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Virtual Plant Tour to Debut
Sunday, October 11, marks the start of National Wildlife Refuge Week across the more than 560 federal refuges nationwide. To honor the occasion, the Refuge debuts its new Plant ID on the Go virtual vegetation trail and opens Wildlife Drive free of charge to all visitors that day. The Refuge Education Team, led by READ MORE
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Florida Blueheart flowers at Bailey Tract by intern Patrick Carney
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Scorpion's Tail at Bailey Tract by intern Patrick Carney
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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. 
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2021-2022 Federal Duck Stamp Announced
Congratulations to Richard Clifton for winning last week's Federal Duck Stamp Contest with a painting of a single Lesser Scaup drake. This is Richard's second win; the first was the 2007-2008 duck stamp. Jim and Joe Hautman placed second and third, respectively, in this year's judging. Federal Duck Stamp purchases help acquire and conserve vital waterfowl habitat. Our Refuge namesake, Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, was instrumental in creating the program in 1934 and designed the first duck stamp.
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Whether you live on Sanibel Island or in a completely different environment in faraway places like Oregon or Hawaii, we want to see what you're seeing in your habitat while you are staying safe at home.
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| Thank you to Len Twaskas for sharing a backyard nature photo of a Bald Eagle in Stroudsburg, Pennslyvania.
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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.
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Refuge Update:
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| | Although the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center is currently closed, visitors can admire and use our 2018 America's Best Restroom award winner. |
Keep up-to-date on Refuge
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Wildlife Zoom Meeting
Thanks to Sanibel City Manager Judie Zimomra for sharing this clever collage of bird images taken at the Refuge. She also shared that daily drives through "Ding" Darling and communing with the birds have provided her a healthy escape from the stresses of running the city, recently during the COVID crises, and after past hurricanes and at other challenging times.
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TODAY: Wildlife Drive Fee Changes
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Click on graphic to see enlarged.
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Effective today, admission fees to the Refuge's Wildlife Drive will change, the first increase in more than 30 years. As reflected in the chart, daily vehicular admission fees will increase on October 1 from $5 to $10 and annual passes from $12 to $25. Entry fees for pedestrians and cyclists will remain at $1 each for persons ages 16 and older only. Admission to the Visitor & Education Center (when reopened) and Bailey Tract trails is still free. The cost of the Senior Pass, Access Pass, and other federal passes all remain the same and are available for purchase at the Wildlife Drive fee booth (Fridays at Tarpon Bay Explorers).
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Lecture Series Sponsors
The upcoming season's
"Ding" Darling Lecture Series will evolve with the times and persisting distance protocols by moving to the larger venue of the Sanibel Community House at 2173 Periwinkle Way. The free lectures will occur on five select days throughout the season with one 10 a.m. lecture per day.
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Thanks to William & Barbara Millar for joining our roster of lecture series sponsors. They are partially sponsoring author Kirk W. Johnson's Feather Thief lecture in March.
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The 17th annual series, which runs January 29 through March 19, 2021, features photographers Clyde and Niki Butcher, Feather Thief author Kirk W. Johnson, and eminent authorities on water conservation, eagles, and owls. See the schedule of lectures and our generous, valued sponsors HERE. |
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Fall Newsletter
Did you miss the fall issue of
Society Pages, the DDWS quarterly newsletter? We mail it to all our members, so please let us know if you did not receive yours. Head to our newsletter archives for older issues of our newsletters dating back to 2014.
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WoW 'Dirty Jobs' Exhibit Sketch
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WoW artist David Williams' sketch of the mobile classroom's Dirty Jobs mural, which will teach about estuary decomposers
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The Wildlife on Wheels (WoW) Education Team is getting geared up for its fall travels to under-served schools and other venues around the five-county area. Watch for news of the mobile classroom's unveiling later this month.
Philanthropic support made this WoW possible. Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible donation to support ongoing needs for the WoW project can contact Birgie Miller at 239-472-1100 ext. 232.
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 Thanks to those who have already shown their generosity and support as sponsors for the
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Champion Sponsors:
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Guardian Sponsors:
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Protector Sponsor:
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 Become a sponsor today and join those above celebrating this milestone event. Contact Development Officer April Boehnen at 239-472-1100 ext. 4. |
CDL DRIVERS needed for WoW!
"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society is looking for part time volunteer CDL, class A truck drivers to transport our 36 ft. mobile classroom to various locations in Lee county. For more information, contact Birgie Miller at 239-292-0566 |
Read more about becoming part of our new monthly giving program.
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SHOPDINGDARLING.COM
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Pick up your purchases here
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CURBSIDE PICKUP
Curbside pickup for ShopDingDarling.com purchases is as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4:
1. Shop for all your favorite items on ShopDingDarling.com and select local pickup when checking out.
2. Wait for our staff to contact you with pickup instructions.
3. Drive to The Nature Store to pick up your items at the time our staff scheduled with you.
4. Receive contact-free delivery of your items into your vehicle by our mask-wearing staff.
Remember, profits from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for educational programs, wildlife research, and overall conservation efforts.
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 Guest Blog: Rising Sea Level
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Captiva resident Suri Sehgal, PhD, is an India-born American philanthropist with a long career as a crop scientist, seedsman, entrepreneur, and leading expert in the global hybrid seed industry. Along with his wife, Edda Sehgal, he now operates two nonprofit organizations that focus on water security, food security, and social justice with particular emphasis on women's empowerment. He is a member of the Captiva Sea Level Rise Committee and chairs the Environmental Awareness Committee of the Captiva Island Yacht Club.
This week, he shares a guest blog about mangroves' impact on Rising Sea Level, below:
Those of us who live on islands realize the threat of sea level rise (SLR) to our property coast and wild life. We also realize that a healthy mangrove ecosystem is the first line of defense as it protects coasts against erosion and coastal inhabitants against storm surges, high winds, and high tides.
For visitors to the islands, mangroves are a striking attraction. We admire their beauty as we paddle through estuaries or visit the Everglades and see how they nurture rich biodiversity. A mangrove tree has a rich underwater component that harbors a READ MORE
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Blast from the Past
As we approach the official 75th Refuge Anniversary on December 1, 2020, we take a look back, through historic photographs, at the past three-quarters of a century.
On January 16, 2013, the Refuge unveiled its new Living with Dinosaurs exhibit in the Visitor & Education Center to commemorate the third anniversary of the Refuge's beloved female crocodile's death in January 2010. The northernmost American Crocodile recorded in recent history, she was first reported on Sanibel Island in the early 1980s. Although officials relocated her 70 miles south to a breeding population, she returned six months later.
The articulated skeleton of the Refuge croc against a life-sized photo background of her when she was alive and roamed the island creates a centerpiece for the interactive exhibit. Signage, a touch screen, and other hands-on components interpret the exhibit and teach visitors about crocodilians - the planet's true living dinosaurs.
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| Our late, beloved crocodile;
photo by Jeff Springer. |
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| | Emeritus Board Member Jeanne Rankin and her late husband, Bill, were huge fans of the croc they lovingly called "Madame." |
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'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.
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| | Wood Duck |
Location: 1,850 acres; Tiptonville, Tennessee
Totemic Fauna: Wood Duck, Bald Eagle
Visitor's Tip: A visitor center is located
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| | Bald Eagle |
at nearby Reelfoot NWR and is open Monday through Saturday. The refuge offers two interpretive kiosks and a viewing tower.
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 Repurposing Plastic
Although the latest addition to the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle equation is "Refuse," there are going to be times when you are left with an otherwise one-use plastic container. A little creativity can go a long ways in repurposing plastic so it doesn't end up in our landfills and waterways. BudgetDumpster.com suggests DIY projects such as creating a vertical garden using soda bottles and turning laundry detergent bottles into beach buckets.
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| | | Photo credit: David Jeffrey | |
Click HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings.
Great Blue Herons can often be seen along Wildlife Drive and Indigo Trail, both feeding and enjoying the sun or shade.
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.
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75th Anniversary Proclamation at City Hall - November 3, 2020
Holiday Shopping Events - November-December 2020
Call April at 239-472-1100 ext. 4 to learn about sponsorship opportunities.
Clyde Butcher Book Signing - December TBA
National Bird Day - January 5, 2021
Volunteer Training - January 14, 2021
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
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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 April Boehnen & Sierra Hoisington.
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