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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
December 27
, 2018
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| Thank you to everyone who has made a year-end gift to support the conservation efforts at the Refuge. Every gift makes a difference. December 31 is the deadline for 2018 gifts. |
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Refuge funding continues to decline; private philanthropic support helps fill in the gaps. Thank you for your support.
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If you have made arrangements to donate appreciated stock, or you are thinking of doing so before the year-end, please call Executive Director Birgie Miller at 239.292.0566 to give the Society a "heads-up" to look for your transfer and follow through with the necessary acknowledgment and paperwork. Thank you!
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Click the logo to learn more about our 45/82 Society and leaving "Ding" Darling in your estate.
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Government Shutdown Update
Due to the current government shutdown, some of the Refuge will be closed until further notice, including the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center and Administration Building.
All other federal lands will remain open, including
: Wildlife Drive, the "nation's best restrooms" will also be open Monday - Thursday which are located just outside the Visitor & Education Center, Indigo Trail, Bailey Tract, Tarpon Bay Recreation Area, and
Tarpon Bay Explorers
- the official refuge concessionaire. The
"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society
- Friends of the Refuge office will remain open on the ground floor of the Administration Building. Wildlife Drive is open Saturday through Thursday 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
The Refuge will have limited and essential personnel on-site to protect life and property on public lands. Refuge law enforcement will be conducting routine patrols to secure the property. All associated facilities will reopen upon further notification.
The recreation concession, Tarpon Bay Explorers, will remain open during the government shutdown. Therefore, all Tarpon Bay Explorers activities are available: all tours (tram, kayak, cruises, and standup paddleboard), fishing charters, recreational equipment rentals (kayaks, standup paddleboards, pontoons, bicycles) and the nature gift shop.
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We sincerely hope that 2019 brings us together with one voice to save and celebrate nature. Peace, good health, and prosperity to all. Wildlife Drive and the Bailey Tract will remain open throughout the holidays for your own personal wildlife celebration.
The Visitor & Education Center, administrative building, and DDWS offices will close at 1 p.m. on New Year's Eve (December 31) and all day New Year's Day (January 1). (Stay tuned to government closure).
Tarpon Bay Explorers
, the Refuge's recreational concession, will be open for full regular hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.; last rentals at 3 p.m.) both New Year's Eve and Day.
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PBS'
The Swamp Everglades film
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Alligator hunting in the Everglades, circa 1880-1897, a scene from The Swamp. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress |
In partnership with
WGCU Public Media, the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society will host a free
Based in part on the book The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise by Michael Grunwald, the documentary tells the dramatic story of humanity's attempts to conquer the Florida Everglades, one of nature's most mysterious and READ MORE
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Historic photographs by Charlie McCullough chronicle the Woodring home and family on Sanibel Island.
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Woodring 100th Anniversary Exhibition
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Woodring home, now encompassed within Refuge boundaries, the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society is partnering with the Woodring family for a special, admission-free, 100
th
Anniversary Exhibition in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center Auditorium from
January 23 to March 25, 2019.
The public unveiling will take place at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, January 23. At 10 a.m., as part of a seated program, nationally renowned Teddy Roosevelt reprisor Joe Wiegand will make a special guest appearance, and Ralph Woodring will recount stories about growing up in the home and on the island. Another presentation will take place at 3 p.m., with a free showing of the WGCU film
Untold Stories: Sanibel I
at 1 p.m. Through March 25, the exhibition will feature READ MORE.
Thanks to our sponsors for making this exhibition possible: CENTENNIAL LEVEL: Shell Point Retirement Community; GOLD LEVEL: Mike & Terry Baldwin, Mark & Gretchen Banks, Jim & Patty Sprankle, Ralph & Jean Woodring, Bailey's General Store; SILVER LEVEL: The McCullough Family, Mitchell's SandCastles, Pfeifer Realty Group, Sanibel Historical Museum & Village.
NOTE: The exhibition will be open free of charge
Sundays through Thursdays (closed Fridays)
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. January 23 through March 25
CENTENNIAL LEVEL
GOLD LEVEL
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Ralph & Jean
Woodring
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SILVER LEVEL
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3 Easy Ways to Give
1.
Sign up for the Amazon Smile program to designate a portion of your Amazon.com purchases as a donation to the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society.
Click
here
and search "ding darling" to designate us as your charity. Then, every time you wish to make an Amazon purchase, log into
http://smile.amazon.com
rather than the regular Amazon site. Amazon will donate 0.05% of your purchase directly to DDWS to benefit the Refuge. (Prices for items on smile.amazon.com are the same as on Amazon.com.)
2.
Text DING to 50555 to make a quick $10 donation.
3.
Visit our
Facebook page
and click on the DONATE button to make a contribution in any amount.
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High School Photography Contest Deadline January 15
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2019 Free Film Series
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One of the series' highlights, Saving Sea Turtles
airs on February 20.
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The seventh annual "Ding" Darling Wednesday Film Series kicks off its biweekly showings this winter with a schedule of seven films that explore natural facets from the impact of plastic pollution and pythons to sea turtles and Jane Goodall.
The series runs January 9 through April 3.
"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 on a first-come basis.
Click
here
for more information about the series.
Click
here
for a film series flyer.
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Year-End Giving
Your contributions to the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society support our new water quality studies, wildlife conservation, and the opportunity to educate future generations on the importance of preserving planet Earth. Click
HERE
to read our latest appeal.
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Minimum Flow Rule
by Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
 There is a large and confusing set of laws, regulations, and procedures that govern the flow of water within Florida. They attempt to satisfy objectives that are often in conflict, which are managed by numerous people and organizations at the federal, state, and local levels, some of whom are elected and some of whom are appointed. Even though it isn't easy, we all need to understand the factors that govern the flow of water within Florida so that we can intelligently advocate for policies and projects that will benefit the Refuge. Towards that end, this article will discuss READ MORE.
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Fond Farewell
Refuge and DDWS staff and board gathered recently to send off Erick Lindblad (third from right), Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation executive director for more than 30 years, with thanks and best wishes, and to welcome his successor,
Ryan Orgera (far right). "Ding" Darling enjoys a tight and effective partnership with SCCF, which culminated in 2018 with the joint Marine Science Lab built on Refuge property with federal funds to staff SCCF scientists and equipment to monitor Refuge water quality.
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Register now to attend the seventh annual fundraiser for the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society on
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
, at the Sanibel Community House. This year's
Go Wild for "Ding" - Call of the Osprey
theme continues a series of bird-themed events to benefit the birds, other wildlife, land acquisition, and conservation and education efforts at the Refuge. "Seating is limited and we once again anticipate a sold-out crowd," said event committee member and DDWS President Mike Baldwin. "We encourage people READ MORE.
Thanks to our sponsors for their generous contributions to this event:
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CALL OF THE WILD SPONSORS
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DEFENDER LEVEL SPONSORS
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To become a sponsor call Dot with the DDWS at 239.472.1100 ext. 4
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Chilly Weather Apparel
Don we now our warm apparel! Our pullovers are made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester and our zip-ups are 100% polyester. The dark green one in the picture below is a full zip-up fleece jacket. The blue is a fleece-lined pullover. Hats are all adjustable. We also carry a selection of long-sleeved T-shirts in various designs and sizes for those chilly days of winter.
Stop in to pick up your "Ding" logo wear today, or contact Store Manager Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for information on shipping. Click here to view a gallery of other available gifts at the Nature Store.
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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In each issue of "Ding" on the Wing, we showcase one of more than 560 refuges in the U.S.A. This summer, DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller visited this refuge near Boise and has some visitor suggestions.
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Images courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
Location:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1,200 acres)
Totemic Fauna:
Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Common Tern, Black Tern
Fun for the Family:
Kayak or canoe through one of the largest freshwater marshes in Pennsylvania. Ask about special tours.
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Yellow-crowned Night Heron by Tom Miller |
Visitor's Tip:
The National Audubon Society designated this refuge as an Important Bird Area. There are more than 300 species using the refuge as a migratory stopover and more than 80 species have been recorded nesting there.
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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
Green Holidays:
Resolutions for a Green Year
For a better you and a better environment, resolve to make positive changes in your life in 2019:
- Skimp on the meat. Plant-based diets are kinder to Mother Earth and your health.
- Avoid fertilizing with nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients acerbate water quality problems.
- Plan your wardrobe for classic looks that won't go quickly out of style or to the trash bin. Did you know that after the oil industry, the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world?
- Walk or bike instead of driving. Save money, the planet, and your health all with one resolution.
- Transition to a native re-landscaping scheme in your yard. It's good for the wildlife and your water bills.
Happy New Year. Happy New You.
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Smooth-billed Ani
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
Refuge volunteer, Ed Combs, spotted a Smooth-billed Ani at the Bailey Tract late last week. He mentioned it was the first Ani at the Bailey Tract he's seen in 45-50 years.
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o see more wildlife photos like this one, click on our social media links:
If you have taken any beautiful, interesting, or just plain goofy photos taken at the Refuge, send them to Development Officer,
Sierra Hoisington, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Volunteer Awards Luncheon
- February 8, 2019
Clyde Butcher Photography Exhibition - November 12, 2019-February 6, 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 Christopher Gutierrez & April Boehnen.
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