(Wilmington) – Governor Markell met this week with native Dagsboro/Clarksville crafter and local artist Kim Frey  who made special gifts for the state to give to dignitaries in Israel during the Governor’s trade mission in early July.

 Ms. Frey created an original design of two-layered paper cutting.   Frey stained the paper to look like wood and illustrated further with watercolor.   The artwork featured Delaware and Israel flags placed in custom handmade frames.  The wooden frames were handmade by her husband, Chris.

 “We love supporting what Delaware artists produce,” said Governor Markell.  “The gifts were personal and unique because of Kim’s work.  I am amazed at how precisely she is able to cut her custom designs and make something distinctive-looking with the Delaware seal.”

 “It has been an honor to do this work for the state,” said Ms. Frey.  “This craft has been a hobby and a love of mine for more than twenty years.  I enjoy making new and special pieces.”

 Kim Frey blogged about her meeting with the Governor this week.

Ms. Frey made similar gifts using the flag of Sweden for Delaware to present to the King and Queen of Sweden during their visit in May 2013.

HARRINGTON (July 25, 2013) – Today at the Delaware State Fair, Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and U.S. EPA Region III Administrator Shawn M. Garvin honored Terry Higgins of Marydel with the 2013 Delaware Wetland Warrior Award for his lifelong efforts to conserve, restore and educate Delaware residents on the need for and importance of wetlands.

 “Wetlands contribute to the quality of life in Delaware by providing storage for floodwaters and protecting us from coastal storms, providing habitat for wildlife species, and purifying water by removing pollutants and nutrients from runoff. Efforts to protect, restore, and better understand processes affecting wetlands are critical to enable the continuation of the economically valuable services provided by wetlands,” said Secretary O’Mara. “We are proud to recognize Terry Higgins for his important contributions to protecting and understanding this vital natural resource.”

The Wetland Warrior Award, now in its sixth year, is presented annually to a citizen, organization, or business that has demonstrated exemplary efforts to benefit Delaware wetlands in the areas of outreach and education, monitoring and assessment, or restoration and protection.

“Often when we hear about wetlands, it’s about their decline, but this award focuses on recognizing individuals who are working to make a positive change in wetland health in Delaware,” said Maggie Pletta, DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program. “Terry Higgins has set a great example of encouraging stewardship of our resources and educating young people on the value of wetlands.”

Higgins is a professor emeritus from Wesley College in Dover, where he served in the science department for 40 years, mentoring and educating more than 8,000 students. While at Wesley, he also became involved in the school’s environmental advocacy club, Team Cannon, monitoring the wetlands at Camden’s Brecknock Park.

After his retirement from Wesley in 2000, Higgins continued his commitment to wetlands as the Kent County volunteer coordinator for Delaware’s Adopt-A-Wetland Program. Through his initiative and mentoring, numerous volunteer groups have become informed and engaged wetland caretakers.

Not only did Higgins encourage others to restore and protect wetlands, he and his family recently preserved a 10-acre forested wetland site in the Choptank River Watershed.

During today’s annual DNREC Awards ceremony at the State Fair, Higgins also received DNREC’s Outstanding Volunteer Award for Conservation and Restoration for his work in environmental education and wetlands conservation in Delaware.

“For more than five decades of his life and career, Terry Higgins has passed on his knowledge, passion, wisdom and commitment to Delaware’s wetlands in countless ways,” said Delaware Adopt-a-Wetland Program Administrator Gary Kreamer. “On the occasion of his well-earned retirement from volunteer service, this award honors his lifelong legacy to Delaware’s natural resources.”

After decades of teaching and practicing environmental science, Higgins continues to find wetlands a fascinating area of study, from the biodiversity they support to the vital role they play in our daily lives. “There are so many important facets of wetlands that affect more than just the organisms that live there: protection from storm surges, absorbing excess nutrients and – though I feel this is not yet completely studied or understood – the unique ability of wetlands to filter out various pollutants,” he said.

Higgins’ widely-known passion for conserving and protecting wetlands and for urging others along the same path also continues unabated. “Wetlands have an amazing ability to restore and right themselves if we just stop impacting them. They are pretty amazing, and we need to do whatever we have to do to let them do what they were created to do,” he said.

Next year’s call for nominations will be posted in the spring on the Delaware Wetlands website, www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/DelawareWetlands. 

 For details about past Delaware Wetland Warriors please visit:  http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/DelawareWetlands/Pages/WetlandWarriors.aspx

HARRINGTON (July 25, 2013) Today at the Delaware State Fair, Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara, U.S. EPA Region III Administrator Shawn M. Garvin and Division of Fish and Wildlife Director David Saveikis honored the most recent winners of the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s annual Hunting and Fishing Photo Contests that best represented the 2012 contest theme of “Carrying on the Tradition.”

 The 2012 Fishing Photo Contest winner, “Em’s First Fish,” taken at McGinnis Pond by Joseph J. Corning of Felton, appears on the cover of the 2013 Delaware Fishing Guide. Emily Bonavita, Mr. Corning’s 8-year-old granddaughter and the subject of the winning photo, joined him in accepting his award.

Also recognized were second place winner Brandy Myers of Millsboro, and honorable mentions, Ruth Reynolds of Townsend, David Koster of Rehoboth Beach and Sean O’Donnell of Newark.

The 2012-2013 Hunting Photo Contest winner, “Three Generations,” taken by Robin James of Middletown, appears on the cover of the just-published 2013-2014 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. Her winning photo shows her father, Michael Sethman, her 2-year-old nephew Nicholas Sethman, and her brother, Zach Sethman, at Augustine Wildlife Area near Delaware City. Her family joined her to accept the award.

Also recognized were second place and honorable mention winner Tammy Halsey of Dover, and honorable mentions Derrick Giuttari of Lincoln, and Amber Miller of Bridgeville.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife is accepting Fishing Photo Contest entries now through Tuesday, Oct. 15, for the 2014 Delaware Fishing Guide to be published next spring.

For this year’s contest, a judging panel comprised of DNREC staff will be looking for photos that best portray the contest theme, “Conservationists Enjoying the Outdoors.” Judges also will look at technical criteria including resolution, clarity and composition.

The contest is open to Delaware residents of all ages, with a maximum of three entries per person. To be eligible, photographs must have been taken in Delaware. Portrait orientation is preferred; landscape photos, if chosen among contest winners, may be cropped for presentation.

Entries may be mailed to the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, Attention: Crystal Beck, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. All Fishing Photo Contest entries must be postmarked or delivered by Oct. 15, and must include a completed and signed entry form. A photo release form signed by a parent or guardian also is required if a minor child is in the photo. Forms and more information are available on the Division’s website at Photo contest information, or www.facebook.com/delawarefishwildlife. Information also may be requested by calling Crystal Beck at 302-739-9911, or emailing crystal.beck@delaware.gov.

This year’s Hunting Photo Contest will accept entries beginning Sunday, Sept. 1, 2013 through Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, with similar guidelines.

HARRINGTON (July 25, 2013) – Today at the Delaware State Fair, Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and U.S. EPA Region III Administrator Shawn M. Garvin announced and honored five Delaware students as DNREC’s 2013 Young Environmentalists of the Year.

 “These five exceptional young Delawareans are becoming the conservationists, naturalists and environmental stewards who will help preserve our environment for tomorrow,” Governor Markell said. “We appreciate their interest, their talent and the promise they bring for Delaware’s future.”

“Age is no deterrent for these young students who want to protect our environment and improve our quality of life,” said Secretary O’Mara. “This year’s award winners deserve our praise and admiration.”

Established in 1993 in honor of former DNREC Secretary Dr. Edwin H. Clark II, the Young Environmentalist of the Year Awards are presented annually to Delaware students who have worked to protect, restore or enhance our state’s natural resources through environmental stewardship, innovative projects and promoting public awareness.

Judges for the program’s 20^th year were Jennifer Holmes, educator, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve; Michelle Jacobs, educator and DNREC Small Business Ombudsman; Kent County Wildlife Area Manager Wayne Lehman, Division of Fish and Wildlife; and Environmental Scientist Patty Murray, DNREC Division of Water.

DNREC’s 2013 Young Environmentalists of the Year are:

• High      School – Emma Rider of Milton
• Middle      School – Kyle Spillane of Harrington
• Elementary      – Sara Figurski of  Georgetown
• Honorable      Mention Group – the Zero Waste Team, Hockessin

Here’s more information about the honorees.

High school winner Emma Rider, 15, of Milton, is a National Honor Society student who will be a junior at Sussex Technical High School in the fall. Emma also is involved in Junior ROTC, FFA, 4-H and her church. In 2008, while visiting her older brother on a mission trip, Emma was introduced to WaterStep, a non-profit organization that works to educate the public about waterborne illnesses in third world countries with startling statistics such as “a child dies every 15 seconds due to waterborne illness.” WaterStep fights this epidemic by collecting donated shoes and reselling them overseas to raise funds to install water chlorinators to provide safe drinking water in high-risk areas.

“Knowing about this crisis wasn’t enough. When I found out there was a pretty simple solution, I knew I wanted to help,” Emma said of her inspiration to start a local shoe drive. She has since collected and recycled nearly 70,000 pairs of shoes, keeping 35 tons out of Delaware landfills, and raising more than $30,000 for WaterStep – and counting, since the project is ongoing.

Late last year, Emma journeyed to an orphanage in Kenya on a mission to install a chlorinator purchased through her efforts, and made many new friends a world away from her farm home in Delaware. “It brought me great joy to see purified water flow into the cups of children who have never tasted it before,” Emma said.

“The project she began in 2010 was the result of her desire to help reduce waterborne illnesses in third world countries,” wrote her nominator, Sussex Tech Environmental Instructor George Jefferson. “Little did Emma know, her project would ultimately benefit people around the world, all the while raising awareness of resource conservation and improving the local environment here in Delaware.”

“Wow! What an impressive young lady,” said Judge Michelle Jacobs. “It’s one thing to express your concerns about the environment, and another to actually do something about it. Kudos to Emma for jumping into action, involving others, and inspiring and educating those she meets along the way.”

Middle school winner Kyle Spillane,13, of Harrington, will be an eighth grader at W.T. Chipman Middle School in the fall. He has been a dedicated and dependable volunteer with an interest in the environment from a very young age. This award adds to a growing list, and is in recognition of his volunteer work at the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Dupont Nature Center near Milford, a science-based education and interpretive facility whose mission is to connect people with nature and instill an appreciation for the ecological significance of the Delaware Bayshore region.

Kyle joined the DuPont Nature Center’s Junior Volunteer program in 2009, and has since volunteered more than 500 hours there. Kyle assists the interpretive staff with field trips and guided tours, explaining the importance of protecting the habitats surrounding along the Mispillion Harbor and Delaware Bay. He also has created educational activity pages for children, along with various other educational displays which focus on the live animals living in the Center’s tanks.

“Kyle’s commitment and dedication to the DuPont Nature Center’s mission and the environment continually instills in people the desire to sense and respect the beauty of Delaware’s natural surroundings,” wrote DuPont Nature Center Manager Dawn Webb, who nominated Kyle.

“Kyle’s dedication to the environment, especially the Delaware Bay, is evident by his willingness to give up his own time to volunteer at the DuPont Nature Center,” said Judge Jennifer Holmes. “That is a poignant testimony of how important Delaware’s environment is to him.”

Judge Wayne Lehman noted Kyle’s work today could serve him and the environment well in the future. “Kyle Spillane’s dedication to nature and the environment by providing hundreds of volunteer hours shows he has a high potential to become a leader in natural resource management in the future,” said Lehman.

Elementary school winner Sara Figurski, 9, of Georgetown, will start the fifth grade this fall at Eagles Nest Christian Academy. In her nomination, her father, Scott Figurski, noted that Sara has taken an interest in the environment from an early age, through activities including recycling, planting trees, making birdfeeders, rescuing tadpoles, butterflies and birds, participating in beach grass planting, and cleaning up trash.

“Sara has not been involved in one specific project, but practices environmental stewardship as a lifestyle at a young age,” Figurski wrote of Sara, noting she once forgot all about the fishing tournament in which she was participating to pull trash from the water out of concern for its potentially deadly impact on aquatic life, and has also been known to tell her friends and adults that they should not leave the water running when brushing teeth or washing hands because that wastes water.

Sara also enjoys photographing wildlife. “The hunt for the subject has helped give her an appreciation of the nature she is trying to capture,” Figurski wrote.  “I have seen her show her friends wonders of nature like a spider web or dew drops on the petals of a flower. These are things that many children her age would not notice, and she is sharing these wonders and helping others develop an appreciation for them.”

The judges agreed. “It is wonderful to see how the younger generation is interacting and protecting the environment.  Sarah’s involvement in conservation issues and her talent for outdoor photography is inspiring,” said Holmes. “The future of the environment looks bright with young people such as Sara already practicing environmental stewardship,” added Jacobs.

“Sarah Figurski’s appreciation of nature and the environment will hopefully increase environmental awareness to all who cross her path in the future,” Lehman said.

The judges also awarded special recognition to the Zero Waste Team, a group of middle schoolers from Hockessin who pioneered Delaware’s first residential curbside collection of compostable organics in the Charter Oaks neighborhood. Representing the team for the award was Eric Long and Daniel DiMascio, both 13, and team advisor Martine Long.

The team formed in 2012 to investigate the possibility of diverting organics from the household waste stream as a possible solution for shrinking landfill space in the First State. Working with commercial hauler Allied Waste and 16 Charter Oaks households, the team engineered a 12-week pilot program that started in January 2013, and diverted more than a ton of organics from the landfill with a cumulative organics diversion rate of 56.6 percent. Given the program’s success, Allied Waste agreed to continue the program as an ongoing service for Charter Oaks residents. As of late June, 23 households were participating and 2.5 tons of organics had been diverted from New Castle County’s Cherry Island Landfill, with the team offering training for additional households to join.

The Zero Waste Team’s immediate goal is to complete four pilots in different developments encompassing 160 households by June 2014, and to prove a cumulative organics diversion rate of at least 50 percent, diverting 10 tons of organics per calendar quarter.

The team is also speaking with elected officials and waste haulers to increase awareness of the option of diverting organics and discussing the benefits of expanding the program:

• Long-term elimination of      landfill costs for half of our waste;
• Immediate reduction in costs to      waste haulers, since tipping fees from organic recyclers are about half      the cost of landfill tipping fees;
• No extra cost to households as      an existing yard waste route was converted to mixed organics at the same      cost;
• Support for the economy and      jobs from creation, packaging, transporting and selling compost created      through the program.
• Estimates that Delaware      residents can save about $14 million in annual tipping fees through the      diversion of organics. Based on 50,000 tons of trash tipped annually and a      50 percent diversion of organics, the City of Wilmington alone would save      $1 million.

In June, the Zero Waste Team was awarded a $25,000 grant to continue their work, the highest award given by the national Christopher Columbus Awards, and they plan to work toward their ultimate goal: statewide curbside composting. The Zero Waste Team also is working with a community partner, the Delaware Nature Society.

“There is no residential curbside composting collection in Delaware to get organic waste from household to composter. Our solution has three separate areas of focus – residential curbside composting, business composting and education,” the team said in a statement.

Judges were impressed by the Zero Waste Team’s innovation, initiative and scientific approach. “The Zero Waste Team’s investigation into the feasibility of diverting organics from landfills was interesting and innovative,” Murray said. “It’s impressive that they have provided details on the amount of organics diverted from the landfills to the economic benefits of doing so. I envision future environmental leaders from this group.”

“This is a model project which not only included reducing compostable waste entering our landfills but also provided education and outreach to the community,” Holmes said. “I look forward to seeing how this program could be implemented other places in the state.”

For more information on the Young Environmentalist of the Year Awards, please contact Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902, or joanna.wilson@delaware.gov.

Governor Welcomes Young Urban Farmers, Japanese Delegation to Delaware State Fair

DOVER – Highlighting two paths to the future for Delaware agriculture, Governor Jack Markell and Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee today welcomed a group of young Wilmington urban farmers and an international trade delegation to the Delaware State Fair.

The joint ceremony on Governor’s Day at the Fair honored both young people who are actively growing community gardens and urban farms in the city, and representatives of Delaware’s sister state, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

“The young people we recognize today are future leaders of their communities,” said Markell. “We value their work to foster learning and understanding about the natural world and how our food is made. It’s appropriate that as we acknowledge their efforts and the importance of the agriculture industry to our state’s economy and heritage, we also express appreciation for the relationship we enjoy with our sister state of Miyagi. In a global economy, it’s critical that all Delawareans have opportunities to build connections with communities around the world. We’re proud to build strong business ties with our Japanese friends, including through exports of agricultural products.”

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee said that urban agriculture is one way that young people can learn entrepreneurial skills while connecting with the deep traditions of Delaware farming, noting that some of the youth sell their produce at local farmers’ markets.

“Whether they’re growing lettuce or watermelon, kale or lima beans, these young men and women are learning the same lessons as our early farmers – the joy of getting their hands dirty in the soil, the excitement of watching things grow and the independence that comes with growing your own food,” Kee said. “Those things are constant and universal. I’m pleased that they could join us for recognition and a day of fun and learning at the Fair.”

The Wilmington students were selected for a trip to the fair for their many hours working in some of the city’s community gardens and urban farms. Community gardens and urban farms strengthen communities and neighborhoods by providing common spaces, renewing local pride and improving food security and nutritional opportunities, and more than 20 currently are located in Wilmington and New Castle County.

The Miyagi delegation has been meeting with Delaware businesses and greeting Fair visitors this week, with Japanese cuisine featured as part of free cooking demonstrations at the Department of Agriculture building. Earlier in the week, they met with Delaware businesses to explore opportunities and partnerships, including Jannsen’s Market, ShopRite, Peppers, and Dogfish Head.

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Photos from the Miyagi delegation’s visit are available for media use at http://www.flickr.com/photos/agriculturede.