Sanibel and Captiva Travel: The Best Nature Preserve || Jaunted

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Sanibel and Captiva Travel: The Best Nature Preserve

Where: 1 Wildlife Dr. [map], Sanibel, FL, United States, 33957

5/13/2008 at 3:00 PM
Tags: Sanibel-and-Captiva-Map, Shelling, Beaches, Summer Travel, Animals, Outdoor Travel, Active Travel (all tags)

David LaHuta just got back from Florida, and he's telling us all about it this week. Keep up with our Sanibel and Captiva Map.

By now your pockets are overflowing with seashells, after all, yesterday was spent combing the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva, by far two of the best islands in the country to spot a rare find. Looking for a break from the sand?

Head to JN "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge--with over 6,400 acres of mangrove forest and submerged seagrass beds, plus more than 220 species of migratory birds, the refuge is perhaps one of Florida's finest sites to view nature in the raw.

In addition to being a political cartoonist for the Des Moines Register in the early 1900s, Ding Darling was first and foremost a pioneer for wildlife conservation. It's the reason why FDR appointed him director of the federal agency that preceded the US Fish & Wildlife Service in 1934, and why eleven years later Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge was created and eventually renamed to honor the man who saved such a large swath of estuarine ecosystem.

Wild, lush and teeming with life, the refuge is accessible via a four-and-a-half mile road open to cars, bikes, guided trams or hikers on foot. Once there, you'll spot brown pelicans, great blue herons and snowy egrets in addition to the many reptiles and amphibians that call the reserve home, including alligators, crocodiles and frogs of all kinds.

There are no concessions inside the refuge--so make sure to bring your own food and beverages--and if you don't wanna haul binoculars, don't fret. You can borrow a pair for free--with a credit card deposit--at the front desk of the visitor's center.

Related Stories:
· JN "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge [Official Site]
· Sanibel and Captiva Map [Jaunted]

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