DOVER – The 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 29-30, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship announced today. For information, participants and presenters can visit de.gov/dewetlandsconference.

Dates and deadlines to remember for the 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference are:
• Registration for conference participants opens Wednesday, Nov. 13.
• The deadline to submit abstracts for oral presentations is Wednesday, Oct. 30.
• Poster presentations will be accepted through Monday, Dec. 20.
• The deadline for entries in a new photo and art contest is Friday, Nov. 1. Artists of all ages are encouraged to submit their best work highlighting a wetland plant, animal, or scene. The winning work will be featured on the cover of the 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference program.

DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment and Coastal Training programs have put together a full two-day event that focuses on the importance of wetlands across the Mid-Atlantic region. More than 350 wetland experts and enthusiasts from the area are expected to gather at the biennial conference to share the latest innovations in wetland research, outreach, and conservation programs.

The conference brings together scientists, planners, county and federal representatives, community leaders, educators, natural resource managers, and students to discuss current research on tidal and non-tidal wetlands, the value of the region’s wetlands, and the impact their management has on the community.

Wetlands play a vital role in our everyday lives, protecting our communities from flooding and erosion and boosting our economy through the tourism, outdoor recreation, and seafood industries. This conference fosters an atmosphere that supports the exploration and dissemination of wetlands science. Although wetlands are the primary focus of this learning and networking event, related topics also will include streams, habitat, and wildlife.

For more information on the 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference, including sponsorships, please visit the website, or contact Brittany Haywood at Brittany.Haywood@delaware.gov, or call 302-739-9939.

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

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DOVER – The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Wetland Monitoring & Assessment Program announced today the release of Delaware’s first wetland-specific plant identification book – The Delaware Wetland Plant Field Guide. This guide will help landowners, practitioners, and scientists identify wetland plants in the landscape with full-color photos, hand drawings, and easy-to-read descriptions.

Plants are one of three key factors for identifying and delineating wetlands. In order for an area to be considered a wetland, it must have: water at or near the surface for some part of the year, hydrophytic plants, which are plants specially adapted to living in wet conditions, and hydric soils, which are soils that are permanently or seasonally soaked in water.

The guide organizes 134 of the most common wetland plants found in Delaware into two main categories of freshwater and saltwater plants. It also includes a general introduction to plant identification and key characteristics, bloom/fruit timing, flower and fruit descriptions, and where you are likely to find each plant.

The Delaware Wetland Plant Field Guide is viewable online, with a high-resolution file or print copy available upon request by visiting de.gov/dewetlandplantguide.

The Delaware Wetland Plant Field Guide was compiled by the Wetland Monitoring & Assessment Program within DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship, with contributions from several local wetland and plant experts. The program works in Delaware to conserve wetlands for their water quality, wildlife habitat, and flood control benefits. To learn more about the program, please visit de.gov/wmap.

To learn more about wetlands, identifying them or the guide, visit de.gov/wetlandtoolbox or contact Brittany Haywood at Brittany.haywood@delaware.gov or 302-739-9939.

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

Vol. 48, No. 317

DOVER – In recognition of International Bat Week, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced that it has been awarded a federal grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to support Delaware’s ongoing response to the deadly white-nose syndrome (WNS). The grant will help Delaware continue to monitor the state’s bat populations and work with the public to limit the spread of WNS, which has taken a severe toll on North American bat species since it was discovered 11 years ago.

Characterized by a white fungus visible on a bat’s nose, wings, tail, and ears, WNS is transmitted primarily by contact between bats. Since first discovered in New York State in the winter of 2006-2007, WNS has spread at an alarming rate and is now confirmed in 33 states and seven Canadian provinces, including Delaware. According to the USFWS, WNS has caused the death of 5.7 to 6.7 million bats in North America. Delaware’s first WNS-related bat deaths were confirmed in 2012 among bats hibernating in cave-like conditions in Fort Delaware and Fort DuPont in New Castle County.

Only bat species that hibernate are known to be affected by WNS, including such species as the little brown, big brown, tri-colored, northern long-eared, and eastern small-footed bats – all found in Delaware. The northern long-eared and little brown bats are among the most severely impacted by WNS. Because of dramatic population declines, the northern long-eared and little brown bats were added to Delaware’s list of endangered species in 2014, and the northern long-eared bat was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in May 2015.

Bats are important to Delaware’s ecology, feeding on millions of insects, including mosquitoes, beetles, moths, and agricultural pests, and in so doing, also helping ward off potential threats to public health and the food supply.

The 2018 grant marks the ninth year that the Division of Fish & Wildlife has received funding from the USFWS’s Endangered Species and Science Applications programs to help fight WNS, with this year’s funding totaling $15,785. Delaware’s grant was part of $1 million in funding for natural resource agencies in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

For more information on bats in Delaware, please visit http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/bats and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DelawareBatProgram/.

To report a bat colony or unusual bat behavior, please call 302-735-3600.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

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

Vol. 48, No. 303

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Delaware Association of Conservation Districts honors State Representative David L. Wilson as Legislator of the Year

DOVER – The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village was the setting for today’s annual Governor’s Agricultural and Urban Conservation Awards. Governor John Carney, along with Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse, Delaware Association of Conservation Districts President Edwin Alexander, and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Kasey Taylor, led a ceremony recognizing this year’s honorees and signed a proclamation officially designating April 29-May 6 as Soil and Water Stewardship Week in Delaware under the theme, “Healthy Soils Are Full of Life.”

“Today’s honorees have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to improving the environment, and on behalf of the people of Delaware, I would like to thank each of them for their dedication and for their time, effort, and investment to implement model conservation practices,” said Governor Carney. “I also want to thank all of the Conservation District supervisors and employees for the many and various contributions they make to improve the quality of life in Delaware.”

“Much of the work we do at DNREC is accomplished through partnerships with USDA-NRCS and Delaware’s three conservation districts, and these awards highlight the beneficial outcomes of these relationships,” said Secretary Garvin. “This year’s honorees are wonderful and diverse examples of how we can learn from the success of others and can all be better environmental stewards by taking thoughtful and important actions to protect and enhance our water and air quality.”

This year’s Conservation Award winners are:

New Castle County

Urban: Cheltenham Bridge –Westminster Civic Association, Hockessin

The community of Westminster has privately-maintained streets including three bridges that cross Hyde Run, a small tributary of Mill Creek. In 2013, the Westminster Civic Association (WCA) contracted with Pennoni Associates to inspect the Cheltenham Bridge and provide recommendations to the WCA. The association planned to replace the existing bridge and remove an adjacent upstream bridge, realigning an affected driveway. The WCA contacted Representative Gerald Brady to request funding assistance; Rep. Brady contacted the New Castle Conservation District seeking engineering and funding assistance for the project. NCCD contracted with Pennoni for bridge engineering and design services, permit acquisition, limited construction services, and technical assistance. Pennoni used accelerated bridge construction methods to design a prefabricated concrete arch bridge to meet the community’s needs while allowing for a three-month construction period – about one-third of the construction time for a site-built bridge, minimizing community inconvenience and stream resource impacts. The contractor, Merit Construction Engineers, delivered and erected the 30-foot-long by 30-foot-wide precast concrete arch frame in just two days, saving an estimated $200,000 in construction costs. This bridge construction method may have applicability in other communities in New Castle County and throughout Delaware.

Kent County

Agricultural: Broad Acres, Dover

In 1943, Joseph Zimmerman started his first farming operation across from Dover Air Force Base and in 1944 moved to a Leipsic farm. On Sept. 15, 1952, Joseph signed his cooperator’s agreement with the Kent County Soil Conservation District. In 1978, the farm was named Broad Acres, Inc. From those early days until the current day, the Zimmerman family has been long-time supporters of all conservation practices and excellent environmental stewards. Current owners Fred and Dan Zimmerman grow 300 acres of potatoes, 600 acres of small grains, 700 acres of corn, and 1,000 acres of soybeans on the 800 acres they own plus an additional 1,200 acres they rent. Through conservation practices, they address water quality, soil erosion, nutrient management, and water management through tile and open drainage practices. The Zimmermans also serve as managers on the South Muddy Branch Tax Ditch, and support the Delaware Envirothon through the Kent Conservation District’s Barn Dance fundraiser by donating potatoes for the event’s auction.

Urban: Delmarva Power and Light Company

The Delmarva Power and Light Company and their environmental consultant, McCormick Taylor, Inc., demonstrated a commitment to protecting natural areas and minimizing environmental impacts throughout the completion of a major transmission line rebuild from Cedar Creek to Milford along the entire eastern length of Kent County. The project crossed substantial areas of fresh water wetlands and tidal marsh while minimizing environmental impacts. The project utilized 776,500 square-feet of composite wetland matting, 81,000 feet of filter logs, and 48 temporary bridge crossings to minimize the impacts of equipment and vehicles. The project also utilized aerial sky cranes to transport and install transmission poles and lines across critically sensitive areas, further minimizing impacts to those areas.

Sussex County

Agricultural: Chip Baker, H&V Farms Inc., Millsboro

As the owner of H&V Farms in Millsboro in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Chip Baker has made a long-term commitment to improving water quality, using innovative methods of enhancing soil health, planting cover crops, and protecting the environment. Baker farms 621 acres of corn and soybeans and has a 50,000-broiler operation. His farm has been never-till for 25 years, and he plants multispecies blends of cover crops on all of his acres, with the goal of having all his ground covered all year round. Baker participates in the Conservation Stewardship Program for nutrient management, irrigation water management, conservation tillage, and pest management, as well as the District’s Air Seeder Pilot Program. Because of Baker’s innovation and interest in improving soil health and promoting soil health practices with his peers, he became a Delaware Soil Health Champion, joining a large national network of more than 200 soil health champions. In 2016, Baker hosted and shared his experience with about 115 people for an Air Seeder Demonstration/Soil Health Field Day at his farm. He also serves on the District’s Soil Health Advisory Committee, providing guidance and direction to the District in regards to soil health outreach and education efforts.

Urban: Delaware Avenue Streambank Restoration Project, Laurel

Initiated by DNREC, the Delaware Avenue/Ellis stream restoration project in Laurel addressed damage from the June 2006 flood in western Sussex County. During this flood event, parts of western Sussex County received between 12” and 18” of rainfall in a 24-hour period. The high storm flows caused severe bank erosion, resulting considerable loss of property. After visiting the site, DNREC’s Drainage Program staff decided to apply a natural channel design or stream restoration approach, rather the traditional bank stabilization methodology. Natural channel design restores degraded streams by creating a system that mimics natural conditions, including sequences of pools and riffles, floodplains, and meanders. These features increase bank stability while helping to improve water quality and ecological diversity. This project was completed for approximately $75,000 from the Resource, Conservation, and Development 21st Century fund and Community Transportation funds provided by Representative Timothy Dukes.

Delaware Association of Conservation Districts’ Legislator of the Year

The Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD) also recognized State Representative David L. Wilson, 35th District, as the 2017 Legislator of the Year, an annual award given for outstanding service, loyalty and devotion to conservation efforts in Delaware. Rep. Wilson has advocated for DACD in his capacity on the House Agriculture Committee and the Bond Bill Committee. He has also been an active supporter of Sussex Conservation District activities and has participated in both Sussex and USDA cost share programs.

Delaware’s Conservation Districts, one in each county, are a unique governmental unit within DNREC. Their mission is to provide technical and financial assistance to help Delawareans conserve and improve their local natural resources, including solving land, water and related resource problems; developing conservation programs to solve them; enlisting and coordinating help from public and private sources to accomplish these goals; and increasing awareness of the inter-relationship between human activities and the natural environment. Delaware’s district supervisors have a statewide organization, the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD), a voluntary, non-profit alliance that provides a forum for discussion and coordination among the Conservation Districts.

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

WILMINGTON – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation and the Delaware Zoological Society will open the Brandywine Zoo for the season with a weekend of festivities from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday, March 10, and Sunday, March 11.

Visitors can tour the zoo’s “Curiosity Learning Stations,” and learn from zookeepers what the animals did during the winter season, including finding out if the zoo’s red panda took a trip, guessing which avian changed the color of her feathers, and discovering whether the bobcat picked the Eagles to win the Superbowl.

“The opening of the Brandywine Zoo is a rite of spring, and a time for fun and education for kids of all ages,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “There are more than a hundred animals to be seen and programs to enjoy throughout the season. The Brandywine Zoo is a true Delaware gem – a serene yet wild place set in beautiful Brandywine Park. I encourage everyone to come and visit Delaware’s only zoo.”

The Brandywine Zoo is managed by the Division of Parks & Recreation with the support of the Delaware Zoological Society. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), and is one of over 200 accredited zoos and aquariums in North America, a distinction that marks its commitment to providing excellent care for animals.

“The start of a new season at the Brandywine Zoo is always an exciting time,” said Michael T. Allen, Executive Director of the Delaware Zoological Society. “We are delighted to welcome visitors to the zoo to learn more about our mission of conservation and education. While we don’t have any big announcements yet, stay tuned for some new animals that will be joining us later in 2018.”

The Brandywine Zoo opened in 1905 in Brandywine Park in Wilmington, and is located high above the banks of the Brandywine River. Its residents include red pandas, condors, river otters, burrowing owls, pygmy goats, llamas, rheas, the capybara (the world’s largest rodent), and other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians native to the Americas, and the temperate areas of Asia. A total of 125 animals live at the zoo, although several are not on exhibit and reserved for the Travelling Zoo program. Many of the animals are rescues, unable to be returned to the wild. The zoo has a small petting zoo area, and offers frequent close encounter programs where visitors may meet animals up- close. The schedule for special events, daily programs, education workshops, and spring, summer and holiday camps, is on the zoo website. The zoo is fully accessible.

For more information, visit www.destateparks.com/attractions/brandywine-zoo/ or www.brandywinezoo.org.

Vol. 48, No. 45

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