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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
October 19, 2017
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Roseate Spoonbill
Photo courtesy of Bill Fisher
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TODAY, October 19: Calusa Day
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One of today's programs takes visitors on a free guided tour of Calusa Shell Mound Trail.
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As part of "Ding" Darling Days, through October 21, today's Calusa Day features free tours and programs interpreting our region's early human settlers. Click HERE to see the day's schedule.
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October 21: Conservation Art Day
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Five-time winner James Hautman designed the 2017-2018 Federal Duck Stamp featuring Canada Geese.
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Terry Baldwin's free Nature Photography Tram Tour returns. Call 239-472-8900 for reservations.
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Five-time Federal Duck Stamp winner James Hautman from Chaska, Minnesota, headlines the ninth annual free Conservation Art Day at the Refuge on Saturday, October 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Florida Junior Duck Stamp winner Faith Malfa and Federal Junior Duck Stamp winner Isaac Schreiber will also be on hand.
"Nine years ago we moved the duck stamp artist presentations from Family Fun Day so we could honor the winning artists with a day devoted especially to them," said Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland. "So Conservation Art Day is the time to
READ MORE
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Spots Available for FREE Bunche Beach Tram
A few spots remain for Friday's free Bunche Beach Birding Tram on October 20. The three-hour tour departs from the Visitor & Education Center parking lot at 7 a.m. to hit low tide at the active birding park off-island. Expert birders Karl Werner, Elaine Swank, and Phyllis Gresham will narrate the tour. Reservations are required. Please call Tarpon Bay Explorers, which is donating the use of a tram for the excursion, at 239-472-8900.
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National Coverage for #LearningLav
Click HERE to read national coverage of #LearningLav in USA Today and to see a video interview with Refuge Manager Paul Tritaik and Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland about the exhibits. USA Today
also posted the article on Facebook for its more than 8 million followers to read.
The first of their kind among the 550-plus refuges in the National Refuge System, the new Learning Lavatories (#LearningLav) exhibit at the Refuge debuted to the public on Friday, October 13. Funded by a $125,000 grant from the
West Coast Inland Navigation District
(WCIND) and contributions from private donors, Project
#LearningLav
has created educational imagery inside the center's lavatories and on the outdoor wall and ceiling leading to them. The outside mural immerses visitors in a virtual underwater
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A mural detail in the men's restroom features a 3-D Tarpon on a fisherman's line.
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experience,
where they come eye-to-eye with 3-D manatees and look up to see the undersides of an Alligator, ducks, and a White Pelican on the hunt for fish.
Click here or scan the QR code to the right to see images, video, and more information about the exciting exhibits that make ours the coolest bathrooms in the country and the entire National Refuge and Park System. |
New Resident Volunteers
This season we are fortunate to welcome seven resident volunteer couples to help with Refuge manpower shortages. Resident volunteers work at the Refuge in exchange for a spot to park and hook up their RV or trailer.
Kenneth and Louann Gum
arrived in mid-September from Lebanon, Tennessee, and will remain until mid-December. Kenneth, who worked previously as a mine manager, helps out in the maintenance department, while Louann, a former school psychologist, works in administration and visitor services. They have both filled similar positions as resident volunteers at Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee.
"We enjoy the variety of purpose in the refuge system and hope to see most of the refuges," said Kenneth. "We had visited 'Ding' twice and jumped at the chance to volunteer here. We are still exploring and learning, and that's what we love about being here."
Click
here
for more information on becoming a resident volunteer for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
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Spectacular Family Fun Day
Sunday Family Fun Day kicked off week-long "Ding" Darling Days on October 15 with a spectacular day of
free eco-activities. Here are a
few snapshots of families and friends enjoying the Refuge and our programs.
Thanks to all of our sponsors who are making "Ding" Days possible this year:
ROSEATE SPOONBILL SPONSORS:
GREAT EGRET SPONSORS:
GREAT BLUE HERON SPONSORS:
REDDISH EGRET SPONSORS:
Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, In Memory of Roger Bell,
Blu Site Solutions, Art & Susan Cassell,
Cedar Chest Fine Jewelry, Jerry Edelman and Maryann Daly, Sally & Rich Ennis,
Florida Weekly, Phyllis Gresham,
Grounds by GreenWays,
Intech Printing & Direct Mail,
Island Inn,
Jensen's on the Gulf and Marina & Cottages,
Mitchell's Sand Castles, Muench Families &
Periwinkle Park,
Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club
, David Schuldenfrei - Realtor & Roberta Schuldenfrei,
Stewart and Sons Insurance, Inc.
,
TopBirdingTours.com
,
SNOWY EGRET SPONSORS:
Absolute Pressure, Inc.,
Ambu Yoga,
Barefoot Charley's Painting Co., Big Red Q Quickprint,
Colony Inn,
Island Therapy Center,
Marina Customer Service Training, Sanibel School Steel Drumming Band, George & Wendy Schnapp, Jim & Anne Scott,
www.seashells.com, Vasanta Senerat CPA, PA, Winston & Barbara Spurgeon,
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'Ding' Scholarship Recipient Makes News with Philippe Cousteau
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Carmen Hoyt with Philippe Cousteau
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Carmen Hoyt, a three-time "Ding" Darling Environmental Scholarship winner and graduate of Gulf Coast High School in Naples, was featured in
last week's episode of Xploration Awesome Planet
with Emmy-nominated host Philippe Cousteau, grandson of the legendary Jacques Cousteau. She won a worldwide #StudentExplorer contest that resulted in a dive in Mexico with Cousteau and a spotlight on his television program. Carmen is a senior studying earth and ocean sciences at Duke University's school of the environment in North Carolina. Click
HERE
to read more about Carmen's brilliant accomplishment. Click HERE to watch the Xploration Awesome Planet episode with Carmen.
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Waiting for the Pellies
As we patiently await the fall migration of White Pelicans to "Ding" Darling, Terry and Mike Baldwin sent us a glimpse they witnessed at Trempealeau NWR in Wisconsin last week. Mike, DDWS Vice President, and his photographer wife, Terry, an Emeritus Board Member, traveled north to attend a meeting of the Refuge Association in Minnesota.
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Light Up Your Life
The perfect holiday stocking
stuffer or easy-to-mail novelty gift, our new two-wick flat candles
cost $12.99 each.
Dripless, the candles come in eight different sealife designs with stand included.
Luc Century Exclusives Available
Complete your collection of Luc Century etched glass wildlife ornaments now, before the holiday rush! The store has a limited supply of ornaments from year's
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The 2013 ornament showcases baby Loggerhead Sea Turtles hatching from their shells.
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past for $42 each.
Choose from the
following
limited-edition collectibles: 2013 Sea Turtle Hatchling,
2012
Manatee, 2010 Crocodile, 2009 Reddish Egret, 2005 American Alligator, and 2004 Butterfly.
'Ding' Days Specials
Come visit the store during
"Ding" Darling Days
through October 21, and take advantage of a special 10% discount on select items throughout the store.
Remember, 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.
This week's visit to a Puerto Rican island refuge comes in the wake of severe hurricane damage. "Ding" Darling Law Enforcement Officer John Thompson is onsite assisting with recovery.
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Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Green Sea Turtle
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Location
:
17,771 acres on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico
Totemic Fauna
:
Green Sea Turtle, Coqui, Caribbean Spiny Lobster
Fun for the Family
: Beach access with kayaking, fishing, snorkeling, and scuba
Visitor's Tip
: The refuge is currently closed due to hurricane damage. A rare local subtropical dry forest habitat and wetlands ecosystem makes Vieques one of the most ecologically diverse refuges in the Caribbean.
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Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Kicking 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 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 transitioned to compostable plates, cups, and flatware for event use.
In each issue of "Ding" of the Wing, we will share a quick tip on how you can reduce the use of plastic in your life.
Microplastics. Plastic litter eventually degrades into microplastics harmful to sea life. These microscopic particles also come from microbeads in toothpastes and facial scrubs and laundry fibers shed by synthetic fabrics. Avoid such products; many wasterwater treatment facilities are unable to filter out the resilient microplastic molecules. |
Did you know that Green Herons are one of the only birds in the world to use tools? They create fishing lures out of insects, twigs, and other objects and drop them on the water's surface to help them catch fish.
Thanks to Margaret d'Entremont for capturing this shot of a Green Heron on Wildlife Drive.
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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Veteran's Day Weekend (fee-free days on Wildlife Drive) -- November 11-12, 2017
Volunteer Holiday Party
- December 15, 2017
Biweekly Wednesday Film Series
-
January 10
- April 4, 2018
Friday Lecture Series
- January 19-April 13, 2018
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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