"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter
July 3, 2014
In This Issue
Fertilize with Eco-Conscience
Wildlife SIghtings
Mote Remotes
New Counsel: Marc Giatinni
Refuge Vandalism
25 Ways to Celebrate "Ding" Days
Upcoming Events
Quick Links

Butterfly Collection
For her biology internship project, Libby Errickson created a collection of butterflies and moths to add to the informative wildlife exhibits used for education programs at the Refuge.  
Youth Fishing Day

DDWS, the Refuge, and Tarpon Bay Explorers teamed up to host 28 kids from the YMCA of Fort Myers for their semi-annual Youth Fishing Day event on check date. Cast-netting, knot-tying, safety, and other lessons preceded an exciting cruise into Tarpon Bay, where everyone hooked into fish, including a 2-1/2-foot bonnethead shark. A special thanks to the Lexington Fishing Club and the Sanibel Island Fishing Club for assisting and donating toward the day.   

Fertilize 
with an 
Eco-Conscience
Sanibel has adopted a fertilizer ordinance restricting fertilizer application in order to help protect the ailing Sanibel River, Tarpon Bay and our READ MORE

If you would like to make a gift to support water quality research, please CLICK HERE and 
 note that it is to support this area of interest. To learn more, call Birgie at 239.292.0566
Junior Duck Stamp 
In the News
Thanks to the Santiva Chronicle for its amazing coverage of the Florida Junior Duck Stamp judging at "Ding" Darling. Click here to see the coverage. To watch a slide show of the top 12 winners online, please click here.
Cartoon

Happy Independence Day, compliments of our Refuge's namesake, political cartoonist Jay "Ding" Darling. He published this cartoon, titled "War? No Independence Day" on July 4, 1902. Be sure to look for us celebrating the holiday in the Sanibel Island Fourth of July parade. 

Click on the cartoon to see it enlarged.  

 

 

Note: Both Wildlife Drive (as usual for a Friday) and the Visitor & Education Center will be closed on July 4. Tarpon Bay Explorers will remain open. 

 

Wildlife Sightings
Bald Eagle Photo By: 
Al Hoffacker
Did you know?
Rather than do their own fishing, Bald Eagles often go after other creatures' catches. A Bald Eagle will harass a hunting Osprey until the smaller raptor drops its prey in midair, where the eagle swoops it up. A Bald Eagle may even snatch a fish directly out of an Osprey's talons.
 
 

 

Prescribed Burn Meeting July 11
Carefully planning and conducting managed burns can prevent the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires and help preserve the natural ecology of the area.
During the 2014 summer season, the Refuge will be conducting prescribed burns on the Bailey Tract,Legion Curve, and Sanibel-Captiva Road
units on Sanibel Island. Refuge staff  invites the public to an informational meeting on Friday, July 11, 2014, at 1 p.m.
in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center to discuss the burn plans and address any questions or concerns.  
Sarah Goes to Washington
Sarah Ashton with Senator Bill Nelson's legislative aide, 
Erik Kamrath. 
Board member Sarah Ashton
recently traveled to Washington, DC, on behalf of Refuge budgeting, staffing, and water quality issues. She met with the Department of Interior officials and legislative aides of  regional congressmen. Sarah is a member of the DDWS Advocacy Committee. 
Mote Remotes
Learn about unusual creature characteristics at our visiting
Sea Monsters exhibit. 
Join us for these three FREE upcoming programs in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, as part of our summer Sea Monsters traveling exhibit. All take place at 2 p.m.
in the FREE Visitor & Education Center auditorium.

 

Tuesday, July 8 
Ocean Careers 
interactive program:

 Interested in saving marine wildlife one species at a time? Explore what it takes to be a marine scientist. Topics for this 50-minute program include shark husbandry, tagging and tracking, aquarium biology, sea turtle nesting and rehabilitation, dolphin research, coral reef restoration, and manatee care. 

Friday, July 11

Manatees Interactive program 
Magnificent, mighty, marvelous MANATEES! Find out how huge and intelligent manatees really are during this 50-minute program. Meet Hugh and Buffett, the resident manatees at Mote Marine, while we go live with Mote educators via video conferencing. 

 

Monday, July 14 
NOVA: Why Sharks Attack film.

 In recent years, an unusual spate of deadly shark attacks has gripped Australia, resulting in five deaths in ten months. Separate fact from fear and join us to watch a 60-minute film that follows a team of experts while they work to uncover the science behind these apex predators' hunting habits. 

 

Click here for the entire schedule of Sea Monsters programming.

New Counsel: Marc Giatinni
DDWS President John McCabe thanks Marc Giatinni for his years of service to the friends group.

We are happy to announce the appointment of Sanibel Island attorney Marc Giatinni as special counsel to the board of directors.

 

"Marc is a former board member and continues to provide invaluable counsel to the Society both on legal issues and organization history," said DDWS President John McCabe. "In appointing Marc to the special counsel position, we are recognizing his past and vital ongoing contributions to DDWS." 

Staff Changes
Eliza Chamberlain

Eliza, a Sanibel resident and recent graduate in psychology from Florida State University, has been volunteering at the Refuge since eighth grade at The Sanibel School. She served as a Youth Conservation Corps worker from 2007 to 2009. Granddaughter of longtime Refuge staffer and volunteer Carroll Branyon, she is a summer intern assisting with visitor services in the Visitor & Education Center.

 

Jess Shelton

Jess began working as a shared-use volunteer for DDWS and the Refuge in August 2012. This passed October, she stepped into the role of Associate Director of Community Outreach and Development. She will return to her hometown in Cincinnati, Ohio after her final day of work at the Refuge today, July 3. We will miss Jess as a part of the "Ding" family.

Refuge Vandalism

Anyone who has information on the culprits who have defaced these trees should contact the Refuge.
Since 2010, carved graffiti on gumbo limbo trees at the Refuge has increased. Harming Refuge wildlife and vandalizing federal property is unlawful. Anyone with information about this or any other vandalism on the refuge, please contact

Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland at 239-472-1100, ext. 237.

 

"Grounds by Greenways has advised us to cover the graffiti with landscape fabric to protect the compromised trees from disease and has graciously agreed to donate the materials," said Toni. "We hope this will also deter further vandalism."

25 Ways to Celebrate "Ding" Day's 25th

There must be 25 ways to celebrate "Ding" Darling Days' 25th Anniversary,

October 19-25, 2014.  Today we highlight ouFREE 25-minute Stand-Up Paddleboard clinics from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, October 21, and Thursday, October 23, at Tarpon Bay Explorers. 

 

Stay tuned to "Ding" on the Wing in coming weeks for more of those 25 ways. For a full calendar of 'Ding' Days events as it develops, please click here. 

 

Thanks to our generous sponsors, who make "Ding" Darling Days happen this year. 

 ROSEATE SPOONBILL:

GREAT EGRET: 

GREAT BLUE HERON:  Arthur Printing, Bailey's General Store, Mike & Terry Baldwin, Casa Ybel Resort, Cedar Chest Fine Jewelry, Intech Printing, Island Sun, Jerry's Foods, Mike & Cannella Mullins, Ocean's Reach Condominiums, Jim & Patty Sprankle, West Wind Inn 

 

 

 To become a sponsor, please email or 

call Wendy Schnapp, 239-470-1877. 

 
Happy 4th of July!
 
Upcoming Events
Click here for a full calendar of events and programs.  
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,  Birgit Miller, Executive Director
 
 
 "Ding" On the Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton
Designed by Jess Shelton and Intern Sarah Lathrop