DOVER (April 15, 2013) – A training workshop on preventing and managing invasive plants and supporting healthy habitats will be held 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 24 at the St. Jones Reserve, 818 Kitts Hummock Road in Dover.  The workshop is a partnership among DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Training Program, the Delaware Invasive Species Council and the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council.

Registration is required by Monday, April 22 by visiting http://de.gov/dectp or contacting Kelly Valencik, at Kelly.Valencik@delaware.gov or 302-739-6377.

Civic associations, nonprofit groups, community organizations, local governments and municipalities, landowners and environmental educators are invited to attend and learn how to successfully establish and support a Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA).

CWMAs are local organizations that bring together community members like landowners and land managers to coordinate actions and share expertise and resources to manage common weed species. The spread of invasive species is a pervasive and growing problem within Delaware and the United States.The economic and ecological threats of invasive plants has led to many CWMA groups being established throughout the U.S.

Invasive species typically harm native plants by competing for resources, such as space, sunlight, water and minerals, and can disrupt natural habitats and impact other organisms, such as birds and mammals. These harmful invaders spread at astonishing rates – negatively affecting property values, agricultural productivity, public utility operations, native fisheries, tourism, outdoor recreation and the overall health of an ecosystem. Early detection and rapid response and control are key to managing invasive plants.

Workshop presentations will be given by people who have successfully developed and implemented CWMAs in the mid-Atlantic region and will include discussions on the challenges and rewards of those efforts. Simple steps on establishing a CWMA will also be presented.

The registration fee is $15 and includes lunch and refreshments.  Payment should be made by an intergovernmental voucher for state employees, or for all others, by check payable to the “State of Delaware.”  Please mail checks to:

     Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
     c/o Kelly Valencik
     818 Kitts Hummock Road
     Dover, DE 19901

This training, originally scheduled for last November, is being rescheduled for April 24. If previously registered, re-registration is required to confirm attendance.

Vol. 43, No. 146                                                                   

As a part of its mission, the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve is committed to promoting informed decision making through the Delaware Coastal Training Program. This program addresses critical coastal resource management issues in Delaware by providing current scientific information, access to technologies and skill-building opportunities to Delawareans responsible for making decisions about the state’s coastal resources.

The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve is a partnership between the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. DNERR is administered through the Delaware Coastal Programs Section of DNREC’s Office of the Secretary.

This project is part of DNREC’s Bayshore Initiative, a landscape approach to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat, increase volunteer participation in habitat stewardship projects, enhance low-impact outdoor recreation and ecotourism opportunities, and promote associated environmentally compatible economic development. For more information, click Delaware Bayshore.

 Contact: Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

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