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DDWS acquires land parcel on island

By REFUGE/DDWS 2 min read
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REFUGE/DDWS The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge has acquired property along Sanibel's Bay Drive to preserve it in perpetuity for wildlife habitat.
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REFUGE/DDWS The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge has acquired property along Sanibel's Bay Drive to preserve it in perpetuity for wildlife habitat.

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) recently closed on a 21.5-acre acquisition of land adjacent to Bay Drive on Sanibel, located between Isabel Drive and The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club, thanks to a donation from the family Pine Rock Foundation, of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The parcel was originally part of a 75-acre historic property along bay shores owned by the Symroski pioneer family. Through the generations, the family sold off parcels of the homesteaded property, much of which became neighborhood communities.

“Continuing the 42-year legacy of the ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society in conservation, protection and education is what this is all about, and we are so thrilled to help preserve this important stretch of island green space, which is vital habitat, in perpetuity,” DDWS Board President Bill Harkey said. “It is important for the wildlife, and it will also enhance efforts for storm resilience and benefit island residents for generations.”

Two conservation plots bookend the property, which will complete a critical wildlife corridor through mostly undeveloped land planted with mangroves and other native vegetation and frequented by gopher tortoises, bobcats, screech owls and a myriad other varieties of birds and reptiles. The DDWS plans to locate a trail web cam in the depths of the property to track wildlife activity for research and education.

“We see what’s happening now at South Seas resort with changes in density and feel like we all need to work harder to prevent overdevelopment for the benefit of Sanibel’s commitment to conservation and nature,” he said. “We feel this is especially appropriate as the city approaches its 50th anniversary of incorporation this November. With so little land remaining on Sanibel and Captiva, we strongly feel the more we can protect, the better.”

To donate or offer land for purchase as part of the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge or DDWS holdings, contact DDWS Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman at wildman@dingdarlingsociety.org.