J.N. DING DARLING REFLECTION - Journal Entry #5

The Red Mangrove Overlook

My trip to the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge started out as an afternoon motorcycle ride with my lovely wife. The day was beautiful, warm, and sunny – perfect for riding! 

When we first arrived at the Refuge, it was revealed we had just missed the last tram! Conversely, it was suggested that we instead travel along Wildlife Drive, which we opted to do. The drive was quite enjoyable, and we could break at any time along the right side of the road to take a closer look at the surrounds.

Amazing Root System

As we travelled along, we discovered that the Refuge comprises of more than 7,600 acres, and the surroundings have been intentionally preserved in a very natural state. There are essentially several dissimilar habitats which structure the Refuge. The estuarine habitat consists of open waters, sea grass beds, mangrove islands, and mud flats. The fresh water habitat encompasses open water ponds, swales, and West Indian hardwood hammocks. The two salt water impoundments are used habitually by wading and other water birds.

The water levels follow natural tide fluctuations, and levels within the two impoundments are artificially lowered to correspond with fall and spring shorebird migrations. Lowering the levels contributes to providing an optimal feeding habitat for the various birds that make use of the Refuge.

One striking similarity to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is the use of controlled fires to sustain the plant communities, and to replicate the natural fire cycles. These burns allow for new plant growth, aid in controlling non-native growth, and allow for the elimination of copious underbrush.

Peaceful and Serene

Another distinctive constituent is that this Refuge is part of the largest, undeveloped mangrove ecosystem within the United States. The Refuge is also home to numerous threatened and endangered species which reside here at least part-time. Some of these include the Eastern Indigo Snake, Florida Manatee, Atlantic Loggerhead Turtle, Peregrine Falcon, and Bald Eagle.

J.N. Ding Darling
http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling/About/DingDarling.html

We owe a debt of gratitude to a political cartoonist named Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling. Mr. Darling had an enormous measure in the efforts to preclude the sale of land to developers on Sanibel Island. At the urging of Mr. Darling, President Harry Truman signed an Executive Order in 1945, creating the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge. Later, in 1967, the refuge became the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in honor of its pioneer conservationist.

The Observation Tower

At several of our roadside stops, we noticed some good sized fish jumping quite high out of the waters! Having fished for salmon up north, I was not surprised to see this. My wife, however, was in complete amazement! Although I could not determine the particular type of fish, I did explain they were more than liking jumping to escape being eaten! Another note to ponder is our surprise that people were allowed to fish the waters. Being a National Wildlife Refuge with threatened and endangered species residing on the premises, one would believe otherwise!

Can You Spot the Rabbit?

At one point, we were able to park and walk the Shell Mound Trail. There was a funky smell to the air, but we were fortunate to catch a glimpse of several bright red cardinals, and snapped a picture of a rabbit peering out at us.

On the Shell Mound Trail

In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote from the Refuge which I found quite apropos – "Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures."