjacent to Gulfside City Park on Sanibel Island.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also celebrated Urban Refuge Day; "Ding" Darling is considered among the 101 urban refuges out of more than 560 total across the nation because of its proximity to a municipality and its nearly one million annual visitors.
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Tomorrow: World Animal Day
The Refuge celebrates World Animal Day on Friday, October 4, with free, educational live animal presentations and a movie in the admission-free Visitor & Education Center Auditorium.
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| The World's Most Wanted Animal explores the plight of the pangolin, often described as "the most endangered animal you've never heard of." World Animal Day features a free airing of the fascinating PBS documentary |
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Starting at 9:30 a.m., Adam's Animal Encounters presents live native amphibians and reptiles
until 11:30 a.m. A free showing of the 53-minute PBS film The World's Most Wanted Animal follows at 12 noon. From 2:15 to 3:30 p.m., Florida Gulf Coast University brings a live native snake presentation to READ MORE
Click HERE for a World Animal Day flyer.
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A Sad Farewell to Marilyn Kloosterman
With tremendous sorrow, the entire "Ding" Darling family received the news last week that founding member of the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Marilyn Kloosterman, had passed at age 95. Marilyn served on the DDWS Board of Directors from July 1988 until December 2008, and
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Marilyn with fellow Emeritus Board Member Jim Sprankle. |
was elected to the Emeritus Board of Directors that same month. She served as Board President from 1995 through 1997. She was instrumental in raising funds to build our current "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center, and chaired the Education Committee for several years. Marilyn volunteered at the Refuge as a rover and at the front desk
and Nature Store for more than 30 years, up until a few weeks before her death.
"We can't even begin to count all the contributions Marilyn has made to the Society and Refuge," said DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller. "Her memory lingers everywhere in very tangible ways as reminders of the kind, generous, cheerful soul she was. Everyone loved Marilyn, and we all miss her a great deal."
Marilyn's dedication and selflessness gained the attention of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Southeast Region and federal office on several occasions. In 1998, she received the Regional Director Volunteer Award; in 2006 the Humanitarian Award for helping raise funds for FWS employees affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Secretary of Interior presented her a Recognition Certificate for her volunteer service in 2002. She received the DDWS Founder's Award in 2017, one of only four members presented with the award.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on November 16 at Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ. Memorial contributions may be made to the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Sanibel Congregational Church, or Hope Healthcare of Ft. Myers.
Click HERE to read Marilyn's obituary.
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DDWS recently received an anonymous challenge grant to help raise support to bring the Refuge's Wildlife on Wheels (WoW) project to fabrication. The grant will match donations made by December 31, 2019, dollar for dollar up to $50,000. "If the challenge is met, and we raise the additional $100,000, we will have nearly reached our goal of $255,000 for making WoW a reality and bringing it into underserved communities in
READ MORE
Now's the time to be planning for year-end giving for tax write-off purposes in 2020. Please consider making your year-end donation in support of our WoW project and
double your impact!
Click
HERE and note "WoW" project or contact
Birgie Miller at 239-472-1100 ext. 4 or 239.292.0566.
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Taking Pre-Orders for
2020 Luc Century "Ding" Ornament
The 2020 Luc Century ornament will be arriving soon. It will feature the iconic
75th Anniversary Celebration
bird, a Roseate Spoonbill. The limited-edition etched glass ornament officially arrives at the Nature Store's sixth annual Holiday Shopping Night on December 3, but the Nature Store team is now taking pre-orders for this beautifully crafted keepsake. The pre-order price is $49.50. After December 3, it will sell for the regular price of $60. Last year's Luc Century ornament sold out long before the Holiday Shopping Night, so reserve yours today. Call the Nature Store 239-472-1100 ext .241 seven days a week 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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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Welcome New Intern
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April Arthur
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Intern
April Arthur recently arrived to help the Refuge
with
staff shortages in the coming season, thanks to funding from the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society. April graduated from Clemson University, South Carolina, in 2018 with a
bachelor degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. The North Augusta, South Carolina, native later moved to Columbia, South Carolina, to work for the Richland Library
building experience in programming, design, and customer relations. She now serves as a shared-use intern
READ MORE
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October 12: Christmas in October
The Refuge Nature Store will be participating in the
Christmas in October Holiday Party Showcase & Gift Market Event at the
Sanibel Community House
on
Saturday, October 12, from 5 to 8 p.m.
The show will feature floral design classe
s and a number of local vendors selling their wares for the holidays. Click
HERE
for tickets and more info.
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Don't miss Dusty "Wildman" Crum, who has appeared in Discovery Channel's "Guardians of the Glades" series. As a python hunter, he will be talking with biologist Mike Kirkland, who manages the python elimination program for the South Florida Water Mgt Dist.
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As the
75th Anniversary Celebration
at the Refuge kicks in, staff has planned a "Ding" Darling Day for Sunday, October 20, that will concentrate all the best traditions of the eco-festival into one day of family and conservation art activities, tours, and programs.
Guided tours and a 9 a.m. Girl Scouts flag-raising kick off the day. The Refuge will be handing out free reusable shopping bags made from recycled water bottles to the first 200 guests as it celebrates the birthday READ MORE
Click
HERE
for a full schedule of the day's activities.
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Archery lessons put bows and arrows in the hands of older kids.
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Big thanks to all our generous
sponsors
, who make "Ding" Days possible.
See Sponsors below.
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Big thanks to all our generous
sponsors
, who make "Ding" Days possible.
Roseate Spoonbill Sponsor
Great Egret Sponsor
Great Blue Heron Sponsors
Reddish Egret Sponsors
Snowy Egret Sponors
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October 31: Teacher Grants Deadline
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Students from Edison Park Creative & Expressive Arts School in Fort Myers work on their grant-funded "Creating Environmental Stewards in Kindergarten" project.
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DDWS and the Refuge have announced their 14th annual round of
Teacher Conservation Grants
. Up to $10,000 in grant awards are available to districts, schools, and individual teachers in Lee, Charlotte, and Collier counties this school year for conservation education-related projects. Teachers may apply for grants up to $1,000 each to fund new classroom science projects, promote
READ MORE
In the past 12 years, DDWS has granted more than $80,300 to local schools for environmental projects. The grants are funded by monies received from 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 click
HERE
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Advocacy: The Synergy Between Cattle Ranches and Conservation
by Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
In our last advocacy article, we discussed the fact Florida Forever as Florida's premier conservation and recreation lands acquisition program. That article also discussed how Florida Forever could have a positive impact on the Refuge. In this article, we will discuss a field trip we recently took to understand more about the impact of conservation easements. Since the last advocacy article was published, we attended a meeting in Myakka City, Florida, at Blackbeard's Ranch. The purpose of th
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Conservation representatives met recently at Blackbeard's Ranch in Myakka City. Image by Sarah Ashton |
e meeting was to bring together representatives from appropriate groups across Florida to meet with ranch owners to discuss READ MORE
In Case You Missed It: A
previous article discussed the Caloosahatchee MFL Rule. The South Florida Water Management District just issued an updated ruling on that topic. See
more.
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October 26: Merit Badge University
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Fishing and Fly Fishing are among the skills Scouts can learn at Badge University. Register today- only a few spaces remain! |
On
October 26
, the Refuge will host its second annual Merit Badge University for registered Boy Scouts of America. Support for the program comes from the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society,
LCEC
, and
Tarpon Bay Explorers
, the Refuge's recreation concession.
Scouts
from around the nation will have the opportunity to earn up to
two out of six
badges being offered that day. They include Bird Study, Photography, Cycling, Kayaking, Fishing, and Fly Fishing. Class sessions run from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. The non-refundable, non-transferable cost
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Special thanks to LCEC for becoming a sponsor of Merit Badge University!
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Kasey Robb as a "Ding" intern in 2014.
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We occasionally hear from former interns and staff who have gone on to do great things in the world of conservation since leaving "Ding." Recently, Kasey Robb, a shared-use intern from fall 2014 to summer 2015, emailed to update us on her whereabouts and thank us for lessons she learned while interning. She earned her Master of Public Administration from Binghamton University in 2017.
"I'm currently an Excelsior Fellow with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, working on public outreach and communications with the Division of Fish & Wildlife here. The Excelsior Fellowship is part of a governor's initiative to attract more young professionals to the state workforce, and the fellowships last for two years. I started last September and just hit my one year mark!"
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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.
Location: Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska (4.6 million acres)
Totemic Fauna: Alaskan Moose, Northern Pike, Sheefish
Visitor's Tips: Most visitors reach the refuge using privately owned aircraft, commercial guiding and outfitting services, or commercial air taxi. There are no roads. Head nets, bug jackets, DEET-based repellent and tents with screens are essential. The use of bear-resistant storage containers is strongly recommended.
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| Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. |
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Alaskan Moose |
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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.
5 Easy Tips for Reducing Water Usage at Home
The average household uses 400 gallons of water a day. Lower your consumption with these easy tips.
- Water your outdoor plants in the early morning, when cooler temperatures means less evaporation.
- Capture shower water with a bucket while you're waiting for it to warm up. Use the water to flush toilets or water plants.
- Fix leaking faucets and replace worn hoses.
- Instead of washing your car at home, head to a car wash, where the water typically gets recycled.
- Don't run the dishwasher until it is full.
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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| Photo by: Frank Turechek |
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Thank you to Frank Turechek for this amazing photo of a Belted Kingfisher.
Among the nearly 100 species of kingfishers, the sexes often look alike. However, the Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male.
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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Museum Shopping Sunday
- December 1, 2019
75th Anniversary Holiday Shopping Night
- December 3, 2019
75th Anniversary Film Series
- January 8-April 1, 2020
Endangered Species Day at the Refuge
- May 15, 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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