REFUGE/DDWS Marsha Camitta

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported on the creation of the Marsha Camitta Conservation Fund, an endowment that will support the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel.

Camitta exuded a love for wildlife and the natural world that she shared with friends and family. She brought that passion to Sanibel, where she and her husband visited annually for years before they purchased a home shortly before her death in March of 2023.

Camitta was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in New Hyde Park. After graduating from high school, her love of the outdoors led to a degree in biology at Chatham University. Camitta continued to share her appreciation for the natural world with all who knew her, including her pets. She could be found walking, jogging, swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, camping and planning travels with her family. During the winter, one of Camitta’s favorite places to escape the cold was Sanibel and Captiva with her family. The refuge was always a must stop.

She treated the natural world and the animals in it with love and appreciation, always watching and exploring. Knowing the refuge was one of her favorite spots to visit, Camitta’s family chose to honor her legacy and love of nature with the fund to support the refuge, those who come to enjoy it and the wildlife that need it to survive.