‘Ding’ cartoon of the month
REFUGE/DDWS
A clear example of the prescient nature of the political cartoons created in the early 20th century by Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, this one, titled “Our Engineers Plan Water Uses for Everything Except Nature’s Objectives,” foretold the reality of losing water resources. Like many of Darling’s Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoons, in its complexity it pokes fun at a number of political blunders — from the dikes of New Orleans to draining important wetlands. As water woes continue to plague Florida and the nation, the quality and quantity of water remains an environmental issue of highest concern, just as he foresaw. The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge owns the copyright of the “Ding” Darling cartoons.