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"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
October 5, 2017
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TEACHER GRANTS
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The deadline to apply for teacher grants has been extended. Click
HERE to learn more.
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TOMORROW, October 6
Beach Exhibit Unveiling
The Refuge, in partnership with the "Ding" Darling
Wildlife Society and the City of Sanibel, invite you to the unveiling of the Perry Tract Kiosk, funded through a grant
WHERE: Gulfside City Park, Sanibel Island (Public parking fees apply.)
WHEN: Friday, October 6, at 9 a.m. A free Beachside Walk will follow the unveiling ceremony at 9:30.
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A historic photo of the Perry family on the beach outside their Sanibel home
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WHAT: The new kiosk honors the late Dr. Louise Perry, a part-time Sanibel resident who donated her beachfront winter home property to the Refuge in 1963. The interpretive kiosk pays homage to Dr. Perry and identifies wildlife, shorebirds, and seashells found on the beach and around the pond on the property, which is closed to the public. Seashell castings and a
replicated sea turtle nest add hands-on elements to the exhibit.
Click HERE to read more about the exhibit.
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October 8: Free Admission to Wildlife Drive
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Bike, hike, or drive through the Refuge fee-free on Sunday.
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In observance of National Wildlife Refuge Week, Wildlife Drive is open FREE to the public on Sunday, October 8, by presidential order. All vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians can access the drive fee-free from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. that day.
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Visitor Center Closing
The "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center will be closed on
Monday, October 9, in observance of Columbus Day.
Wildlife Drive and Tarpon Bay Recreation will remain open for their regular hours.
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October 13, 9:30 a.m.
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The outer wall #LearningLav mural in progress |
The first of their kind among the 550-plus refuges in the National Refuge System, the new Learning Lavatories (#LearningLav) exhibit at the Refuge debuts to the public on Friday, October 13, at 9:30 a.m. Refreshments will follow the unveiling in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center.
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 leading to them. The outside mural immerses visitors in a virtual underwater experience, where they come eye-to-eye with 3-D manatees and look up to see READ MORE
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October 20: FREE Bunche Beach Birding Tram
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Black Skimmers at Bunche Beach
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The
free
Bunche Beach Birding Tram will depart from "Ding" Darling Refuge on Friday, October 20, at 7 a.m. to experience low tide at the active birding park. The three-hour tour is an annual highlight of
"Ding" Darling Days
, which takes place October 15-21 at the Refuge. Spaces are limited, so make reservations now with
Tarpon Bay Explorers
at 239-472-8900. The Bunche Beach tour is one of a number of special activities scheduled for Friday. Although Wildlife Drive is normally closed on Fridays, the Refuge is allowing
READ MORE
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,
Tents 'n' Events
,
Chelle Koster Walton
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Welcome New Biology Intern
Biology intern Tayelor Gosselin recently arrived to help the Refuge with manpower shortages in the coming year, thanks to funding from the "Ding" Darling Wildlife
 Society. Tayelor graduated from the University of Maine in May 2017 with a bachelor's degree in wildlife ecology and a concentration in wildlife management. The Greene, Maine, native worked during the summer under a master's student program conducting a bat acoustic survey across Nebraska.
"I haven't explored much of Sanibel yet, but so far I really enjoy the beaches with a multitude of shells, as well as short walks to my car where several lizards will scurry away," said Tayelor. "The baby alligators on the Indigo Trail are also a bonus."
DDWS provides living stipends and other benefits for about a dozen interns each year. The Refuge supports interns and resident volunteers with free housing.
"Our interns bring youthful energy, enthusiasm, and creativity to the refuge team," said DDWS Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland. "At the same time, the program gives recent graduates an opportunity to learn hands-on about the environment and Refuge operations."
For more information about the Refuge's internship programs, contact Westland at
239-472-1100 ext. 237. To help support the internship program, contact DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller at
239-472-1100 ext. 4.
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Thank you
A big "Ding" thanks to Jim Fowler and Lisa Stevens of JF Productions for the donation of $1,000 from proceeds for their 2017
Sanibel-Captiva Nature Calendar
sales.
"Every fall I am pleased to make a donation to one of the nature organizations listed inside the back cover of the calendar," said Jim. "This year I am excited to announce that
'Ding' Darling Wildlife Society
will be the benefactor."
Local photographers contribute their best nature shots to the calendar, now in its 29
th
year. Submissions are currently being accepted for the 2019 calendar. Visit the
website
for more information or to purchase a calendar, which is also available in the Refuge Nature Store.
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Teacher Grants Deadline Extended
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Students at Royal Palm Exceptional School in Fort Myers work on their project "Conservation 911," funded by a DDWS grant last school year.
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Due to Hurricane Irma's interruption of the school year, DDWS and the Refuge have announced a one-month extension, to
November 30
, for their 12th annual teacher grant applications. Up to $10,000 in grant awards are available to teachers in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Hendry counties this school year for conservation education-related projects. Teachers in the five-county area may apply for grants up to $1,000 READ MORE
Did You Know? In the past 11 years, DDWS has granted more than $73,000 to local schools for environmental projects. The teacher grants are funded by the DDWS Conservation Education Endowment Fund established by Jay "Ding" Darling's grandson, the late Kip Koss.
To make a tax-deductible donation in support of the fund, contact DDWS Executive Director Birgie Miller at 239-472-1100 ext. 4 or by clicking here.
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Guy Gifts
If you are looking for unique gift items for the men on your list, check out the shelves at the Nature Store. Some of our newest items include Sarge
multi-tool knives in black, red, or blue imprinted with the
Refuge's name - $39.95 each with
case. Or pamper him
with Bee Manly products. We carry foot lotion and beard
balm, each $13.
Stop in and pick up your man gifts today. Or contact Store Manager
Jeanne Walsh at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about mail-ordering these and other
featured products.
"Ding" Days Specials
Come visit the store during "Ding" Darling Days, October 15-21, 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 across the U.S.A.
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images courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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Location
:
11,157,000 acres at King Salmon, Alaska
Totemic Fauna
: Sockeye Salmon, Brown Bear, Common Murre
Fun for the Family
:
Stop in at the Visitor Center for a variety of interpretative cultural and wildlife exhibits.
Visitor's Tip
:
Refuge lands are remote and accessible only by small aircraft, boat, or rugged cross country hiking.
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Lake O Approaches Highest Level in 10 Years
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A photo from a number of years ago. It is an example of what we are, or plan to be experiencing in our local waters.
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Last week we reported that the ominous brown color has returned to the waters in San Carlos Bay, Pine Island Sound, and Tarpon Bay. Rain waters from Hurricane Irma continue to flow from the Kissimmee River basin into Lake Okeechobee at a rate higher than can be released.
As a result, the lake level has reached 16.4 feet, close to being the highest in the last 10 years and well above the Army Corps of Engineers' maximum target height of 15.5 feet. The Corps has most recently been releasing fresh water through the Caloosahatchee River's Franklin Lock & Dam at a rate three times higher than that required to damage the estuary. Not only is this situation causing significant damage to sea grasses, oysters, crabs, and bait fish because of lack of salinity, but the plume of dark freshwater has now moved several miles out into the Gulf of Mexico and already resulted in fish kills.
The bottom line is unchanged from last week. Keep the pressure on your elected representatives -- whether federal, state, or local -- to support comprehensive Everglades Restoration, the critical component in resolving the issue. At the state and local levels, let your legislators know that they must require the use of environmentally friendly agricultural practices, insist on state-of-the-art approaches to municipal sewage treatment, and enact/enforce residential fertilizer ordinances. All of these fixes working together can and will ultimately resolve the problem. But it will only happen if we all keep the heat on those who hold the purse strings and have the ultimate responsibility to act. |
Save the Date: Go Wild for "Ding" - In the Nest
Mark your calendar for
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
, to celebrate Go Wild for "Ding,"
our annual major fundraiser. This year's theme celebrates Valentine's Day with the theme In the Nest.
Date: February 14, 2018
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Place: Sanibel Community House
Registration: Opens December 15
Sponsorships are needed in helping to raise important support for conservation efforts at the Refuge. Sponsorships begin at $500. To become a sponsor, call the DDWS at 239.472.1100 ext. 4. To learn more, click
HERE
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Photo courtesy of Jim Bennight
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Photo courtesy of Jim Bennight
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We have alligator babies! Volunteer Jim Bennight spotted two adult, male and female, and seven baby
alligators
yesterday on the Indigo Trail and shot these great photos. Take a walk on the trail to see them for yourself, but remember, stay on the trail and observe all wildlife from a respectful distance.
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| Photo courtesy of Rebecca Clemens |
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Thanks to Rebecca Clemens for this shot of a
manatee
surfacing along Wildlife Drive last week. It can be difficult to spot manatees from land until they come up for air every two to three minutes, so keep a lookout when you visit "Ding" Darling.
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Photo courtesy of Sylvia Guarino
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Photo courtesy of Sylvia Guarino
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Sylvia Guarino spotted these
Little Blue Herons
recently at the Bailey Tract and on Wildlife Drive. The photo on the left depicts a
juvenile Little Blue Heron
, which is sometimes mistaken for a Snowy Egret. Snowy Egrets prefer to hunt for fish in open water with fast, aggressive movements, while Little Blue Herons hunt slowly and methodically along the grassy edges of water.
Click
HERE to see sightings from the
week of October 3
T
o see more wildlife photos like these ones, 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
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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,
239.472.1100 ext. 4
"Ding" On The Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton. Designed by Sierra Hoisington and Amanda Brooks.
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