Refuge to take annual ‘Ding’ Darling Day on the road
To further its mission to reach and connect with underserved urban communities, the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge will migrate its 33rd annual “Ding” Darling Day celebration on Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to Lakes Park in Fort Myers.
The refuge and “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge have been keeping in sync with the Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership, a national refuge system-wide initiative to encourage community connection.
The Wildlife on Wheels project was the first big step that refuge educators took toward spreading the word about conservation beyond the refuge’s borders. Since December, the mobile classroom has reached 5,620 students at local schools, 60 students at spring break camp at the Fort Myers YMCA and 625 visitors while at the refuge. It continued its outreach this summer at three weeklong WoW day camps, where over 300 children visited the classroom to learn about wildlife, habitat and the refuge.
The WoW will be at the center of the free “Ding” Darling Day. Besides tours of the classroom, the refuge and DDWS have planned a full day of activities. Special outdoor programs include games, nature crafts, guided walks and educational interactions with other local conservation organizations.
“We look forward to reinventing ‘Ding’ Darling Day to make that connection actually out in the community,” Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland, who chairs the event committee, said. “We’re still ironing out details, but expect fun and enrichment for the entire family.”
Visit dingdarlingdays.com for further details as they are released.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, DDWS and Tarpon Bay Explorers co-sponsor the annual “Ding” Darling Day with generous support from the local community and businesses.
Current event sponsors include: Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille as Great Egret; John R. Wood Properties, Island Sun and Mitchell’s SandCastles as Great Blue Heron; and Florida SouthWestern State College Foundation, Jensen’s Twin Palm Cottages & Marina Resort, Sanibel Moorings Resort, Southern Snoballs and TBE as Snowy Egret.
The DDWS is seeking sponsors, which will be publicized throughout the Southwest Florida area. For more information, contact April Boehnen at april@dingdarlingsociety.org or 239-472-1100 ext. 4.