The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...

 System, located in southwestern Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, on Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island is an island located on the Gulf coast of Florida, just offshore of Fort Myers. In 2000, it had an estimated population of 6,064 people...

 in the Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

. It is named for the cartoonist

Cartoonist

A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...

 Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling

Jay Norwood Darling

Jay Norwood Darling , better known as Ding Darling, was a Pulitzer-Prize winning American cartoonist....

.

The 5200 acre (21 km²) refuge was established in 1976, to protect one of the country's largest undeveloped mangrove

Mangrove

Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...

 ecosystem

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....

s. The refuge is well-known for its migratory bird populations. Hurricane Charley

Hurricane Charley

Hurricane Charley was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to August 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the...

 struck the refuge on August 13, 2004, causing major changes to the topography and ecology. The J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of the following: the Darling Refuge itself, and the Caloosahatchee

Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge

The Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located on the Caloosahatchee River, beneath the I-75 Caloosahatchee Bridge, within the city of North Fort Myers. The refuge was established on January 1, 1921. It is administered as part of...

, Island Bay

Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge

The Island Bay National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in the Cape Haze area of Charlotte County. The refuge was established on October 23, 1908....

, Matlacha

Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge

The Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located within the Matlacha Pass estuary, approximately 8 miles northwest of Cape Coral, Florida. The 538 acre refuge was established on September 26, 1908. It is administered as part of the J.N...

, and Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge

Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge

The Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located on the southwest coast of Florida south of Charlotte Harbor, north of Sanibel Island in Pine Island Sound on La Costa Island. The refuge was established on September 15, 1908. It is...

s.

The northern section of the refuge is in the J.N. Ding Darling Wilderness Area, which was created in 1976 and currently protects 2619 acres (1,059.9 ha) or 41% of the refuge.

Wildlife

The J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge has a large number of different species. The pink pelican is one of the most famous. There are many other kinds of birds too. The J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge is one of the only places in Florida were there are not only alligators but also a female Crocodile that comes once a year.

External links

• J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• 'Ding' Darling Wildlife Society
• J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge at J. N. 'Ding' Darling Foundation
• J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
  Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is a Florida government agency charged with managing the state's fish and wildlife resources, regulating Florida's fisheries and wildlife, and enforcing related laws...
  
  
• J.N. 'Ding' Darling National Wildlife Refuge at Gorp.com