PHOTO PROVIDED

On Nov. 9, the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s staff planted 4,300 more plugs of native cordgrass along the north and south sides of the Tarpon Bay Slough pond as part of the Bailey Tract marsh habitat restoration project. The three-month project included hydrologic enhancements that benefit the wildlife that inhabits the tract. Species such as secretive marsh birds and others dependent on cordgrass marsh habitats benefit as a result, and visitors are already seeing lots of birds, including a bald eagle. The refuge is at 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel.