The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Visitor & Education Center and Wildlife Drive remain closed to the public due to the hurricane damage. Consequently, many programs and events are canceled. In addition, the DDWS provided the following 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, contact Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland at 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.
SCCF supports groundbreaking of slough project
breezenewspapers.com
On Jan. 26, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis traveled to Everglades National Park for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Taylor Slough Flow Improvement Project. “This project helps support Everglades restoration See SLOUGH PROJECT, page 16
SCCF Legislative Tracker goes live
SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
South florida Water Management Governing Board Chairman Chauncey Goss, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation foundation Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis and SfWMD Board Member Charlette Roman.
Debris sightings From page 12 The effort began with SCCF staff gutting buildings that had been flooded out and picking up and moving debris to the street for collection. After this stage, volunteers began removing debris from the borders of highly visible SCCF lands, such as the south end of the Frannie’s Preserve off Tarpon Bay Road and Gretchen C. Valade Preserve off Pine Avenue. Coastal Watch Director Kealy McNeal led the teams, which included residents and vaca-
tioners, on Thursday and Friday mornings in January and February, clearing debris from 10 preserves out of a total of more than 40 SCCF preserves on island. As a non-profit, SCCF also registered with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to remove C&D debris, as well as some dead vegetation on the properties. All SCCF properties were included in the application process, including ones off island. It reported that a few stipula-
tions in the contract may exclude parts of a few properties, however, the bulk of parcels will likely be approved and cleaned up. “We are asking residents to be patient as this is a major effort,” Lechowicz said. “Some areas are either hard to access or inaccessible at this time.” The SCCF reported that currently, the contractors have worked on the Brightwater Preserve off West Gulf Drive and the Dunes
Preserves off Sandcastle Road. Residents who live adjacent to SCCF lands should report parcels where C& debris has accumulated from the storm surge. The contractors can only remove debris from SCCF lands; they cannot work on lands owned by other entities or residents. Make sure it is SCCF property before filling out the form. To fill out the form, visit https://forms.gle/Rf5CQP2BJ9BxQuQb7.
Shorebird From page 12 ∫ Willet “Noticeably, there are no shorebirds inside the top five species this year; only seabird species,” White said. “The exact cause of this decline is unknown, though possible factors include red tide conditions and heavy equipment on the beach for ongoing hurricane restoration. In addition, lower than normal tides — associated with the full moon — exposed large mud flats in San Carlos Bay, which attracted thousands of shorebirds.” The SCCF reported that this year’s numbers were consistent with the past 10 years of winter shorebird survey data, which has recorded an average of 2,499 individuals per year.
SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
Island Reporter
Every year, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation publishes a Legislative Tracker to help the public track and actively participate in the bills that the SCCF is following. It is now available in advance of the 2023 Legislative Session, which will run from March 7 through May 5. The public can follow along as the SCCF watches bills move through committees and throughout the legislative session. Bills that will have an impact on the SCCF's priorities in Southwest Florida will be logged and updated. To view the Legislative Tracker, visit https://www.sccf.org/our-work/environmental-policy.
Page 13 ■ Week of Wednesday, March 1, 2023
DDWS reports on refuge programming and more