Ding Darling Wildlife Society Annual Report 2016/2017

Transcription

1 Ding Darling Wildlife Society Annual Report 2016/2017 Photo courtesy of Justin Dalaba Ding Darling Wildlife Society, the non-profit Friends of the Refuge organization, supports environmental education, services, and conservation at the J.N. Ding Darling National Widllife Refuge Complex. Education and conservation efforts may extend beyond the complex s border. We partner in these efforts where possible with like-minded conservation organizations.

2 2 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, On behalf of the Board of Directors and myself, thank you for your support. This has been a very special year for the Ding Darling Wildlife Society (DDWS) as we celebrated 35 years in partnership with the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge and its dedicated staff. As such, we are deeply grateful to you, our loyal family of donors, friends, volunteers and staff for helping make this 35th year a great success. Having seen the Refuge staff dwindle from 22 staff members fifteen years ago to only 11 staff today, the Society has had to work smarter and harder to help fill in the gaps where government funding falls short. And so we have! This was another very productive year for the Ding Darling Wildlife Society. In this year s annual report, you will see an overview of many of our accomplishments. We saw the successful acquisition of 8.15 acres, which connected to the Refuge. Once again, this was another unique cooperative effort between the Society, the Refuge and Lee County 20/20. With the Refuge Educator Position frozen by the government, the Society worked at raising the money necessary to hire a conservation educator working with the students of our area. Wildlife and water quality research also continued with Society support. We saw the unveiling of the new Perry Tract Kiosk honoring the memory and donation of Dr. Thank you again for your kind and generous support, Doris D. Hardy Board President the opening of our newest, first in the nation, learning lavatories project. The Society continues to explore land acquisition opportunities for the Refuge, one of which is a 68 acre parcel already permitted for residential development. Meanwhile, our on-going annual support for the Refuge has continued to grow. Every year, the Society provides funding for interpretive signage, educational brochures, biology supplies and equipment, intern stipends, bussing for more than 8,000 local elementary students and support for the volunteer program. The Society has become more active in national, state, and local collaborative conservation groups, including the Everglades Coalition and Clear Your Gear, and works hard at educating our elected officials and decision makers on the importance of our Refuge for our wildlife and for the local economy. This history of success does not happen easily. It is the individuals, families, businesses and foundations, past and present, which helped us reach 35 years of supporting our Refuge in ways we never thought possible. Today, it takes everyone who treasures wild places and wildlife continuing to help us make future accomplishments happen. I look forward to all of us remaining a part of this continued success as we enhance the conservation work here at the Refuge and beyond. BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Doris Hardy Immediate Past President John McCabe Vice President Mike Baldwin Secretary Wendy Kindig Treasurer Sarah Ashton MEMBERS AT LARGE Mark Banks Brett Gooch Phyllis Gresham Jim Hall Jen McSorley Kirstin Sawicki Bill Valerian Richard Yanke EMERITUS MEMBERS Terry Baldwin Susan Cassell Millie Ford Richard Hulit Joseph Kelley Marilyn Kloosterman Chip Lesch Cindy Pierce Jeanne Rankin Jim Scott Jim Sprankle SPECIAL COUNSEL Marc Giattini ADVISORS TO BOARD Bill Rankin Vasanta Senerat PUBLIC RELATIONS Chelle Koster Walton SOCIETY STAFF Executive Director Birgie Miller Associate Director Sarah Lathrop Nature Store Manager Jeanne Walsh Philanthropic Coordinator Carrie Alexander Office Manager Joann Hinman Assistant Office Manager Christopher Galloway Conservation Educator Sara Hallas

3 J.N. DING DARLING NWR COMPLEX The J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge complex The J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is managed as part of the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex. A National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an administrative grouping of two or more refuges, wildlife management areas or other refuge conservation areas managed from a central office. The J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex also includes the Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge, Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge. These lands are primarily mangrove islands, many of which are nesting and roosting areas for wading birds and other water birds. The entire complex includes approximately 8,000 acres Revenue & Expenditures Investment Revenue Refuge Nature Store Grants, Overall Refuge Bequests, Guest Support Contributions Administration $ Membership & Donations Expenditures A total of 75% of expenditures went directly to helping the refuge complex and community in the areas of conservation, wildlife protection, research, and education. Refuge support includes items such as displays, exhibits, student busing, equipment, interpretive signage, walkways, land acquisition, scholarships, construction projects, internships, research etc. The Refuge staff and the Wildlife Society continue to work to bring at-risk families and minorities to the Ding Darling Wildlife Society. Hopefully they will become our future conservation stewards. 3

4 Recent Land Acquisitons Thanks to the Conservation 20/20 program, Lee County gave $1.4 million towards the purchase of 8.15 acres on Wulfert Road. The DDWS raised the remaining $600,000 in order to purchase the tract of land in March of We were successful in preserving land that provides habitat for 80 land and marine species. In 2016, 9.11 acres near Bowman s Beach was donated to the Refuge for protection as well. The acquisition of these lands is important in the face of expanding development on the island. Without the hard work of the DDWS board and staff, Refuge staff, and generous donors, these lands would be developed and pristine mangrove habitat would be lost forever. 4 Research Research is important to understanding vital connections between plants, animals, and their environments so we can develop management strategies to better protect them here at the J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Research projects currently supported by the DDWS include Mangrove Cuckoo, Reddish Egret, Sanibel Rice Rat, and water quality. Photo by Gary Aber

5 I m truly grateful and feel honored to have been given this position. I absolutely love teaching and sharing my love of wildlife with students! -Sara Hallas Conservation Educator Education The DDWS paid for the busing of more than 8,000 school children to visit the Refuge, most of whom came from underserved communities and never before had the opportunity to get out into nature. We believe immersive environmental education is key in getting children to connect with nature and inspiring them to become the next generation of conservation stewards. The DDWS also supports the salary of our new Conservation Educator, Sara Hallas, whose position was cut from federal funding. Loyal DDWS donors saw the vital need for this position and stepped in to supply the Refuge with funds to hire Sara full-time. Additionally, the nearly one million annual visitors are touched by educational interpretation supported by the DDWS. 5

6 Intern Program Every year, the DDWS helps the Refuge combat staff shortages by hiring interns to assist Visitor Services, Biology, Education, and Society staff. In 2016/2017, DDWS supported eight interns, most recently hiring Amanda Brooks for the Society (pictured far left) and Tayelor Gosselin for Biology (pictured left). The intern program provides an opportunity for students and recent college graduates to learn hands-on about the environment and Refuge operations, creating young conservation stewards of the future. The program pays for intern housing at the Refuge as well as a weekly stipend. Volunteers With nearly 8,000 acres to manage in the Refuge Complex and nearly 1 million annual visitors from around the world, volunteers are vital to helping the Refuge staff achieve their conservation work. The DDWS supports the volunteer program expenses for more than 300 volunteers. Volunteers help out in many ways at Ding, including working the front desk, in the Refuge Nature Store, administration, maintenance, running education programs, working as rovers on Wildlife Drive, and more. 6

7 New at Ding The DDWS has been busy unveiling new additions to the Ding Darling Complex this year. At the Perry Tract at Gulfside City Park, DDWS created a kiosk honoring the late Dr. Louise Perry and her commitment to the conservation of land, wildlife, and shells. DDWS also conceptualized their Learning Lavatories to be installed at the Visitor & Education Center. Funded by a West Coast Inland Navigation District grant and private funders, the Learning Lavatories will create educational imagery inside the center s bathrooms and on the outdoor wall leading up to them. This newest educational exhibit will hopefully attract more visitors inside the center to continue their conservation education. Events The DDWS puts on several fundraising events throughout the year to raise funds for the Refuge s conservation and education efforts. Our two largest and most successful events are the Tarpon Tournament and Go Wild for Ding, which together raised nearly $200,000 in The Tarpon Tournament is a catch, care, and release tournament that celebrates the first tarpon caught on rod and reel in Ding Darling s Tarpon Bay. Since its inception six years ago, the Tarpon Tournament has raised more than $300,000 for conservation efforts. Go Wild for Ding is our annual fundraiser featuring dinner, live and silent auctions, and special entertainment. The event theme always involves a favorite species that relies on the Refuge for habitat, and the 2017 theme, Go Wild for Ding - Give a Hoot, featured Florida s native owl species. Additionally, 2016 was the 28th anniversary of Ding Darling Days, the annual outreach event that focuses on conservation education and brings hundreds of kids and families to the Refuge to learn about the environment. 7

8 Nature Store The Refuge Nature Store is essential in DDWS fundraising efforts, as all proceeds directly benefit Refuge conservation efforts and education. The Nature Store carries gifts for all ages ranging from books and puzzles to pillows and glassware. Most items are made in the U.S.A. or fair trade and focus on native and migratory wildlife. The store is open seven days a week thanks to the hard work of two full-time staff and hundreds of volunteers. Programs and Contests The DDWS sponsors many programs and contests throughout the year to support people of all ages interested in wildlife and conservation. These include the Theodore Cross High School Photography contest, higher education scholarships, the Junior Duck Stamp Program, the Ding Days cartoon contest, and the Film and Lecture Series. Wildflowers should be enjoyed unplucked where they grow. -Teddy Roosevelt 8 Thank you to our donors and volunteers for helping the Refuge protect, educate, and inspire. Ding Darling Wildlife Society ext. 4 dingdarlingsociety.org 1 Wildlife Drive P.O.Box 565 Sanibel, FL 33957