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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
May 17, 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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Tarpon Rich!
$120,000 raised for conservation
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First place winners Team Costa with Caloosahatchee Cowboy Charters
received a check for $13,185.
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Image courtesy of Team Doc Fords. |
$120,000 raised and 49 tarpon caught!: The seventh
annual "Ding" Darling and Doc Ford's Tarpon Tournament on May 11 gave double meaning to "tarpon rich." Click
HERE
for more pictures and information about the record-breaking event.
We could not have done it without our generous and supportive sponsors and auction donors!
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Thanks to all of our wonderful sponsors who made this year's tournament the most successful tournament to date!
TITLE
CHAMPION Sponsors
PREMIERE Sponsors
PRESENTING
PLATINUM Sponsors
GOLD Sponsors
   
SILVER Sponsors
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Summer Education Intern
Education intern Shannon MacKenzie arrived on May 7 to help the Refuge with staffing shortages this summer, thanks to funding from the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society. Shannon, a senior at Washington State University in Pullman, is studying environmental and ecosystem sciences with hopes to become a teacher or park ranger.
"That's why this internship in the education department is so perfect for me!" she said. "I get to teach children about the environment around them. It's a lot of fun to see a child's face light up when READ MORE
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Lehigh Elementary & DDWS Make the News
This week, NBC2 covered Lehigh Elementary's
"Learning Gardens Outdoor Classroom" project, funded by a 2017 DDWS Teachers Conservation Grant. Click HERE
to watch.
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Staff Monofilament Day
Doris Hardy (center), our Immediate Past President and leader of the Monofilament Busters team that keeps the Refuge free of deadly fishing line and lures, gathered up the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society
staff on May 4 for a kayaking monofilament-removal outing.
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Immokalee Grant Project Visit
Immokalee Middle School ended their DDWS conservation grant-funded project All Creatures Great and Small: Why They Are Important to Our Eco-System with a recent visitor to "Ding" Darling. Here, Ranger Monica Scroggin takes students on a tour of the Wildlife Education Boardwalk's Scat Trail. "They loved exploring the scat statues and guessing which animal made each work of art!" wrote teacher Melanie Villa in her grant report. The students later visited Tarpon Bay Explorers for a kayak adventure. DDWS awards up to $7,000 in grant monies to area teachers each year. Many projects include a Refuge visit, a first for most students.
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Carrie Send-Off
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Sarah Lathrop, who hired Carrie as an intern in 2015, with Carrie Alexander
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On Monday, May 14, staff, board members, volunteers, and friends gathered in the Visitor & Education Auditorium to bid adieu to Philanthropic Coordinator Carrie Alexander and wish her the best as she transitions to a new life in Sydney, Australia. Staff shared memories of Carrie's three years with "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society as attendees enjoyed cake and a Carrie slide show. Farewell, Carrie. Don't lose that smile, and don't be a stranger!
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Earth-Friendly Crabs
Adopt these adorable metal crabs made in America out of recycled materials, and take them home with you. Painted either red or blue, they are perfect for summer entertaining
and cost only $34 each.
Convertible Handbags
Our line of Chala convertible handbags featu
res nature things and the ab
ility to be used as clutch and
cross-body purses. Chala sponsors the Walk Me Home Rescue Group for rescue dogs. Bags range from $30 to $48.95.
Stop in and pick up your gifts and accessories today. Or contact Store Manager
Jeanne Walsh at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about mail-ordering these and
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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Needed: Nature Store Volunteers
The Refuge Nature Store needs volunteers to help cover summer hours. Please contact Nature Store Manager
Jeanne Walsh or call 239.472.1100 ext. 241 for information on shifts.
The Nature Store is open 7 days a week from 9am - 4pm and
shifts
are 3.5 hours long.
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Farewell Susan!
Refuge and DDWS staff, volunteers, and, on her going-away cake, wildlife thanked Susan Trokey for 20 years of service at the Refuge and beyond
on Tuesday
. She most recently served as Regional Land Acquisitions Officer for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and has been instrumental in negotiating past land acquisitions at "Ding" Darling.
Susan has asked that, in lieu of gifts, friends make donations in her name towards future Refuge land acquisitions. To do so, click here and select Honorarium. Name Susan as honoree and in the notes or gift comments field indicate that your donation goes toward land acquisitions.
Good luck, Susan, in all of your future endeavors!
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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.
Location: 9,028 acres; Franklin, Louisiana
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Louisiana Black Bear
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Totemic fauna:
Louisiana Black Bear, American Alligator, Mississippi Kite
Fun for the Family
: Special events occur throughout the year, including BearFest (April), Step Outside Day (May), a fishing rodeo (June), Wild Thing (October), Spring Break Camp (April), and Cajun Christmas (December).
Visitor's tip:
May through September can be hot and buggy. Bring sunscreen, water, and insect repellant.
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Mississippi Kite
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| Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
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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
The Last Plastic Straw Challenge
This is an invitation to all bars and restaurants, to be part of the movement to eliminate plastic pollution from the source. By simply stating on menus "Straws available upon request," bars and restaurants can be part of the solution.
Here's How:
- Provide a straw only when requested by a customer.
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Provide either compostable or reusable straws.
- Or get rid of straws completely.
From London to Miami, restaurants, bars, and cities are banning plastic straws voluntarily.
Click
here
to read a
Florida Weekly
article about the Strawless on Sanibel movement.
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
This group of
Roseate Spoonbills was seen off Wildlife Drive this past Sunday on Mother's Day. We love seeing that spectacular pink against our lovely green-colored mangroves.
Thanks to
Steve Gresham for the photo.
Do you remember the picture of little eggs posted in a DOTW from a couple of weeks ago? Well, they are eggs no more. Check out this photo of newly hatched
Green Heron chicks along the Wildlife Education Boardwalk.
Thanks to Conservation Educator, Sara Hallas, for snapping this photo during one of her field trips.
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
Sierra Hoisington for a chance to be featured in upcoming newsletters.
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World Oceans Day at the Refuge - June 8, 2018
Chamber After-Hours at the Refuge - August 20, 2018
Volunteer Holiday Luncheon
- December 14, 2018
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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