Volunteers sought for refuge planting
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is signing up volunteers to help plant sand cordgrass (Spartina bakeri) on July 8-10 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at its North Botanical Unit on Sanibel. Located off Sanibel-Captiva Road, the central marsh has been degraded and stressed by habitat fragmentation, hydrologic changes to the landscape, water level changes, woody vegetation encroachment, wildfire suppression, saltwater intrusion and recent storm-surge events. The planting is part of a collective effort among island conservation partners to restore the habitat closer to historic conditions and enhance the quality of marsh habitat that is critical for wildlife and people. The refuge thanked the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge for funding the purchase of the native plants. To register or for more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freshwater-marsh-restoration-volunteer-planting-event-july-8-10-tickets-1990994017703?aff=oddtdtcreator or contact Ranger Tucker Phillips at tucker_phillips@fws.gov and put “Marsh Planting Volunteer” in the subject line.