Historic photographs by Charlie McCullough chronicle the Woodring home and family on Sanibel Island. Credit: www.charliemcculloughphotography.com.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Woodring home, now encompassed within J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge boundaries, come visit the special two-month-long, free Woodring 100th Anniversary Exhibition.
The exhibition’s free public unveiling will take place at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23. At 10 a.m., as part of a seated program, nationally renowned Teddy Roosevelt reprisor Joe Wiegand will make a special guest appearance, and Ralph Woodring will recount stories about growing up in the home and on the island. Another presentation will take place at 3 p.m., with a free showing of the WGCU film Untold Stories: Sanibel I at 1 p.m.
Through March 25, the exhibition will feature historic black-and-white images by the late Charlie McCullough, a professional photographer and neighbor to the Woodrings, and artifacts from the Woodring home and the Sanibel Historical Museum & Village that chronicle the landmark and the family’s life on Sanibel Island. Costumed museum docents will be on hand to interpret exhibits on the morning of Jan. 23.
During the exhibition, the Refuge Nature Store will be selling copies of McCullough’s book Sanibel Memories and sets of note cards featuring his historic photographs starting in the 1930s. Profits from Nature Store sales benefit refuge education and research projects.
“We are thrilled to host this temporary exhibit, which will demonstrate the deep history represented by the Woodring Point property and the strength of partnerships in preserving island history and wildlife habitat,” said DDWS executive director Birgie Miller.
