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Event photo album
A round of grateful applause for our generous sponsors:
Call of the Wild Sponsors: WLM, Inc., Gretchen Banks, Bill & Laurie Harkey
Champion Sponsors: The Bluedorn Family, Doug & Sherry Gentry, Jim & Patty Sprankle
Guardian Sponsors: Anonymous, Jim & Liz Birmingham, Wayne & Linda Boyd, Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille, Boomer Duvin & Family, Lee County Solid Waste, John & Kathy McCabe, John & Beth Newland, Greg & Linda Scherer, Bill & Diane Valerian
Protector Sponsors: Green is Good, Mitchell's Sand Castles, Bob & Kathy Wisemann
Defender Sponsors: Ashton Kirchner Group, Cine Vista Media, Tiffani Kaliko & John Silvia, Hightower Advisors, Natalie's Skin Solutions, New Beginnings Events, R.S. Walsh Landscaping
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April 13: Final Film Discussion
On Wednesday, April 13, the 10th annual “Ding” Darling Film Series will virtually discuss Troubled Waters: A Turtle’s Tale, featuring acclaimed actor and ocean activist Ted Danson and narrated by Peter Coyote. The last of the 10th annual “Ding” Darling Film Series, it will air virtually for viewers to watch before the Zoom discussion.
Troubled Waters explores the impact of human behavior on our environment, as seen through the lens of one of South Florida's most beloved and fragile underwater creatures—the sea turtle. The one-hour film takes a critical look at the effects of global warming, water pollution, and our “throw-away” plastic lifestyle on this keystone species—and inevitably on ourselves.
DDWS hosts the free film showing, and an anonymous donor sponsors Troubled Waters. Pre-registration for the film and discussion is currently open and will be required by, at latest, April 12.
Films will be available to viewers on various platforms to watch within a timeframe and at a link assigned via email. The discussion at 5 p.m. on April 12 allows visitors to gain more from their documentary-viewing experience by listening to other people's points of view and analyzing what they just watched.
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‘Ding’ Darling Day's Conservation Carnival Activities
The Refuge celebrates its 33rd annual “Ding” Darling Day jointly with Earth Day at Lakes Park in Fort Myers on Sunday, April 24. Along with DDWS and Tarpon Bay Explorers, the Refuge has planned a full day of Conservation Carnival and nature activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More than 20 local conservation groups will be participating to engage visitors with information and carnival games where they can earn prizes. Games include Tarpon Bay Explorers’ Dolphin Toss, Lee County School District’s Shark Feeding, and READ MORE
Note: The “Ding” Darling Visitor & Education Center on Sanibel Island will be closed all day April 24, but Wildlife Drive, Tarpon Bay Explorers, and Bailey Tract will remain open.
Photograph: Local environmental organizations host carnival games, such as Octopus Bean Bag Toss, and participants can win prizes during “Ding” Darling Day.
“Ding” Darling Day 2022 Flyer
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Thanks to the following sponsors who have already shown their support:
Great Egret Sponsors: Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille
Great Blue Heron Sponsors: Gretchen Banks, John R. Wood Properties, The Island Sun and The River Weekly News
Reddish Egret Sponsors: Bank of the Islands, Media Source, Mike & Terry Baldwin, Mitchell's Sand Castles
Snowy Egret Sponsors: Florida Southwestern State College Foundation, Florida Weekly, John & Anette Gritti, Jensen's Marina & Cottages, Kearns Restaurant Group, McCallion & McCallion Reality, Parker Waichman LLP, Sanibel Moorings, Southern SnoBalls, Tarpon Bay Explorers; 50% Off Framing, West Wind Inn, Stewart & Sons Insurance Inc.
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Remember, profits from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs, wildlife research, and overall conservation efforts. | |
Advocacy In Action
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is part of a much larger system and is one of 568 National Wildlife Refuges and 5 marine national monuments. They encompass more than 850 million acres of land and waters.
Working on a budget of a mere 61¢ per acre per year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for managing these lands and its 64 million annual visitors with this very challenging budget and struggles every year to do so.
The $504 million National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) budget for fiscal year 2021 is identical to that of 10 years ago. However, inflation during the intervening years has reduced the purchasing power of those funds by more than 20%. The negative impact on the NWRS has been dramatic, including the development of a huge backlog of maintenance and other projects and the loss of some 1,000 staff nationwide.
Please click below to “Take Action Today” and ask your Senators and House Representative to support a FY2023 federal government budget that includes funding for the Refuge System’s operations and maintenance account at $712 million. This is well short of the $1 billion required to assure full funding of the NWRS, but would be a significant step in the right direction.
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Spring Society Pages
Members this week are receiving their copy of the quarterly DDWS newsletter in the mail. You can also read it online for your convenience. If you are not receiving the print copies of Society Pages, all you need do is become a DDWS member.
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Memorial & Honor Gifts
Donors made these gifts to DDWS in honor and memory of friends and families during March 2022. Thank you to everyone who supported the Refuge in this thoughtful and meaningful way. Make a memorial or honor donation here.
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Volunteer Appreciation
On Friday morning, April 1, the Refuge and DDWS hosted April No-Foolin’ Volunteer Appreciation Drive-Through along Wildlife Drive, which is closed to public traffic that day. More than 90 volunteers participated, playing games and receiving thanks and gifts along the way at 13 different stations staffed by Refuge, DDWS employees, and guest organizations that will be participating in “Ding” Darling Day on April 24. Volunteer coordinator Ranger Katy Hosokawa reported that in fiscal year 2021, 361 volunteers worked 18,522 hours at the Refuge, representing a labor and benefits savings of more than $528,000. That amounts to the equivalent of more than READ MORE
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Florida Junior Duck Stamp Winner
The birthplace of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, “Ding” Darling serves as headquarters for the Florida contest judging each year. On Tuesday, March 29, five judges met at the Refuge to cull through 1,248 entries from 15 schools and homeschool students to pick winners in four grade categories. Congratulations to Mackenzie Warren, 17, from Titusville on her Best of Show oil/acrylic painting of a female Mallard titled “Tranquil Solitude.” Her art will be entered into the federal contest later this month.
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Refuge Spotlight - 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.
Camas National Wildlife Refuge
Location: 10,578 acres; Hamer, Idaho
Totemic fauna: Sandhill Crane, Greater Sage-grouse, Tundra Swan
Visitor tips: An informational kiosk is located near the driveway to headquarters. Maps and current information are posted here, and there is a comfort station. Visitors to the refuge may drive the wildlife viewing route or hike along the roads. Hiking off-road is not permitted from March 1 to July 15.
Image courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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GOING GREEN
Tips from Project Refuge...
We’d like to share some of our favorite Green Tips from the program for Project Refuge: A Couture Fashion Show Using Trash, which took place on March 31 to benefit the Refuge and educate the public.
- Despite their small size, mailboxes can be a major contributor to household waste. Limit paper waste by opting for digital bills and removing your address from junk mailing lists.
- Every time you use your washing machine, you are consuming massive amounts of water. Wearing clothing more than once can lengthen time between loads, and choosing to wash more items in cold water can save energy to heat the water.
- In addition to their harmful impacts of PVC, some water floats also contain glitter and foam beads. If these floats tear at an ocean or lake, their contents can contribute to microplastic pollution in our waterways and harm wildlife.
- Mylar balloons are not biodegradable. They consist of plastic nylon sheets coated in metal. When released, they can harm wildlife through entanglement or ingestion.
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Where Are They Now?
In fall 2020, Hollis Hatfield arrived from North Carolina to take an intern position with DDWS, helping with fundraising and various Refuge tasks. This week, she starts a new position in the conservation field as a cave guide for the National Park Service through AmeriCorps.
“I am located in Southwest Oregon at Oregon Caves National Monument, one of the few cave systems in the United States to be made of marble,” she writes. She will be leading guests and field trip groups on 90-minute guided tours of the cave, providing information on the cave’s history, geology, and wildlife.
“When I was interning at ‘Ding’ I had the opportunity to help with the WoW,” writes Hollis. “Working with WoW, made me realize my passion for environmental education. I am excited to act as an environment educator for cave guests and hopefully get them to care about nature the same way I do.”
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Pileated Woodpeckers have been causing a ruckus at the Refuge. When searching for Pileated Woodpeckers, use your eyes and ears. Keep your eyes peeled for their signature red crests, and listen for loud whacking as they hammer away atto find insects.
Click HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings.
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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. | |
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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,
Birgit Miller, Executive Director
"Ding" On The Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton. Designed by Christina Hester & Hayley Caylor.
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