WILMINGTON – The Blue Ball Barn at Alapocas Run State Park will host its fifth annual Pawpaw Folk Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20. Admission to the festival is free with paid park admission.

The festival is a family-friendly day filled with fun activities. The star of the festival is one of Delaware’s native trees, the pawpaw. Alapocas Run State Park has the perfect habitat for the tree, which is the only food source for the caterpillars of a native butterfly, the zebra swallowtail.

Festival activities include storytelling, folk art vendors and demonstrations, guided hikes, live music and a special guest lecture with Ron Powell from the North American Pawpaw Growers Association. WiLDWiCH Gourmet Sandwiches, UDairy Creamery and Papa Smurfs BBQ will have food available for purchase. Visitors will also have the opportunity to taste pawpaw fruit.

This event is made possible by support of Delaware State Parks, Friends of Wilmington Parks, the Delaware Humanities Forum, Delaware Division of the Arts, Delaware Solid Waste Authority and WDSD 94.7 FM.

Alapocas Run State Park in Wilmington features a multi-use trail that connects to the Northern Delaware Greenway, the Can-Do Playground and the historic the Blue Ball Barn. The Blue Ball Barn, 1914 West Park Drive, Wilmington, DE was built in 1914 by Alfred I. DuPont. The barn is named after the Blue Ball Tavern, an inn and meeting house that was once located near the property.

The Blue Ball Barn is now the home of the Delaware Folk Art Collection, which reflects local cultures of Delaware. The facility is available to rent for meetings, conferences, formal functions, casual luncheons and more. Additional information about Alapocas Run, Blue Ball Barn, Wilmington State Park programs and programs throughout Delaware State Parks is available at destateparks.com.

Contact: Elizabeth Androskaut, Interpretive Programs Manager; or Elizabeth Drummond, Alapocas Run and Wilmington State Parks, 302-577-7020.

Vol. 46, No. 303

DOVER – Hours and locations for lifeguarded ocean swimming beaches in Delaware State Parks will change beginning next week, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation announced today.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 22 through Friday, Aug 26, Delaware Seashore State Park’s Tower Road will be unguarded. Beginning Monday, Aug. 29 through Friday, Sept. 2, Delaware Seashore State Park’s Tower Road and Fenwick Island State Park’s Fenwick Lot will be unguarded. Weekends will be guarded at both locations.

All other state park guarded swimming beaches, including the main beach at Cape Henlopen State Park and the South Indian River Inlet side of Delaware Seashore State Park, will be guarded every day through Labor Day with limited staff. Smaller or limited swimming areas will be available through Labor Day.

All swimming beaches will be guarded on weekends through Labor Day. Lifeguard hours will not change, and will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Reductions in hours were necessary as a result of lifeguards leaving the area to return to high school, college and school sports camps.

For more information, call the Division of Parks & Recreation’s Operations Section at 302-739-9200.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 302

Junior course set to open late summer, catering to youngsters
ages 6-12 with rope ladders, tree swings and ziplines

BEAR – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation and Go Ape, billed as “the nation’s premier Treetop Adventure company,” have announced the addition of a Treetop Junior course to its already-popular Go Ape course at Lums Pond State Park. Planned to open in late summer, the junior course will provide younger residents and tourists the chance to climb rope ladders, swing from trees, and zoom down ziplines, just like their older family members. This is the company’s fourth Treetop Junior course nationally, making it a unique attraction in Delaware for Lums Pond State Park.

“The Go Ape course has proven to be an incredibly popular amenity for the park,” said Ray Bivens, Director of Delaware State Parks. “This new junior course will help expand the adventure to younger children and help more families experience Delaware’s natural resources in a unique way.”

Go Ape’s Treetop Junior course is a fun-filled experience of tree-to-tree crossings, including the Pannjärve Bridge, Yamazoe Steps, over 18 additional obstacles, and 2 ziplines at heights of 20 feet above the ground. While designed for adventurers ages 6-12, the smaller course also welcomes adults who may want to navigate it for starting zipline experience.

“Opening a course in Lums Pond just for younger children is thrilling because it supports our mission to help everyone life adventurously,” said Go Ape Managing Director Dan D’Agostino. “Parents will get an immense amount of satisfaction from seeing their kids enjoying the park from the trees, but also seeing their sense of accomplishment as they work through the course’s obstacles.”

The safety systems are designed so that participants stay attached the entire time they are in the trees. Participants only become unattached when back on the ground. Children under six must be accompanied on the course by an adult, while children 6-15 must be supervised by an adult either from on the course or from the ground.

All of Go Ape’s courses are designed to minimize any impact on the trees and the environment. Go Ape courses use clever braces that grip trunks and the platforms rest on these. The system allows the brace to expand as the tree grows. All trees are inspected annually by independent arborists to ensure their continued health. 

The new Junior Treetop Adventure will cost $28, and reservations are recommended through www.goape.com. For directions, visit: https://goape.com/Locations/Delaware/Bear. The GPS Location is Lums Pond State Park, 1042 Howell School Road, Bear, DE 19701

About Go Ape
Go Ape’s mission is to encourage everyone to live life adventurously while treading lightly in the most beautiful places and spaces in the US. A Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course is an outdoor experience that provides participants two to three hours of outdoor fun and exercise. Courses allow participants to explore the park from an otherwise unobtainable vantage point while navigating through the treetops using zip lines, obstacles and Tarzan swings. A love of the outdoors and our desire to share that passion demands that we take care of our little corner of the forest.  From donating our time and resources to local community and environmental groups, to providing a unique view from the treetops, we strive to be socially and environmentally responsible. All of Go Ape’s U.S. courses are located in public parks and giving back to the parks and community is a significant aspect of our values.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902, or Jeff Davis, Go Ape, 410-372-0827 (office) 410-916-4835 (cell) or jeff@JDPRsocial.com

Vol. 46, No. 294

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Applicants must be members of the military, veterans or family members

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation announced today that applications are now being accepted for the 2016/2017 Veterans Conservation Corps – an AmeriCorps National Service program. This year, the program has been awarded an increase in funding, from five member positions last year to 15 member positions this year.

Under the program, members commit to a year of service in Delaware’s 16 state parks, and receive a bi-weekly stipend, health insurance, child care assistance and an education award. They must be at least 18 years old and an active military member, immediate family member of an active military member or military veteran. The program begins Oct. 1, 2016 and runs through Aug. 31, 2017.

The Veterans Conservation Corps was put into place in state parks last year to promote, protect and conserve Delaware’s natural wonders and create meaningful opportunities for millions of visitors to Delaware State Parks. Since then, more than 150 miles of trails have been improved and invasive species have been eradicated in more than 200 acres of park land.

The Veterans Conservation Corps is an AmeriCorps National Service Program focused an engaging military veterans and/or military family members in environmental stewardship activities and trail work throughout Delaware State Parks. Members will work as a team under the direction of a team leader and receive training, certifications and hands-on experience that can help members gain the skills and experience necessary for employment in the natural resources field.

The program is funded by a three-year nationally competitive grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service, and the State Office on Volunteerism.The program proved to be so successful in 2015, the Division of Parks and Recreation requested an increase in members for years two and three. Based on the outcomes and proven success of the first year, the Division was awarded the increase from five members to 15 members for the 2016/2017 program with an increase in funding from $64,192 to $187,927.

During their year of service, members will receive education, hands-on training and certifications in outdoor environmental conservation efforts which may provide the necessary skills and experience for a career in natural resources. Members will work as part of a team eradicating invasive species, performing trail construction and maintenance, and park projects throughout Delaware State Parks. Two teams will be located in New Castle County and another two teams in Kent and Sussex counties.

“This program is one of the first such veteran-focused programs based in a state park system in the country,” said Delaware State Parks Director Ray Bivens. “This past year we piloted the program and it was so successful, our competitive grant funding tripled for the program for this year. Our team accomplished so much in the last 12 months and will leave a legacy on our state parks and visitors for generations to come.”

Those interested and eligible can apply online at www.destateparks.com/veteranscorps or applicants can contact Karen Minner at 302-739-9208. Applications are available until slots are filled.

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 284

DOVER – Riding the wave of the popularity of the summer’s hottest craze, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation today launched “Poké Park Adventure,” a contest for kids of all ages, in Delaware State Parks.

The “Poké Park Adventure” uses the free smartphone game (or app), “Pokémon Go,” in which players try to capture different monsters from Pokémon, a Japanese cartoon, using a combination of GPS and other technologies built into smartphones, including location tracking and cameras, encouraging players to visit – in this case, Delaware State Parks, in order to nab virtual loot and collectible characters. The point of the game is to “catch ‘em all!”

“This new contest is a great way to get kids, families, and all adventure-seeking Delawareans outside and into nature – a major goal of our Children in Nature Initiative,” said Governor Jack Markell. “I want to thank Delaware State Parks for taking advantage of the extraordinary popularity of this new technology to help encourage physical activity and showcase our amazing State Parks.”

“We are so pleased to offer this new and fun way for kids and families to get out into nature in our state parks,” said Delaware State Parks Director Ray Bivens. “The contest is being run from today through the end of July to give people a chance to visit all of the parks if they can.”

To win the “Poké Park Adventure,” players must take a screenshot of a view of their avatar in a park, and then take screenshots of each Poké Stop they visit. The screenshot must show that the player is in range of a Poké Stop. Then, players tag that park on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, using the hashtag #pokeparkde.

Whoever visits the most Poké Stops within any state parks (and park attractions) will receive a “legendary” prize pack complete with Pokémon merchandise, a 2017 Annual Park Pass, a YETI rambler bottle and other prizes.

The contest is open now through July 31 to give everyone a chance to travel across the land, searching far and wide. The winner will be announced Wednesday, Aug. 3.

To find out more about “Poké Park Adventure,” including rules, visit www.destateparks.com/pokepark

(Pokémon and Pokémon Go are trademarked by The Pokémon Company. Delaware State Parks is not affiliated with Pokémon in any way.)

Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 261

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