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.