| J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
| Location | Lee County,Florida,United States |
| Nearest city | Sanibel, Florida |
| Coordinates | 26°27′30″N82°06′00″W / 26.45833°N 82.10000°W /26.45833; -82.10000 |
| Area | 5200 acres (21 km2) |
| Established | 1976 |
| Named for | Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling |
| Governing body | US Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Website | J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge |
TheJ. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is part of theUnited StatesNational Wildlife Refuge System, located in southwesternFlorida onSanibel Island in theGulf of Mexico. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society (DDWS), a non-profit Friends of the Refuge organization, supports environmental education and services at the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.[1] It is named after thecartoonistJay Norwood "Ding" Darling.[2]
The 5200 acre (21 km2) refuge was established in 1945, to protect one of the country's largest undevelopedmangroveecosystems.
The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of the following: the Darling Refuge itself, and theCaloosahatchee,Island Bay,Matlacha, andPine Island National Wildlife Refuges.
The northern section of the refuge is in theJ.N. Ding Darling Wilderness, which was created in 1976 and currently protects 2,619 acres (1,060 ha) or 41% of the refuge.[3]
The refuge is well known for itsmigratory bird populations andbirdwatching opportunities. It also home toraccoons,bobcats,river otters,alligators, andmarsh rabbits.[3][4]
Hurricane Charley struck the refuge on August 13, 2004, causing major changes to the topography and ecology.[5]
Sea level rise has increasedbeach erosion on thebarrier islands which protect Ding Darling'smanatee habitat.Rising temperatures are increasing the ratio of female hatchlings of Ding Darling's endangered Floridaloggerhead turtle population. The refuge'sAmerican alligator population is decreasing, due to increased salinity and a reduction of the freshwater flow in its mangroves.[4]

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