J.N. "Ding" Darling Visitor and Education Center, Sanibel Island, Florida, USA
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BoomersOTR
N 26° 26.727 W 082° 06.759
17R E 389067 N 2925495
Visitor and Education Center named after "Ding" Darling.
Waymark Code: WMZEXR
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 10/31/2018
Views: 5
THE PLACE:
The Visitor & Education Center features interactive exhibits on refuge ecosystems, the work of Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, migratory flyways, the National Wildlife Refuge System, and a hands-on area for children. The Center is open daily except for most federal holidays. The Center hours are January to April from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and May to December from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Center is located on Sanibel-Captiva Road two miles west of Tarpon Bay Road. The Nature Gift Store is located in the Education Center and is operated by the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society- Friends of the Refuge. Visitors can find numerous field guides, nature books, children's books, shirts, postcards, and many other items. Revenues from the Nature Gift Store help fund many programs at the Refuge.
THE PERSON:
J.N. 'Ding' Darling was a renowned cartoonist and ecologist whose perceptive mind, eloquent pen, and skilled brush endeared him to newspaper readers and conservationists during a long career, and a lifetime of ecological concern. 'Ding's' syndicated cartoons, which brought him international fame and two pulitzer prizes, often dealt with waterfowl and the conservation of natural resources. He was one of the earliest supporters for the migratory bird hunting stamp program as chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey, forerunner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he designed the first federal 'duck stamp' and the familiar national wildlife refuge flying Canada goose sign. For many years Darling had a winter home on Captiva Island, he initiated and, to a great extent, was responsible for the establishment of the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge. It was Darling's hope that future generations could share the beauty, serenity, and the bounty of nature he had known. Darling was instrumental in the effort to block the sale of a parcel of environmentally valuable land to developers on Sanibel Island. At Darling's urging, President Harry S. Truman signed an Executive Order creating the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge in 1945. The refuge was re-named in Darling's name in 1967.
Year it was dedicated: 1967
Location of Coordinates: Visitor and Education Center
Related Web address (if available): [Web Link]
Type of place/structure you are waymarking: Building
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