SEAFORD – Chapel Branch Nature Area will be the setting Saturday, Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. for a nature walk that marks the final event in the 2015 Reclaim Our River (ROR), Nanticoke Series, a program offering monthly events, workshops and recreational activities aimed at raising water quality awareness in the Nanticoke Watershed. DNREC along with the Delaware Nature Society, Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, and the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy, invites everyone to the event where the ROR partnership will also celebrate the series’ efforts to highlight water quality awareness while providing fun outdoor activities for the entire family.

For a $5 registration fee (plus $1.12 credit card fee) participants can enjoy food, drinks, and informational exhibits by the ROR partnership, as well as a nature walk where guides will discuss native wildlife. There will be hands-on activities exploring the “creek critters” of Chapel Branch with DNS as well as demonstrations on how to test water quality with the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance’s Creekwatchers.

Local Boy scouts and other willing participants will lend a volunteering hand to the nature area by working on trail maintenance to reduce erosion into the creek – volunteers are always welcome for helping maintain this beautiful area. Some tools will be available for use although volunteers are encouraged to bring additional items such as clippers, shovels, saws and wheelbarrows which may be in short supply. The focus of this volunteer service project will be building trail steps to reduce erosion.

The nature walk and ROR celebration are sponsored by Del-Coast Design & Build and Dogfish Head Brewery. Raffle items provided by sponsors include a $500-value trash and recycling storage shed from Del-Coast Design & Build, as well as apparel and other items from Dogfish Head Brewery. The Chapel Branch Nature Day will also have on hand experts to educate event attendees on techniques used to improve water quality by reducing nutrient and sediment pollution entering Delaware’s waterways.

The Chapel Branch Nature Area is located at 492 Woodland Road Seaford, DE 19973. More information about the final 2015 ROR, Nanticoke Series event can be found at http://delawarewatersheds.org/ . Registration can be done at http://tinyurl.com/chapelbranch while a flyer for the event can be found on the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship website (PDF).

The Reclaim Our River, Nanticoke Series co-sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is designed to bring monthly events, workshops and recreational activities to the Nanticoke Watershed. The series offers participants fun opportunities to connect with their waterways and provides important information on water quality to help protect aquatic resources. Chapel Branch Nature Area is managed by the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy a local land trust protecting lands within western Sussex County and protecting the Chapel Branch Nature Area in perpetuity.

Media Contact: Phil Miller, DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship, 302-290-3578, or email: philip.miller@delaware.gov

Vol. 45, No. 326

DELAWARE CITY – You’re invited to see history in action at a special “Living History Weekend” on Aug. 8 and 9 at Fort Delaware State Park.

During this special weekend, Fort Delaware will come alive with re-enactors and historians dressed as they would have during the American Civil War. Visitors will be offered a fascinating and unique look at what life was like at Fort Delaware during the 1860s, including prisoners being processed, mail call and firing demonstrations of various 19th century weapons.

Fort Delaware lies on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River and can only be accessed by ferry. Entry fees and most programming fees are included in the price of a ferry ticket: adult $12; children $7; seniors and members of the military $11. The ferry departs from the dock in Delaware City.

Fort Delaware is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Ferry tickets may be purchased online at destateparks.com or by phone at 877-987-3757. Additional information about Fort Delaware is available at 302-834-7941. More programs in all Delaware State Parks can be found at destateparks.com/programs.

Media Contacts: Jake Miller, Fort Delaware State Park, 302-834-7941; Riley Hays, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9249 or riley.hays@delaware.gov; or Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 45, No. 256

DOVER (June 1, 2015) – The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), has announced that DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation (Delaware State Parks) is one of four finalists for the 2015 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in the state parks systems category. The award recognizes state agencies as judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of citizens, staff and elected officials.

“We are honored to be recognized as a finalist for such an esteemed award,” said Ray Bivens, director, Division of Parks & Recreation and Delaware State Parks. “It is truly a testament of the hard work and dedication of Parks staff and volunteers who make the park system safe, fun, educational and innovative. Being recognized as a Gold Medal finalist is a wonderful way to highlight the amenities that make Delaware State Parks one of the finest state park systems in the country.”

“For a state of Delaware’s size, the diversity of our state parks system is amazing – you can canoe and kayak among the bald cypresses at Trap Pond State Park and feel like you’re in the bayous of the South, or go to our beaches that rank among the cleanest in the country, or visit a former DuPont estate to take in a concert or go rock-climbing at Alapocas State Park,” Delaware Gov. Jack Markell said. “The amenities and experiences and landscapes that Delaware State Parks provide are world-class, and the state parks system overseen by DNREC is richly deserving of this accolade.”

Along with Delaware, other finalists in the state parks system category were: Georgia State Parks Recreation and Historic Sites Division, Missouri State Parks and Wyoming State Parks Historic Sites and Trails. The Gold Medal Award winner will be announced at the 2015 NRPA Annual Conference in Las Vegas in September.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary with NRPA and founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the U.S. that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit www.nrpa.org/goldmedal or www.aapra.org.

DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation is the steward of more than 39,000 acres of open space, including 16 state parks and irreplaceable cultural and natural resources. Delaware State Parks is committed to providing Delaware’s residents and visitors with safe and enjoyable recreational opportunities and a variety of interpretive and educational services. Please visit www.destateparks.com for more information about Delaware State Parks.

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration is a non-profit organization founded to advance knowledge related to the administration of recreation and parks; to encourage scholarly efforts by both practitioners and educators that would enhance the practice of park and recreation administration; to promote broader public understanding of the importance of parks and recreation to the public good; and, to conduct research, publish scholarly papers and sponsor seminars related to the advancement of park and recreation administration. For more information, visit www.aapra.org.

The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of more than 47,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.

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

Vol. 45, No. 175

LEWES – The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half mile along the bay shoreline, will close beginning Sunday, March 1, for the benefit of threatened and endangered beachnesters and migratory shorebirds, including red knot, piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns and other species.

The nesting habitat on the ocean side will reopen on Sept. 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.

DNREC’s Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Fish & Wildlife and Watershed Stewardship have been working together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beachnester and migratory shorebird populations. The Point has been closed annually since 1993.

“We appreciate the public’s cooperation in this effort,” said Park Superintendent Paul Faircloth. “DNREC is committed to providing protection for these species, hopefully to prevent them from disappearing in Delaware.”

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983.

Media Contact: Elizabeth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 45, No. 36