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Just as with SCCF and Captiva Cruises yesterday, our friends at “Ding” Darling have also done a great job inspiring young students from Southwest Florida.

With the help of their new mobile classroom, Ding’s summer outreach programs multiplied its conservation education programming reach to 15 times the number of students they had previously hosted through past traditional, on-site camp experiences.

A total of 1,243 students benefited from refuge educational efforts this summer.  » Read more

Earlier this summer, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) and Captiva Cruises hosted 24 middle-schoolers from The Immokalee Foundation as part of their long-time No Child Left On Shore initiative.

The environmental education outreach program provides Southwest Florida youths with an informative and fun way to gain experiential knowledge about the ecology of the region’s marine environment.

Accompanied by foundation staff and SCCF environmental educator Richard Finkel,  » Read more

Gary LeVox

There’s music in the air!

We can’t wait for the 8th Island Hopper Songwriter Fest to return to Southwest Florida soon from September 16 – 25.

The 10-day Island Hopper music festival features performances by some of the country’s greatest BMI singer-songwriters.  More than 70 singer-songwriters are scheduled to perform 100+ shows during the event, sharing stories behind their songs in intimate settings throughout Southwest Florida.   » Read more

Courtesy of our friends at the Fort Myers News-Press, enjoy this time lapse video of the sun setting behind the Sanibel Causeway recently!

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Now that the kids are headed back to school, how about sprucing up their laptops by adding whimsical new wildlife stickers available from ShopDingDarling.com?

Remember, profits from all Nature Store sales go directly to the Refuge for their educational programs, wildlife research, and overall conservation efforts!

   » Read more

Thanks to our friends at SCCF for this delightful update!

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that in 2020, Sanibel’s oldest known snowy plover — named Orange/Black for the ID bands on her leg — fledged a single chick.  She was at least 12 years old at the time, having been banded in 2009.  That was her last known nest attempt,  » Read more

Our very own Joey’s Custard was featured on Yelp’s List of the Best Ice Cream Shops in Florida this year — Congrats, dear neighbors, on scooping up such an amazing achievement!

Joey and his mom, Debi, launched the store in June of 2016.  The “mom and son shop” has evolved into a true island stand-out, where more than 60 yummy frozen treats are offered daily,  » Read more

Firefighters are used to going above and beyond the call of duty.  Recently, the Sanibel Fire and Rescue District “came to the rescue” to help our neighbors at the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village.

Volunteer Coordinator Sandy Nering reported that earlier this year, the bell rope inside the schoolhouse fell — all 50 feet of jute coiled in a heap.  Up inside the belfry,  » Read more

James Hautman

First Place:  2022-2023 Federal Duck Stamp Contest

The “winningest” Federal Duck Stamp artist is headed to “Ding” Darling this October!

James Hautman has been awarded “First Place” in the Federal Duck Stamp contest an astounding six times.  Considering that more than 100 artists typically compete in the contest each year —  » Read more

At Sanibel Sea School, every day is a field trip!  With a team dedicated to teaching children about the wonders of the ocean, they recently announced the launch of their new SEA — Science Experiments & Activities — Lab, a mobile lab that will teach the joys of marine science on-the-go.

The goal of the program is to expose students to marine science and technology,  » Read more