Refuge welcomes visitor services intern
Visitor services intern Joey Garofano arrived recently to help the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel with staffing shortages for the fall, thanks to funding from the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge.
Garofano, a 2018 graduate from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, holds a bachelor’s degree in youth programming and camp management, with an emphasis in environmental education and interpretation. Through May, he will assist Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland in overseeing programs and amenities for the more than one million annual visitors to the refuge.
“We welcome Joey’s energy and enthusiasm to the team,” she said. “We thank our friends group for making his internship possible. With our shrinking staff, due to federal budget cuts, it’s crucial for this sort of partnership to keep the refuge running.”
Garofano, who hails from Mahtomedi, Minnesota, most recently worked as a leaders in training director at Sargent Camp in Hancock, New Hampshire.
“I’m looking forward to learning about the everyday operations at a wildlife refuge,” he said. “‘Ding’ Darling is such an exceptional place to work, and I love the tranquil beauty that this island provides.”
For more information about the refuge’s internships, contact Westland at 239-472-1100 ext. 237.
To learn more about supporting the refuge intern program or DDWS, visit dingdarlingsociety.org or contact Birgie Miller at 239-472-1100 ext. 4 or director@dingdarlingsociety.org.