Let’s Go
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge will celebrate National Public Lands Day with free admission to Wildlife Drive, discounts at Tarpon Bay Explorers and special activities on Sept. 22.
Wildlife Drive will open at 7 a.m. for free touring and will close at 7 p.m. Narrated tram tours will run at their normal cost at 10 a.m., 12:30 and 3 p.m.
Tarpon Bay Explorers, the official concession of the refuge, will offer a 25 percent discount on kayak, paddleboard and bike rentals for the day.
Always free to the public, the Visitor & Education Center will open at 9 a.m.
Additional free and discounted activities will include:
– 8:30 a.m.: Tarpon Bay Explorers will offer a 25 percent discount off of a guided kayak tour; reservations are recommended at 239-472-8900
– 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.: Guided tour and cleanup along Indigo Trail to the Wildlife Education Boardwalk; meet at the parking lot flagpole and bring water, sunscreen and insect repellant
– 9:30 to 11 a.m.: “Hidden Treasures of ‘Ding’ Caravan”; follow a naturalist along Wildlife Drive and stop for up-close personal viewings; meet at the parking lot flagpole and bring water, sunscreen and insect repellant
– 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Make-and-take recycled crafts in the Visitor & Education Center classroom
For more information, contact refuge Ranger Monica Scroggin at 239-472-1100, ext. 237.
For more about Tarpon Bay Explorers, visit www.tarponbayexplorers.com or call 239-472-8900.
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is at 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel.
Tarpon Bay Explorers is at 900 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel.
Let’s Go
The annual Galloway Captiva Triathlon will be held on the grounds of the South Seas Island Resort, at 5400 Plantation Road, Captiva.
Organized by Southwest Florida Events, the event consists of the youth triathlon on Sept. 15 and the adult triathlon on Sept. 16.
Spectators are welcome to come out. Spectator parking will be available at the south end, with shuttles to take them to the north end.
The public is reminded that Captiva Drive will close at 6:45 a.m., so they will need to be at the north end before 6:30 a.m.
For more information, visit www.captivatri.org or “Captiva Triathlon” on Facebook.