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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
June 9, 2016
In This Issue
If you've had a memorable Refuge experience lately, please rate and review "Ding" Darling on  TripAdvisorHere's a post from June 4, 2016:
"Very nice place to visit. The [free] welcome center was very informative and really nice inside. It cost $5 to drive a car through which was very cheap in my opinion (they could have charged a lot more). We saw some birds, crabs, & snakes. It was a nice relaxing adventure.
vsiebert, Littleton, Colorado.
What Hiking Does to the Brain is Pretty Amazing
April 11, 2016 by Michael W. Pirrone

More reason to get outdoors: "...few of us ever give a lot of thought to how hiking could benefit our mental health as well. It turns out that hiking might just be your ticket to a brand-new brain READ MORE

Congratulations to our 2016 Environmental 
Scholarship Recipients

At a special after-hours gathering at the Refuge on June 7, 2016, "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society awarded $15,500 in conservation education scholarships to 14 students from the surrounding five-county area. The awards total was the highest ever in the 10-year history READ MORE

Thank you to all of the generous donors who made these scholarships possible.
Smithsonian Exhibit Complete 
 
One of only six venues in Florida, "Ding" Darling will host the first-of-its kind Water/Ways traveling exhibit from October 29 through December 9, 2016, in partnership with the Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program supported by The Smithsonian and Florida Humanities Council.
 
Sneak-peak of the exhibit

Recently completing construction phases, Water/Ways will take a global look at water relative to the environment, culture, and READ MORE  
 


Beach Walks at the Refuge's Perry Tract teach families about marine wildlife and its habitat.
FREE Summer Programs Start Sunday
 
Wildlife Wonders talks, weekly walks, and nature crafts highlight the free summer programming to be offered at the Refuge June 19 through August 6, 2016. Summer programming is made possible by support from the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS).
 
Click here to see the schedule of programs. 

Summer Hours
Wildlife Drive and the Visitor & Education Center hours change during summer months. Through June and July, the Drive is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday through Thursday (closed Friday). Visitor & Education Center hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through the end of the year. The Center is closed on the Fourth of July. For a complete calendar of hours, please click here.
Jenny and Jack
Interns Say Goodbye... 
and Thanks

  Recently two education interns - Jack Cholewa and Jenny Rieke -- said farewell to "Ding" Darling to pursue their careers elsewhere. "I will be forever grateful and consider myself incredibly fortunate to have spent the last 6 months as part of the 'Ding' family," wrote Jack. "It was an invaluable experience," concluded Jenny. Click here   to read their goodbye letters in their entirety. 
New Summer Education Intern
Johnny
 
Johnny Hong Chen joined the Environmental Education team last week from Marietta, Georgia. He is currently a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in biological sciences and will assist with 
 summer day camp here. "So far, my favorite parts about Sanibel are the scenery and the proximity of the island to everything  I love," Johnny said. "I can go see the beach or watch baby herons within a short bike ride from intern housing." Johnny will be helping with the the Nature Explorers Day Camp which was made possible through an anonymous grant.  
Mission: Communication
 
Friends group representatives across Florida met last weekend at "Ding" Darling to learn skills on communicating about their respective refuges and about Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Part of Alaska's vast refuge system, Arctic NWR has been embroiled in oil drilling controversy in the past and again recently.   "We thought Florida was a good place to have this conversation," said David Houghton, President of the Refuge Association - the nationwide organization of refuge friends groups. "We urge you to use Arctic as a vehicle to communicate to the public how cool the National Wildlife System is." A number of migrating bird species connect Arctic NWR with Florida refuges. 

(Above) Refuge Association President David Houghton, DDWS President Doris Hardy, FWS Assistant Director Jim Kurth, "Ding" Darling Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland, and DDWS Immediate Past President John McCabe enjoy a special reception and Arctic NWR presentation.
Rice Rat & Mangrove Studies
Sanibel Rice Rat captured for tagging and released.

From a May/June USFWS Refuge Update article about "Ding" Darling research:
 
"The Sanibel rice rat and mangrove forests are critical components of wetland ecosystems in J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island in Florida. The rice rat is a link in the food chain; mangroves effectively store carbon and produce habitat for a wide variety of species.

Slow, methodical research and monitoring of both rice rats and mangroves will help READ MORE
Junior Rangers

Parents and grandparents: Remember to stop by the Visitor & Education information desk with the kids to get their Junior Ranger
challenge and badge when you visit the Refuge. Pictured here: Kevin and Patrick Bauer, students at the University of Florida, recently came with family in a serious effort to get their "Ding" Darling badge. "They told me they have been to at least 80 federal areas - been doing this for eight years - where they have participated in a similar activity, including other refuges, national parks, and so forth,"  said desk volunteer and DDWS President Doris Hardy. They're our new poster kids for engaging youth early in life with nature and conservation.

New to our sign collection, "Crocodile Crossing" pays homage to the well-loved resident croc who lived at the Refuge for 24 years, starting in the mid-80s. She passed away in 2010. Former refuge ranger Charles LeBuff  and his wife Jean created the crocodile sign to add to their collection of clever "Do not feed" and various other "crossing" signs" at the Nature Store. Cost is $24.95 each. To order email or call 239-472-1100 ext. 241. Proceeds from all Nature Store sales go directly to the supporting the conservation work at the Refuge.
New Member of the "Ding" Family

Welcome little "Ranger" Isaac Wayne Larkins into the Refuge family. Ranger Becky Larkins with husband Keith delivered a 7-pound 3-ounce baby boy on May 29.

This Land Is Your Land
 
"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society has undertaken a campaign to acquire more than 8 acres  on Sanibel Island's Wulfert Road as a crucial wildlife corridor for the "Ding" Darling Refuge. We must raise $2 million in private funds to purchase the parcel, which lies between SCCF land and the Refuge.
Donors have already committed more than $600,000 of needed funds, so the goal is to raise the remaining $1.4 million by February 2017 . If not preserved by the Refuge, the land could be developed with as many as five dwellings and READ MORE
To make a gift or multi-year pledge or for more information, contact DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller at 239-292-0566 or by email.


Refuge Spotlight:
America's Best-Kept Secret


Ranger Teresa

Welcome to Ranger Teresa Skiba, Education Specialist from the Valle de Oro National Wildllife Refuge, on special detail to help out staff at "Ding" Darling for the month of June. She introduces us to her home refuge, one of more than 560 refuges in the U.S. and a favorite of eco-tourists.



Sandhill cranes and Valle de Oro scenery; photo by Deanna Nichols.
Valle de Oro NWR
Location: The Southwest's first urban national wildlife refuge, it's in South Valley, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Totemic fauna: American Kestrel
Don't miss: Walk to the Rio Grande River
Fun for the family: Quarterly festivals and monthly bird walks
Visitor's tip:  In winter, see Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese, and Ross's Geese -- be sure to wear layers and bring plenty of water.
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Red-Bellied Woodpecker by Sylvia Guarino, Roseate Spoonbill by Lia Vito

T o see more wildlife photos, click on our social media links:
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If  you have taken any beautiful, interesting,  or just plain goofy photos taken at the Refuge, send them to Society intern  Carrie Alexander  for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.

Free Summer Programs   - June 19-August 6, 2016
27th Annual "Ding" Darling Days - October 16-22, 2016
Smithsonian Water/Ways Exhibit - Oct.28-December 8, 2016

These are just snapshots of some of the things taking place at your Wildlife Refuge.  Please check our website at  www.dingdarlingsociety.org to learn more!

Sincerely,
Birgit Miller, Executive Director

"Ding" On The Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton.  Designed by Sarah Lathrop and interns Carrie Alexander and Anna Grubb
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