Postponed from October 2021 because of a COVID surge, the 33rd Annual “Ding” Darling Day migrates to Lakes Park in Fort Myers on Sunday, April 24. This year, the Refuge will jointly observe both “Ding” Day and Earth Day (which falls on April 22) with a “Conservation Carnival” celebration.
The decision to move the popular event off-island this year reflects “Ding” Darling’s participation in the Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership, a national refuge system-wide initiative to encourage community connection.
The WoW (Wildlife on Wheels) project was the first big step that Refuge educators took toward spreading the word about conservation beyond Refuge borders in December 2020. The mobile nature experience will be at the center of the free “Ding” Darling Day.
Besides tours of the mobile nature experience, the Refuge and DDWS have planned a full day of Conservation Carnival activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special outdoor activities include carnival games, prizes, Earth Day crafts, a dunk tank, artist-in-residence programs, guided bilingual birding walks, a biking tour, snow cones, and educational interactions with other local conservation organizations.
Watch DingDarlingDay.com for details as they unfold!
