Westland to retire from refuge after over two decades
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge reported that May 31 will be a sad day for it, Sanibel Island, friends of the refuge and the hundreds of staffers, volunteers, students and folks from here to Russia whose lives Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland has touched and bettered.
Westland has accepted the federal government’s offer for early retirement, part of the current restructuring of conservation lands and their agencies. After 23 years with the island refuge, “Ranger Toni” has become the face of it — a cherished part of what the refuge stands for.
She will retire with 27 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“While I look forward to spending more time with my family and pursuing other interests, a part of me will always cling to ‘Ding’ Darling — to the wonderful volunteers, our incredible supporters at ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society, and all the teachers, students, fellow workers and community partners I’ve met and worked with along the way,” Westland said. “‘Ding’ is an amazing family, and I’m honored to be a part of it and very sad to say goodbye.”
Hired in 2002 as an education specialist at the refuge, Westland continued to weave her love for bringing the conservation message to kids of all ages, even when promoted to her current administrative position in 2009.
She has created countless new programs at the local, regional and national level and received awards and tokens of appreciation from around the world. In 2012, Westland traveled to Russia after International Affairs in Washington, D.C., selected her to assist the staff of the Baikalsky Reserve with redesigning two visitor centers on the shores of Lake Baikal, based on her experience overseeing visitor services. She also helped develop environmental education and interpretation programs while there.
In recent years, Westland has led the charge to spread the refuge’s mission and message to the greater Lee County community with initiatives ranging from building pollinator gardens in Title I schools to visiting schools too far from the refuge and with too few resources to visit via the Wildlife on Wheels mobile classroom, which she helped design. Westland also recently led the design and creation of the Roving Ranger mobile visitor center.
“Engaging urban populations in wildlife conservation on and off public lands helps protect our natural heritage,” Westland said.
“It’s impossible to even scratch the surface of the contributions Toni has made to ‘Ding’ Darling and conservation in a global sense,” “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman said. “We wish her luck as she follows her passion for nature-inspired art. She forever changed the refuge, and the refuge will never be the same without her energy, spirit and spunk to inspire us daily.”