SANIBEL, Fla. — J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge will open Tuesday to the public for the first time since Hurricane Ian.
Ding will be celebrating 120 years of serving as a refuge for migratory birds.
It suffered some damage from Hurricane Ian. A lot of the habitat was ravaged by the storm, but the Ding Wildlife Refuge manager says it’s making a comeback and so are the birds. “We had considerable washout damage, I think we brought in about 30 truckloads of fill dirt,” said Kevin Godsea, Wildlife Refuge manager.
“The visitor has considerable damage, it had about six to eight feet of water,” he said.
The refuge is one of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems in the U.S.
It was established in 1945 to protect the wildlife and habitat of Sanibel Island's endangered and threatened species.
Migratory birds can feed and nest here.
Ding has also served as an escape for people looking to enjoy a little bit of nature and has served as an education center to learn about Sanibel’s wildlife
Some trails and facilities will remain closed as workers continue cleanup efforts, but the visitor and education center will be one of the buildings reopening along with the observation trail.
Tarpon Bay Explorers, which offers kayak tours, and some of the trails will also be reopening.
