DNREC Launches Earth Day Video Contest

Deadline is Monday, April 12

With Earth Day exactly one month away, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is launching a video contest to educate and engage youth about the importance of environmental protection and inspire them to be part of the solution to address climate change.

The global theme for Earth Day 2021, Restore the Earth, brings hope that all people can come together to heal the planet. The contest invites Delaware students to produce and submit a 30-second video to answer the question, “What should we be doing to protect and restore our Earth?”

“Earth Day has inspired environmental activism for two generations, and today’s youth are growing up in a world where we have a much better understanding of the impact our actions have on our planet, said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “This contest provides students with an opportunity to showcase ways they are helping to continue the legacy of those who came before, and how their actions today will ensure a clean, green planet for generations to come.”

The contest is open to Delaware students and will be judged in three age categories: K through 4, 5 through 8, and 9 through 12. Entries must be original, unpublished and created solely by the entrant. All entries must be accompanied by release forms for all students appearing in the video, signed by their parent or legal guardian. The deadline for entries is 4 p.m. Monday, April 12.

Judging will be based on how well the videos represent the following criteria: message/theme, visual effectiveness, originality/creativity and universal appeal. The judging panel will include an educator, a scientist and videographer.

Winners will be announced in an awards ceremony on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22. Winners for each category will receive a certificate, a $500 gift card, an annual pass to Delaware State Parks and a prize bag.

Winning videos will be shared on the DNREC website and social media networks. For complete rules and more information, or to submit a video, visit dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov.

Between now and Earth Day – April 22 – Delawareans will have several opportunities to celebrate the natural world, learn about the science of climate change and take action. To learn more, follow @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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Zwaanendael Museum seeks plastic recyclables

(DOVER, Del. — Jan. 7, 2021) — The Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., is currently seeking donations of plastic bottles and bags that will be used to offset the purchase price of a recycled-plastic bench that will be placed outside the front entrance of the museum.
 
 
Receptacles for collecting the materials — one for plastic bottles and another for plastic bags — have been placed in the same location where the bench will eventually be located. People interested in helping the museum need only place their plastic items in the respective receptacle now through March 2021. The museum plans to “unveil” its new bench on Earth Day, April 22, 2021. For additional information about the project, contact the museum via e-mail at zmuseum@delaware.gov or by telephone at 302-645-1148.

Manufactured by Eco Plastic Products of Delaware, a Wilmington-based nonprofit that collects discarded plastic and converts it into useful and sustainable products, the museum’s park bench will be six-feet long and weigh 127 pounds. If the museum collects the weight of the bench in plastic recyclables, it will receive a $31.75 ($0.25 per pound) discount off the bench’s price tag while also supporting the sentiment expressed in Eco Plastic’s slogan “Saving the Oceans One Plastic Bag at a Time.”
 

The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped google gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters. The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military and social history.

 
The Zwaanendael Museum is administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, an agency of the State of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history. The division’s diverse array of services includes operation of five museums which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, administration of the State Historic Preservation Office, conservation of the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections, operation of a conference center and management of historic properties across the state. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.
 

Picture of the Logo of the American Alliance of Museums logo

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-608-5326
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov