DDWS reports on refuge programming and more

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that the J N “Ding” Darling National W i l d l i f e R e f u g e ' s V i s i t o r & E d u c a t i o n C e n t e r a n d Wildlife Drive remain closed to the public due to the hurricane damage Consequently, many programs and events are canceled

I n a d d i t i o n , t h e D D W S p r o v i d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g updates:

∫ Refuge Cleanup with a Ranger takes place on Wednesdays at 9 a m Participation is limited; preregistration is required at DingDarling Eventbrite com

∫ “Ding” Darling Nature Wellness is partnering with the Sanibel Recreation Center to offer Mindfulness Meditations and Mindful Nature Walks Preregister at DingDarling.Eventbrite.com.

∫ Most Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the Nature Store will pop up at the Outdoor Gallery and Island Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rachel Pierce Art Gallery, at 1571 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

∫ Solar United Neighbors (SUN) will hold in-person informational meetings on March 14 in Fort Myers and on March 15 on Sanibel

∫ The deadline for the annual Florida Junior Duck Stamp Contest is March 15 For more information, cont a c t S u p e r v i s o r y R e f u g e R a n g e r T o n i W e s t l a n d a t Toni Westland@fws gov or 239-940-0169

∫ The Sounds of the Sand fundraiser will take place on March 25 at the Bell Tower in Fort Myers to benefit the refuge's hurricane recovery and conservation The DDWS, Two Lane Lager and Bell Tower are partnering for the free event

∫ The deadline to apply for DDWS scholarships for environmental studies is March 31.

∫ In concert with Earth Day, the “Ding” Darling Day Conservation Carnival will take place on April 22 at the Lakes Park in Fort Myers

∫ “Ding” Wellness Week will precede National Mental Health Awareness Week, May 3-10

∫ The annual “Ding” Darling & Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament will take place on May 19 Registration is open As of Feb 23, there were three spots left The DDWS thanked the 2023 sponsors To become an event sponsor, contact April Boehnen at aprilb@dingdarlingsociety org or 239-292-0566