Open house on Cape Henlopen State Park campground renovation will be held on March 21

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation will host a public open house to review renovation plans for the Cape Henlopen State Park campground. The open house will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 21, at the park’s Officer’s Club/Youth Camp 3,15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes, DE 19958.

In 2015, two state-of-the-art bathhouse facilities were added. This year, six new camping cabins are under construction. The existing cabins, combined with the new structures, are designed to create a “cabin village.” Cabins are expected to be available for occupancy in May.

The campground will close in September for the next phase of renovations. Improvements are expected to include:

  • Reduction of asphalt
  • Installation of landscaping
  • Creation of back-in, pull-through and pop-up RV sites
  • Installation of electric service
  • Vehicular circulation improvement and paths linking the bathhouses within the campground
  • Construction of a camp store with laundry and utility sinks

Completion of these renovations is scheduled for May 2017.

Visitors at the open house are invited to view the proposed renovation plans and provide comments to DNREC program staff.

For more information on the open house, contact Cindy Todd, Division of Parks & Recreation, 302-739-9210 or Cindy.Todd@delaware.gov.

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

Vol. 46, No.79


Delaware State Parks offers unique advertising opportunity

DOVER – For the third year, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation will offer local businesses the opportunity to promote their business on the beaches while supporting the beach patrol. Beginning today, businesses will be able to purchase space on lifeguard stands at Cape Henlopen’s Main Beach Bathhouse, Delaware Seashore State Park beaches (Tower Road Beach and Indian River Inlet), and Fenwick Island’s State Line Beach. In addition, the Water Park at Killens Pond State Park has been added and will offer advertising on all lifeguard stands.

“This program was very successful last year and local business owners are already inquiring about participating this year,” said Karen Minner, the division’s Internship and Grants Program Administrator. “Delaware’s state parks are primarily self-funded, collecting roughly 65 percent of operating expenses from fees and other funding opportunities like the lifeguard stand program.”

Delaware State Parks includes miles of ocean beaches at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, State Line Beach at Fenwick Island and Delaware Seashore State Park south of Dewey Beach. Every year, more than 2.3 million beach-goers visit these beaches.

Each stand at the beach locations can accommodate signs on the north and south sides and a premium location on the back. Stands at the Water Park at Killens Pond State Park can accommodate signs on the back of the stands. Signs will be visible from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Interested businesses and organizations may contact Karen Minner at 302-739-9208 or Karen.Minner@delaware.gov or visit Delaware State Parks’ website at www.destateparks.com/beachads.

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

Vol. 46, No.78


Gov. Markell cuts ribbon to open Brandywine Zoo’s new Eagle Ridge

DOVER – Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary David Small, Delaware Zoological Society President Megan McGlinchey, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation Director Ray Bivens, state legislators and stakeholders joined together today for the ceremonial ribbon cutting that marked the opening of the Brandywine Zoo’s new Eagle Ridge area.

The Eagle Ridge improvement project, which broke ground in October 2015, has transformed the hilly, multi-story area surrounding the bald eagle and river otter exhibits, making it fully accessible for all visitors. With an attractive viewing platform and gently sloping walkway, Eagle Ridge offers visitors better views of the popular eagle and otter exhibits.

“The Brandywine Zoo is a Delaware treasure that appeals to both the young and the young at heart,” said Gov. Jack Markell. “It offers diverse exhibits and activities that engage its 100,000 annual visitors in unique educational experiences that connect them to our broader world. The completion of Eagle Ridge is another reason why the Brandywine Zoo is one of the best small zoos in the country.”

Eagle Ridge was made possible by Delaware State Parks’ zoo officials, the Delaware Zoological Society and a group of five state legislators – Reps. Gerald Brady, Stephanie Bolden and Charles Porter; and Senators Harris McDowell and Robert Marshall – who secured $100,000 in construction funds for the project.

“We are grateful to the legislators, the Delaware Zoological Society, and our many friends and stakeholders, for making Eagle Ridge a reality,” said DNREC Sec. David Small. “The partnership between DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation and the Delaware Zoological Society, along with our supporters in the legislature and many other friends, continues to set the zoo on a path to grow and expand in the future.”

“Eagle Ridge is a great addition to the Brandywine Zoo,” said Brandywine Zoo Director Gene Peacock. “It offers our visitors better views of our eagle and otter exhibits, while at the same time, providing better access to that area for all zoo visitors.”

Architect Bob Grove, the board treasurer of the Delaware Zoological Society, donated his design services for the project.

“Our heartfelt thanks go out to Bob Grove and our five legislative supporters for all their assistance with Eagle Ridge,” said Mike Allen, executive director of the Delaware Zoological Society, the non-profit volunteer organization which supports the zoo’s mission.

Zoo Director Peacock noted that Eagle Ridge is ready just in time for “Spring Opening Weekend” on Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., with a special member preview on Saturday March 12, from 9:30 – 10 a.m.

During the opening weekend, the zoo will offer visitors activities and learning stations centered on the zoo’s animals, and provide the opportunity to see new animals, including reptiles and a great horned owl. In addition, the Brandywine Zoo is home to a tiger, red pandas, golden lion tamarins, condors, llamas, and many other mammals, reptiles and birds.

Fees for the opening weekend are as follows: children 3-17, $3; children under 3, free; adults 18-61, $5; seniors 62+, $4; Delaware Zoological Society members with cards, free. The zoo has a full calendar of events, shows, workshops and camps available on its website, www.brandywinezoo.org or call 302-571-7747.

The Brandywine Zoo is managed by DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation with the support of the Delaware Zoological Society. It is an accredited member of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a distinction that marks its commitment to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors and a better future for all living things.

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

Vol. 46, No. 72


Open House on Dover’s Fork Branch Nature Preserve proposed trail will be held on March 14

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation will host a public open house on the proposed trail plan for the Fork Branch Nature Preserve in Dover. The open house will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Monday, March 14 at the Dover Public Library, Meeting Room A, 35 East Loockerman Street, Dover, DE 19901.

The Fork Branch Nature Preserve is one of Dover’s last remaining natural areas – a 236-acre property that contains a unique stand of old growth American beech, a wooded stream corridor and several rare and threatened plant species. The Preserve is located at the corner of Kenton and West Denneys roads, along the Maidstone Branch in the St. Jones River Watershed.

The proposed new trail will be a 6-foot wide stone dust trail looping approximately 1 mile through the pristine Preserve providing opportunities to experience native fauna and beautiful landscapes. Visitors at the Open House can view the proposed trail plan and materials and provide comments to DNREC program staff.

More trails for walking, hiking, biking, jogging and related activities rank consistently as the highest outdoor recreation need identified by Delawareans throughout the state. In addition, trail networks promote healthy lifestyles and take cars off the road, reducing air pollution and traffic. The Fork Branch Nature Preserve Trail will offer an excellent opportunity for families and children to be outdoors, enjoy nature and be physically active.

This trail project is part of Governor Markell’s First State Trails and Pathways Initiative that expands a statewide network of new and enhanced trails and pathways for walking, biking, hiking and active living,

The meeting location, the Dover Public Library, is accessible to persons with disabilities. Any person having special needs or requiring special aid, such as an interpreter, is requested to contact DNREC by phone at 302-739-9210.

For more information on the Open House, contact Cindy Todd, Division of Parks and Recreation, 302-739-9210 or Cindy.Todd@delaware.gov.

Media Contact: Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902


DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center to reopen April 16

Volunteers sought for spring cleanup day April 2

Dupont Nature CenterDOVER – The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve, a DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife facility located in the heart of Delaware’s Bayshore Region, will reopen on Saturday, April 16 after being closed for the winter. The center will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays through the end of April. From May 1 through Aug. 30 spring and summer hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. For the month of September, the center will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays only.

Prior to opening day, the DuPont Nature Center will hold a spring cleanup day Saturday, April 2 with two shifts, 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Projects include some cleanup and repair of damage from winter storm Jonas, as well as work needed to reopen the center, such as exhibit and tank set-up, deck maintenance, rebuilding exterior stairs, clearing sand/debris from sidewalks, replacing sandbags, planting beach grass and cleaning the center and the surrounding grounds. Volunteers under age 18 must provide a parental consent form, and volunteers under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, contact Lynne Pusey at lynne.pusey@delaware.gov or 302-735-3600.

Perched on the edge of Mispillion Harbor at the intersection of the mouths of the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek, the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve offers a variety of interactive exhibits, school tours and educational programs. Indoor freshwater and saltwater tanks allow a close-up look at a variety of aquatic species, from horseshoe crabs to diamondback terrapins.

In the spring, the center’s large deck overlooking the harbor offers wildlife watchers a front-row seat for the spectacle of spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds, including the red knot, that depend on horseshoe crab eggs to help fuel their 9,000-mile journey.

The DuPont Nature Center is located at 2992 Lighthouse Road, near Slaughter Beach, east of Milford. Admission is free and open to the public. For general information about the center, please call 302-422-1329 or visit DuPont Nature Center. For inquiries about the center’s programs and operations, please contact Gary Kreamer, gary.kreamer@delaware.gov or 302-735-8665.

The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve supports DNREC’s Delaware Bayshore Initiative, a landscape approach to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat, increase volunteer participation in habitat stewardship projects, enhance low-impact outdoor recreation and ecotourism opportunities, and promote associated environmentally compatible economic development. For more information, click Delaware Bayshore.

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

Vol. 46, No. 70