Volunteering @ JN Ding Darling NWR - Week 1

Sanibel, FL (92 degrees, humid and hot)

Eastern Screech Owl

Our first week volunteering at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was a busy one. We work three days a week (Wednesday - Friday).  There were lots of introductions to  staff and volunteers.  The refuge has over  250 volunteers and 20 paid staff who help out in a wide range of areas.  The majority of the volunteer are in the Education Center staffing the  information desk.  Others go out on the beautiful Wildlife Drive as rovers talking to visitors as they drive, bike, or hike down the four mile drive. There are also numerous volunteer helping with  maintenance, fund raising, special events, and so much more.  

Nesting Yellow Crested Night Herons

John's first week involved trail maintenance (blower) along the Wildlife Trail and emptying mono filament tubes (fishermen put their broken fishing line in them to protect wildlife from getting tangled in it).  He also helped get a trailer ready for new interns   This involved a lot of painting and cleaning.  

Black-necked Stilt

I was oriented to working at the front desk of the Education Center answering questions and giving suggestions on how best to enjoy the refuge.  It's a big learning curve but luckily the volunteers are very knowledgeable and having been volunteering here for many years.  I also help out in the gift shop at the cash register.  The gift shop is very nice and there is an excellent book store.  We sell the usual t-shirts and postcards, but we also sell binoculars and beautiful crystal etched glassware featuring birds of the refuge.  All the profits go directly back to the refuge with only one paid staff member.  

Look carefully for the nesting Snowy Plover

I also assist my boss in compiling statistics and scheduling the volunteers.  Plus, there's lots of odd jobs throughout the day.  He's a very busy guy.  On Friday's I'm in charge of the center.  Whew!  I worked two days and then I was in charge.  It's not as difficult as it sounds due to the great volunteer staff. The tough part was learning how to turn on all the displays, videos, and lights.  

The three million dollar center was built with funds raised by the Ding Darling Wildlife Society (no tax dollars).  It's a beautiful building filled with state of the art exhibits. The Society has been recognized nationwide as the model for other refuge cooperating associations. I'll show some of the exhibits in some upcoming posts. 

Pileated Woodpecker

The rest of the week we spent a lot of time birding.  There is a short window of opportunity to see the migrating song birds stopping by on their way north.  We were told to head out to the lighthouse after a storm due to the rain causing a "bird drop".  In theory the northerly winds keep the song birds around for a few days.  So after a good storm one night we headed out early in the morning  Unfortunately we found more birders than birds. There are some nice trails and boardwalks surrounding the lighthouse.  After a couple of hours birding it was time for a walk on the beach.  Life is good!

Blue Buntin

Palm Warbler

Blue Grosbeak

Jimmy has been getting more exercise as we hike the trails.  However, he's not exactly heat tolerant.  It's going to be a long hot summer for him.  He seems to enjoy himself quite a bit and especially likes walking on the beach.  There are some great smells!

Thanks for stopping by today.  John was lucky and captured another photo of a Kingfisher.  He's one of our favorite birds but very camera shy.  

Our New Volunteer "Gig" - J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Sanibel, FL (92 degrees, hot, humid)

 

 

We applied three years ago to volunteer at J.N. Ding Darling NWR and have kept in frequent contact with the volunteer coordinator.  We love this area and enjoy the beaches and refuge.  The winter positions are highly coveted and the same volunteers have returned each year.  So, when the coordinator called and said everyone was returning again for next winter, however, he had a position now....we said yes. 

 

We realize it is going to be hot, humid, and at times buggy, but we felt it was an opportunity we could not refuse.  It's a bird lovers paradise!

 

 

Our commitment:  We work three (eight hour) days each per week and will have the same days off.  We will be here until mid September. 

 

In exchange:  We receive a full hook up site, with cable, wyfi, laundry room with free use of machines, gym membership (pool, work out room, exercise classes), and if space is available be able to go on sightseeing cruises, guided kayak trips, and bird watching tram tours offered by a concessionaire at Ding Darling. 

 

Responsibilities:  John will work in maintenance helping with all sorts of tasks at the refuge such as lawn mowing, weed eating, rescuing birds, trimming trees, trash pick up and "other duties as assigned".  I'll be helping at the visitor center, presenting interpretive programs, helping with school programs, assisting in the office, and "other duties as assigned". 

 

Location:  The refuge is located on Sanibel Island.  It is near Ft. Myers and there is a toll bridge which connects the island to Ft. Myers.  The refuge covers over half of the island (6600 acres) and was created in 1945 to "safeguard and enhance the pristine wildlife habitat of Sanibel Island, to protect endangered and threatened species, and to provide feeding, nesting, and roosting areas for migratory birds. Today, the refuge provides important habitat to over 220 species of birds".

 

We arrived a couple of days ago and were amazed at our camping site.  The volunteer coordinator said it would have a roof to cover over the motorcoach to reduce sun exposure.  We were pleasantly surprised and our sites have good spacing.  There are five sites, two with the special coverings, and three mobile homes.  There are only three volunteers here right now and in a few weeks we'll be the only couple.  The interns remain here year round. 

 



Our new home

Our "gated community" is next to the refuge behind the maintenance area.  It cannot be seen from the road and we have a lot of privacy.  We can easily walk to the refuge or ride our bikes.  No traffic hassles for us. 

 

 

 

 

The three mobile homes are for the interns who are working here on a variety of projects.  There is a nice couple near us who are studying the mangrove cuckoo and receive their pay from grants. 

Interns housing
 

Laundry Shack



Three washers and dryers, two refrigerator/freezers

We spent a little time making it feel more like home and I even planted a small herb garden. 

 

 

 

 

 

The local Chamber of Commerce was one of our first stop to pick up helpful information about the area. They loaded us up with the local newspaper, brochures, coupons, and even a phone book.  They told us about a local farmers market which is near the library on Sunday.  It is a friendly place with fresh vegetables, home made bread, and lots more. 

Farmers Market

The next day we drove around the island to get the "lay of the land".  Another favorite birding area is near the lighthouse. 

There are five beaches scattered around the island.  Bowman's Beach pictured below is popular for shelling.  There are a lot of birders here in Sanibel, however, shelling is even more popular for visitors.  The curve of the island traps the  sea shells and you can find some very unusual and rare shells here...however you better get up early.  We are looking forward to learning more about this hobby too. 

Bowman's Beach

Today we checked in with our volunteer coordinator,  completed all the paper work, and picked up our uniforms.  Volunteering with a federal agency requires a ton of paper work.  My clearance even required fingerprinting and some type of FBI clearance. 

We drove the beautiful wildlife drive to see what birds are hanging out.  Many of the birds are leaving but we saw a few today.  We had not seen a reddish heron yet this winter.  He was really cool and was dancing across the water entertaining the crowd. 



Reddish Egret

Snowy Egret

We got very close to a Black-crowned Night Heron. 

There is a lot to love about Sanibel Island!  Check back soon as we explore the area more and read about our volunteer experience.  If you are in the area be sure to let us know.  We'd love to give you a tour of our backyard. 

Suwannee Paddle Florida Festival & Farewell To Our Friends

Suwannee State Park, FL  (62 degrees, chilly)

Suwannee River

In researching places to kayak in Florida last winter I ran across an organization called Paddle Florida.  It  is a "non-profit corporation organized to support canoeing and kayaking in Florida".  They offer reasonable paddle trips in five regions of Florida.  You can bring your own kayak or local outfitters will provide them for you.  Meals and entertainment are planned in the evening each day and most trips last from 5-7 days.  We decided to attend their first annual Paddle Florida Festival at Suwannee Music and State Park.  A benefit concert and two paddle trips were planned. 

Withlacoochee River

The night of the concert was very cold and unfortunately there was a poor turnout.  We stayed for the first set and listened to a local legend, Tom Shed,  play and sing an interesting set.  He's a great story teller and weaves his music around stories of Florida.  He was great.

 

We stayed for five nights at the state park and liked the rustic, wooded sites.  It has the "it" factor but can be difficult finding a satellite signal. 

 

 

Launch at Madison Blue Springs

 

The first paddle trip planned was a little too long for us in our inflatable kayaks.  It was from Suwannee Music Park to Suwannee State Park and 20 miles in length.  Sea Eagle kayaks are slower than regular kayaks and the length seemed too daunting.  So instead we decided to go along for the shorter paddle down the Withlacoochee River. 

 

Launch site:  Madison Blue Springs.  This is a small park with a pretty blue spring and swimming area (no camping).   It has a rather unusual launch with a narrow path from the parking lot down to the launch.  See kayakers above. A small area was available to put in your boat and it was difficult to get into our kayak.  However, the river was very high and it might be easier at other times of the year. 

 

 



Madison Blue Springs

 

Take Out:  Suwannee State Park

 

Length:  Twelve miles

 

Difficulty:  Easy due to the speed of the river.  It is all downstream except for 300 yards heading up river on the Suwannee to the take out. 

 

 

Bev & JC

 

 

We heard the river was high and saw some debris way up in the trees.  Surely the river had not risen way up there.  A short while later we saw this....

 

 

 

 

Yup, it's a boat way up in the tree.  Along the way we did see some damaged docks and most of the houses were built on stilts or high up on the bank.  On one of our hikes we later found a pole indicating the height of the floods.  The yellow marker near the top was from a flood in 2009.  Now that's some high water. 

 

Flood water marker

 

 

 

 

 

There was not a lot of wildlife on the river. This may be due to the high water levels.  We did hear quite a few song birds but did not see them. Homes of all sizes and shapes were sprinkled on both sides. 

 

 

 

 

We met a few paddlers along the way from the Paddle Florida group.  It was a nice paddle but probably our least favorite this winter due to the lack of wildlife. 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Paddle Florida trips have been posted.  Several folks told us how much fun they are to attend and it's super easy.  Just bring yourself, tent, and a sleeping bag.  Everything  is provided and expertly lead by local guides.  We hope to go on one next winter. 

 











2013-2014 season. Registration will open on May 1, 2013.
• October 12-17: Suwannee
• December 6-9: Wekiva/St.Johns
• January 12-22: Florida Keys
• February 12-17: Withlacoochee
• March 15-21: Ochlockonee

 

 

 

While in the area we also visited the Stephen Foster Folk Cultural Center State Park.  During our visit a tractor exhibit was being held.  I love tractors.  We liked the campground here even better than Suwannee State Park and enjoyed the interesting exhibits in honor of Stephen Foster.  He was  the composer of "Old Folks At Home" with the famous lyrics...way down upon the Suwannee River. We found out he never saw the river prior to writing the song.  It just worked out well with the other lyrics. 

 

 

In Craft Square, we enjoyed watching demonstrations of quilting, blacksmithing, stained glass making, and other crafts, or visit the gift shop. The craftsman below whittled all sorts of items out of wood.  The ball and chain below were made from one continuous piece. Brilliant!

 

 

 

 

The 97 bell carillon was beautiful and every two hours could be heard throughout the area. 

 

Carillon

 

Maybe my Indiana roots are showing but don't you just love tractors.  The parade was fun for the watchers as well as the participants.  



His and Hers

 

 

 

 

This was the end of our "Big Adventure" with JC and Bev.  Saying goodbye was difficult and lets just say a little tearful.  We started in Port Charlotte just before Christmas and they saved "our bacon" by helping out  during the final week at the kiosk.   We've traveled to many great attractions and cities in Florida and shared some great food and laughter. 

 

JC, Bev, Carol, & John (St. Augustine)

 

This trip was planned almost a year ago and we made very little changes along the way.  Except for the Elks Lodge in Key Largo our campgrounds were great (State Parks, Elk Lodges, Military Campgrounds, private, one National Park and city park)  and the itinerary was perfect.  On average we stayed from 7-10 days in each location (longer in Key West). Our average cost per night was $22 which is great for Florida.  It would have been less hectic to stay longer at each location but we would not have seen as much.

 

 



 

John and JC's favorite destination was Big Cypress National Preserve while Bev and I loved St. Augustine.  Our favorite rivers to paddle were Rainbow and Silver River.

 

 

JC & Jimmy

 

 

Bev

Thank you for the many happy times and great memories.  We wish you a safe journey until we meet again.