March 17, 2022

TOMORROW: Bald Eagle Lecture

From Pulitzer-winning author Jack E. Davis, The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird has been long awaited. Hot off the presses, the book takes us from the bald eagles’ relationship with native peoples to its dawning as an American symbol and imperilment at the brink of extinction. Davis will speak about his book at his free lecture on Friday, March 18, for the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society. It will take place at The Community House at 2173 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel Island starting at 10 a.m.

Filled with spectacular stories of founding fathers, rapacious hunters, heroic bird rescuers, and the lives of bald eagles themselves—monogamous creatures, considered among the animal world’s finest parents—The Bald Eagle is a cultural and READ MORE

Thank you to our sponsors!

Watch a streaming interview with last week's lecturer, David Sibley. Due to technical issues, the recording for the David Chadwick lecture will be coming soon.

Lecture Series flyer

Sue Tray Memorial Internship for Visitor Services Established

Former, longtime Sanibel Island resident Hal Tray has established a permanently endowed intern fund with the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society in memory of his wife. The Sue Tray Memorial Internship for Visitor Services, the second permanently endowed internship fund for DDWS, will guarantee ongoing funding for one intern annually to assist the Refuge Visitor Services staff.

“I was impressed and interested after reading about the Harkey Development & Communications Intern Fund, which Bill and Laurie Harkey established recently as the first such permanently endowed internship support,” said Tray. “I was looking for something meaningful to memorialize my wife. She loved READ MORE

Learn more about DDWS Endowed Funds.

March 25: Bird Nests Lecture Wraps up Series

Few creatures craft such brilliant and involved homes as birds do, says Stan Tekiela, author of Bird Nests: Amazingly Ingenious and Intricate. For the lecture series finale, he explores bird construction techniques on Friday, March 25, at The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel Island, starting at 10 a.m.

“From holes drilled into trees to intricately woven cups, these magnificent structures are worthy of our admiration,” says Tekiela. The Minnesota naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer originated his popular state-specific field guides on birds, trees, wildflowers, and READ MORE

Thank you to our sponsors!

Celebrating Women in Conservation

March is the perfect time to celebrate the impact of women in our personal lives and throughout the world during Women’s History Month. Here at the Refuge, we celebrate and recognize women in conservation both past and present.

We encourage each of you to take a moment to reflect on the amazing women who helped shape you into the person you are today. Consider a gift in their honor or memory to benefit the conservation work at “Ding” Darling. Donations can go to support the Dr. Louise Merrimon Perry Fund Conservation F und for Girls (LMP Fund for Girls), which was named and established to recognize a strong, independent woman who impacted Sanibel Island, its residents, and the Refuge. The LMP Fund for Girls supports projects and events encouraging women and girls to learn, grow, and explore with nature.

Make a gift NOW to honor a woman in your life. To ensure your donation goes to the LMP Fund for Girls, please note “LMP Fund” in the gift comments section.

Remember, profits from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs, wildlife research, and overall conservation efforts.

Help Wanted

Tarpon Bay Explorers has an opening for a part-time associate to work at the Refuge, greeting and collecting entrance fees for Wildlife Drive. Applicants must enjoy customer service and helping visitors have an appreciation for nature, conservation, and wildlife. They must also be able to operate a basic cash register and credit card processing machine. If interested please contact Wendy at 472-8900 or 900 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel.

Free Season Refuge Programs

Following the current protocol for free Winter Refuge Programs, staff and volunteers are offering a revolving schedule of programs through April 16. The schedule changes weekly according to staffing availability. All programs take place outdoors with a limit of 10 participants.

On the Refuge Eventbrite Page, you will find details of the week’s tours so you can pre-register. (Please remember to cancel your reservation if you are unable to make it.) Upcoming programs:

Today, March 17: Birding the Refuge Tour, 8:30 a.m.
Today, March 17: Bailey Tract Walk, 9:30 a.m.
Today, March 17: Gators & Crocs Talk, 1:30 p.m.
Today, March 17: Mindfulness Walk at Bailey Tract, 4:30 p.m.
Friday, March 18: Indigo Trail Tour, 9:30 a.m.
Friday, March 18: Birds of the Refuge Walk, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 19, Biking the Refuge Tour, 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, March 19: Beach Exploration, 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, March 19: Birds of the Refuge Talk, 1:30 p.m.
Monday, March 21: Beach Walk, 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, March 22, Advanced Birding the Refuge Tour, 8:30 a.m.

WoW News

The WoW Wildlife on Wheels mobile nature experience literally wows the students, teachers, and administration at schools it visits. Read a recent letter from the principal at Tortuga Preserve Elementary School in Lehigh Acres.

Haven’t had the chance to tour the WoW? It will be open to the public for free touring at the Refuge the following dates and times:

Wednesday, March 23, 12 - 3 p.m.
Thursday, March 24, 12 - 3 p.m.
Friday, March 25, 9 a.m. -12 p.m.

Refuge Spotlight - America's Best Kept Secret

Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge

Location: 4,033 acres; Dunn Center, North Dakota

Totemic fauna: Mule Deer, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Cooper’s Hawk

Visitor tips: Daytime picnic facilities are also the starting point for a self-interpreted nature trail

Image courtesy of Brian Mautz

GOING GREEN

Reduce Water Waste

It’s not always a feasible goal to stop wasting water entirely. However, you can cut down drastically by saving and reusing the water you can. Instead of letting it all run down the drain, capture some of it. You can save water from washing your hands or rinsing vegetables and fruits to use on your lawn or to water potted plants.

On average, each person loses about 10 gallons a day to leaks. That is a completely fixable waste, and one that would help your pocketbook…. Everyone can skip a bath now and then. With droughts increasing each year, and some of the same places getting hit over and over again, saving water should be on everyone’s to-do list. Remember, every gallon helps.

Source: Green Living

Photo by Rebecca Clemens

Wildlife Sightings & Tides

Black-necked Stilts have been spotted back at the Bailey Tract. They are among the most stately of the shorebirds, with long rose-pink legs, a long thin black bill, and elegant black-and-white plumage that make them unmistakable at a glance. They move deliberately when foraging, walking slowly through wetlands in search of tiny aquatic prey. When disturbed, stilts are vociferous, to put it mildly, and their high, yapping calls carry for some distance.

Click HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings.

If you have taken any beautiful, interesting, or just plain goofy photos at the Refuge, send them to Development Assistant Jessica Barry for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.