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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
December 21, 2017
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Vote for "Ding!"
The "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is up for USA Today's
Best Florida Attraction competition. Click
HERE
to vote for "Ding." You can vote every day until January 14. We just hope the people already visiting the islands of Sanibel & Captiva will make a point to visit the Refuge during their next visit.
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Quick Sanibel Rice Rat Research Update
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Researchers apply an ear tag to Sanibel Rice Rats they capture and release.
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This week from Wesley Boone, head researcher on the Sanibel Rice Rat study:
"The rice rats survived Irma! I caught 4 this morning in the Legion Curve area of the Refuge."
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Warm & Joyful Holidays!
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From "Ding" Darling to you, this holiday wish penned by the Pulitzer Prize-winner cartoonist in 1924
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May your holidays be merry and bright, filled with laughter, joy, love, and the peace of nature.
The Refuge Visitor & Education Center will be closed all day Christmas Eve, December 24, and Christmas Day, December 25. Wildlife Drive and the Bailey Tract will remain open 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days. Wildlife Drive admission will be free on Christmas Day. Tarpon Bay Explorers closes on Christmas Day only.
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Dinner with Stephen Kress
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Dr. Kress with a puffin chick
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Noted bird activist Dr. Stephen W. Kress makes an appearance at "Ding" Darling on February 22 for a dinner in his honor. He will speak about his work restoring tern and puffin populations in Maine and his latest book,
Puffin Project: An Improbable Quest to Bring a Beloved Sea Bird Back to Egg Rock
. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society hosts the exclusive Dinner with Stephen Kress starting READ MORE
To register for Dinner with Stephen Kress, click
HERE.
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Teacher Grant Awards
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Education Committee members Wendy Kindig (front) and Sara Hallas (back) presented teacher grant checks totaling $7,303
on Monday
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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society on December 18 awarded $7,303 in grants to conservation education-related projects at eight different schools in Lee, Charlotte, and Collier counties for the 2017-2018 school year.
"This is the 12th year the Society has awarded these conservation teacher grants. The past four years we opened eligibility to a five-county area," says Wendy Kindig, Education Committee Chair. "To date, we have awarded more than $75,000 in teacher grants. We were impressed by the wide variety of projects our teachers and their READ MORE
For more information on Conservation Teacher Grants, please click here. |
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Smalltooth Sawfish at the Refuge
Check out this amazing video of a Smalltooth Sawfish swimming in the shallow waters along Wildlife Drive. The Smalltooth Sawfish is an
IUCN-listed critically endangered species, so we love to see them at the Refuge!
Thanks to volunteer Vic Harvey for capturing this video.
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New Tax Laws Favor Giving in 2017
The implications of the newly minted tax bill favor giving in 2017 over 2018, experts say.
While the answer is not a one size fits all, for most Americans a 2017 deductible will be advantageous. You should contact your tax advisor regarding deductions in 2017 or 2018 and what is best for your particular situation.
You have 10 days left to make your year-end donations for 2017 tax deduction purposes. Click
HERE to learn more about making a year end gift.
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Go Wild Auction Item
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Sculptor Jim Sprankle with his Green Heron Feather Pin
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It has become a well-loved tradition at our annual Go Wild for "
Ding" fundraiser, taking place this season on
February 14
at the Sanibel
Community House. Each
year, renowned bird
sculptor and DDWS Emeritus Board Member
benefit Refuge education and research. The winner of this year's Green Heron Feather Pin joins the exclusive ranks of the Sprankle Feather Club, which flocks together for a special
event each year.
This year's Go Wild theme is In the Nest. Reservations are $125 per person. Click
here t
o read more and go online to register
here.
Thank you to our 2018 Sponsors:
CHAMPION
GUARDIAN
PROTECTOR
DEFENDER
To become a sponsor, please call Sarah Lathrop at 239-472-1100 ext 4.
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"Ding" Darling Donates Flags to Cabo Rojo NWR in Puerto Rico
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Refuge and Society staff holding the three flags sent to Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico this week.
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"Ding" helped out a sister refuge
in need this week. "
Recently, I was contacted by my friend and fellow Ranger Gisella Burgos from Cabo Rojo NWR requesting the information to order new flags for her refuge," said Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland. "The flags were destroyed from the recent hurricanes. Instead of giving her the information, we decided to purchase and send them to Puerto Rico."
We are honored to be helping out Cabo Rojo after the damage it sustained during Hurricane Irma, and grateful for how well "Ding" Darling and Sanibel Island fared during the storm.
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12 Days of "Ding"mas
We're celebrating 12 days leading up to Christmas with our own
12 Days of "Ding"mas. Follow us on
Facebook or
Instagram and enjoy photos of wildlife at the Refuge celebrating the holidays.
From December 16: On the third day of "Ding"-mas, my Refuge gave to me: three spoonbills splashing!
Photo credit: Jim Lotstein
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| Reef bleaching is the topic of Chasing Coral. Image courtesy of The Ocean Agency - XL Catlin Seaview Survey - Richard Vevers & Christophe Bailhache. |
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The sixth annual "Ding" Darling Wednesday Film Series kicks off its bi-weekly showings this winter with a schedule of seven films that explore natural facets from pollinators and coral to wild Florida and the war on coal. The series runs January 10 through April 4. This year, a
short discussion
will follow each film to allow visitors to gain more from their documentary-viewing experience by hearing other people's points of view and analyzing what
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Thank you to our Film Series Sponsor
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they just watched. One of the season's highlights,
Chasing Coral
, explores the beauty of coral and its fragility and future in a changing READ MORE
Click
HERE
for a printable Film Series flyer.
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Stocking Stuffers
Stop in the Refuge Nature Store for your last-minute stocking stuffers. Check out our section designed just for fellow
procrastinators. 
Holiday Toys
Shop our selection of holiday nature-themed toys for under the tree this year. Animal stamp kits, turtle trucks, puppets, fishing games, butterfly tea sets... oh what fun!
Santa Gator Tie
Nothing says the holidays like a tie featuring alligators wearing Santa hats. Men and women alike are buying these festive and fun holiday accessories for $45 each.
Stop in and pick up your holiday gifts and souvenirs today. Or contact Store Manager
Jeanne Walsh
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about mail-ordering these and other
featured products
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Remember, proceeds from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs, research and overall conservation efforts.
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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: 35,000 acres in Decatur, Alabama
Totemic Fauna: Sandhill Crane, Whooping Crane, Blue-winged Teal
Fun for the Family:
Fishing, wildlife viewing, photography, biking, boating
Visitor's Tip:
The Festival of the Cranes occurs in January when migratory waterfowl are also at their peak.
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Sandhill Cranes
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Do You Plan to Include 'Ding' Darling in Your Estate
Plan?
Read about our
45/82 Society, and please
email us or call 239-472-1100 ext. 4 about becoming a member of this special group of people.
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Click
here to see this week's wildlife sightings
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...
Did you know
Snowy Egrets were almost hunted to extinction in the 19th century for their feathers, which adorned women's hats? Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall boycotted the practice, and their actions helped to form the National Audubon Society, pass the Migratory Bird Act in 1913, and ultimately save the species.
Thanks to Howard Chud for the photo
Did you know
White Ibis
are born with a straight beak? It doesn't start to turn down until they are two weeks old.
Thanks to Howard Chud for the photo
Did you know the
Wood Stork is an indicator species for the Everglades and other marsh habitats? That means if wood stork populations start declining, it most likely means the marsh is declining or not thriving as well as it should be.
Thanks to Rebecca Clemens for the photo
It's the first day of Winter and while you probably won't see snow, you
can spot these white-plumed birds and other colorful species here at "Ding" Darling at more comfortable temperatures.
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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Year-End Giving
"Shell"-ebrate your love of "Ding" with
a year-end gift! Click here to make a gift that will benefit wildlife, conservation, and education and help us spread holiday cheer throughout the year.
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Volunteer Awards Luncheon
- February 9, 2018
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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,
"Ding" On The Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton. Designed by Sierra Hoisington and Amanda Brooks
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