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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
February 21, 2019
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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, February 22:
Free National Wildlife Day
Families can enjoy nature arts & crafts tomorrow.
The Refuge education team, with support from DDWS, has scheduled special free activities to celebrate National Wildlife Day on
Friday, February 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Below is the schedule of activities that will take place that day at or leaving from the Visitor & Education Center:
● 9 a.m.-12 noon Nature arts and crafts in the Visitor & Education classroom
● 9:30-10:30 a.m. Guided hike along Indigo Trail to the Wildlife Education Boardwalk; meet at the flagpole adjacent to the parking lot.
● 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. "Guess that Animal" activity in the classroom
● 2-4 p.m. Nature arts and crafts in the classroom
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On February 13 at the Go Wild fundraiser, the "Ding"
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Still shot from the Horizon Sky Productions drone |
Darling Wildlife Society went public with its project to raise $3 million in private donations to complete the $9.5 million acquisition of the last large parcel of unprotected undeveloped land on Sanibel Island, called Wulfert Bayous. Click
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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society 68-Acre Preservation Campaign Video
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| Area to be purchased is outlined in red. Green highlighted area is conservation land. |
To make donations or pledges in person,
contact Birgie Miller
, DDWS Executive Director at 239-292-0566.
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TOMORROW, February 22: Monarchs & Milkweed Free Lecture
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The author out in the field
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"This is important science about an iconic and sadly declining insect, made readable by enthusiastic, personal prose," wrote
BBC Wildlife Magazine
about
Monarchs and Milkweed: A Migrating Butterfly, a Poisonous Plant, and Their Remarkable Story of Coevolution
by Anurag Agrawal. The author presents two free programs at the Refuge on Friday, February 22, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. -- part of the 2019 "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture series.
Agrawal's book is a detailed exploration of just about everything about monarchs: sex lives, dining
READ MORE
Thank you to our 2019 Lecture Series Sponsor:
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Friday, March 1: Free Debunking Wildlife Myths Lecture
Myth: Beavers can fell trees in the direction that they desire. Fact: Beavers simply gnaw around a tree until it falls, and occasionally a beaver is killed when a tree falls on it. It is one wildlife misconception that the book Owls Aren't Wise & Bats Aren't Blind: A Naturalist Debunks Our Favorite Fallacies about Wildlife corrects. Its author, Warner Shedd, brings two special free slide presentations to the Refuge on Friday, March 1, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. -- part of the 2019 "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture series. A former forester with READ MORE
Lecture Series Seating Policy
Lectures take place in the admission-free "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center. Seating for the lectures is limited and available on a first-come basis. Early arrivals can save their seat and one extra with personal items and then can explore the Visitor & Education Center or Indigo Trail before the lecture starts. Saved seats must be filled 15 minutes before lecture time or they will be assigned to the next people waiting in line. We recommend arriving an hour and a half before the lecture to save seats.
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Another Way to Donate
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Lynnae Messina with Margaret Keller
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"Ding" Darling volunteer Margaret Keller set up a highly successful
Facebook birthday fundraiser for the Wildlife Society. Facebook fundraisers are a great and easy way to get everyone involved. Thank you
so much. Margaret. for keeping the "Ding" Dar
ling Wildlife Society in your thoughts.
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"Go Wild" Centerpiece Available
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Osprey Nest Centerpiece |
The centerpieces featured at our "Go Wild" event are available for a donation. Only a few remain, and it's first come first served. Contact Event Coordina
tor, Dot Voorhees at 239.472.1100 ext. 4 or click
HERE to send her an email.
The theme this year was Call of the Osprey. The centerpiece replicates an Osprey nest in a tree.
Stay tuned for more details next week on auction items which helped raise a record breaking amount on Feb. 13.
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Woodring 100th Anniversary Exhibition
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Visitors can discover the Woodrings' fishing heritage at the exhibit.
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The public is welcome to view the free
Woodring 100th Anniversary Exhibition
now on display in the Visitor & Education Center Auditorium through March 25. Visit Sunday through Thursday (closed Fridays) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thanks to our sponsors below for making this exhibition possible.
Gold Sponsors
Ralph & Jean Woodring
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Gold Sponsors
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Silver Sponsors
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Silver Sponsors
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Go Wild Raises $500,000
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Doris Hardy with three juvenile Ospreys
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The final tally is not yet available, but early estimates place fundraising efforts at Go Wild for "Ding" - Call of the Osprey on February 13 above $500,000. More then $400,000 came in to support our
Wulfert Bayous acquisition campaign
, announced that evening.
Thanks to our generous sponsors for their contributions and also to auction donors and all of you who opened your purses to save wildlife habitat on Sanibel Island from development and water quality degradation.
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CALL OF THE WILD SPONSORS
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In each issue of "Ding" on the Wing, we showcase one of the more than 560 refuges across the U.S.A.
Location:
Offshore Crescent City, California (14 acres)
Totemic Fauna:
Tufted Puffin, Harbor Seal, Aleutian Cackling Goose
Visitor's Tip:
The refuge is closed to the public to prevent disturbance to the seabirds, their habitat, and marine mammals
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| Harbor Seal |
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Images courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife |
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| Tundra Swans by Jesse Irwin |
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Hummingbird Purse
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New for Spring
Just in time for spring, our latest Mary Frances designs include Turtle By The Sea and Spread Your Wings designs. Turtle By The Sea features hand-laid, turquoise-colored accent stones and a green satin lining with a pocket inside perfect for your cell phone or other small accessory. Spread Your Wings is an embellished hummingbird top-handle bag that functions both as a clutch or cross-body with a removable chain strap. It also features a green satin lining and cell phone pocket within.
Stop in and pick up your Mary Frances wildlife gifts today. Or contact Store Manager
Ann-Marie Wildman
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. Profits 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" 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.
Gas Leaf Blowers
Besides their noise pollution and its negative impact on wildlife, gas leaf blowers, which are beginning to be banned by governments across the U.S., pollute with gas emissions and are a health hazard to those who use them. Click
HERE
to read more.
Doing Our Part to Reduce Plastic
"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 DDWS has transitioned to compostable plates, cups, and flatware for event use. We have a no-straws policy.
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
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Double-crested Cormorants and American White Pelicans
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The birds have been out in full effect along Wildlife Drive this past week. If you get good photos and don't mind them being used on social media, please send them to Sierra Hoisington. You will receive full credit for all photos used. These photos are courtesy of Rebecca Clemens.
T
o see more wildlife photos 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 Development Officer,
Sierra Hoisington, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Volunteer Awards Luncheon
- March 26, 2019
Clyde Butcher Photography Exhibition
- November 12, 2019-February 6, 2020
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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 Christopher Gutierrez & April Boehnen.
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