3 for 1: Summer Fees for Wildlife Drive

Admission fees for Wildlife Drive remain the same after season’s end. The summer fee, however, holds good for three consecutive days of admission now through September. Keep your receipt to show at the entrance fee booth upon returning. Vehicles pay $10, and cyclists and pedestrians pay $1 each for three visits. Since Wildlife Drive is closed on Fridays, the three consecutive days skip from Friday to Saturday.

Vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians get three days admission for one fee.

Endowed Conservation Fund

Louise Crumpacker understands the importance of preserving the environment through green spaces, where visitors can learn about and engage with nature. That’s why she has set up an endowment fund through DDWS to strengthen visitor services and the educational experience at “Ding” Darling.

“We will conserve only what we love, and we love only what we understand,” says Louise, who has had first-hand experience with educating the public about conservation as a volunteer naturalist at Manatee Park in Fort Myers. “We understand only what we have learned.”

Louise, who has been enjoying Sanibel with her family since the mid-1950s, passes on her wonder for nature and love of the wilds and READ MORE

Photograph: Louise Crumpacker (center) and family

WoW Report

Sarah Anderson is a health, environment, and science journalism master’s student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in Illinois and a Ph.D. chemist. For her “embedded reporting” project, she is partnering with “Ding” Darling to write stories for the general public about the Refuge’s research and outreach work, hosted by DDWS, which provided housing during her one-month stay. 

This week, she reports on her time spent with the WoW (Wildlife on Wheels) mobile outreach classroom. She is working on biology department and other similar reports we will be sharing in months to come. 

"A young girl places magnetic marine animals onto the board showing their preferred habitat with dedicated focus. A little boy squeals with delight as he unearths a plastic snake from its burrow. Another student raises his arms in triumph as he evades predators and plastic bags in the sea turtle skee-ball game. Students at Colonial Elementary School in Fort Myers, Florida, recently explored the fascinating creatures in the surrounding ecosystems through the WoW READ MORE

Pocket Refuges

Work continues in eight Lee County district schools on “Pocket Refuge” gardens funded by DDWS’ Environmental Education Grants. The project teaches students about the importance of pollinators and the habitat that sustains them. Working with district Environmental Education Resource Susan Hassett, DDWS has distributed a total of more than $12,000 ($1,500-plus to each of the schools) to buy supplies to create native pollinator gardens from a menu of indigenous plants, bird houses, trail cameras, solar-powered fountains, and other READ MORE

Last week Spanish-speaking Univision SWFL / Noticias WINK TV aired a segment about the project. (To view English captioning, pause the video, then click on the CC on the screen’s lower right-hand corner.)

Jim Bennight Nature Photography Exhibition

Art exhibitions have returned to the auditorium galleries in the “Ding” Darling Visitor & Education Center. Now through June 30, the Photography of Jim Bennight is on display, including numerous pieces of his exquisite nature photography.

Jim got started in photography during his university days as a stringer for United Press International syndicated news agency. After several years as a fulltime newspaper photographer, he opened a studio for portraits and weddings.

Along the way, Jim earned numerous state and regional awards for both his newspaper and studio work. He later discovered a passion for nature photography and, as a “Ding” Darling volunteer, spends much of his time capturing birds and other wildlife. This time of year, you will usually find him at the Wildlife Education Boardwalk shooting stunning images of nesting birds and their subsequent chicks.

Upcoming Refuge art exhibitions:

• Jim Bennight Nature Photography Exhibition - May 1-June 30, 2022
• 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence Jacqui Roch Exhibition - September 1-October 31, 2022
• Vince Thomalla Art Exhibition - January-February 2023
• Niki Butcher Art Exhibition - November 15-December 31, 2022 (sponsored by Wayne & Linda Boyd)
• Matsumoto Art Exhibition – March-April 2023

Castoffs to Couture Exhibition

“Ding” Darling’s Project Refuge: A Couture Fashion Show Using Trash debuted in 2019 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife and raise awareness for recycling. It spawned an encore 2022 fashion show to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society, which hosted both events. Now, two separate exhibitions showcasing the “best of the best” of the two runway shows will open to the general public.

The new Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point Retirement Community will open its “Castoffs to Couture: Selections from Project Refuge of the ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society” to the public May 7 through June 25. The arts center, previously closed to the public during COVID-19 precautions, will present 14 stunning fashions, each one fabricated with a minimum of 75 percent reclaimed or recycled, non-perishable materials, such as used bags, soda-pop tabs, packing foam, paint chips, old towels, and face masks. Castoffs to Couture provides an opportunity READ MORE

Free Summer Programs

Refuge Visitor Services staff has announced plans to offer its free tours program this summer from June 13 through August 6. Staff will continue to limit the outdoor programs to 10 people.

Due to staffing uncertainties, no schedule is set for the programs. Those interested should monitor the DingDarling.Eventbrite.com page, where participants must pre-register free-of-charge. Tours will include a beach exploration, story-and-crafts activity, birding tour, and mindfulness walk. 

View flyer.