Earl Blansfield took this photo for the 2018 Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest of a black swallowtail butterfly visiting a thistle plant at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship invites the public to vote on the finalists in this year’s Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest by visiting de.gov/nps. The contest aims to share the beauty of Delaware’s diverse environment while acting as a vivid reminder that everything that happens on land within the state’s watersheds also directly affects what happens in our waterways.

A watershed is all of the land that water moves across or under while flowing to a specific body of water. The contest was open to all photographers and images from any of Delaware’s watersheds were accepted. Judges were looking for striking photographic images of Delaware’s landscapes, waterscapes, native wildlife, and agricultural practices.

Votes for contest finalists must be submitted by Monday, June 24. Contest judges from within DNREC chose the entries that have advanced to the next stage of the contest – online public voting, which will determine the finalists and winners in each of four categories below:

Natural Landscapes of Delaware – Photographs of the scenic visible features of Delaware’s countryside or land.

Waterscapes of Delaware – Photographs of any waterbodies such as streams, rivers, lakes, creeks, estuaries, bay, ocean, etc.

Native Wildlife of Delaware – Native mammals, birds, fish, insects, reptiles, and amphibians of Delaware. Photographs of domesticated animals were not eligible in this category.

Agriculture in Delaware – Photographs of the practice of farming, including but not limited to the cultivation of soil for growing crops and rearing animals for food, wool, and other products.

Photos by contest winners will be on display at the 2019 Delaware State Fair and voted on by fairgoers to determine the overall “Best in Show” photo. The first place winners of each of four contest categories will receive a Delaware State Park pass for 2020 and their work will appear in Outdoor Delaware magazine. The first, second, and third place winners of each category will be recognized during the annual DNREC Awards ceremony on Governor’s Day at the Delaware State Fair, and the “Best in Show” will be featured in Outdoor Delaware magazine.

For more information, please contact Phil Miller at Photo Contest or 302-290-3578.

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

Vol. 49, No. 163

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship invites the public to vote on finalists in the first Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest by visiting www.delawarewatersheds.org. The contest aims to share the beauty of Delaware’s diverse environment while acting as a vivid reminder that everything happening on land within the state’s watersheds also directly affects what happens in our waterways.

A watershed is all of the land that water moves across or under while flowing to a specific body of water. The contest was open to all photographers, with images from any of Delaware’s watersheds accepted as entries. Judges were looking for striking photographic images of Delaware’s landscapes, waterscapes, native plants, and native wildlife.

Contestants entered photographs in three categories:

• Natural Landscapes and Waterscapes of Delaware – Photographs of any waterbodies such as streams, rivers, lakes, creeks, estuaries, bay, ocean, etc. or scenic landscapes in Delaware.
• Native Wildlife of Delaware — pictures of native animals, birds, fish, insects, and amphibians.
• Native Plants of Delaware – photos of native plants in any setting.

Online votes must be cast by Sunday, July 8. Contest judges determined the photographs that moved on to the online voting phase of the photo contest. Public voting will determine the top finalists in each category. Photography by contest finalists will be on display at the 2018 Delaware State Fair, and will be voted on by fairgoers to determine first, second and third-place winners. The three winners in each category will receive a DNREC Delaware State Parks annual pass for 2019. First-place winners in each category also will be recognized at the annual DNREC Awards ceremony on Governor’s Day at the Delaware State Fair in July. Winning photographs also will appear in a future issue of Outdoor Delaware magazine.

For more information, please contact Phil Miller at phillip.miller@delaware.gov or 302-290-3578.

CONTACT: Philip Miller, Conservation Programs Section, DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship, 302-290-3578.

Vol. 48, No. 174

HARRINGTON – Today at the Delaware State Fair, Governor Jack Markell and DNREC Secretary David Small honored the winners of the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s annual Hunting and Fishing Photo Contests for their eye-catching visuals which also rewarded them with cover photos for the Delaware hunting and fishing guides published yearly.

The 2016 Fishing Photo Contest winner, “My First Catch,” taken by Steve Rosemary of Lewes, appears on the cover of the 2016 Delaware Fishing Guide. The photo features Mr. Rosemary’s granddaughter Cyena Williams surf-fishing in the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Henlopen State Park.

Also recognized for the Fishing Photo Contest were second place winner Amy Baldwin of Newark, and honorable mentions, Randy Piascinski of Townsend, Craig Rhoads and Steve Rosemary.

The 2015/16 Hunting Photo Contest winner, “A Day to Remember,” taken by Lance Barrowcliff of Wilmington, appears on the cover of the 2015-2016 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. His winning photo features his brother, Brian Barrowcliff, and Brian’s four-year-old son Brody Barrowcliff waterfowl hunting with their chocolate Labrador Retriever Cocoa in Townsend.

Recognized for the Hunting Photo Contest were second place winner Paul Garcia of Smyrna, and honorable mentions Rob Hossler of Smyrna, Barbara Greer of Middletown and Paul Garcia.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife is accepting this year’s Fishing Photo Contest entries now through Sunday, Oct. 31, 2016 for the 2017 Delaware Fishing Guide to be published next spring.

For this year’s fishing photo contest, a judging panel comprised of DNREC staff will be looking for photos that best portray the contest theme, “Fishing with Family or Friends.” Judges also will look at technical criteria including resolution, clarity and composition.

The contest is open to Delaware residents of all ages, with a maximum of three entries per person. To be eligible, photographs must have been taken in Delaware. Portrait orientation is preferred; landscape photos, if chosen among contest winners, may be cropped for presentation.

Entries may be mailed to DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Photo Contest, Attention: Jennifer Childears, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. All entries must be postmarked or delivered by Saturday, Oct. 31, and must include a completed and signed entry form and photo release form if the photograph contains images of children.

For more information, including entry forms, please visit Fish & Wildlife photo contest or contact Jennifer Childears at 302-739-9910, or email jennifer.childears@delaware.gov.

The Division’s 2016/17 Hunting Photo Contest will accept entries from Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 through Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, with similar guidelines.

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

Vol. 46, No. 280

Educational attractions at the DNREC Building and a full schedule of activities, presentations and games.

HARRINGTON – With the 2016 Delaware State Fair throwing open the gates tomorrow for its fun-filled run (Thursday, July 21 thru Saturday, July 30), DNREC is again right in the middle of the annual extravaganza – with more environmental displays than ever at the Fair, more Delaware State Parks presentations in celebrating Parks’ 65^th anniversary, and game prizes to be won by kids of all ages from testing their knowledge about the state’s natural resources from taking in all those displays and presentations. All in the DNREC Education Building, on East Rider Rd., near the Center Ice Rink on the fairgrounds.

DNREC’s Funhouse of Science, located in the building’s main room, features a dozen displays from DNREC’s divisions and programs offering information and activities on everything from increasingly popular “living shorelines” to improving Delaware’s air quality to making recycling a lifestyle choice. New this year: DNREC’s refurbished Energy House, plus displays on living shorelines, Delaware’s tax ditches and climate change. State Fair visitors young and older also are invited to play DNREC’s scavenger hunt game for “hunting down” facts about Delaware natural resources and environmental knowledge that can be found within the DNREC building, and to pick from a wide array of prizes when they succeed in completing the hunt.

Outside the building, don’t miss T-Rex, the Division of Energy & Climate’s mobile solar power station – you can even plug in your phone for a quick charge … with clean energy from the sun! Back inside the building, DNREC’s On Stage theater offers a preview of programs from parks, nature centers and other facilities statewide owned and operated by the Department’s Divisions of Fish & Wildlife, Parks & Recreation and Watershed Stewardship. Stop by daily to learn more about Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and what we have to offer – and discover unique new places you and your family can visit!

DNREC’s Fun House of Science

Adults and kids of all ages are invited to visit DNREC’s Fun House of Science at the Delaware State Fair July 21-30 where they can discover the science behind the work DNREC does to protect the environment and Delaware’s natural resources. DNREC’s building includes displays, hands-on activities and educational games with prizes, as well as live animal shows and presentations about subjects from maritime history to geology to Delaware’s unique plants and animals in its air-conditioned theater, DNREC On Stage. Tropo, the Division of Air Quality’s big blue mascot, also will be making a special appearance. The Fun House of Science, located in DNREC’s Education Building on East Rider Road on the Fairgrounds, is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., every day during the fair. For more information, visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov or call 302-739-9902.

DNREC On-Stage Schedule

• Thursday, July 21
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: See Live Horseshoe Crabs! Learn fascinating facts about this unique and ancient Bayshore species from DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center staff – and see them up close.
• Friday, July 22
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Create Power … with Water and Wind! Watch a steam engine and water wheel in action, and then create your own pinwheel to harness wind and make energy from our natural resources. (From Delaware State Parks’ Auburn Heights Preserve)
  • 3 – 6 p.m.: Explore the Cape’s Coastal Habitats! Follow clues to investigate habitats on Cape Henlopen – maritime forest, sand dunes and salt marsh – and learn about the animal and plant species that call the Cape home. (From Cape Henlopen State Park)
• Saturday, July 23
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Discover Geology of White Clay Creek! Touch rocks and minerals that created White Clay Creek’s watershed and learn how geologists can read Earth’s history in these pieces of our planet.

• Sunday, July 24

  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Bringing the Zoo to You! Meet a few of the unique residents of Delaware’s own Brandywine Zoo and learn about where and how they live.
• Monday, July 25 – Senior Day
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Go Down in the Paw-Paw Patch! Learn about North America’s largest yet little-known native fruit tree, the pawpaw, and its role in the life of the zebra swallowtail butterfly. (From Alapocas Run/Wilmington State Parks)
  • 3 – 6 p.m.: Wiggly Worms at Work! See red wiggler worms at work in a compost bin and discover how these dirt-dwellers help us by creating soil. (From Bellevue State Park)
• Tuesday, July 26 – Kids Day
  • 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Meet Tropo! DNREC’s Division of Air Quality’s big blue mascot will entertain visitors while promoting the importance of clean air in Delaware. Shows on the half hour.
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Build Your Own Horseshoe Crab! Kids of all ages are invited to color and create their own model horseshoe crab, and learn more about this unique aquatic species. (From the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve)
  • 3 – 6 p.m.: Make Slate Cutting Tools! Learn how primitive cultures created slate cutting tools and practice your own primitive skills with a park naturalist. (From Killens Pond State Park)
• Wednesday, July 27 – Armed Forces Day/Military Appreciation Day
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Maritime History and Beach Creatures! Learn about Delaware’s seafaring past and try tying sailor’s knots … then get to know beach-dwelling terrapins and osprey. (From the Indian River Life-Saving Station)
  • 3 – 6 p.m.: Play Colonial Games! Costumed interpreters on the DNREC building porch invite visitors to play games and check out toys from Colonial times. (From the First State Heritage Park)
  • 3 – 6 p.m.: Travel Back to the Civil War Days! Interpreters in period costume invite children to play games and try on period costumes, then march in children’s infantry drills. (From Fort Delaware State Park)
• Thursday, July 28 – Governors Day/Senior Day
  • 11 a.m. – Noon: Join DNREC’s Volunteer Olympics! Get a taste of some of the volunteer opportunities DNREC offers by competing in fast and fun games including beach grass planting and horseshoe crab counting … with prizes.
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Play Operation Think Tank! Answer quiz questions about water, its uses and sources and what we can do to protect this vital resource. (From Brandywine Creek State Park)
  • 1 – 2 p.m.: DNREC Awards at Mann Tharp Pavilion! DNREC’s Young Environmentalists, Youth Fishing Tournament winners, Wetland Warriors, Volunteers of the Year, Hunting and Fishing Photo Contest winners and Rain Barrel Art Contest winners will be recognized. Also, get a close-up look at DNREC’s largest environmental Emergency Response Team vehicle, known as “The Beast.”
  • 2 p.m.: Rain Barrel Know-How! Learn how to assemble your own rain barrel and start storing water for many uses in your own yard. (From DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section)

  • 3 – 6 p.m.: Meet Creatures from the Bay! Touch live horseshoe crabs and other aquatic species from the Delaware Bay in a touch tank and play games and activities with the staff of the DuPont Nature Center.

• Friday, July 29
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Skins, Scat and Tracks – and a Living Fossil! Two fascinating programs from the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve: a close-up look at identifying animals by their tracks, scat and skins, and a look at Delaware’s resident living fossil, the horseshoe crab. Presentations at noon, 1 and 2 p.m.
  • 3 – 6 p.m.: Living Life in a Swamp! Learn about the animals that live in wetland areas and meet two swamp-dwellers: a box turtle and a corn snake. (From Trap Pond State Park)
  • 4:30 – 9 p.m.: How Does Your Deer Measure Up? Learn how Boone & Crockett’s white-tailed deer scoring system works, see some examples of mounted record-holders and get your own evaluated. (On the DNREC Bldg. porch)
• Saturday, July 30
  • Noon – 3 p.m.: Living Life in a Swamp! Learn about the animals that live in wetland areas and meet two swamp-dwellers: a box turtle and a corn snake. (From Trap Pond State Park)
  • 3-6 p.m.: Reptiles and Amphibians of Delaware! Meet those often-unnoticed creatures that crawl, hop, swim and slither in our wetlands, woods and waterways. (From Killens Pond State Park)
  • 5 p.m.: Live Music with Switchback! Local band Switchback brings their upbeat mix of rock and pop to DNREC’s front porch.

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

Vol. 46, No. 262

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Dramatic increase in number of participants from first event held year ago

WILMINGTON – Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary David Small and Deputy Secretary Kara Coats, and Delaware State Parks Director Ray Bivens welcomed more than 100 first-time campers to the second annual Delaware Capital Campout being held simultaneously at Bellevue State Park, Killens Pond State Park and Cape Henlopen State Park. The two-day, free-of-charge campout introduces young people and their families to the benefits and fun of being outside.

“This two-day campout offers new ways to enjoy Delaware’s great outdoors,” Gov. Markell said. “Our goal is to encourage appreciation of the environment and get families into nature. During this campout, children and their families can learn how to fish, set up a tent, and observe wildlife – just some of the benefits and fun for visitors to the state parks that are rated the best in the nation.”

Over two days, young people and their families will participate in all kinds of activities from learning how to set up a tent and build a campfire, to hiking, fishing and canoeing. Three state parks are serving as “host partners” for the event, which is sponsored by Coleman and the Boys and Girls Club of Delaware. Walmart and Chick-fil-A are contributing food to the events.

“The Capital Campout has been a huge success,” said DNREC Secretary Small. “The number of new campers has increased dramatically, from 27 participants last year to 108 this year, so we were delighted to expand the program from one park to three. This is a great way for children and families to explore outdoor recreation opportunities, to have fun and learn about nature. Enjoying our parks, trails and other amenities can help people stay active and healthy and create an appreciation for special outdoor places to help new generations be wise stewards of our natural resources.”

The Delaware Capital Campout is part of a national effort to get young people and their families, who may not usually experience the outdoors, outside and enjoying the activities parks have to offer. The campouts are part of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Campout.

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

Vol. 46, No. 230