|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The DDWS staff has been busy bringing the healing sunshine and beauty of the Refuge to the public through 30-second social media videos. Follow on Facebook to see our #DailyDoseofDing, brief virtual visits to the Refuge for those who can't make it.
|
Whether you live on Sanibel Island or in a completely different environment in faraway places like Ohio or Georgia, we want to see what you're seeing in your habitat while you are staying safe at home.
|
| Thank you to Lenny Twaskas from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, for sharing this image from his backyard.
|
Please email your nature photos so we can share them in "Ding" on the Wing and by social media. Include details about the photographer and where the photo was taken.
|
National Philanthropy Day is November 15, 2020. The J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge would be a very different place were it not for the philanthropic support through the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society. Thanks to everyone for making gifts to support conservation at "Ding". |
|
about becoming part of our monthly giving program.
|
Reducing Food Waste
Did you know that food scraps in the landfill can form methane gas, which contributes to climate change? So, don't blame it all on the cows. You, too, may be creating greenhouse gases. Read about some clever ways to reduce food waste and start putting them to use for your Thanksgiving feast.
|
|
|
|
December 1: 75th Anniversary 'Ding' Darling Day
In deference to pandemic complications, this year's 'Ding' Darling Day moved to December 1, in concert with the 75th Anniversary Celebration. The Refuge has scaled back activities this year, in keeping with CDC protocols, to present a relaxed and engaging day outdoors interacting with nature.
Wildlife Drive will be open all day, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., free of charge to all visitors. Environmental exhibitors and plein-air artists will be spread along the Visitor & Education Center parking lot, Indigo Trail, and Wildlife Drive that day. A Ding-O Bingo scavenger hunt will allow
|
| |
Watch for plein-air artists and environmental exhibitors along Wildlife Drive and Indigo Trail while you self-tour and complete the Dintg-O Bingo scavenger hunt for prizes.
|
'Ding' Darling Day Schedule of Activities
|
Nature Store2 Grand Opening Specials
For its grand opening, the new NatureStore2 and online store promote, November 20-22, a 20% discount on all apparel for ladies, men, and kids, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, and hats. Use the promotional code GRANDOPEN20 online to receive the discount.
Nature Store2's exclusive line of Out of the Woods products is sustainable, vegan, washable, and reusable.
Nature Store2 alone will also offer special prices on other select items, plus a free gift with any $25 or more purchase. Shoppers that weekend who sign up to receive DDWS' weekly "Ding" on the Wing email bulletin will be entered for a chance to win prizes, which will be on display. The new shop will also debut an exclusive Nature Store2 line of eco-friendly tote READ MORE
|
Theodore Cross High School Photo Contest
|
| |
"Changing Perspective" by Christina Walch from Cape Coral High won third place in the 2020 contest.
|
The eighth annual "Ding" Darling-Theodore Cross High School Photography Contest is under way with a deadline of January 15, 2021. It invites high school students in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades, and Hendry counties to compete for prizes that include a Canon digital SLR camera package, chartered class trips to the Refuge, and copies of Waterbirds: Portraits and Anecdotes from Birding Adventures by contest namesake, the late Theodore Cross.
Guidelines and prize information are posted online. Call DDWS at 239-472-1100 ext. 4 for READ MORE
|
November 14: Tarpon Bay  Explorers Saturday
 |
| | Tarpon Bay Explorers discounts kayak and boat tours on November 14. |
Call 239-472-8900 to reserve your spot.
|
Lecture Series
Kirk W. Johnson, author of the acclaimed Feather Thief, Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century, is one highlight of the five-lecture series.
|
|
 Public Conservation Discussions
Two upcoming public discussions on Sanibel and Captiva islands will address local conservation issues this month.
TODAY: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12: Join SCCF from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for an engaging panel discussion about Sanibel's approach to water management and the partnership between the city of Sanibel and SCCF in developing the current policy. Register here.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19: The Captiva Community Panel hosts the first public forum of the Captiva Sea Level Rise Committee starting at 7 p.m.
|
|
Wish List 2020-2021
|
| |
One priority on our current Wish List is a video editing computer and accessories for the Education Team. They will be creating educational/curriculum videos for WoW mobile classroom and other virtual learning experiences.
|
|
Register now for "Ding" Darling's 75th Anniversary Gala on the evening of Tuesday, December 1, at the parking lot across the street from The Community House on Sanibel Island. The classic 1940s drive-in theater affair will include live music, a program projected onto a large screen with audio broadcasted on car radios, and "car hops" safely delivering dinner and drinks while wearing masks. Space is limited to 70 cars, so reserve your space today. (There is no limit to how many people can occupy each vehicle.) $150 per person. All proceeds benefit conservation efforts at the Refuge.
|
|
| | |
Boomer, a frequent "Ding" sponsor and shih tzu poodle mix, is one smart dog. A graduate of Princeton with an honorary degree from Indiana University, he is fluent in English and Spanish and donates his time to work with autistic children
| |
|
| |
Paul Harmon, a talented artist and tech guru, often donates his time and talent to DDWS.
|
This week we welcome Boomer Duvin & Family as a Champion Level Sponsor and Paul Harmon at the Defender Sponsor level. Here is the complete list of sponsors to date; profuse thanks to one and all:
Call of the Wild Level Sponsors
Champion Level Sponsors
Guardian Level Sponsors
Protector Level Sponsors
Defender Level Sponsors
To join in the memory-making by becoming a sponsor, contact Development Officer April Boehnen at 239-472-1100 ext. 4.
|
|
Blast from the Past
December 1, 2020, we take a look back, through historic photographs, at the past three-quarters of a century.
Two years ago, we were all celebrating a first for National Wildlife Refuges in the United States: the 2018 America's Best Restroom® Award. Our interactive restroom exhibits still amaze visitors with their 3D wildlife sculptures and education conservation messaging. Here, then-Refuge Manager Paul Tritaik, DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller, Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland, and Cintas representative Sean Mulcahey celebrate the victory. Cintas Corporation sponsors the annual nationwide contest.
|
'America's Best-Kept Secret'
In each issue of "Ding" on the Wing, we showcase one of the more than 560 refuges across the U.S.A. that is open to the public.
|
| | Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
Location: 10,188 acres; coastal Mississippi and Alabama
Totemic Fauna: Longleaf Pine, carnivorous plants, wild orchids
Visitor's Tip: Begin your tour at the Grand Bay Coastal Resources Center interpretive center in Moss Point, Mississippi.
|
|
| | | Photo by Al Hoffacker | |
Click HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings.
Bald Eagles recently have been spotted at the Refuge!
Did you know that Bald Eagles have a wingspan of 5.9 - 7.5 feet?
To 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.
|
Nature Store Luminary Events - December 4-11, 2020
National Bird Day - January 5, 2021
Volunteer Training - January 14, 2021
Clyde Butcher Book Signing - February TBA
2021 Annual Go Wild for "Ding" - February 10, 2021
Earth Day at the Refuge - April 22, 2021
Artist-in-Residence Exhibition - October-Mid-November 2021
Niki Butcher Photographic Exhibition - Mid-November-December 2021
|
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 interns Cait Nalley and Hollis Hatfield
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
