Broadkill Beach CoastSnap Station for citizen science photos

DNREC Encourages Community Science at Beaches and Marshes

As the summer comes to a close, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is encouraging community members and visitors to the First State to use their smartphones to help monitor environmental change.

DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship Shoreline and Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy recently installed five monitoring stations at three sites along Delaware’s beaches and at two sites comprising the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR).

Visitors to the beach sites can use a smartphone app called CoastSnap, while guests at the marsh and reforestation sites at DNERR can upload and send photos by email through Chronolog.

CoastSnap locations include Broadkill Beach, Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park, and the south side of Indian River Inlet in Delaware Seashore State Park. CoastSnap DE is a partnership among DNREC, the University of Delaware and Delaware Sea Grant, which funded the initiative.

Chronolog stations are located at the St. Jones Reserve in Dover and at the Blackbird Creek Reserve in Townsend. For both efforts, the photos will be used to create a timelapse project for helping to observe and document environmental changes.

Instructions on how to upload photos are displayed at each of the locations.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. The DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy uses science, education, policy development and incentives to address Delaware’s climate, energy and coastal challenges. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, Michael.globetti@delaware.gov or Jim Lee, JamesW.Lee@delaware.gov

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Trails in parks, wildlife areas and DNERR’s Blackbird Creek Reserve remain open

DOVER, Del. – The trail at the St. Jones Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) near Dover is temporarily closed past the first marsh boardwalk as a result of damage caused by Monday’s severe storms.

A University of Delaware-operated weather station at the reserve measured a peak wind gust of 67.9 miles per hour just before 4 p.m. Monday. Numerous trees fell across the trail that connects to the adjoining Ted Harvey Conservation Area. Staff have worked to clear the trees and will need to perform repairs to the boardwalk, which could take a few weeks. A small greenhouse on the reserve was also destroyed by a fallen tree.

“Many people enjoy getting out and walking the trail at St. Jones, especially lately,” said Dayna Cobb, Director of DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal & Energy. “But the safety of visitors is our primary concern, and so much of the trail will be closed until repairs are completed.”

For those looking for alternatives, state parks and wildlife areas remain open, as well as the trails at DNERR’s Blackbird Creek Reserve near Townsend.

While most state parks, nature and wildlife areas continue to stay open for Delawareans, many amenities, including restrooms, are closed. Individuals who visit state properties are required to engage in responsible social distancing practices, avoiding groupings of people.

About DNREC

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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A researcher, research intern, and scholar conduct sediment core sampling in the salt marsh at the St. Jones Estuary in Dover. DNREC staff photo.

DOVER – The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, administered through DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal & Energy, is seeking applicants for a new two-year fellowship sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which shares oversight with DNREC for the state’s estuarine reserves on the St. Jones River near Dover and Blackbird Creek in Townsend.

“We are excited to be collaborating with NOAA in offering this new graduate fellowship opportunity,” said Kimberly Cole, Environmental Program administrator with DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal & Energy. “Fellows will select and work to address a key coastal management question in an effort to help DNREC scientists and coastal communities understand challenges that may influence policy and management strategies.”

NOAA’s Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship program provides students the opportunity to conduct collaborative research projects focused on the nation’s estuaries. Melissa Ladd, NOAA’s national coordinator of the program, said what makes the fellowship program exceptional is that focus. “We are dedicated to research that gives our communities the facts needed to make wise decisions when it comes to deciding how coastal resources are used and managed,” Ladd said. “This program also provides students with the experiences and professional growth skills that will serve them, and our environment, throughout their careers.”

The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) is one of 29 reserves in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, with the state’s two components, the St. Jones Reserve and the Blackbird Creek Reserve, focused on practicing and promoting coastal and estuarine stewardship through innovative research and education, using a system of protected areas.

Each of the national reserves in the system will host a fellowship program. These sites combine to protect 1.3 million estuarine acres, and are home to some of the nation’s most progressive science and educational programs. Each reserve designates its research priorities, from habitat changes to water quality and more.

Interested graduate students should work with their university or college faculty advisor to submit applications by Dec. 20, 2019. To apply, or for additional details and research priorities, visit NOAA’s fellowship website. For more information, please email OCM.DavidsonFellowship@noaa.gov.

For more DNREC information, visit Delaware Coastal Management Program or Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve.

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

Vol. 49, No. 216

DOVER – More than 780 fourth-grade students from eight elementary schools participated in the April 16 “Make a Splash” festival, an event that educates students on the diversity of estuary life and the importance of Delaware’s water resources. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control-sponsored festival is held annually at the St. Jones Reserve, a component of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Delaware Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs’ John Dickinson Plantation near Dover – both wonderful locations for the students to explore the state’s past and present water resource issues.

“Make a Splash provides the students with hands-on experiences that tie together everything they have learned this school year about land, water and Delaware history,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “It is our hope that providing the students with this opportunity will help them connect what they learned in the classroom to real life, and experiencing those connections will inspire them as Delaware’s water resource stewards.”

Students visited 25 activity stations dedicated to the historical and current uses of Delaware’s water resources. At a station called “The Incredible Journey,” students learned about how water moves through the water cycle and how only a relatively small amount of the world’s water is actually available for human use on the earth. At other stations, they learned about Lenape Indian water traditions, the uses of water in colonial cooking, historical use of water wheels, Delaware’s wetlands, and groundwater water pollution and solutions, learning how to help control mosquitoes in the state, and how water helps keep our trees strong and healthy, just to name a few.

Delaware’s Make a Splash festival has been educating students and encouraging actions to help protect water resources for 19 years. Participating schools in this year’s “Make a Splash” event included: Clayton Elementary, Clayton; First State Montessori, Wilmington; Lighthouse Christian School, Dagsboro; Mispillion Elementary, Milford; MOT Charter School, Middletown; Odyssey Charter School, Wilmington; Rehoboth Elementary, Rehoboth Beach; and South Dover Elementary, Dover.

More than 100 volunteers – educators, scientists, teachers and parents – participated in today’s festival and included staff from DNREC, the Delaware Department of Agriculture; Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve; the Delaware Museum of Natural History; the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs; Kent Conservation District; New Castle Conservation District; Sussex Conservation District; Tidewater Utilities; the National Park Service; the City of Dover; Delaware Sea Grant; Delaware Wildlands; the Delaware Department of Transportation; and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance. The 2019 planning committee included representatives from DNREC; Delaware Project WET; the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs – John Dickinson Plantation; The City of Dover; The National Park Service; and Tidewater Utilities.

To explore the many educational opportunities and workshops offered at DNREC’s Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, contact Maggie Pletta at 302-739-6377 or visit http://de.gov/dnerr.

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

Vol. 49, No. 97

TOWNSEND – DNREC and the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) will showcase one of the most natural areas in Delaware – which includes autumn’s vibrant foliage within the lush landscape of the Blackbird Creek Reserve – when the 11th Annual Blackbird Creek Fall Festival is held from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. The festival will take place, rain or shine, at the Blackbird Creek Reserve, located at 801 Blackbird Landing Road near Townsend, a destination on the Delaware Bayshore Byway.

The festival along the banks of beautiful Blackbird Creek will feature traditional crafts and demonstrations by a blacksmith, hands-on learning about the estuary, archery, canoeing, live music, and kids’ activities including crafts, free face painting, and colonial-era activities. Visitors may also browse the works of artisans and exhibitors, enjoy hayrides, take guided hikes of the reserve led by a Delaware state forester, and view Native American demonstrations.

The Blackbird Creek Fall Festival is free to all, and offers something for the entire family, regardless of age. DNERR encourages everyone to come and explore this scenic area – by foot, hayride or canoe – and enjoy the musical talents of Crabmeat Thompson, East of the Mason-Dixon Line, The Jolly What, and the Smyrna High School drumline.

Families also can participate in the “Thank You, Delaware Bay Adventure” game and earn a prize by visiting all the participating stations throughout the festival, learning about the natural resources and heritage of the Delaware Bay through games, demonstrations, and challenges. Local food vendors will also be onsite to provide a variety of food and snacks for purchase.

For more information on the Blackbird Creek Fall Festival, contact Maggie Pletta, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, 302-739-6377 or visit de.gov/blackbirdfestival.

For more information about the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, visit de.gov/dnerr, join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

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