J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

The J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located on Sanibel Island, a subtropical barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, hemmed by mangrove trees, shallow bays and white sandy beaches. Two thousand eight hundred and twenty five (2,825) acres of the 6,300-acre refuge have been designated as Wilderness Area.

Located approximately 15 miles southwest of Ft. Myers FL, on Sanibel Island, the refuge is connected to the mainland by the three mile long Sanibel Causeway.
Originally named the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge, the name was changed in 1967 to honor Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, an editorial cartoonist, pioneer conservationist and originator of the federal Duck Stamp Program. Darling, who was the first director of what is now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wintered on the neighboring island of Captiva.

The refuge is made up of several habitat types: estuarine habitat consisting of open water, sea grass beds, mud flats and mangrove islands, and interior freshwater habitats consisting of: open water ponds, spartina swales, and west Indian hardwood hammocks/ridges. Two brackish water impoundments totaling 800 acres are managed for mosquito control and are used extensively by waterfowl and wading birds.

The refuge has a large diversity of species. Approximately 238 bird species have been identified utilizing refuge habitats, as well as 51 species of reptiles and amphibians and 32 species of mammals. Several threatened and endangered species benefit from the habitats described: eastern indigo snakes, American alligators, American crocodiles, bald eagles, wood storks, peregrine falcons, west Indian manatees, and Atlantic loggerhead turtles. Other wildlife includes ospreys, raccoons, otters, brown pelicans and moorhens.

A five-mile drive provides access to the estuarine-mangrove habitat. Tram tours are offered at least twice daily except Fridays, when the Wildlife Drive is closed. The "Ding" Darling refuge also offers a visitor center, 5 hiking trails, fresh & salt water fishing, canoe & kayak rentals, guided interpretive programs, a wildlife observation tower and wildlife photography. For rentals of canoes, kayaks, family pontoon boats, fishing equipment and bicycles, please contact the Tarpon Bay Explorers at 900 Tarpon Bay Rd.

Guided Tours available: Kayak and Canoe through Commodore Creek, Sunset Paddle, Sea Life and Nature Cruise, Breakfast and Evening Cruise, Touch Tank Exploration, Fishing Charters. And don't miss the fabulous gift shop. For reservations and information, please call (239) 472-8900.

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is open every day except Friday. The entrance fee is $5 per automobile, or $1 per pedestrian/cyclist, and is payable via the honor system: You are asked to put your money in a box near the entrance to the loop road. The Wildlife Drive opens daily beginning 1/2 hour after sunrise and closes 1/2 before sunset Sun-Thursday. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9-4 during summer months, and from 9-5 during the months of Nov-Apr. For reservations and information, please call (239) 472-0101.

Other sites to check out:

water quality with the addition of the Marine Labratory in 2002. Current

PURRE is a nonprofit organization whose members and partners are committed to improving the health and productivity of the rivers and estuaries of South Florida. PURRE is working on several fronts in the fight to save South Florida’s waterways. Educated, united citizens are a must, and advocacy is crucial to win meaningful change to the current policies that are destroying our rivers, bays, and estuaries – the lifeblood of Florida's beauty, quality of life, and economy. Only educated citizens can make a difference. PURRE works through presentations, articles and advertisements to tell everyone what went wrong in South Florida and what should be done to fix it. Water quality has to be one of the highest priorities of local, state and federal government, politicians, and decision-makers. PURRE keeps the issue in the forefront.

 

PURRE’s presence, on the scene and behind the scene, influences water-quality policies and programs.