The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control invites kids to participate in crafts and activities and volunteers to join in a beach cleanup as part of the agency’s annual celebration of Earth Month.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife will host two public events for Earth Month:

• Earth Day Kids Crafts, Saturday, April 20, at the DuPont Nature Center, 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford, DE 19963. Registration is not required, and participants can drop in between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to make their own special Earth Day craft from provided recycled materials while learning about how to take care of our planet.
• Slaughter Beach Cleanup, Earth Day Monday, April 22. Volunteers will meet at the Slaughter Beach Pavilion, 359 Bay Avenue, Milford, DE. The program will be presented twice, from 10 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. Registration is not required, and participants should arrive by the starting time to join DuPont Nature Center naturalists combing the beach for fascinating aquatic creatures and cleaning up any trash along the way. Trash bags and pickers will be provided.

Located east of Milford near Slaughter Beach, the DuPont Nature Center overlooks Mispillion Harbor, where the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek meet to flow out into the Delaware Bay. Open April through September, the center offers field trips, tours and other educational programs and events for schools, community groups, families and the general public. The surrounding estuary habitat includes more than 130 species of birds, fish, shellfish, and other animals, including horseshoe crabs and shorebirds.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center at the Mispillion Harbor Reserve will open for the season Wednesday, April 3 as the shorebird migration starts to descend on the Delaware Bay /DNREC graphic

Division of Fish and Wildlife-Run Facility Offers Educational Exhibits and Commanding Views of the Mispillion Harbor

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will welcome visitors to the DuPont Nature Center at the Mispillion Harbor Reserve when the center reopens for the 2024 season on Wednesday, April 3.

The DNREC facility managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. over the months ahead as follows:

• April: Open Wednesdays and Saturdays only
• May through August: Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, closed on Sundays and Mondays
• September: Open Wednesdays and Saturdays only (The center is closed from October through March.)

In the spring, the DuPont Nature Center’s large deck overlooking the harbor offers wildlife watchers an unparalleled view of the spectacle of spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds, including federally listed threatened red knots that depend on horseshoe crab eggs to help fuel their 9,000-mile journey to the Arctic. More information on horseshoe crab and shorebird viewing is available from the DuPont Nature Center at de.gov/dnc.

Inside the center visitors will find exhibits that describe the environmental and historical importance of the Mispillion Harbor and also view saltwater tanks showcasing a variety of aquatic species from horseshoe crabs to diamondback terrapins. Along with educational exhibits, the center hosts a variety of programs that focus on the Delaware Bay ecosystem and the wildlife that can be found there.

The center also offers live views of nesting osprey and wildlife visiting the area through its osprey cam and Mispillion Harbor cam. Both live cams will be back online at the center by April 1 and from that date also can be viewed at de.gov/dnc.

DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center is located in the heart of Delaware’s Bayshore Region at 2992 Lighthouse Road, near Slaughter Beach, east of Milford. Admission to the center is free and open to the public. For general information about the center, including its operation and programs, visit de.gov/dnc.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:
DNREC: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve offers a commanding view of migrating shorebirds each spring. /DNREC graphic

Division of Fish and Wildlife-Run Facility Offers Educational Exhibits and Commanding Views of the Mispillion Harbor

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will welcome visitors to the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve when the center reopens for the 2023 season Saturday, April 1. The DNREC facility managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the following days:

• April: Open Wednesdays and Saturdays only, closed Easter weekend
• May through August: Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, closed on Sundays and Mondays
• September: Open Wednesdays and Saturdays only (The center is closed from October through March.)

In the spring, the DuPont Nature Center’s large deck overlooking the harbor offers wildlife watchers an unparalleled view of the spectacle of spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds, including federally listed threatened red knots that depend on horseshoe crab eggs to help fuel their 9,000-mile journey to the Arctic. More information on horseshoe crab and shorebird viewing is available from the DuPont Nature Center at de.gov/dnc.

Inside the center visitors will find exhibits that describe the environmental and historical importance of the Mispillion Harbor. Visitors can also view saltwater tanks offering a close-up vantage for a variety of aquatic species from horseshoe crabs to diamondback terrapins.

The center also offers live views of nesting osprey and wildlife visiting the area through its osprey cam and Mispillion Harbor cam. Both live cams can be viewed at de.gov/dnc.

DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center is located in the heart of Delaware’s Bayshore Region at 2992 Lighthouse Road, near Slaughter Beach, east of Milford. Admission to the center is free and open to the public. For general information about the center, please call 302-422-1329 or visit de.gov/dnc. For inquiries about the center’s programs and operations, please email Patrick.Ruhl@delaware.gov or call 302-422-1329.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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The wildlife viewing deck at the Port Penn Tract of the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Augustine Beach Wildlife Area. /DNREC photo

DNREC Expanding Elevated Vistas to Provide Opportunities to View Wildlife in Coastal Wetlands and Adjoining Uplands

Wildlife viewing is quickly becoming a favorite outdoor activity, attracting both Delaware residents and visitors who want to enjoy the splendor of the First State’s outdoor natural spaces. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control provides numerous outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands, including elevated wildlife-viewing structures on several state wildlife areas managed by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Since 2013, the Division of Fish and Wildlife has focused on expanding outdoor recreation opportunities in state wildlife areas. With planning and public input, new wildlife-viewing structures have been constructed in the Augustine Wildlife Area near Port Penn and the Little Creek Wildlife Area east of Dover, with additional wildlife-viewing structures planned for the Ted Harvey Conservation Area near Bowers Beach and the Milford Neck Wildlife Area east of Milford.

The new structures expand upon existing wildlife viewing opportunities, including the Division of Fish and Wildlife-managed Aquatic Resources Education Center’s saltmarsh boardwalk trail located in the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, the deck at the Division of Fish and Wildlife-managed DuPont Nature Center overlooking the Mispillion Harbor, and the Assawoman Wildlife Area’s observation tower that stands 40 feet above the wetlands.

Almost all these facilities are accessible to individuals with mobility challenges, including accessible parking, hard-packed trail surfaces and portable restrooms. Interpretive signs at a number of viewing locations help educate visitors about the wildlife they might encounter or about observed wildlife habitats. A new DNREC webpage includes more information about the elevated viewing structures, photographs of them, wildlife most likely to be seen, links to maps of a specific wildlife area where a viewing structure is located, and information about the Conservation Access Pass (CAP).

Registered motor vehicles used to access designated wildlife areas owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife are required to have and display a CAP, except at the Aquatic Resources Education Center and DuPont Nature Center. To obtain a CAP, visitors will need the registration card for the vehicle to which the pass will be assigned – with the exception of the Resident Senior Lifetime Conservation Access Pass available to Delaware residents aged 65 or older. More information about the CAP – which may be purchased online at de.gov/digitaldnrec, at the license desk in DNREC’s Dover office at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, or from hunting license agents statewide – can be found at de.gov/cap.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center at the Mispillion Harbor Reserve will close for the season Sept. 1 and reopen April 1, 2023 in time for the annual shorebird migration

The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve will close for the season effective Thursday, Sept. 1, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The center is scheduled to reopen Saturday, April 1, 2023 for the busy spring and summer seasons attuned to the shorebird migration and horseshoe crab spawning. The center is owned and operated by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife and provides programming and exhibits about Delaware Bayshore aquatic life.

During the annual seasonal closure, the DuPont Nature Center’s accessible observation deck will remain open from dawn to dusk daily. The deck offers views of the Mispillion Harbor and surrounding saltmarsh and sandy beach habitat as well as a view of the Delaware Bay. Though the nature center is recognized as one of the best vistas on the East Coast for observing the spring shorebird migration, the viewing deck also provides excellent opportunities in the fall and winter months to view shorebirds to include dunlin, sanderlings and black-bellied plovers.

DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife reminds off-season visitors that the nature center deck will not be actively maintained while the center is closed. Visitors are advised to take weather conditions into consideration prior to accessing the deck.

The DuPont Nature Center is located on Mispillion Harbor near Slaughter Beach at 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford, DE 19963. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information about the DuPont Nature Center and its programs, call 302-422-1329 or visit http://de.gov/dnc.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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