J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in Lee County, Florida.

The J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge covers 5,200 acres on Sanibel Island in southwestern Florida, protecting one of the country's largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems. Its northern section lies within the J.N. Ding Darling Wilderness, created in 1976, which protects 2,619 acres, or 41% of the refuge. The refuge is part of a complex that also includes the Caloosahatchee, Island Bay, Matlacha and Pine Island refuges.

The refuge was established in 1945 to protect one of the country's largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems. It is named after cartoonist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling. In 1976 the J.N. Ding Darling Wilderness was created, covering 2,619 acres, or 41% of the refuge. Hurricane Charley struck on August 13, 2004, causing major changes to the topography and ecology.

The refuge is named after Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, the cartoonist whose name it carries; his "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, a non-profit Friends of the Refuge organization, supports environmental education and services at the refuge. The refuge's northern section lies within the J.N. Ding Darling Wilderness, created in 1976, which protects 2,619 acres, or 41% of the refuge.

The refuge lies on Sanibel Island in the Gulf of Mexico, reached from the mainland across a causeway. A wildlife drive crosses the mangrove and salt-marsh areas, and walking and cycling routes let visitors move at their own pace. Binoculars help with the migratory birds, raccoons, bobcats, river otters, alligators and marsh rabbits.

The refuge is named after Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, a cartoonist; the "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, a non-profit Friends of the Refuge group, supports environmental education and services there. The northern section lies within the J.N. Ding Darling Wilderness, created in 1976, which protects 2,619 acres, or 41% of the refuge.