Welcome New Visitor Services Intern

Tucker Phillips recently joined the “Ding” team as the Jim & Liz Birmingham 2022 Visitor Services Intern, working fulltime with Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland through the 2021-2022 season. Tucker arrives from his hometown Herndon, Virginia. He graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, where he majored in environmental science with a concentration in conservation.  

My favorite part about Sanibel is definitely the weather, and my favorite thing about the Refuge is how important the work we do here is,” said Tucker. “I'm really looking forward to meeting all the people who come to visit and helping to show them why the Refuge matters, as well as getting a little more involved with the wildlife.”

Jim and Liz Birmingham of Sanibel Island and Colorado donate in support of an annual internship. The Brminghams have been coming to Sanibel for many years and believe in the importance of supporting the communities where they live, especially when it comes to giving the younger generation an appreciation for conservation.

DDWS provides living stipends and other benefits for about a dozen interns each year. The Refuge supports interns with free housing. “We welcome our new interns’ energy and enthusiasm,” said Toni. “Thanks to our friends group for making the internships possible. With our shrinking staff, due to federal budget cuts, this sort of partnership is crucial to keep the Refuge running.”

DDWS currently stewards two named internships for the 2021-2022 year and is accepting donations for three future named intern funds at $12,500 a year, which is the cost for supporting one intern. For information about supporting the Refuge Internship Program, contact Lynnae Messina at 239-472-1100 ext. 233.

September 25: National Public Lands Day at the Refuge

The U.S. Department of Interior celebrates National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 25, this year. Admission to Wildlife Drive is free from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day at “Ding’ Darling. Refuge staff also celebrates by awarding a free one-day entry pass for any national wildlife refuge, national park, and other federal land to visitors who collect a bag of trash at the Refuge. The pass is good for one year.

Tour the WoW (Wildlife on Wheels) mobile interactive experience and play games in the main parking lot for free that day. Visit the Welcome Table outside the Visitor & Education Center from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to start your day’s adventure. You can also pick up the Refuge’s new 20-page Junior Ranger Activity Booklet. Junior Rangers of all ages receive a free wooden badge. Have a look at our National Public Lands Day flyer for details.

Earn your Junior Ranger badge.

Welcome, WoW Education Volunteers

Don and Jane Harvey have joined the WoW Education Team for the coming season as Resident Volunteers. Jane previously worked as a sixth-grade teacher in language art and social studies while completing a masters and media specialist degree at the University of Georgia. She retired in December 2002 with 30 years in the educational field. Don, who worked as a power plant inspector and, later, a supervisor for Tennessee Valley Authority, retired in 2016 from his own consulting business.

The Harveys, who call Chattanooga, Tennessee, their home base, volunteered as roadside assistants in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park before migrating to “Ding” Darling last week. Other volunteer gigs across the country have included Denali, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Acadia national parks.  

  “When we saw the ad for ‘Ding,’ it appeared to be written for us,” says Don. “The ad specified someone that was an educator and someone with a Class A CDL driver’s license. Jane would be the educator and I would be the driver.”