Wildlife photographer and author, biologist, and Florida resident Kirsten Hines speaks Thursday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. as part of the 21st annual “Ding” Darling Winter Lecture Series in The Roost at the “Ding” Darling Visitor & Education Center on Sanibel Island. The author of nine books, Hines will focus her lecture on her photographic birding guide Birds of Florida.

 

Designed for birders of all levels, Birds of Florida covers 310 species illustrated by more than 450 of Hines’ photographs taken across the state. Concise text for each species includes information on identification, songs and calls, behavior, distribution, habitat, and seasonality. The book also includes insights into some of Florida’s top birding locations with notes on accessibility.

 

Following her lectures, Hines will sign copies of the book, available for sale in the Refuge Nature Store, along with her award-winning Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey.

 

“I’ve traveled to every continent, not to check them off my list, but to appreciate the vast and diverse beauty housed on our planet,” said Hines. “I trained as a biologist, getting a master’s degree before realizing that the stories I wanted to tell were not in data, numbers, and statistics. I came to realize that creative non-fiction writing and a camera were my tools.”

 

“Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) co-hosts the eight-part lecture series with J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and through financial support from sponsors. Friends of the Refuge sponsors Hines’ lectures.

Sponsorships are still available for remaining lectures. Contact Jeff Decker at [email protected] or 310-612-4373 for more information. Partial sponsorships begin at $1,000; full sponsorships are $5,000.

 

Note: Opinions expressed in guest lectures do not necessarily reflect the views of refuge and DDWS management, staff, and board of directors.

 

While the refuge auditorium is undergoing renovations, all 2026 lectures will take place in The Roost outdoor pavilion. Seating is limited on a first-come basis. Guests are welcome to bring their own lawn chairs to ensure a seat. Most of the open-air seating is under cover, however DDWS suggests sunscreen, bug spray, and climate-appropriate attire.

 

See the complete listing of the season’s lectures below and at dingdarlingsociety.org/lecture-series. Starred (*) lectures indicate those with book-signings following the lecture.

 

*Jan. 29 – Conservation Author/Photographer Kirsten Hines, Birds of Florida – Sponsor: Friends of the Refuge

*Feb. 19 – Wildlife Ambassador, Author, and Photographer Ron Magill, The Pride of a Lion: What the Animal Kingdom Can Teach Us About Survival, Fear and Family (A True Animal Survival Story) — Sponsors: Hightower Advisors Fort Myers

*March 5 – Sanibel Author Jeri Magg, The Remarkable Women of Sanibel & Captiva – Sponsors:  Peter B. Griffin and Joanne S. Griffin

*March 26 – Author/Photographer Paul Bannick, Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers – Sponsors: Hank & Linda Spire

April 2 – Beekeepers Association of Southwest Florida, “Live Hive & Taste: Observing Live Bees with Honey-Tasting” – Sponsor – Friends of the Refuge

*April 9 – Author/Conservationist Tina Morris, Return to the Sky: The Surprising Story of How One Woman and Seven Eaglets Helped Restore the Bald Eagle

*April 16 – Sanibel Author Charles Sobczak, The Living Gulf Coast: A Nature Guide to Southwest Florida — Sponsor: Hightower Advisors Fort Myers

 

ABOUT DDWS

As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, DDWS works to support J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s mission of conservation, wildlife and habitat protection, research, and public education through charitable donations and Refuge Nature Shop profits. To support DDWS and the refuge with a tax-deductible gift, visit dingdarlingsociety.org or Ann-Marie Wildman at 239-789-8991 or [email protected].