"Ding" Darling Wildlife Society Newsletter 
June 11, 2015
In This Issue
Saving Screech Owls
Seeking Interns
Wildlife Sightings
Becky Goes to Alaska
Summer Programs
Family Film Series
"Ding" Days Sponsorship
APPbassadors
Kissimmee Restoration
Birds Online
Upcoming Events
This Chick Needs You
Quick Links
New Biology Intern
Becca Young
New biology intern Becca Young joined the team effort at the Refuge on June 1, 2015. She plans to stay until December 2015 as part of the Refuge's intern program supported by the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society. Madison, Alabama, native Young most recently lived in Litchfield, Conn., where she worked as an aviculture and education intern READ MORE

 

Trails Day

The Busting boys from Clewiston, Florida, strike an anhinga pose on the Animal Olympics course along Indigo Trail during National Trails Day, which the Refuge celebrated on Saturday, June 6. Activities also included guided trail hikes and free admission to Wildlife Drive for bikers and hikers. Sponsored by the American Hiking Society, the annual event celebrates the more than 200,000 miles of trails found across the U.S.

Saving Our Screech Owls

Thanks to efforts pushed forward by Refuge volunteers and others, San-Cap Road now has two signs with solar powered lighting to warn motorists to watch for screech owls, which fly low at night and are too often victim to car collisions.

Screech Owl photo by Jim Bennight screeching hallelujah for the signs!
Seeking Interns
The "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society has an opening for a Community Outreach and Development Intern. Working October 2015 through May 2016 this position is perfect for students and recent graduates. Check out the description on our website for more information.
"Ding" on the Wing Archives
Did you know you can access past editions of "Ding" on the Wing via our website? For an archive of our bulletins, please  please CLICK HERE. There's also an archive of our quarterly print newsletter 
Society Pages online. If you are not receiving our newsletter and would like to subscribe, please 
email us. 
Join Us on Social Media
A recent Facebook post in response to a photo of a bobcat captured on our trail cameras.

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter: Pick your platform and join our thousands of followers in social media. Please "LIKE" us on Facebook. (You can also "LIKE" the Refuge's "Official" page.) Instagram users can find us at @dingdarlingwildlifesociety. On Twitter, our handle is @DingDarlingWS.

 


Florida Butterfly Orchid
Photo by Kasey Robb

The Florida Butterfly Orchid -- found in South Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas -- is our most common Orchid. It is epiphytic (grows in trees) and varies somewhat in color and size. Several of the Orchids can be seen from the "Ding" Darling Education Building boardwalk; but please don't touch or pick -- disturbing an Orchid is a violation. Thanks to Refuge volunteer Ed Combs for the information!

Recent Sightings

 

Tides

Becky Goes to Alaska
Becky Larkins

Ranger Becky Larkins, the Refuge education specialist, has been invited for a special Alaska refuges detail this summer from August 2 to September 7. Her mission: to aid two refuges -- Alaska Peninsula and Becharof NWRs outside of Bristol Bay -- with their visitor services program and learn new tools to apply at "Ding" Darling.  "I will be conducting their Science Week for sixth to eighth grade students, a special program hosted by the school and the refuge - like our day camp," she said. "Hopefully I will get to see some cool birds, bears, wolves, and much more!"

 

Andrew Kneeland, 17, from Wyoming won the 2015 Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest with his pair of wood ducks.
 
Hey, "Ding" on the Wing readers: You are the first to hear the big news at the Refuge. Next year, for the first time ever, "Ding" Darling will host the Federal Junior Duck Stamp judging. The public is invited, so mark the date

April 22, 2016, on your calendars, and stay tuned for news of other activities we are planning.

 

Each year, the Refuge hosts the judging of the Florida Duck Stamp program; in 2016, it will welcome the nationwide judging - a fitting tribute to Sanibel Island as the birthplace of the JDS program.

FREE Summer Programs Underway

Indigo Trail hikes lead visitors to the Wildlife Education Boardwalk every Thursday at 10 a.m.
The free Refuge summer programs calendar kicked off this week with activities that range from Beach Walks to Reading at the Refuge story and crafts sessions. CLICK HERE
for a complete schedule.



Reading at the Refuge programs include nature crafts every Tuesday and Saturday inside the Visitor & Education Center at 11 a.m.
Family Film Series! 
Turtle:  
The Incredible Journey
As part of the Refuge's summer programming, the inaugural "Ding" Darling Summer Family Film Series continues its FREE bi-weekly showings on Sunday, June 21, 2015, at 2 p.m. with Turtle: The Incredible Journey in the "Ding" Darling Visitor & Education Center. A tie-in kids craft activity will precede the film, which follows a loggerhead turtle's spectacular journey READ MORE.

The schedule of upcoming Summer Family Film titles

is as follows. All free film and craft sessions begin at 2 p.m.
  • June 21: Turtle: The Incredible Journey
  • July 5Wall-E
  • July 19: Hoot
  • August 2: Finding Nemo

"Ding" Days Sponsorship

Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille once again sponsors "Ding" Darling Days at the $5,000 Roseate Spoonbill Level. 
We are now accepting sponsors for the 26th annual "Ding" Darling Days, October 18-24, 2015, at the Refuge. Please CLICK HERE to learn more about sponsorship opportunities for the well-attended and highly publicized event. Call (239- 470-1877) or email 
Wendy Schnapp to become a sponsor.  
    

A special thanks to Tarpon Bay Explorers
for its support of "Ding" Days. Thanks also to these sponsors who have already signed on for "Ding" Days 2015: 

 

Roseate Spoonbill Sponsors:

Reddish Egret Sponsors:Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler, Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club, Stewart and Sons Insurance, Inc.


APPbassadors Help Visitors Discover Ding
Education Intern Davis Horton with APPbassador Johnny Jensen, a fifth grader at The Sanibel School, and his mother Gina Jensen.
To help Refuge visitors get connected to the Refuge through the new Discover Ding game and social media app, Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland has engaged six families - kids and an adult relative - to volunteer their time to rove Wildlife Drive and help other families.

 

"They're called Youth APPbassadors," said Toni, who also trains the students. "The program engages them in the Refuge at a young age. I give them an 'Appy' shirt to wear, a goodie bag, and make sure they're ready to use the app. Their goal is to teach visitors how to download and use it.  When they're not finding someone to use the app, they post content pictures and field tips on the app to share with others."

 

Scan to download the iTunes version. 
Scan to download the Android version of Discover Ding. 
Tarpon Bay Explorers Award 
trip advisor

Tarpon Bay Explorers, the Refuge's official recreation concession, is proud to announce that it has joined an elite group: TripAdvisor's 2015 Hall of Fame. TBE has earned a Certificate of Excellence for its fifth year in a row. Certificates of Excellence are awarded to tourism entities that consistently receive high reviews on the world's largest travel site. By earning its fifth certificate, TBE has been inducted into TripAdvisor's newly created Hall of Fame.

Visit to Kissimmee River Restoration
The group heads out by boat.
Sanibel Vice Mayor Mick Denham recently led a group from the City administration and "Ding" Darling to tour areas of the Kissimmee River that are in the process of being restored.  Joining the vice mayor were Refuge Manager Paul Tritaik, Immediate DDWS Past President John McCabe, DDWS Vice President Mike Baldwin, Sanibel Councilman READ MORE.
More Birds Online
Crazy about reddish egrets? Check out our new photo album, which includes pictures of our research study birds.


 

Web surfers love our Web Photo Gallery pages - especially the bird albums. So we have added two more albums. Because of our ongoing Reddish Egret Study at the Refuge, funded partially by DDWS, we decided to take a closer look at this fascinating bird with images from our tagged and other resident birds. We have also added a new album of various birds taken recently at the Refuge. CLICK HERE to peek into both albums. 

Upcoming Events
  • Free Summer Biweekly Family Film Series - Through August 2, 2015
  • Free Summer Programs Through August 9, 2015
  • Nature Explorers Day Camp - June 15-July 17, 2015
  •  "Ding" Darling Days  - October 18-24, 2015
  • Happy Hour Holiday Shopping - December 3, 2015
  • Friday Winter Lecture Series - January 8-April 15, 2016
  • Biweekly Winter Film Series - January 13-April 6, 2016
  • Federal Junior Duck Stamp Judging at the Refuge/Earth Day - April 22, 2016
  • Fifth Annual "Ding" Darling & Doc Ford's Tarpon Tournament - May 6-7, 2016
  • Third Annual Upcycle! Art Fest - November 5, 2016

Mark your calendars, and join us! 

Visit www.dingdarlingsociety.org for details. 

 This Chick Needs You
 A yellow-crowned night heron hatchling photo taken from a safe distance by volunteer 
Jim Bennight.

Your donations to the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society are critical. Any amount helps ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the unspoiled lands and waters of the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Making a charitable contribution is easy and tax deductible. CLICK HERE to learn more.

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!
View on Instagram

 Sincerely, 
  Birgit Miller,Executive Director
 
 


"Ding" On the Wing composed by Chelle Koster Walton
Designed by Sarah Lathrop and Interns Kasey Robb and Elise Waite