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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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| Please be courteous to nesting birds along the Indigo Trail. Noise pollution from loud conversation and light pollution from flashing cameras could negatively impact their nesting success. |
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White-eyed Vireo
Photo by Janet Kirk |
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Photo Contest Opens July 15
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John Hoyt from Lewes, Delaware, took second place in the 2018 contest with a black-and-white close-up of a female Anhinga.
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July 15 marks the opening of the 27th annual "Ding" Darling Day Amateur Nature Photography Contest. Deadline for submission is September 15, 2019; all entries must be submitted electronically. This year, to celebrate the 75
th
Anniversary of the Refuge,
cash award prizes increase
to $300 for first place, $225 for second, and $175 for third.
For rules and entry form, please click
HERE
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July 16: World Snake Day
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The noon showing of a python documentary is one of the many free activities presented on World Snake Day
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Follow along on a free guided nature walk, watch a free film, and take advantage of free upcycled snake crafts, Refuge Nature Store specials, and hand-outs on World Snake Day at the Refuge on Tuesday, July 16. Free snake lessons and a showing of the 53-minute film
Invasion of the Giant Pythons
take place throughout the day at the Refuge Visitor & Education Center. The morning's ranger-led Indigo Trail walk departs from the flagpole in the parking
lot. The first 20 to show up for the walk
receive a free gift and
READ MORE
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Take part in snake crafts anytime from noon to 2 p.m.
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Summer Newsletter
Our summer quarterly newsletter arrived in
 mailboxes last week of our members.
Click
to read it online.
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Quality Life Center Receives Mural
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Ed Anderson at Doc Ford's
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Doc Ford's co-owner Marty Harrity with Artist 'in Residence' Ed Anderson
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Our
75th Anniversary
Artist "in Residence" finished off his eight-week stint at the Refuge on July 28 with an Art Journal Walk and, in the afternoon, Live Painting at
Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille
on Sanibel Island, our partner in the annual
"Ding" Darling & Doc Ford's Tarpon Tournament
. Ed worked on the 2020 tournament logo while painting at the restaurant. He will return in 2020 for a 75
th
anniversary exhibition of the work inspired by his Refuge visit, February 18 to March 18.
Click
HERE
to read an article in
Florida Weekly
about Ed's Refuge "residency" and his body of work.
Special thanks for the generous support for Ed's Artist "in Residence" program from
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 ADVOCACY
Two Key Tools in Fight for Water Quality: TMDLs and BMAPs
by Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, DDWS Advocacy Committee Co-Chairs
No doubt, if you drill down into Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and Basin Management Action Plan (BMAPs), it gets wonky quickly. However, at a high level the concepts are straight forward. TMDLs are calculated values for how much of a given pollutant is allowed to enter a water body and not exceed state water-quality standards. Once a TMDL has been assigned to a water body, a plan to improve
READ MORE
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Welcome Resident Volunteers
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Darrell and Dawn Young
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"Ding" Darling participates in a Resident Volunteer Program, whereby they swap RV parking space and utilities for volunteer services to help fill in staffing gaps caused by federal budget cuts. Darrell and Dawn Young arrived late last month and will be staying on until September 15.
Dawn was born and raised in Michigan, while Darrell grew up in California. "As for what we consider our hometown, we receive our mail in South Dakota, but we have been full-time RVers for the past three years," said Dawn. "So our home is where we park it. Our children were raised mostly in Sacramento."
In their previous lives, they both served in the U.S. Air Force. Dawn completed 20 years doing public affairs and Darrell went on to serve 30 years as a pilot. Other refuges where they have worked as resident volunteers include Laguna Atascosa in Texas, and Malheur in Oregon. Dawn now assists in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center; Darrell tackles outside maintenance work. A warm "Ding" welcome and thanks to them both.
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Education in Action
Although summer vacation means fewer school groups coming to
the Refuge, the Education Team does not let up on its mission to reach out and teach youth about the importance of wildlife and conservation. "The
kids had a blast and learned a
lot!" wrote Britt Hirst, program leader at Eagle Lakes Community Park, following a recent outreach program to that resource in Collier County.
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Education Intern Izzy Garcia, far left, recently visited Eagle Lakes Community Park with her snake presentation, which will be part of the activities during World Snake Day at the Refuge on July 16.
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Conservation Educator Sara Hallas reaches out to local libraries this summer with the team's "Saniverse of Myths" program.
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WoW Wish List
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Example of what we're imagining |
Imagining and research is underway for our exciting
Wildlife on Wheels (WoW) outreach trailer to take around the region on education missions. Have a look at our WoW
Wish List to decide how you would like to contribute to this mobile exhibit project. Please call 239-472-1100 ext. 4 to pledge your donation.
Thanks to a major family foundation donor who has started WoW down the road to completion in time for the Refuge's 75th Anniversary Celebration!
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Celebrating 'Ding'
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Jay N. "Ding" Darling published some 15,000 editorial cartoons that chronicled the history and trends of the nation for more than 50 years and published in newspapers across the nation. Many focused on conservation.
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We want to thank our island news partners, who always offer terrific support to the Refuge, especially now as we plunge into our
75th Anniversary Celebration
. The three island news organizations have agreed to run, on a monthly basis, one of the Pulitzer-winning cartoons of our namesake, Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling. Thanks to them for helping us honor the Refuge's roots in the noble profession of newspaper editorial cartooning. Click on the publications below to see recent cartoons they ran. 
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Duck Stamps on Sale
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Buy your Federal Duck Stamps at the Refuge Nature Store and meet the 2019-2020 winning artist Scot Storm, during "Ding" Darling Day, October 20. He will be doing a 1 p.m. presentation and signing Ducks Stamps after.
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Private Donations Goal Reached!
The "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society has reached its goal to raise $3 million in private donations to complete the $9.5 million acquisition of Wulfert Bayous, the last large parcel of unprotected and undeveloped land on Sanibel Island.
As we await the Lee County Commissioners' decision in August to award $6.5 million to complete the acquisition, we are continuing to accept donations in case the 20/20 funds don't all come through. If we do end up receiving the full $6.5 million, extra funding will be applied to a restoration project to remove invasive vegetation from the tract and create improved habitat for wading birds such as Roseate Spoonbills and Reddish Egrets.
Click
HERE
to watch our video about the Wulfert Bayous' preservation campaign.
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'Ding' Day Sponsorship
This year, in preparation for the Refuge's
75th Anniversary Celebration
, we are concentrating all our efforts into one BIG day of festivities, Sunday, October 20. Family Fun Day will combine all the best of "Ding" Days traditions. Click
here
for a calendar of events.
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Chalk sidewalk drawing is just one of the art activities that happens on "Ding" Darling Day.
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Thanks to
our SPONSORS
who ha
ve already signed on to support the 2019 event.
Click
HERE
to find out more about our "Ding" Day sponsorship program. Or contact
Dot Voorhees at 239-472-1100 ext. 239.
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Fourth of July Parade
To spread the word about "Ding" Darling, Refuge and DDWS staff and interns put in hard work and lots of sweat to participate in this year's Sanibel Fourth of July Parade. They decorated the Refuge biology boat with sea creatures and birds, in keeping with this year's "Seas the Day" theme. Watch for us next year as parade Grand Marshals, in honor of the Refuge's
75th Anniversary
. Thanks to all who helped with the float and participated in this year's parade.
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Monofilament Busters
Our Refuge Monofilament Busters team braves the summer heat to keep our Refuge free of deadly monofilament line and other fishing equipment that harm and kill wildlife. Recently, regular team members Doris Hardy and Carol Strange (pictured, center) took along YCC student Logan Hayford and DDWS Intern April Boehnen on their kayaking mission.
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TBE Hosts My Autism Connection
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Aboard the Nature and Sealife Cruise
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An enthusiastic group from My Autism Connection, Inc., joined
Tarpon Bay Explorers
for a Nature and Sealife Cruise at the Refuge's Tarpon Bay last week. "We've worked with My Autism Connection before, and we really enjoy having them out," said Program and Education Manager Adam Sauerland (front row). "Everyone is enthusiastic and you only see smiling faces." The day's outing included a picnic lunch, manatee sightings, and a touch tank experience.
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Plastic-Free July: 4Ocean Bracelets
4Ocean has landed in the Nature Store! Made with recycled materials, every 4Ocean bracelet funds the removal of one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines. Two Florida natives who are passionate about cleaning up our oceans' trash, one pound at a time, founded 4Ocean. Every bracelet color has an associated cause, from the original bracelet in signature blue to lime green for sea turtles. A new cause debuts each month.
Stop in today to see the latest 4Ocean bracelets and collect them all. Or contact Nature Store Manager
Ann-Marie Wildman
at 239-472-1100 ext. 214 for information on mail-ordering store products.
Remember, members of "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society receive a 10% discount at the Nature Store. Profits 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" 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.
Plastic-Free July
Wake up! Single-use plastic is killing our Earth, its wildlife, and US! This month has been ordained Plastic-Free July, so please make an effort to do your part. In upcoming "Ding" on the Wing issues, we continue to suggest products, like many of those we carry in the Refuge Nature Store, to replace single-use plastic. Check out, for instance, these
trash bags
, made from a high percentage of third-party certified, post-consumer recycled material. Click
here
for a checklist of how to get started reducing your plastic footprint today.
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2020 Lecture Series Sneak Preview
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Clyde Butcher's "Indian Key" will be part of his 75th Anniversary Photographic Exhibition at the Refuge. He speaks at the Refuge on January 24.
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The 16
th
annual "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture Series, which runs January 17 through April 3, 2020, features a line-up of authors and experts in the world of birds, nature photography, and conservation.
One highlight of the season brings world-renowned nature photographer Clyde Butcher -- whose Everglades exhibition kicks off November's
75th Anniversary
events from November 13 through February 5 -- to "Ding" Darling, sponsored by Mark and Gretchen Banks.
Two other lectures align with anniversary events. To celebrate the Refuge's Bee Week the end of January, "honey sommelier" C. Marina Marchese talks about her books on beekeeping. As a follow-up to the March 10 Project Refuge: A Couture Fashion Show Using Trash, nationally recognized upcycle designer Nancy Judd will speak about her work creating recycled fashions as a means of conservation education.
Stay tuned to "Ding" on the Wing and the
lecture web page
for a complete schedule of exciting lectures.
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In each issue of "Ding" on the Wing, we showcase one of the more than 560 refuges across the U.S.A.
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Images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. |
Location:
Paint Rock, Alabama (199 acres)
Totemic Fauna:
American Hart's Tongue Fern, Gray Bat, Indiana Bat
Visitor's Tip: There are no staff or visitor services such as restrooms, a visitor center, or water fountains present. Access involves an extensive hike and expert caving experience.
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| Gray Bat |
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American Hart's Tongue Fern |
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
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Killdeer chick
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The Refuge's Killdeer chicks have been getting more and more adventurous as they get older. These cute little shorebirds are growing up quickly over at the Bailey Tract.
T
o 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.
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Stay tuned as we reveal our calendar of special activities to celebrate the Refuge's 75th anniversary starting this year. |
Boy Scout Badge University
- October 26, 2019
75
th
Anniversary Project Refuge: A Couture Fashion Show Using Trash
- March 10, 2020
Museum Shopping Sunday
- December 1, 2019
75
th
Anniversary Happy Hour Holiday Shopping
- December 3, 2019
"Ding" Hosts Everglades Coalition at South Seas Resort
- January 9-12, 2020
75
th
Anniversary Lecture Series
- January 17-April 3, 2020
75
th
Anniversary Artist 'in Residence' Exhibition
- February 18-March 18, 2020
The Swamp A
uthor Mike Grunwald Event
- March 20, 2020
Endangered Species Day at the Refuge
- May 15, 2020
Official 75th Anniversary Celebration - December 1, 2020
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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 Christopher Gutierrez & April Boehnen.
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