Home  Contact Us Regions: Northwest Florida Northeast Florida Central Florida Southeast Florida Southwest Florida Site Links: FlaTrips.com Archives Arts Books  Boat Tours Contests Entertainment  Events  Historic Lodging Interviews  Museums Mysteries Night Life Parks and Preserves Advertise Comments  Contributors Submit Press Releases	October 2012                                                      Vol. 2 Issue 10                              Florida Trips Magazine™ Feature Story             23rd Annual “Ding” Darling Days – Sanibel Island                                          by SueAnn Carpenter Photos used by permission © 2012 Ding" Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge                                                 HEATHER and IBEX - Heather Henson, daughter of Muppet creator Jim Henson, brings her troupe of puppeteers, kite-flyers, and musicians to "Ding" Darling Days this year.      Be sure to visit this birding and eco-festival October 14-20. Head to Sanibel Island to celebrate the birthday of the Refuge’s namesake (father of the Federal Duck Stamp program and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, Jay N.”Ding” Darling.)      A political cartoonist with an eye toward conservation, Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling was instrumental in saving this pristine wildlife habitat and urged President Truman to create the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge in 1945. In 1967, the Refuge was renamed to honor this pioneer conservationist.                                                             BLUE - The Refuge System's Blue Goose mascot shows up at "Ding" Darling Days events. The Refuge's namesake, Jay N. "Ding" Darling, designed the refuge symbol.       Today the Refuge protects endangered and threatened species and provides feeding, nesting, and roosting areas for migratory birds  (habitat for over 220 species.) It contains over 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged sea grass beds, cord grass marshes, and West Indian hardwood hammocks. Approximately 2,800 acres of it are designated by Congress as a Wilderness Area. The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is part of a larger complex that encompasses the Caloosahatchee NWR, Matlacha Pass NWR, Pine Island NWR, and Island Bay NWR. (The majority of these are nesting and roosting islands.) The entire complex is approximately 8,000 acres.      Sunday, Oct. 14 features free Naturalist-narrated 60-minute refuge tram tours, live wildlife presentations, a touch tank to familiarize with gulf denizens, a butterfly house, kids’ nature crafts, and free hot dogs to satiate appetites. Muppeteer Jim Henson’s daughter, Heather with Ibex Puppetry, tops it off with a parade featuring life-sized endangered animal puppets.   BUNCHE - Birding tours, kayak and boat tours, and lectures happen throughout the week during "Ding" Darling Days.      The rest of the week is filled with all kinds of free and discounted offerings: birding, biking, kayaking, sunset paddles, sea life boat tours, specialty cruises, films, and presentations. Just some of the freebies are: admission to Wildlife Drive; the Bunche Beach Birding Tram, a birding tour caravan, a Refuge bike tour, a Beach Walk at Perry Tract; and a Bailey Tract Hike. Free Deck talks will be offered on manatees, sharks, dolphins, and history of the Calusa Indians.      In addition, at the Education Center Auditorium, the following presentations will be free: History of Refuge Endangered Species presented by Charles LeBuff, Refuge Historian; Cuckoos at the Refuge; Preliminary results of Refuge Study by Rachel Frieze, Ecostudies Institute; Story of the Sanibel Bear-Mike Orlando, FWC Bear Management; Animal Tracks & Scat Program (EC Classroom); Story of Ospreys-Mark “Bird” Westall, Founder International Osprey Foundation; Illegal Wildlife Trade-USFWS agent Cindy Mercado; Sanibel Sea Turtles- Refuge and SCCF Biologists;  and America’s Darling - Documentary Film Premiere.                                                         2012-2013 - Joe Hautman, the 2011 Federal Duck Stamp winning artist (and four-time winner), will speak at Conservation Art Day.      Conservation Art Day winds up the celebration on Saturday, Oct. 20, with visits from Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp winners and nature art workshops. This year, the event celebrates the 30th anniversary of the refuge’s friends group and the 20th anniversary of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, which started on Sanibel.      Wildlife Cartoonist Dave Horton will draw wildlife portraits for the first 50 guests. There will be Conservation Cartoon Awards and a Cartooning Lesson with Doug MacGregor; “Ding” Darling Days Nature Photography Contest Awards; Nature Sketching on Indigo Trail with artist Nancy Tome (free sketch journals); and a Photography Tram Tour (first 30 signups at tram booth that day--reservations required: call 239-472-8900.) You can also attend Meet the Champs: Winning Duck Stamp Artists; Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) Awards & Birthday Celebration. Meet and greet 2011 (four-time) Federal Duck Stamp winner Joe Hautman plus state and federal JDS winners.      It will be a week to remember: Visit www.dingdarlingdays.com for information and updates.	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