April 4: Refuge Ribbon Cutting
On Tuesday, April 4, “Ding” Darling will open the gate to Wildlife Drive for the first time since Hurricane Ian with a 9:30 a.m. Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony. The “Ding” Darling Visitor & Education Center will also reopen that day.
“The ‘Ding’ team, with help from refuge crews around the U.S., has been working nonstop to get parts of the Refuge open so the public can once again view the wildlife, which has made a remarkable comeback since Hurricane Ian, especially the birds,” said “Ding” Refuge Complex Project Leader Kevin Godsea. READ MORE
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Some Refuge trails remain closed for now, such as Calusa Shell Mound Trail. | |
Reopening Lagniappes
In Louisiana, a lagniappe is a surprise bonus. At the Refuge, the April 4 reopening treats visitors to two new visual bonuses in the Visitor & Education Center Auditorium: A 30-piece exhibition of Artist in Residence Jacqui Roch’s work and a looping photographic PowerPoint looking back at the Refuge’s journey toward post-hurricane recovery.
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Florida Junior Duck Stamp Contest
On Wednesday, March 29, five judges gathered at “Ding” Darling to determine winners of the 2023 Florida Junior Duck Stamp contest. The contest, which had its genesis on Sanibel Island, thanks to the local elementary school art teacher, saw 1,249 entries from more than 12 schools and numerous homeschoolers across Florida. Judges included Jaye Boswell (that aforementioned Sanibel art teacher), artist Lacy McClary, volunteer Robin Kirk, volunteer and photographer Becky Clemens, and Sanibel photographer David Meardon. Best of Show went to Jenny Liu from Port Orange.
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Hurricane (and Related Environmental) Update
We consistently update our Resource Page and include a hurricane update each week in our "Ding" on the Wing. Call us with any Refuge questions at 239-292-0566. Here is a printable pdf of resources. We are trying to keep it updated and hoping it helps.
Here are a few new links:
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Native plant walks resume at Sanibel City Hall (800 Dunlop Rd). The next tour is April 1 at 9:00 a.m., meeting at the bottom of city hall main staircase. Other scheduled walks are April 6, April 15, April 20, and April 29, all promptly at 9:00 a.m.
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FDOT aims to have temporary Sanibel Causeway repairs complete by start of hurricane season.
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FISH of San Cap has a variety of items for residents such as shop vacs, windows, and doors for pick up on Friday at 1 p.m
- Blog devoted to sustainable travel in today's climate. The Climate Traveler
- FEMA seeks to construct temporary housing community in Harlem Heights area
- Water quality report
- More rising home insurance rates will be coming for Florida customers.
- Sanibel Museum adds Hurricane Ian Sanibel Lighthouse exhibit at its reopening this week.
- Sanibel Chamber and city partner on standardized open-for-business sign program
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Safety tips for visiting the Sanibel Causeway
- Southwest Florida's tourism industry making big comeback from Ian
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Hurricane study: "Nobody in Florida is protected" from damaging winds
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Study taking place on effects of blue-green algae in Southwest Florida
- Boaters guide to manatees
- Sanibel seeking input on bicycle-friendly community survey
- City of Sanibel: Guidance on restoring your home
- Caloosahatchee Connect project gets underway
- Florida Department of Health Lifts Red Tide Alert for Locations in Lee County
- Experts might have found the key to restoring our local ecosystems in Southwest Florida
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Affordable housing plan gets final approval
- Florida Legislature Passes ‘Live Local’ Housing Bill
- Southwest Florida businesses learn to be nimble to manage red tide's financial impact.
- Many signs of recovery on Sanibel, Captiva after Hurricane Ian's devastation
- Lee County's Property Appraiser notes deadline on Hurricane Ian property tax refund.
- Tornado-spawning storms may get worse due to warming.
- Army Corps of Engineers delays new Lake Okeechobee water release guidance.
- Hurricane Ian: 12 pressing questions and answers, 6 months after storm
- Customers of 'insurer of last resort' will soon have to shop around.
- Living on the Edge - Florida's barrier islands in an era of change
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Deadline extended for some homeowners to find new insurance after UPC went insolvent.
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New mosquito species reported in Lee, Collier counties, study shows.
- Eliminating HOME RULE
- Sanibel Island taking huge strides in recovery after Hurricane Ian
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Disaster Distress Helpline continues to receive calls relating to Hurricane Ian.
- Why Hurricane Ian's storm surge was so devastating.
- Ahead of Tampa visit, Jane Goodall shares her message for Florida.
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March Biology Highlights
Refuge Biological Science Technician Avery Renshaw reports on Refuge biology activities for the month. The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society supports her position.
Hurricane Ian disrupted a lot at J.N. “Ding” Darling NWR, but the biology program has continued despite the challenges. One important initiative that restarted in January 2023 was monitoring of the state-designated threatened Sanibel Island Rice Rat (Oryzomys palustris sanibeli). The only place in the world this at-risk species lives is the Spartina Grass interior, freshwater marsh wetlands and adjacent mangroves on Sanibel Island. The Sanibel Island Rice Rat already had low population estimates before Hurricane Ian. Unfortunately, since the island was inundated by over 13 feet of storm surge in some areas from Hurricane Ian and continues to hold high salinity water inland, this unique species has not been detected at all. We are continuing monitoring efforts, using READ MORE
Donate to support Avery’s position and biological research at the Refuge.
Photo caption: Researchers in the field post-hurricane, credit: Tedd Darnell
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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. | |
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ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Support the Southwest Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Area
DDWS is working in collaboration with WildLandscapes International, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Wildlife Refuge Association, the Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to establish the Southwest Florida Conservation Area. If successful, this effort will eventually result in up to 2,300,000 acres of the Caloosahatchee watershed being under conservation easements.
The USFWS is currently seeking public comment on the new conservation area under consideration in Southwest Florida. Through April 18, we urge you to attend in-person or virtual hearings or provide your written comment by email or snail mail. This page contains information on how to weigh in on the proposed conservation area and facts about the area and process.
Below see a video prepared by the Defenders of Wildlife talking about this important project.
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Outreach This Week
Kudos to our Tice Community Connector Maria Santiago, supported in her parttime position by DDWS. She made the news this week as part of a recruiting team for bilingual teachers headed to her homeland of Puerto Rico. Maria herself was recruited in 2017 and serves as Tice Elementary’s Cultural Studies teacher. See Story
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Cartoon of the Month
One of Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling’s most famous cartoons, published in 1927, cemented the artist’s concern for ducks, which culminated in his creation of the Federal Duck Stamp program in 1934. Titled “What Does Mere Man Know about the Perils of Non-Stop Flight?” the cartoon recognized the need to create resting places for migratory birds. Considered prophetic in his time about issues that would affect our nation and the world, Darling later laid the foundation, as chief of the precursor to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), for the National Wildlife Refuge System, which today oversees more than 560 refuges. As an educational spinoff to Darling’s Federal Duck Stamp Program, the FWS now also oversees the Junior Duck Stamp Program, which got its start on Sanibel Island and kicked off at the Refuge this week with the Florida contest judging.
| Click cartoon to see it enlarged. | | |
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WoW Update: Back to School
Following last week’s Spring Break for local schools, WoW (Wildlife on Wheels headed to Title-1 Sunshine Elementary in Lehigh Acres on March 27 for a four-week stay. From there, it lands at Lehigh Senior High April 24 to 28.
The WoW team is already planning its summer camp schedule and theme – Micro-Mania this year, partially funded by DDWS’ Dr. David A. Drachman Education Fund. It will magnify the world of micro-organisms and teach about the dangerous impacts of microplastics on marine wildlife.
The general public can experience WoW for free on April 22 to celebrate “Ding” Darling Day and Earth Day at Lakes Park in Fort Myers.
Now more than ever, with post-hurricane staffing cuts, Refuge community outreach needs your help. Donate today to support the upkeep and staffing for WoW. Thank you for helping us spread the conservation message to those with limited opportunities, so they can experience and appreciate wildlife and its habitat.
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Spotlight: Friends Rebuilding
As a regular feature, “Ding” on the Wing spotlights a business on the islands that has strongly supported the Refuge in the past and now needs us all to rally behind it as it navigates the road to recovery.
The brand-new Bubbly Latitude at Bell Tower shops generously pledged 15% of its sales during Saturday’s Sounds of the Sand at the Fort Myers shopping plaza. The one-of-a-kind home décor boutique carries hand-picked, island-style items for sprucing up the house and your own personal style. It opened in January.
“As we were trying to figure out where to go, we were happy to find a space with fellow Sanibel stores,” said Sarah Jacobson, who originally had planned to open Bubbly Latitude with Kate Zembrodt on Sanibel Island at The Village Shops. “It feels like a mini-Sanibel here. It is always nice to see familiar faces as well as meeting new friends. The community has been very welcoming, and we are so pleased to be where we landed.”
She carries everything from furniture, special one-of-a-kind items, cool rugs and dishware to unique women’s clothing, including hand-painted jackets and shirts whose sales benefit the Refuge.
“There are many reasons to love 'Ding!'” said Sarah. “Amongst our top reasons are the welcoming and knowledgeable staff, the peace one feels as you adventure through the various trails, and we can’t leave out the amazing wildlife that is attracted to the Refuge. We feel that it is important to support ‘Ding’ Darling because it is a vital part of what makes Sanibel the special island it is.”
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TOMORROW, March 31: Scholarships Application Deadline
Application deadline is March 31 for 13 DDWS scholarships amounting to more than $20,000. Ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 each, the scholarships are available to high school seniors, college students, and graduate students in or from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties pursuing degrees in environmental-related studies. This year’s named scholarships include READ MORE
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Conservation scholarships help replenish our world with young wildlife ambassadors. | |
Feel-Good Finds
If you have a photo, poem, video, or other feel-good find and you'd like the chance to be highlighted in our "Ding" on the Wing, please email it to April Boehnen.
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Photo by John Gunter from 2005 biking in "Ding" | |
Photo by Carol Matthai from January 2022 | |
Refuge Programming & Events
Until the Visitor & Education Center and Wildlife Drive reopen on April 4, programs and events at the Refuge have been curtailed. Read DOTW for news of activities still ongoing and upcoming.
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TODAY: Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI) hosts Get Inspired! SanCap Volunteer Expo at Sanibel's BIG ARTS on Thursday, March 30, Online registration is required.
- The Nature Store pops up at the Rachel Pierce Art Gallery marketplace from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. most Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays through March.
- Refuge Cleanup with a Ranger takes place every Thursday in March at 9 a.m. Participation is limited; preregister on Eventbrite.
- Come out to celebrate the post-hurricane reopening of Wildlife Drive and the Visitor & Education Center on Tuesday, April 4.
- Also on April 4, a mini-exhibition of Artist in Residence Jacqui Roch’s Refuge-inspired work opens in the Visitor & Education Center Auditorium.
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Wellness Tip
As part of our Nature Wellness Program for 2023, watch here for tips and advice on how to center your mind and improve your wellbeing both outdoors and indoors.
Bring on the Single-ingredient Foods
It often seems impossible to avoid additives and preservatives in our food. Unless you are reading and researching the long list of multi-syllablic ingredients on each label, what’s in the food you eat can pose a mystery.
This week’s tip: While it may be unrealistic to stop eating preserved food altogether, try to incorporate more single-ingredient foods into your diet. For example, an apple is nothing more than an apple. Typical applesauce from the store, however, is more than apples and contains many additives. For the healthier choice, opt for the whole apple or make your own applesauce using boiled and mashed apples, cinnamon, and sugar (all single ingredients).
Single-ingredient foods can be mixed to make a delicious, whole-food meal. Get creative and see what you come up with by mixing as many single ingredients as possible together: homemade bread, fruit salad, chicken stir-fry … the options are truly endless.
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Wildlife Sightings
With the reopening of Wildlife Drive next week, we are bringing back this popular feature showcasing wildlife photos taken at the Refuge by volunteers, staff, and visitors. Please send your “captures” to Ali Reece. Thanks to volunteer Michael Galloway for images of an Osprey and White Pelicans he captured during a sneak peek preview tram tour for volunteers Monday.
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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! Thank you for caring!
Sincerely,
Birgit Miller, Executive Director
"Ding" On The Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton. Designed by Ali Reece.
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