provided to Santiva Chronicle
Application deadline for several scholarships from the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS), ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 each, is March 31. High school seniors, college students, and graduate students in or from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties pursuing degrees in environmental-related studies may apply.
DDWS will award the scholarships at a special ceremony at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island in June 2020.
Now in its 14th year, the DDWS scholarship program presented its first awards in 2006, donated by Tarpon Bay Explorers, the refuge’s official recreation concession. To date, the program has awarded $138,400.
“Tarpon Bay Explorers started the program by offering two $1,000 scholarships in 2005,” said DDWS executive director Birgie Miller. “When four applicants turned out to be highly deserving, they doubled their commitment that year. Through the years, co-owner Wendy Schnapp has increased her annual contribution and has awarded a total of 51 scholarships.”
Interested students can find more information and printable application forms at dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/student-scholarships.
To learn more about the scholarship program and establishing a permanently endowed scholarship, contact Birgie Miller at 239-472-1100 ext. 4 or director@dingdarlingsociety.org.
Named scholarships to date for 2020 include:
• Richard Bailey Memorial Scholarships
• Mike and Terry Baldwin Scholarship
• Dr. Andrew and Laura Dahlem Scholarship
• Dr. H. Randall Deming Scholarship for Conservation and Environmental Studies, a permanently endowed scholarship
• Hans & Leslie Fleischner Scholarship
• Mary Elaine Jacobson Memorial Scholarship
• Win & Marilyn Kloosterman Education Scholarship, a permanently endowed scholarship Francine and Barry Litofsky Scholarship
• Tarpon Bay Explorers Scholarships
• Jane Werner Environmental Scholarship, DDWS’ first permanently endowed scholarship
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