|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Click the logo to learn more about our 45/82 Society and leaving "Ding" Darling in your estate.
|
We WON! Click
HERE to read more about America's best restroom.
|
|
|
| Please be respectful to nesting birds along the Indigo Trail. Noise pollution from loud conversation and light pollution from flashing cameras could negatively impact their nesting success. |
|
|
Adidas/Parley Support 'Ding'
Click here to read how to support the Refuge by purchasing sports clothing made from fish
fish nets, plastic water bottles, and other forms of plastic that
have been gathered from the oceans and beaches. Click
here
to purchase products.
|
Deadline for public comment
The Refuge is accepting public comments on proposed changes to the Refuge's recreation fee structure, scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2020. Through
May 31, 2019, comments can be
READ MORE
|
 Click HERE to read more about the newest item on the wish list for the Refuge. (WoW!) |
|
|
|
Wulfert Bayous private fund raising goal reached!
The "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society has reached its goal to raise $3 million in private donations to complete the $9.5 million acquisition of Wulfert Bayous, the last large parcel of unprotected and
undeveloped
land on Sanibel Island.
As we await the Lee County Commissioners' decision in August to award $6.5 million to complete the acquisition, we are continuing to accept donations in case the 20/20 funds don't all come through. If we do end up receiving the full $6.5 million, additional funding would be applied to a restoration project that will remove invasive vegetation from the tract and create improved habitat for wading birds such as Roseate Spoonbills and Reddish Egrets. THANK YOU to everyone who supported this important campaign.
Special thanks to the campaign committee: John McCabe, Chair. Bill Valerian; Jim Sprankle; Dick Levinson; David Jeffrey; Marc Giattini; Doris Hardy;
Lynnae Messina, Sierra Hoisington and Birgie Miller.
If you haven't seen our campaign video about this campaign, please click HERE.
To make donations or pledges, contact Birgie Miller, DDWS Executive Director at 239-472-1100 ext. 4.
|
|
|
 |
|
Wednesday's Reading in the Refuge includes a make-and-take wildlife craft.
|
|
Wildlife Wonders talks, weekly walks, and nature crafts highlight the free summer program schedule that runs Wednesday through Saturday, June 5 through August 3, 2019, at the Refuge. Summer programming is made possible by READ MORE
|
Artist 'in Residence' Program
|
|
|
Ed works from his Pop-up Art Studio on Wildlife Drive most Tuesdays and Thursdays through June.
|
As part of our 75
th
Anniversary
Artist "in Residence" program
, Idaho artist Ed Anderson sets up on Wildlife Drive to sketch and interact with visitors on select Tuesdays (June 4, 11, and 25) and Thursdays (June 6, 20, and 27) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Look for the "Artist in Action" banner that marks Ed's Pop-Up Art Studio.
The artist has also scheduled two free Friday Art Journal Walks at the Refuge. On June 7 and 28, Ed will introduce participants to his unique style of extemporaneous art and travel journaling with a 10 a.m. briefing in the READ MORE
|
|
|
Girl Scout Donation for land acquisition
 A huge THANK YOU to Girl Scout Troop 200 for recently presenting the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society with a check for $200. The six girls, ages 7 to 10, raised the money from cookie sales to donate to our Wulfert Bayous acquisition. They also wrote letters to neighbors and friends urging them to "join us in protecting the future of Sanibel as a wildlife habitat and a great place for kids to grow up in a small community in harmony with nature." Kudos to the girls and their leader for caring about saving wildlife and for donating money
that they could have kept to further their own troop's treasury
.
|
|
We Did It! 10K+ Followers
|
|
|
|
Chris & April
|
|
When they arrived last fall, DDWS interns April Boehnen and Chris Gutierrez set a goal of reaching 10,000 followers on Instagram social media. At the time, we tallied fewer than 7,200. Through exciting photographic and video posts and stories and join-up prize drawings, the dynamic duo reached
their goal in May. The milestone means added perks for our followers.
Click
HERE
to follow our page.
|
|
Welcome, Education Intern
 On May 21, Education Intern Izzy Garcia joined the team at the Refuge to help with staffing shortages this summer, thanks to funding from the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society. Izzy -- a native Floridian originally from Sweetwater, a Miami suburb, and a 12-year Cape Coral resident -- graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville earlier in the month with a degree in READ MORE
|
|
Save the Date: 'Ding' Darling Day
|
|
|
|
The Butterfly Tent is one irresistible draw at "Ding" Darling Day.
|
|
Mark your calendar for this year's "Ding" Darling Day birding and eco-festival on Sunday, October. 20. Free activities during the one-day event include Refuge tram tours, live wildlife presentations, archery clinics, hot dogs, stand-up paddleboarding, live music, a touch tank and butterfly house, wildlife yoga, nature sketching, origami, and kids' nature crafts. Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp winners plus READ MORE
 Support is needed to cover the cost of putting on this family fun day. Interested in becoming a "Ding" Darling Day sponsor? Please contact Dot Voorhees at 239-472-1100 ext. 239. Thank you to Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grill for becoming a Roseate Spoonbill level sponsor.
|
|
Surprise Visitors
|
|
|
Bob and Juliet Barber
|
Look who popped into the Visitor & Education Center last week: former Refuge Manager Bob Barber and his wife Juliet. Bob, the Refuge's second manager, filled the post from 1971 to 1973. The Barbers live in Georgia but recently bought a condo on Sanibel Island, so we look forward to having them around.
"While the Wildlife Drive was in existence, there were no facilities there," Bob remembers about his years. "Much of the land was purchased during my time and shortly thereafter. Public use was heavy -- for someone transferring from Montana -- but has obviously grown exponentially. Sanibel was unincorporated, governed by Lee Country. Mosquitoes were our most numerous wildlife!"
|
Dress Dad in style this Father's Day with two dapper "Ding" looks that the Refuge Nature Store has put together. On the left, they've paired a Columbia PFG custom-embroidered, UPF-40 shirt with a Charter hat by Sunday Afternoon in sand and black, then accessorized with the Keegan style of Blue Planet sunglasses made with ecofriendly bamboo and wood.
Or go for the UPF-40 Roseate Spoonbill crew neck topped with Sunday Afternoon's travel-friendly Havana hat and Kennett sunglasses by Blue Planet, which are all polarized with 100% UVA/UVB filtering. Sunday Afternoon hats feature UPF-50 cover and moisture-wicking materials.
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.
|
In each issue of "Ding" on the Wing, we showcase one of the more than 560 refuges across the U.S.A.
|
|
|
Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
|
Location:
Fereday, Louisiana (13,200 acres)
Totemic Fauna:
Black Bear, White-faced Ibis
Fun for the Family
: Several miles of hiking trails, two boardwalks with observation decks, a boat launch, and launch retrieval sites are available.
Visitor's Tip: When finding your way to the refuge, do not rely on an electronic navigation device; inaccurate maps and limited reception can lead you astray. Refer to the website for directions.
|
|
|
|
White-faced Ibises
|
|
|
|
|
Black Bears
|
|
|
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.
Balloons: Deflating News 
In a recent study on seabird mortality,
Scientific Reports
found: "There is a 20.4% chance of lifetime mortality from ingesting a single debris item, rising to 100% after consuming 93 items. Obstruction of the gastro-intestinal tract is the leading cause of death. Overall, balloons are the highest-risk debris item; 32 times more likely to result in death than ingesting hard plastic."
Consider alternate, earth friendly items for your next celebration, such as ribbon dancers, kites, reusable pinwheels, flags, crepe paper, Mexican
papel picados
, or hanging paper pompoms.
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.
|
Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
|
|
|
Yellow-crowned Night Herons |
Eggs are hatching all around the Refuge! This Yellow-crowned Night Heron pair huddles together to protect their chicks.
Thank you to David Jeffrey for this photo.
T
o see more wildlife photos click on our social media links:
If you have taken any beautiful, interesting, or just plain goofy photos at the Refuge, send them to Development Officer
Sierra Hoisington, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
|
|
|
|
Stay tuned as we reveal our calendar of special activities to celebrate the Refuge's 75th anniversary starting later this year. |
75th Anniversary Trashion Fashion Show
- March 10, 2020
75th Anniversary Happy Hour Holiday Shopping
- December 1, 2019
75th Anniversary Lecture Series
- January 17-April 3, 2020
Official 75th Anniversary Celebration
- December 1, 2020
|
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.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
