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 Tips for Attending Lectures
The free "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture Series has become increasingly popular. Because we want to keep the lectures admission-free and we are restricted by the fire department to the number of seats we can fill, the lectures often reach their capacity quickly. We have tried various strategies for easing the frustration of people we are unable to seat. This year, we try a new strategy using wristbands.
We have also compiled
TIPS
to help.
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| Osprey Photo by Rebecca Clemens |
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TOMORROW:
Honey Sommelier Lecture
A self-proclaimed "honey sommelier," C. Marina Marchese was first to create a language and scale for honey flavors and has authored books on beekeeping and honey. On Friday, January 31, she will be presenting two free programs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Refuge. Based on her book Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper and other bee-related works, the programs are part of the 2019 "Ding" Darling READ MORE
This year's series is one of the Refuge's
75th anniversary celebration activities. THANK YOU to our Co-Sponsors of this free 12-lecture series with support from DDWS.
See lecture tips in this email.
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Friday, February 7:
'Walk on the Wild Side' Lecture
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Ron Magill's award-winning photographs have appeared in publications and galleries around the world. |
Wildlife ambassador Ron Magill brings his experiences to life with stunning imagery and stories that range from the incredible migration of monarch butterflies to the struggle for survival in the African bush. On Friday, February 7, he will be presenting two free programs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Refuge Visitor & Education Center Auditorium. Magill's "From Butterflies to Lions: A Walk on the Wild Side" slide presentations are part of the 2019 "Ding" Darling Lecture Series that take place READ MORE
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Keep warm and in theme for the Refuge's 75th anniversary with this long-sleeved denim spoonbill shirt, available for online purchase. |
Add a touch of Refuge style
to your cold-weather attire with a visit to the new
ShopDingDarling.com
site. Go online today to order for delivery to anywhere in the U.S. DDWS operates the Nature Store to support the Refuge through the sale of logo apparel and memorabilia, kids toys, eco-friendly kitchen accessories, art, birding guides and other nature books, fair-trade decorative pieces, and a wide variety of gifts related to nature and conservation.
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Wednesday, February 5:
Film about California Water Crisis
Water & Power: A California Heist explores the truth and corruption behind the California drought. The eighth annual "Ding" Darling Wednesday Film Series continues its biweekly showings on February 5 with a free airing of the documentary at 1 p.m. in the Refuge Visitor & Education Center. The 87-minute
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Water & Power: A California Heist trailer
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National Geographic film reveals how water barons have found ways to structure a state-engineered system to
their own advantage and how small farmers and everyday citizens face a new, debilitating water crisis. Corporate manipulation in the 1990s, illicit water transfers, and the rise of luxury crops
READ MORE
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Advocacy in Action:
Why Should You Care about Everglades Restoration?
by Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
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2018 fish kill at the Refuge caused by blue-green algae and red tide events. |
As has been
well documented, more than a century's worth of extensive urban and agricultural development has reduced the Everglades' size in half, while at the same time providing constantly increasing nutrient loads that pollute the water and degrade the entire ecosystem.
Restoring the Everglades to good health will be an important topic in this year's Florida legislative session. This article will discuss why that topic is critical to all
READ MORE
In case you missed it:
This article provides detail on both Senate Bill 712 and the impact that harmful algal blooms have on human health. Efforts are already underway to reduce the environmental controls contained in Senate Bill 712. See here.
Watch a video of the Advocacy Committee's session at the recent Everglades Coalition Conference on Captiva Island about the impact that Florida's national wildlife refuges have on Everglades restoration.
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Welcome New Interns
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Visitor Services Interns Michaela Arndt and Bryan Marquardt. |
Two Visitor Services interns joined the Refuge team this month. Michaela Arndt and Bryan Marquardt will be working fulltime with Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland into the summer. Michaela, from Green Bay, Wisconsin, last interned at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in the field of development. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in December, where she studied wildlife ecology and environmental conservation.
"My favorite part of the island so far is the warm weather and the beautiful birds here," she says. "I really enjoy following the volunteers on programs, I've learned so much already."
Bryan hails from Stillwater, Minnesota, and last worked at Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument near Taos, New Mexico. "I am thoroughly enjoying the weather, the birds, the beach, the sunny days, the food, and the diversity of wildlife found here," says Bryan, who graduated from North Dakota State University in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in zoology.
DDWS provides living stipends and other benefits for about a dozen interns each year. To learn about supporting the
refuge intern program
, contact
Birgie Miller
, DDWS Executive Director, at 239-472-1100 ext. 4.
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Feather Club: A Family Tradition
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| Sue Kloosterman wears her late mother's Roseate Spoonbill Feather Pin. |
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At this year's Go Wild for "Ding" - Lovin' Spoonbills fundraiser on February 12, another prized Jim Sprankle Feather Pin goes on the auction block. The winning bidder becomes a member of the Refuge's exclusive Flock of the Feather Club, which mingles each year for a special event. Those who possess Sprankle feather pins highly value their
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This year's feather pin is Jim Sprankle's first and only double-feather sculpture.
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possessions, even bequeathing them to family members, as in the case of the late Marilyn
Kloosterman. One of the earliest Sprankle Feather Pin recipients, Marilyn has passed her pin and Feather Club membership on to her daughter, Sue, who is looking forward to joining this year's special event. The Go Wild for Ding event is sold out, but if you would like to bid on this feather or any other auction items, you can do so by phone. Please call Birgie Miller, Executive Director, at 239.292.0566 to arrange.
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Project Refuge Excitement Builds
As our 25 designers and designer teams collect their trash and begin their creations, we are seeing a lot
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Designer Barb Rogers sews a recycled fishing net with plastic-bag thread.
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of emerging imagination and talent. It all promises an uber-exciting Twist Tie Optional Luncheon on March 10 at The Sanctuary, when teams t
ake to the runway to model their Project Refuge: A Couture Fashion Show Using Trash
creations. Tickets are now SOLD OUT. To be placed on a waiting list, please call Dot at 239.471.1100 ext. 239.
All profits benefit wildlife conservation and education at the Refuge.
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Thanks to our valued sponsors of Project Refuge:
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These Gifts Are the Bee's Knees
Attract native solitary bees such as the Mason Bee with our new bee houses, designed with removable trays for easy cleaning and years of continued use. Solitary bees don't make honey, so stock up on our local honey in your favorite flavor: orange blossom, black mangrove, or wildflower. Have you tried Bee's Wrap? Created from organic cotton cloth coated with beeswax, resin, and jojoba oil, these handy and reusable wraps are an earth-friendly replacement for single-use plastic bags and wrap. Available in a variety of sizes, they're handy for covering bowls, wrapping lunch, and storing leftovers.
Stop in the store today or contact Nature Store Manager
Ann-Marie Wildman
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for information about 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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Go Wild Auction Item
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You needn't attend Go Wild to bid on this exciting pontoon boat excursion for eight to visit the historic Woodring Homestead, now part of the "Ding" Darling Complex.
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Although tickets for the 2020 Go Wild for "Ding" - Lovin' Spoonbills fundraiser on February 12 have sold out,
you can still bid on your favorite auction items
by calling Dot Voorhees at 239-472-1100 ext. 239.
Thanks to our generous sponsors who make Go Wild possible.
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Go Wild for "Ding" Sponsors
Call of the Wild Sponsor
Champion Level Sponsors
Guardian Level Sponsors
Protector Level Sponsors
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Sponsors are still needed. Click above to learn more about joining these sponsors
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Defender Level Sponsors
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Thank you to those who have made reservations to attend our upcoming events. We have Sold Out of two and tickets are moving quickly for the Grunwald lecture. All proceeds from these events go toward the important conservation work at the Refuge and the support truly makes a difference.
February 12, 2020
SOLD OUT.
Waiting List established. Call 239.472.1100 ext. 239
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March 10, 2020
SOLD OUT.
Waiting List established. Call 239.472.1100 ext. 239
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March 20, 2020
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Become an event sponsor and join an elite group of special supporters who want to do more for enhancing the conservation work at the Refuge. CALL 239.472.1100 ext. 239 to learn more.
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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. Recently, Debbie Koenigs, Visitor Services Coordinator at Mingo NWR, stopped by to chat about her visit. She also got us curious about her refuge.
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Nature Store Assistant Manager Carrie Harmon took a selfie with Debbie Koenigs. |
Location: 21,592 acres; Puxico, Missouri
Totemic Flora & Fauna:
Prothonotary Warbler, Bald Cypress, Western Cottonmouth
Visitor's Tips: Three auto tour routes allow visitors to observe wildlife, conditions and weather permitting.
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| Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
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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.
Food Waste
Did you know that roughly one third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption gets wasted or lost every year? That adds up to approximately 1.3 billion tons. (
Source)
Tossing edible food doesn't only waste money. The food often ends up in landfills, where it rots and produces methane gas - the second most common greenhouse gas. In other words, throwing out food contributes to climate change.
In the face of dwindling food supplies and increasing worldwide hunger, it is important to turn the tables on food waste at home. Start by shopping wisely, storing food properly, and learning how to preserve fresh produce, meat, and seafood. Visit
healthline.com for more tips.
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
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| Photo credit: Lisa Fitzgerald |
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Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest that continually grow and fray, as seen in this dramatic picture. They comb this "powder down" with a fringed claw on their middle toes, using it as a washcloth to remove oils and fish slime from their feathers as they preen.
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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Global Recycling Day - March 18, 2020
Spring Migratory Sale at Nature Store - April 15, 2020
Earth Day at the Refuge - April 22, 2020
Endangered Species Day at the Refuge
- May 15, 2020
75th Anniversary "Ding:" The Man, The Art, The Stories Exhibition Opening
- October 20, 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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