Hurricane Ian gave J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and other managers of Sanibel’s natural lands an opportunity to jump-start plans to restore historic grasslands. Saltwater inundation of hardwoods and cabbage palms in these once-open marshlands gave valued native grasses and ground cover plants a chance to once again thrive as vital habitat.
Whereas some of the dead trees along Sanibel-Captiva Road result directly from recent flooding, others are due to ongoing habitat management and restoration activities within the refuge, including controlled, safe use of pesticides. The refuge has been removing dead trees along the shared-use path directly under power lines. Others standing a distance from the road are currently unreachable because of wet conditions.
“The current wet conditions are a double-edged sword,” said “Ding” Darling Complex project leader Kevin Godsea. “We cannot take equipment into the wetland marshes right now without damaging the fragile eco-system. On the other hand, the wet conditions prevent wildfires, like those we’re seeing in California from starting. As soon as that land dries up, we will be able to remove more of the dead trees by prescribed fire burns.”
The management plan for the marshlands has been ongoing at the Refuge for 15 years – part of a continual process of managing and restoring unique wetland communities, combating exotic and invasive species, and reducing hazardous vegetation that could fuel wildfires.
For many years, “Ding” Darling has worked closely with the Sanibel Fire Department, city of Sanibel, and SCCF (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) as part of the Sanibel Firewise Taskforce. The partnership is currently building a website to answer all questions regarding forthcoming prescribed burns. They will post educational signage around Legion Curve to further educate and assure residents of safety measures.
“While you may mourn the loss of cabbage palms on refuge lands along Sanibel-Captiva Road, this is an important step to preserving Sanibel’s crucial marshlands,” said Godsea. “Although there may appear to be a lot of dead trees, rest assured this is only a small portion of the cabbage palms on our conservation lands. Cabbage palms within the upland ridges dominated by West Indian hardwood hammock habitats have not been and will not be treated or removed. Without active management of the wetland habitats, we would lose the biodiversity of the marsh and the uniqueness of Sanibel Island.”
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].
