The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is inviting the public to help with stewardship activities in honor of J.N. “Ding” Darling.
Volunteers will collect prairie seeds in a community effort to restore the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Volunteers should meet at the Prairie Learning Center at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. After the event, a free lunch will be provided by Friends of the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. After lunch, there will be a special showing of the film, “America’s Darling — The Story of Jay N. “Ding” Darling.”
One of the most important conservationists in our nation’s history, Darling came from Iowa and worked for the Des Moines Register. In the early 20th century, Darling was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who drew political cartoons and wrote stories that positively influenced public opinion about conservation issues. Register by contacting Megan Wandag at (515) 994-3400 or megan_wandag@fws.gov.