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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
March 15, 2018
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Refuge funding continues to decline; private philanthropic support helps fill in the gaps. Thank you for your support.
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Trivia Thursday
How might a White Pelican show it is being threatened? Find the answer somewhere in this newsletter!
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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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TOMORROW,
March 16:
Wildlands Philanthropy Lectures
In the oversized, richly illustrated coffee table compendium
Wildlands Philanthropy: The Great American Tradition
, author Tom Butler tells the stories of dozens of generous, conservation-minded Americans who have helped save the nation's wilderness. On Friday, March 16, the author will be presenting two free programs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., part of the
2018 "Ding" Darling Lecture Series
at the Refuge. Due to scheduling conflicts, Butler will only be signing before and after the 10 a.m. lecture, and before the 1 p.m. lecture.
Vice President For Conservation Advocacy for Tompkins Conservation and past Board President of Northeast Wilderness Trust regional land trust, Butler is a longtime conservation activist focused on wilderness and READ MORE
Thank you to our 2018 Lecture Series Sponsor
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Friday, March 23:
Living Bird Lectures
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The Living Bird
book is for sale in the Refuge Nature Store, proceeds from which benefit Refuge wildlife research, conservation, and education programs.
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Photographer, cinematographer, and sound recordist
Gerrit Vyn travels the world to document the lives of birds for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. A new book created for the lab's 100-year anniversary,
The Living Bird: 100 Years of Listening to Nature, explores man's joyful and complex relationship with birds. Vyn will illustrate the major themes covered in the book and share many of his powerful images and video recordings from the field during three free presentations at
10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on Friday, March 23, as part of the
2018 "Ding" Darling Lecture Series at the Refuge. In
READ MORE
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| Sponsor of the 2018 "Ding" Darling Lecture Series |
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Lecture Seating Policy
Seating for the lectures is limited and available on a first-come basis. Early arrivals can save one extra seat each with personal items and then may explore the Visitor & Education Center or Indigo Trail before the lecture starts.
Saved seats must be filled 15 minutes before lecture time.
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Wednesday, March 21:
Mission Blue Film
The Emmy award-winning documentary
Mission Blue continues the sixth annual free
"Ding" Darling Wednesday Film Series on
March 21, at 1 p.m. in the Visitor & Education Center auditorium. The documentary features legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic explorer-in-residence,
Dr. Sylvia Earle, and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries. She has been studying the ocean for more than 60 years. "I saw the after-influence of what we can do to the natural world," she says in
READ MORE
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2018 Film Series Sponsor
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Click
here
for a printable 2018 Film Series flyer.
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Thursday, March 29: Estate Planning 101
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Trevor Swartz
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Representatives from local legal and financial advisory firms will team up once again with the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society on Thursday, March 29, for a free Estate Planning 101 panel presentation in the Visitor & Education Center from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and donuts provided by DDWS.
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Janet Strickland
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Jack Thomas
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"The success of our first free 'class' provided a valuable public service and gave attendees insights, guidance, and tools to help them plan their estate or develop questions for their own advisors and family members," said DDWS executive director Birgie Miller. "This one will also provide a means to take that first step for those who haven't already done so and may feel overwhelmed with the process and the new tax laws."
Attendance is free but limited on a first-come basis. For more information, contact DDWS at 239-472-1100 ext. 4.
Click
here to see our ad.
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Thursday, April 5: Honoring Birgie "Bird"
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One of Birgie's countless achievements, she initiated the annual "Ding" Darling & Doc Ford's Tarpon Tournament fundraiser in 2011.
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Please save
Thursday, April 5, for a special open house at the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center to celebrate the achievements of Executive Director Birgie Miller before she
leaves the "Ding" flock this summer. The public is invited to stop in from
4:30 to 6:30 p.m. for refreshments, a special short presentation will take place at
5:45.
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Yappy Hour Proceeds
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Staff from "Ding" Darling, DDWS, and Over Easy at Yappy Hour
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Humans and their "furfriends" enjoyed a HOWLIN' good time last week at Yappy Hour. A doggie-smooch thanks to the
Over Easy Cafe and Island Paws
for hosting the event and asking DDWS staffers Carrie Alexander and Sarah Lathrop to "barktend" for tips to support the "Ding" Refuge, raising nearly $2,000!
Did you know?
Dogs are allowed and welcomed at the Refuge on a 6-foot leash and under control.
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Congrats Ranger Toni!
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Toni recently won the Florida chapter of The Wildlife Society's Outstanding Educator Award.
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Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland joined the Refuge staff in 2002 as a Conservation Educator. She personally taught thousands of children and adults about the importance of protecting wildlife and habitat and about the Refuge's flora and fauna.
In her administrative position today, she oversees Visitor Services and continues to educate at an overarching level by implementing, with the support of the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, new programs and exhibits such as the first-of-its-kind Discover Ding smartphone app and the Learning Lavatories exhibit that debuted READ MORE
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Bid for Art Glass
This beautiful, original piece of artist-created fused glass is now open to phone auction until May 9. Donated by Chris and Kristy Sammet and valued at $2,500, the undersea-motif piece is mounted on a lighted base. The piece is 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide at its widest point. Start the bidding at $500. Please call 239-472-1100 ext. 4 to buy or bid.
 
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March 31 Scholarship Deadline
Application deadline for 14 conservation scholarships starting at $1,000 each is March 31, 2018. High school seniors, college, and graduate students in or from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties pursuing degrees in environmental-related studies may apply. This is the 12th year that DDWS will be awarding scholarships. The program began in 2005 with scholarship awards in 2006 from
Tarpon Bay Explorers
, the Refuge's official recreation concessionaire. To date,
DDWS has awarded $97,000
. "Tarpon Bay Explorers started the program by READ MORE
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Saturday, March 31: FREE Youth Fishing Derby
The
Sanibel Island Fishing Club free Youth Fishing Derby
takes place on Sanibel Island Causeway Park,
Island A (closest to the mainland) on March 31. Registration for youth ages 15 and younger
opens at
8:30 a.m., with fishing from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and awards at
11:15. Participants must hook and reel in their own catches. Bring your own pole; "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society will be providing free use of a limited number of loaners. Teaching children to fish and enjoy the outdoors is one of the many missions of the Refuge. Due to cut backs in government funding, the Refuge was no longer able to staff this event.
Special thanks to the Sanibel Island Fishing Club for taking over this derby.
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New Jewelry
In the market for some spring bling? Check out our new arrivals. The extensive variety of Lemon Tree earrings, made in the U.S.A., features nature themes and hypoallergenic sterling. They sell for only $17.50 a pair.
Our new GEO line of Sea Lily necklaces made from piano wire uses bronze and slate pearls in the $31 to $46 range.
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New Lemon Tree earrings, made in the U.S.A.
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New GEO line of Sea Lily Necklaces
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Stop in and pick up your jewelry today. Or contact Store Manager
Jeanne Walsh at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about mail-ordering these and other
featured products.
Remember, members of "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society receive a 10% discount at the Nature Store. Proceeds from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs and wildlife research.
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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.
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Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Location:
42,724 acres in Rochert, Minnesota
Totemic fauna:
Trumpeter Swan, Golden-winged Warbler, Gray Wolf
Fun for the Family
: 5-mile wildlife drive, hiking, and historic sites
Visitor's tip:
Witness
diverse transition zones with Eastern deciduous hardwoods, Northern coniferous forests, and Western tall grass prairie -- all in one refuge.
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Gray Wolf
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Golden-Winged Warbler
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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
Go Green web page.
Sustainable Seafood
Overfishing is depleting our marine life at a shocking rate. As aquaculture improves and actually often results in a superior product free of parasites and plastics, farmed fish can sometimes trump wild-caught. Ask questions at seafood markets and restaurants about the origins of the fish you're ordering. Make purveyors aware
that you do not want to contribute to the depletion of species such as bluefin tuna and Chilean sea bass, and ask about alternatives such as yellowfin tuna, branzino, and underutilized species.
Reduce Plastic in Your Life
"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 transitioned to compostable plates, cups, and flatware for event use.
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Click
here to see this week's wildlife sightings
The first
Black-Necked Stilt of the season has been spotted at the Bailey Tract! Last year we had four nesting pairs at the BT, so hopefully this guy sticks around.
Thanks to Diane Doran for the photo.
Open wide!
This
White Pelican
might look hungry, but watch out - an open mouth display suggests a pelican is being threatened and is ready to defend itself.
Thanks to Jan Elsberry for the photo.
T
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 Philanthropic Coordinator,
Carrie Alexander
, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Volunteer Holiday Luncheon
- December 14, 2018
Volunteer Awards Luncheon
- February 8, 2019
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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 Sierra Hoisington and Amanda Brooks
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