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Nature Store Volunteers Needed
The Refuge Nature Store is looking for volunteer assistance in staffing the cash register and for other retail tasks. It's a great way to meet people from all over the world while supporting the conservation and education efforts at the Refuge. Store personnel are looking for workers any day of the week, but particularly on weekends. For details, contact Store Manager Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-472-1100 ext. 241.
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THIS SUNDAY:
'Ding' Darling Day
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| The first 300 guests on "Ding" Darling Day receive a free reusable shopping bag made from recycled plastic bottles, shown here by Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland. The bag features the "Ding" Day logo, shoulder straps, and a front pocket. |
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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 Scout Troop 974 flag-raising kick off the day.
The Refuge will be handing out free reusable shopping bags made from recycled water bottles to the first 300 guests as it celebrates the
birthday
READ MORE
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Conservation art activities that day include individual canvas painting for the first 20 kids starting at noon. |
Click HERE for a full schedule of the day's activities.
Thank you to all of our generous
sponsors, who make "Ding" Days possible.
See sponsors below.
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Fan Mail Bag
 
In this new feature, we will periodically share with you notes from students and other visitors to the Refuge.
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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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DOUBLE your impact with the current challenge grant
DDWS has 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
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Now's the time t
o be planning for
y
ear-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.
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Get ready for the winter migration with the Nature Store's selection of high-quality Vortex binoculars and wide variety of birding books and guides. From Stokes to Sibley, we've got all your birding guide needs covered. We even have a comprehensive folding guide made specifically for the flora and fauna found in "Ding" Darling. We are the only place on the island to find this caliber of binoculars, perfect for the beginning or veteran birder. Each pair of binoculars is automatically covered by the company's unlimited VIP (Very Important Promise) Warranty which takes care of any damage or defects for the lifetime of the product.
Stop in today to pick up your birding supplies.
Or contact Nature Store Manager
Ann-Marie Wildman
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for information on 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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October 31: Teacher Grants Deadline
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
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Cape Coral High School recently visited the Refuge's Perry Tract as part of a water quality project funded by a DDWS teacher grant. |
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.
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November 13: Clyde Butcher Photographic Exhibition Opening
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| Clyde Butcher at work, image by Woody Walters |
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The public is invited to the free kick-off opening celebration of the Refuge 75
th
Anniversary Clyde Butcher Photographic Exhibition on Wednesday, November 13, starting at 9 a.m. in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center.
Guests will be the first to view Butcher's American Everglades Collection. The opening will include refreshments and, starting at 10 a.m., an opportunity to meet the world-famous photographer, who will be available for a limited number of book signings outside the READ MORE
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Special thanks to our exhibition sponsors
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Advocacy: A Blueprint for the Upcoming Advocacy Season
by Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
The water surrounding the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge looks
immeasurably better than it did a year ago. So, is this the time to celebrate the end of our water-related issues? Not even close. This is the time to be thankful for the progress that has been made to date and to get prepared for an advocacy season that will be hectic on many fronts and will require your ongoing involvement. The water-related issues we face can be put into one of three
READ MORE
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We occasionally hear from former interns and staff who have
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Chris Gutierrez as "Ding" intern in 2018
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gone on to do great things in the world of conservation since leaving "Ding."
Recently, Chris Gutierrez, who finished his DDWS internship this summer, let us know that he has accepted a position as a Development Associate for the New York Botanical Garden.
"It's the exact position I was looking for, and they do a lot of great conservation work and research for plants and eco-systems around the world," Chris writes. He also shared the good news that the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership (CHNEP) has selected one of his photographs of the Refuge for its 2020 calendar of Southwest Florida nature. Congratulations on both accounts, Chris!
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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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Northern Pintail |
Location:
15,022 acres in Bald Knob, Arkansas
Totemic Fauna: Northern Pintail, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer
Visitor's Tips: Stop at the visitor center within the refuge's office for information about the Bald Knob NWR, its history, and its importance.
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| Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
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White-tailed Deer |
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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.
Balloons: More Deflating News 
The Detroit Free Press and USA Today recently reported that "Volunteer trash pickups found more than 18,000 balloons, balloon pieces or balloon strings along Great Lakes shorelines between 2016 and last year [2018]." States are beginning to ban or limit mass balloon releases, and schools such as Clemson University in South Carolina have agreed to desist from traditional football game balloon releases. Click HERE to learn more about growing awareness of the problem and do your part to eliminate balloon waste in your home and hometown.
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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| Photo by: Charles Armfield |
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
Yellow-crowned Night Herons are often spotted on Wildlife Drive. They forage both during the day and at night, and in coastal areas such as the Refuge, the tide can trump the time of day. Most foraging occurs from three hours before high tide to three hours after.
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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Stay tuned as our calendar of special activities to celebrate the Refuge's 75th anniversary grows and flourishes through 2020.
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Museum Shopping Sunday
- December 1, 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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