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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
July 12, 2018
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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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Refuge funding continues to decline; private philanthropic support helps fill in the gaps. Thank you for your support.
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Free Summer Programs Under Way
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Join Refuge naturalists for the free Beach Walk at Perry Tract every Friday at 9 a.m
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Wildlife Wonders talks, weekly walks, and nature crafts highlight the free summer programs calendar being offered at the Refuge through August 6, 2018. Summer programming is made possible by support from the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society
READ MORE.
Click
HERE for a summer programs flyer.
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'Ding' Celebrates Independence
Refuge staff and friends again participated in this year's Sanibel Fourth of July parade, proclaiming that "Ding" is "Wild about America."
"Thanks to Ranger Monica for taking the lead on the Independence Day Parade and all who created the banners, masks, music, and who attended," said Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland. "It's important that we support our community in events like this, because the community supports us throughout the year. This parade always makes me proud to work on this island."
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Water Quality Update
This week, two positive measures were taken to remedy our water quality woes in the Refuge and Southwest Florida. This is proof positive that making your voice heard by public officials can have results, if we all work together.
First, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers paused discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River on Monday morning to allow water managers to conduct a full assessment of system conditions.
Also that day, Governor Rick Scott issued an emergency order in Lee and six other Florida counties to help combat algal blooms caused by Lake Okeechobee water discharges.
These measures do not solve the problem, however.
The Miami Herald wrote recently that the U.S. Senate is about to vote on the Water Bill. If the Everglades Reservoir is NOT included, it could DELAY the solution for two more years.
Click
HERE to tell Washington:
It is URGENT that the Everglades Reservoir be included in the Water Bill. Thanks for your past and future support on this very crucial impact to our health and the health of our habitat and wildlife.
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Photo Contest Opens!
July 15 marks the opening of the annual
"Ding" Darling Days Amateur Nature Photography Contest
. Deadline for submission is September 15, 2018, and all entries must be submitted via email. The contest, supported by the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, is held in conjunction with
"Ding" Darling Days
, October 12-14, 2018. Complete contest rules
READ MORE
.
Click
HERE to enter and view past winning photographs.
"Mangrove Cuckoo with Io Moth Caterpillar" by Paul Brooke took second place in 2017's "Ding" Darling Days Amateur Nature Photography Contest.
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Bailey Tract Restoration Update
The Bailey Tract remains closed due to a planned hydrologic restoration project, in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Crews are still working on trasferring fill to Ani Marsh and continue to pump water, because the marsh constantly drains into the pond. The Refuge is keeping some open water as it partially fills the pond. Stay tuned for information about the Bailey Tract reopening as the project progresses. Click
HERE to read more.
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Image courtesy of Jim Bennight
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| Kids visiting the Refuge are having fun at the rubbing table. They then spent time with the Refuge Education team to find their "wild side"! |
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Immokalee Kids Visit
The
"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society recently donated funds to provide transportation to and a day of education at the Refuge for 55 children from the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee. Here, the kids were eager to touch the skeletal parts of Refuge animals. They also hiked to the Wildlife Education Boardwalk and enjoyed lunch at the Refuge.
To make a gift to support education programs at the Refuge, click
HERE.
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Prescribed Burns Planned
Based on current weather forecasts, the Refuge and its partners are planning prescribed burns to take place
AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK, JULY 16-20, 2018
, if weather conditions are favorable. These burns will reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled wild fire and help achieve habitat management goals of the Botanical Site. If prescribed weather conditions are met, and burns can take place within that window, residents and adjacent landowners will be notified prior to ignition. During the prescribed fire READ MORE.
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Sand Dollar Cha-ching
If you've noticed the magical appearance of sand dollar swarms recently at our beaches, you may have been inspired to incorporate the motif into your personal and home accessorizing. Well, we have just the things! Sand dollar earrings, sand dollar dish towels, sand dollar coasters, sand dollar paper weights, and more.
Stop in and pick up your sand dollar gifts today. Or contact our Nature Store team via email or call
239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about mail-ordering these and other
featured products
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Remember, members of "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society receive a 10% discount at the Nature Store. Proceeds from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs and wildlife research.
 Store volunteers needed Have a little free time? Love to meet people? The Nature Store inside the Visitor & Education Center is seeking volunteers to assist on our cash registers for short 3-1/2 hour shifts. We primarily need volunteers Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and afternoon, but may be flexible with other days also. No heavy lifting or strenuous activities required. If this is of interest, contact
Chris Galloway
or
Ann-Marie Wildman
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241, or stop by in person to the Nature Store. We would love to meet you.
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Summer Fertilizer: Just Say NO
Homeowners on Sanibel Island and throughout Lee County can do their part to reduce algal bloom and water woes by - in addition to contacting public officials about Lake Okeechobee releases - curbing their fertilizer use, especially during the summer rainy season. It's not only good stewardship, it's the law.
Sanibel ordinance Article VI, Section 30-144 states: "No applicator shall apply fertilizers containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus to turf and/or landscape plants during the 'rainy season' (defined as July 1 through September 30 of each calendar year)."
Lee County's ordinance states: "Fertilizers containing Nitrogen (N) and/or Phosphorus (P) may not be applied on turf and/or landscape plants from June 1 through September 30."
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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.
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Columbian White-tailed Deer, courtesy of Friends of Ridgefield NWR. |
Location:
5,228 acres; Ridgefield, Washington
Totemic fauna:
Dusky Canada Goose, Columbian White-tailed Deer, Polished Lady Beetle
Fun for the Family
: A full-scale Chinook-style cedar plank house serves as an outdoor classroom for interpreting the rich natural and cultural heritage preserved on the refuge. Receive a tour from a volunteer on a weekend April through September or attend a family program offered by the friends group.
Visitor's tip:
The refuge is open daily through an automated gate. A self-guided nature trail and auto-tour provide information to the visitor.
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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.
Hooray
for Sanibel Straw Ban!
This past Monday, an ordinance was approved by the Sanibel City Council to ban plastic straws on Sanibel. READ MORE from Wink News.
Starbucks recently announced that it will discontinue use of plastic straws at all of its locations by 2020. This is expected to reduce plastic straws in the environment by 1 billion a year. CLICK HERE to read the story.
Switching to biodegradable straws or reusable metal straws is just the start, but all of us here at "Ding" are excited to see the "kicking plastics" trend gain steam. Thanks for doing your part to join the movement!
Follow us on Instagram (@dingdarlingwildlifesociety) and check out our story for a daily tip on going plastic-free during the month of July. Tag us in your posts showing how you are reducing your plastic use.
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Purchase your eco straw at the Refuge Nature Store
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Doing Our Part
"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 transitioned to compostable plates, cups, and flatware for event use.
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
Open wide! As you walk down the Indigo Trail, keep your eyes on the ground and in the trees. You may see fiddler crabs waving their large claw while scurrying to their holes in the ground, or maybe a mangrove tree crab crawling up a tree. Both are tasty treats for many bird species, like this Yellow-crowned Night-Heron pictured below. Thanks to Sherry Lingenfelter for sharing this photo with us on Instagram.
T
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
Sierra Hoisington, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Upcoming "Ding" Darling Events:
DDWS Annual Meeting - December 5, 2018
Volunteer Holiday Luncheon
- December 14, 2018
2019 Friday Lecture Series - January 25 - April 19, 2019
Volunteer Awards Luncheon - February 8, 2019
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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.
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