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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
June 22, 2017
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 Student Scholarships: $15k awarded
At a special after-hours gathering at "Ding" Darling on June 13, 2017, "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society awarded $15,500 in conservation education scholarships to 13 students from the surrounding five-county area. During its 11-year history, the DDWS Environmental Scholarship Program has awarded a total of $97,000. "The Society is committed to READ MORE
Thanks to the donors of the following 2017 scholarships:
Click HERE to learn more about the scholarships and the student recipients.
Richard Bailey Scholarships (2)
Mike and Terry Baldwin Scholarship
Dr. Andrew and Laura Dahlem Scholarship
Dr. H. Randall Deming Scholarship for Conservation & Environmental Studies (permanently endowed)
Leslie & Hans Fleischner Scholarship
Mary Elaine Jacobson Memorial Scholarship
Francine Litofsky Scholarship
Tarpon Bay Explorers Scholarships (4)
Jane Werner Environmental Scholarship (permanently endowed)
Individuals and businesses interested in establishing a named scholarship of $1,000 or more for 2018 should contact
Birgie Miller
at 239-292-0566, or
Sarah Lathrop
at 239-472-1100 ext. 4.
Click here
for more information on our scholarship program and this year's winners.
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Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland and artist Andrew Corke with his "sculptires," made entirely out of recycled bicycle tires.
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Baby Manatee Arrives
#LearningLav
On Monday, June 19, local artist Andrew Corke installed the baby manatee beneath the mama manatee he had hung earlier on the west wall of the Refuge Visitor & Education Center. Funded by a grant from the West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND), this part of project #LearningLav, kicks off a 3D mural outside and educational exhibits inside the Center's lavatories.
CLICK HERE
to read more about and follow the project as it progresses this summer for an early fall unveiling.
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Senior Pass Rate Hike 
The federal lands lifetime pass for seniors ages 62 and older is expected to increase from $10 to $80 sometime this year. The pass allows free admission to most national wildlife refuges, including "Ding" Darling, national parks and monuments, and other federal lands. The exact date of the increase has not been announced, so make sure you visit the
Refuge Nature Store
today to avoid the hike. Passholders must show a valid I.D. and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Contact Store Manager
Jeanne Walsh
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information.
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Become a 'Ding' Days Sponsor
"Ding" Darling Days is Sanibel Island's and Southwest Florida's premier birding festival and eco-event. Be part of something special and become a sponsor of "Ding" Darling Days today and support the "crown jewel" of Sanibel Island and a major driving force of the eco-tourism market in Southwest Florida. This year, sponsors receive wider exposure through partnerships with Florida Weekly and Island Sun.
Click here to see how "Ding" Days sponsorship can benefit you or your business.
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Live animal presentations, crafts, and face-painting are part of the "Ding" Darling Days kickoff on Family Fun Day.
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Thank you to our generous sponsors who have already pledged their support:
GREAT BLUE HERON SPONSORS: 97.7 Latino & Juan Radio, Andrew Thompson Company, Bank of the Islands, Island Condo Maintenance, Island Sun, Sanibel-Captiva Beach Resorts, Sanibel Captiva Community Bank, Sanibel Moorings, Jim & Patty Sprankle, TopBirdingTours.com; REDDISH EGRET SPONSORS: Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, Art & Susan Cassell, Sally & Rich Ennis, Island Inn, Jensen's on the Gulf and Marina & Cottages, Mitchell's Sand Castles, Stewart and Sons Insurance, Inc.,
More Sponsors are needed to help defray the cost of this event. Click HERE to learn more
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Intern Sierra Hoisington and Nature Store Assistant Christopher Galloway model our newest White Pelican blue polo shirts, now available in men's and women's styles for $44.99 each.
Like Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, our Refuge namesake, you too can be "the best friend a duck ever had" with these handsome, patina-metal life-sized duck sculptures. They sell for $45 each.
Stop in and pick up your polo shirt or duck sculpture today. Or contact Store Manager
Jeanne Walsh
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about these and
other featured products
.
Remember, proceeds 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.
Location
: More than 59,020 acres in Indiahoma, Oklahoma
Totemic Fauna
: Black-capped Vireo, American Bison, Rocky Mountain Elk
Fun for the Family
: Explore the refuge with a local naturalist on an interpretive bus or hiking tour.
Visitor Tip
: A number of developed day-use picnic areas provide great opportunities to observe wildlife and habitat.
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American Bison
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Black-capped Vireo
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Three-Question Survey
Please take one minute to answer the three questions below and help us improve your "Ding" on the Wing experience. Simply hit the "reply" button from your email and type your answers after the questions. OR Click HERE to send an email with the answers. Thanks for your time and support.
1.
What features do you enjoy most in "Ding" on the Wing?
2.
Anything you don't like?
3.
What would you like to see included that isn't already?
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Unusually timed visitors on the Drive this week: two American Great White Pelicans
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A Killdeer chick at the Bailey Tract
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Thanks to Sylvia Guarino for both of this week's wildlife sighting photos.
T
o see more wildlife photos like this one, click on our social media links:
or go to the Society website to view the
live webcam
!
If you have taken any beautiful, interesting, or just plain goofy photos taken at the Refuge, send them to Philanthropic Coordinator,
Carrie Alexander
, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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National Public Lands Day (fee-free day on Wildlife Drive) - September 30, 2017
Veteran's Day Weekend (fee-free days on Wildlife Drive) -- November 11-12, 2017
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These are just snapshots of some of the things taking place at your Wildlife Refuge. Please check our website at
www.dingdarlingsociety.org to learn more!
Sincerely,
"Ding" On The Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton. Designed by Emily Koval and Sierra Hoisington.
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