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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
January 10
, 2019
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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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We WON! Click
HERE to read more about America's best restroom.
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Free Refuge Programs Postponed
The winter season's calendar of free tours and programs was set to begin on Monday, January 7. However, because of the government shutdown, the programs are unable to run due to furloughed staff. They will commence once the shutdown ends. Please monitor our
Government Shutdown web page
for updates.
Click
HERE
for a schedule of free seasonal activities.
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Government Shutdown
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Although the Visitor & Education Center is temporarily shuttered, our "America's best restrooms", Wildlife Drive, Tarpon Bay Recreation Area, and other parts of the Refuge remain open during the partial government shutdown.
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Due to the current government shutdown, part of the Refuge is closed until further notice, including the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center, Refuge Nature Store*, and Administration Building. All
other federal landsOPEN will remain open
, including: Wildlife Drive, Indigo Trail, Bailey Tract, Tarpon Bay Recreation Area and
Tarpon Bay Explorers
- the official refuge concessionaire.
Wildlife Drive is open Saturday through Thursday 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. All Tarpon Bay Explorers activities are OPEN and available: 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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Financial Impact of Govt. Shutdown
 The partial government shutdown is having a drastic impact on the financial state of our nine furloughed government employees, who are receiving no salaries at this time. It also severely affects the ability of the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society to fulfill its mission in supporting the Refuge. In the past two weeks alone, the closing of the Visitor & Education Center has meant some $30,000 in lost income for the Refuge Nature Store, whose profits go 100% to Refuge support.
In addition, the shutdown incurs added expenditures such as the necessity of renting space to host scheduled films and lectures. Although interns are unable to work directly for the Refuge, DDWS continues to support them during the shutdown. The hardship is real in so many ways! Please address your concerns about "Ding" Darling to your federal government representatives. Click
HERE to find contact information for Congress and Senate
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 The
The 30-minute sneak preview of the PBS documentary The Swamp packed in a full house at the Community House on Monday with nearly 250 attendees. WGCU Public Media News Director Julie Glenn moderated a panel discussion that followed with FGCU Associate Professor of Environment Studies Dr. Serge Thomas and SCCF Marine Laboratory Director Dr. Eric Milbrandt. The two-hour film will debut on WGCU in its entirety on Tuesday, January 15, at 9 p.m.
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Historic photographs by Charlie McCullough chronicle the Woodring home and family on Sanibel Island.
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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,
100th 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
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.
Thanks to our sponsors below for making this exhibition possible.
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Woodring 100th Anniversary Exhibition
GOLD LEVEL
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Ralph & Jean Woodring
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SILVER LEVEL
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The 2019 "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture Series, which runs January 25 through April 12, features a lineup of celebrities in the world of birds, butterflies, and conservation. From North American owls and birds of the Arctic to monarch butterflies and Burmese pythons, the season promises to be one of the Refuge's best yet. Lectures take place in the Visitor & Education Center Auditorium* at READ MORE.
Click
HERE
for a lecture series flyer.
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Thank you to our 2019 Lecture Series Sponsor |
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Go Wild for 'Ding' Registration Filling Up
Registration for the seventh annual fundraiser for the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society on
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
, at the Sanibel Community House, is filling fast. 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 READ MORE.
Reservations are limited. Less than 100 seats remain. Click
HERE
to register.
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. 239
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The Work of Charlie McCullough
Sanibel's most celebrated photographer, the late
Charlie McCullough
chronicled life on the island beginning in the 1940s. Much of his work focused on his home at Woodring Point and on his neighbors, Sam and Esperanza Woodring. His black-and-white photographs will be part of the
Woodring 100th Anniversary Exhibition
starting this month.
During the exhibition, the Refuge Nature Store will carry copies of his book
Sanibel Memories: The Photographs of Charles McCullough
and a set eight note cards featuring four of his historic photos. Both items are available now in our temporary Refuge Nature Store in the DDWS office, accessible from Indigo Trail, during the government shutdown of the Visitor & Education Center.
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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2019 Refuge Wish List
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| Trail cameras, one item on the Wish List, allow Refuge biologists to monitor wildlife around the clock. |
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Click HERE for a list of Refuge needs you can help fulfill with your donations in 2019.
Click here to donate and specify where you would like your dollars to go. Thank you to all of our generous supporters in 2018. You have helped to keep the Refuge fully functional despite budget and staff cuts.
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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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Fertilize Wisely to Help Improve Water Quality
By Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
 Most of the discussion about the pollutants in Refuge waters focuses on the role of big agricultural companies and ranches. Whereas they are major contributors to the pollution of our waters, they are not the only ones: We all contribute and need to increase our focus on reducing that impact.
Adhere to the practices that the City of Sanibel established in its
2007 fertilizer ordinance
. Make sure that you, your landscaper, and your home or condo owners association's service follow city recommendations. A number of local communities have similar ordinances in effect. If you live somewhere that does not have a fertilizer ordinance, you can also work with your community to create one.
In December 2018, a
bill was filed with the Florida legislature to fund environmental restoration projects and fine wastewater treatment facilities that spill raw or partially treated sewage into our water. The bill also cracks down on the residential use of fertilizers. We will be following this bill closely and will keep you apprised of its progress.
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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.
Block Island National Wildlife Refuge
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Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
Location
: Charlestown, Rhode Island (127 acres)
Totemic Fauna
:
Piping Plover, American Burying Beetle
Fun for the Family
: Educated staff and volunteers offer nature walks and talks year-round.
Visitor's Tip
:
Fall is the best time to see migratory song birds. A visit to the refuge requires a boat ride or airplane flight.
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American Burying Beetle |
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| Piping Plover |
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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
 Plastic shopping bags.
Plastic bags that end up in the water can be deadly for marine creatures, who often mistake them for a jellyfish snack. It takes 1,000 years for a shopping bag to decompose. So, to keep plastic bags out of the water and landfills, buy and use reusable shopping bags. The Refuge Nature Store carries a variety of affordable bags. If you do receive a plastic shopping bag, put it to a repurposed use such as lining a trash can or as packing material.
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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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
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| Photo courtesy of Rebecca Clemens |
Rebecca Clemens caught a pelican feeding frenzy on the drive last week.
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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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