J. N. "Ding" Darling was a renowned editorial cartoonist who advocated conservation of our nation's natural resources. Father of the Federal Duck Stamp Program, founder of the National Wildlife Federation, creator of the Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Program, "Ding" Darling laid the groundwork for the system of today's National Wildlife Refuges.

Following Darling's death in 1962, admirers formed the J. N. "Ding" Darling Foundation to continue Darling's advocacy for wise use of natural resources and protection of wildlife. Darling's pragmatic conservation ethic and forceful leadership continue to guide the thoughts and actions of the conservation movement today, decades after his death.

One of "Ding" Darling's 1938 cartoons titled "How Rich Will We Be When We Have Converted All Our Forests, All Our Soil, All Our Water Resources and Our Minerals Into Cash?" best illustrates both his conservation ethic and his remarkable ability to convey complex thoughts with a few stokes of pen and ink.

Click here or on the cartoon to open a full size image in a new window