Ring a Ding Ding!

Most preserves have names that highlight a species or geographical feature (like Ozark Cavefish or Pee Dee for the nearby river).  Others for the native people that once inhabited the area, or a more contemporary individual (Iroquois or Sonny Bono Salton Sea). 

Bee on Bidens alba / J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

But of the 567 National Wildlife Refuges, there seems to be only one nickname.

And that’s Ding.

Reddish Egret / J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

More formally known as the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, this is truly a darling of a preserve.  Which is not to mean it’s cute and diminutive.  It’s not – there are over 6,400 acres on Florida’s Sanibel Island.

American White Pelicans and Crows / J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

I’m not sure, but as well as the only Refuge with a nickname, I think this might be the only one connected to a cartoonist.  Jay Norwood Darling was a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist who also was an early wildlife conservationist.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him as director of the U.S. Biological Survey (a precursor to the Fish and Wildlife Service that manages the Refuge system).  Ding was a pioneer in this role -- forging partnerships, increasing acreage, creating the Federal Duck Stamp Program (and designing the first stamp), along with fashioning the Blue Goose logo that represents the Refuges.

Tricolored Heron / J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

I’ve longed to visit and on our socially-distant road trip this winter, it seemed the time to go.

Willets / J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

All of Sanibel Island is a natural joy and the crowning jewel certainly is this preserve.  They have an excellent visitor center, and friendly outreach/education programs which I imagine would be even more expansive if Covid weren’t on the scene.  Visitors can explore the preserve through tram rides, kayak tours, boat trips, walking paths, and a 4-mile Wildlife Drive.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron / J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

The wind was fierce on our visit (I’m not complaining as it was the same time the NYC home base was getting slammed with a snowstorm), so hiking and boating wasn’t an option.

Though nothing gets much better than walking in nature, I must admit that I’m a fan of the Wildlife Drive.  It’s a way to make nature accessible to so many people.  Parents with fussy kids can (hopefully) enjoy a slow drive; elderly folks and people with limited mobility can also partake in nature exploration.  And oddly enough, the birds tend to not mind slow moving cars, so you can get rather up-close looks not available when on foot.

Snowy Egret / J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

Wind gusts were so strong that it was difficult to keep the camera or binoculars steady, and I’d venture that a fair number of critters were hunkered down. So wonderful as Ding Darling is, our visit was surprisingly short. But it won’t be our last…

A Ding do-over has a nice ring to it, wouldn’t you say?

White Ibis (immature) / J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida