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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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We WON! Click
HERE to read more about America's best restroom.
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Adidas/Parley Support 'Ding'
Click
HERE
to read how to support the Refuge by purchasing sports clothing
made from
f
ish nets, plastic water bottles, and other forms of plastic that have been gathered from the oceans and beaches. Click HERE to purchase products.
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Purchase a special T-shirt at
On Island and support the Wulfert Acquisition
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TOMORROW April 12
Final Lecture of the season
Pine Island Sound Lectures
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| Denége Patterson leads tours at Calusa Heritage Trail on Pine Island. Photo courtesy of Carol Orr Hartman |
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On April 12, two lectures titled "Five Islands Never Flooded" by Denége Patterson are based on the author's book
A Tour of the Islands of Pine Island Sound, Florida: Their Geology, Archaeology, and History
. The programs take place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. as the finale of the 2019 "Ding" Darling Friday Lecture series. Denége will introduce how the highest landforms became the first islands during the flooding of READ MORE
If you are unable to make it to the lecture this Friday, we will be filming it on the
'Ding' Darling Wildlife Society's Facebook Page. You will be able to watch the lecture live. Once the lecture is over, the video will be posted to the page to access at any time.
 Special thanks to HighTower Advisors, Thomas & Swartz for sponsoring this 2019 lecture series.
Lecture Series Seating Policy
Lectures take place in the admission-free "Ding" Darling
Visitor & Education Center. Seating for the lectures is limited and available on a first-come basis. Early arrivals can save their seat and one extra with personal items and then can explore the Visitor & Education Center or Indigo Trail before the lecture starts. Saved seats must be filled 15 minutes before lecture time or they will be assigned to the next people waiting in line. We recommend arriving an hour before the lecture to save seats.
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 Earth Day at the Refuge
Because Earth Day 2019 falls on the Monday following Easter, a day off for Lee County Schools students, we have expanded the free event to include a full day of tours, crafts, films, and programs on April 22. The Refuge will celebrate the 29
th
anniversary READ MORE
The public is invited to four free film showings dealing with plastic's plague on Mother Earth.
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Advocacy through Education
By DDWS Advocacy Co-Chairs Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler
The "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society (DDWS) is committed to do all it can to prevent the kind of ecological attack that the Refuge experienced last summer and fall. Our primary weapon in this fight is advocacy through education. Advocacy is critical to defending the Refuge because it allows us to reach out to the relevant decision makers and those who influence the decision-makers and encourage them to take steps that will protect the health of the Refuge. A good example of the advocacy we do is the recent DOTW article that asked our members to write to the Army Corps and request that it consider the health of the Refuge as it goes through the process of determining
READ MORE
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Pilot Teachers Workshop a Success
 On April 4 and 5, the DDWS education staff hosted eight elementary, middle school, and high school teachers from Lee County for a workshop that included classroom and field work at the Refuge and its gulfside Perry Tract. "The result was phenomenal for a pilot workshop such as this," said Conservation Educator Sara Hallas. "The teachers were all so positive and excited about it that we are planning another workshop for this summer."
"Absolutely the best workshop ever," wrote Cape Coral High teacher Lori Shaw on her evaluation sheet. "The attention to detail and expertise shared with us was awesome. Thank you for how kindly we were treated and the generosity of the lunches and brunch. We were treated so professionally and are grateful!"
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Osprey Education Donation
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Photo by David Jeffrey
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 Free Refuge Programs
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Follow the free Biking the Refuge Tour along Wildlife Drive every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m.
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The Refuge's calendar of daily free tours and programs for season 2019 continues through Sunday, April 28. Daily programs begin at 8:30 a.m. and include such diverse activities as Nature Photography, Beach Walk, Endangered Species, and Indigo Trail READ MORE
Click
HERE
for a schedule of free seasonal activities.
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Tarpon Tournament Sponsorships
 The eighth annual "Ding" Darling & Doc Ford's Tarpon Tournament benefits wildlife and conservation education at the Refuge entirely through sponsorships. To become a tournament sponsor and receive generous exposure through the well-publicized tournament, please contact
Dot Voorhees
at 239-472-1100 ext. 239.
Thanks to those SPONSORS who have already stepped up to make this another stellar event. Click HERE to see a list of our Sponsors.
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A Sampling of Silent Auction Items for the
2019 Tarpon Tournament
These are just some of the exciting items for auction to raise support for conservation efforts at the Refuge. If you are interested in making a bid, please call the DDWS at 239.472.1100 ext. 239
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T
wo Night Stay at the
Island
Inn Resort
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Yuengling Grizzly Coole
r
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Revo Sunglasses
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Vortex Binoculars
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"Southwest Grand Slam," a signed, limited edition by Steve Whitlock Game Fish Art, Inc.
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Custom knife by Chris Reeve Knives
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Flights on Southwest Airlines
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Proposed Fee Hike: Refuge Seeks Public Comment
The Refuge is accepting public comments on proposed changes to the Refuge's recreation fee structure, scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2020. Through May 31, 2019, comments can be submitted to "Ding" Darling via email (dingdarling@fws.gov), phone (239-472-1100), or mail (1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel, Florida 33957). READ MORE
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 Mark your calendars for this year's 31
st
annual "Ding" Darling Days birding and eco-festival the weekend of
October 19-20, 2019.
Conservation Art Day kicks off the festivities on Saturday, October 19, with visits from Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp winners plus nature art workshops for kids. Birding, boating, tram, and kayaking activities fill the weekend. Family Fun Day tops the weekend with free activities on READ MORE
Interested in becoming a "Ding" Darling Days sponsor? Please contact Dot Voorhees at 239-472-1100 ext. 239.
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Push for 10K Instagram
 Giveaway
Last week, our Instagram account grew to more than 9,400 followers. We've begun a 10k Giveaway to encourage more people to follow and use our Instagram page. To be entered in the giveaway, all you have to do is follow our page and send us a direct message saying that you followed us because of "Ding" on the Wing. We will pull a name every Friday until we reach our goal of 10,000 followers. The person whose name we pull will win a free hat, t-shirt, and a follower feature post on our page.
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Bee's Wrap Featured in
Bon Appetit
Our Bee's Wrap reusable, eco-friendly food wraps made a photo shoot in the March issue of
Bon Appetit
. The wraps make a thoughtful gift for your eco-conscious friends and family or for those who are just beginning their journey towards kicking plastic. The Refuge Nature Store offers individual wraps in three sizes: small (7" X 8"), medium (10" X 11"), and large (13" X 14"), as well as an assortment pack with one of each size.
Stop in today and pick up your snacks, wraps, and other products kind to the health of our planet and our bodies. Or contact Store Manager Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-472-1100 ext. 241 for more information about mail-ordering these and other featured 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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Junior Duck Stamp Judging
 As headquarters for the Florida Junior Duck Stamp Contest, "Ding" Darling hosted the judging on March 28. Conservation Educator Sara Hallas oversaw the contest, judged by nature artists Nancy Tome and John Brennan, Refuge staffer Ivette Gonzalez, bird sculptor Jim Sprankle, and Acting Refuge Manager Bill Miller. Anna Grace Swanson, a 16-year-old from Titusville, took Best of Show out of 1,982 entries - her second consecutive win. Anna's portrait of a pair of Blue-winged Teals will be entered in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest on April 19 at Patuxent Research Refuge in Maryland.
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Hot off the Press!
Click
HERE
to
read the latest Spring 2019 issue of our quarterly
Society Pages
newsletter. By making a donation
to DDWS, you become a
member
and automatically receive a free mailed copy of the newsletters, along with other benefits.
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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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Henslow's Sparrow
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Location:
Near Madison, Indiana (50,000 acres)
Totemic Fauna: Indiana Bat, Henslow's Sparrow
Fun for the Family: Kids can fish from the banks of 165-acre Old Timbers Lake.
Visitor's Tip: The refuge is usually open to the public on Mondays, Fridays, and the second and fourth
Saturdays from mid-April to mid-November. Check the website for holidays and hunting days closings.
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| Images Courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife |
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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.
Food Waste
Did you know that roughly one third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption gets wasted or lost every year? That adds up to approximately 1.3 billion tons. (
Source
)
Tossing edible food doesn't only waste money. It often ends up in landfills, where it rots and produces methane gas -- the second most common greenhouse gas. In other words, throwing out food contributes to climate change.
In the face of dwindling food supplies and increasing worldwide hunger, it is important to turn the tables on food waste at home. Start by shopping wisely, storing food properly, and learning how to preserve fresh produce, meat, and seafood. Visit
healthline.com
for more tips.
Doing Our Part to Reduce 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 one-time-use 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 DDWS has transitioned to compostable plates, cups, and flatware for event use. We have a no-straws policy.
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Click
HERE to see this week's wildlife sightings
Peg d'Entremont
captured this Swallow-tailed Kite clutching a frog. During breeding season, it hunts small vertebrates, including tree frogs, lizards, and snakes.
T
o see more wildlife photos 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 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 later this year. |
Free Refuge Summer Programs
- June 5-August 3, 2019
Clyde Butcher Photography 75
th
Anniversary Exhibition
- November 13, 2019-February 8, 2020
75
th
Anniversary Happy Hour Holiday Shopping
- December 1, 2019
75
th
Anniversary Lecture Series
- January 24-April 10, 2020
75
th
Anniversary Go Wild for "Ding"
- February 12, 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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Watch the Lecture Live on
Thanks to the 
