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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
July 26, 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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Click the logo to learn more about our 45/82 Society and leaving "Ding" Darling in your estate.
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From Russia with Love
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| Plan to attend Anastasia's Lake Baikal presentation on August 3 at the Refuge. |
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"The nature here is so beautiful!" exclaimed Anastasia Lukovenko, the head of the tourism department of Baikalsky Reserve in Siberia, a spot to where Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland traveled in 2012 to assist with visitor services.
Anastasia arrived to the Refuge last Monday and had already fallen in love by the next day. She will spend three weeks on-site, shadowing Ranger Toni to learn more about visitor services - from working with a friends group and concessions to marketing and fundraising.
On
Friday, August 3 at 1 p.m.
, Anastasia will present a multimedia program about Baikalsky Reserve, which holds the biggest and deepest lake in the world, its wildlife, and the work on a visitor center that the reserve has accomplished with Toni's guidance since her three-week visit in 2012.
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Mother ducks often end up with broods of up to 50 chicks or more, mainly because ducks frequently lay eggs in other ducks' nests, probably to ensure survival. Click
HERE
to learn more.
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| Two Roseate Spoonbills shaking off the stress of the week captured by Jim Bennight. |
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 Successful Prescribed Burn
The Refuge would like to thank all residents, visitors, and partners for a successful prescribed burn of the Botanical Site on Sanibel Island on Tuesday, July 17. It was conducted to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires and to help preserve the natural ecology of the area. The burn was successful thanks to all of the help from multiple partners, including five other Florida national wildlife refuges, plus other federal and local agencies.
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Advocacy at Work
b
y Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
Previous newsletters have discussed the discharges from Lake Okeechobee and the negative impact they are having on the Refuge and have asked you to express your concern to the appropriate officials. The recent
emergency order
that Rick Scott issued demonstrates that when enough people express their concern, we can make a difference. We thank you for your efforts to date.
Solutions that are likely to greatly reduce the negative impact of discharges from Lake Okeechobee are in the works. However, even if everything goes as planned, it will take over a decade for them to be implemented, and along the way there will be issues that need to be addressed. While this is happening, the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society will continue our efforts to protect the Refuge from a variety of water quality threats. To do this, we will continue to work with the City of Sanibel, state and federal politicians, and a variety of groups including SCCF, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the South Florida Water Management District, and the Everglades Coalition. On occasion we will again ask you to express your concern about the threat that poor water quality presents to the Refuge and our entire area.
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Clear the Beach, Save a Turtle
Thanks to former "Ding" Darling Ranger Becky Larkins and Bon Secours NWR for this unsavory Facebook reminder that during sea turtle season, we must be extra vigilant about how we leave the beach at the end of the day. Remember to remove all beach furnishings, fill holes, and level sand structures before calling it a day. Careless beaching can cause tragic fatalities, such as the demise of this rare Kemp's Ridley in Louisiana.
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Photo Contest Open!
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Linda Kruleski's "Hawk with Snake" took third place in 2017's "Ding" Darling Days Amateur Nature Photography Contest.
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July 15 marked the opening of the annual "Ding" Darling Days Amateur Nature Photography Contest. Deadline for submission is September 15, 2018, and all entries must
be submitted electronically. The contest, sponsored by the "Ding" Darling
Wildlife Society, is held in conjunction with
"Ding" Darling Days
,
October 12-14, 2018.
Click here to enter and view past winning photographs.
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Classic look, luxury feel: Tote and hip bags from Aqualux are made of heavy-duty, stone-washed canvas for durable, fashionable accessorizing. Ours also feature our favorite summer creatures: sea
turtles. The tote bags cost $12.95 each; the hip bags are $8.95 each.
Stop in and pick up your Aqualux bags today. Or contact Store Manager
Ann-Marie Wildman
at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for 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 |
Location:
329 acres; Ashland, Wisconsin
Totemic fauna:
Coaster Brook Trout, Black Duck, Northern Parula Warbler
Fun for the Family
:
Visitors should stop by the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center to learn about the area.
Visitor's tip: Wear appropriate footwear for hiking and bring water, food, and other items to help you enjoy the outdoors.
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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.
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
.
Toward a Life without Plastic
This
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service blog
suggests five ideas for reducing plastic to benefit wildlife. It encourages ditching plastic food packaging, bags, dental floss, disposable cups, and straws. Click HERE to see the suggestions.
Did you know the Refuge Nature Store carries reusable food wraps, shopping bags, drinking bottles and cups, and straws to help you kick your plastic habits?
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
Early this week, CBS broadcast incredible
footage of "Ding" Darling nationwide. Enjoy! Click photo below.
The word "cute" gets redefined here at "Ding." Below you will find two photos of interesting looking species found here on the Refuge.
On the left, a
Green Heron chick
looks up from the nest to see the beautiful place it gets to call home. Or maybe it was just looking for the arrival of food.
On the right, a
Spiny Orb Weaver spins its beautifully intricate web.
Thanks to Janet Kirk for both of these photos.
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 Development Officer,
Sierra Hoisington, for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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Special Russia Presentation
- August 3, 2018
DDWS Annual Meeting
- December 5, 2018
Volunteer Holiday Luncheon
- December 14, 2018
Woodring Homestead 100th Anniversary Exhibit Unveiling - January 23, 2019
2019 Friday Lecture Series
- January 25-April 19, 2019
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.
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