2,075 Seedlings Planted for the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Tree Planting

TOWNSEND, Del. (September 21, 2022) – On September 17, over 100 volunteers planted 2,075 trees at the Blackbird State Forest for the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Tree Planting. This initiative will provide scenic beauty, enhance wildlife habitat, fight invasive species, and improve water quality in the critical Chesapeake Bay Watershed. This tree planting was part of a broader program to commemorate the 200th birthday year of Harriet Tubman in 1822 and part of International Underground Railroad Month.Sixth District Councilman David Carter and Del State student Lauren Smith work together to plant a seedling.

“This tree planting event along with the guided hikes (held separately), generated a lot of interest and positive feedback for more programming like this from Delaware citizens. We were fortunate enough to partner in these events with a cultural interpretive guide Dionne Patterson (UGR3day Underground Railroad Experiences Inc.), DelDOT Byways Program, and the Underground Railroad Coalition of Delaware,” said Delaware Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator Kesha Braunskill. “Our forestry staff did an outstanding job in preparing the site for the planting to take place. And volunteers from all over the state did an awesome job getting all the trees planted in under three hours. These planting events are great for community involvement, and everyone gets to see the fruits of their labor for years to come as they come back to see the forest they helped create.”

The planting project allowed the Delaware Forest Service to continue its goal of increasing tree canopy, as well as increasing the community’s knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of forests and forest management. Volunteers who assisted included teachers and students from various school groups, honor society students, Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops, and volunteers from Delaware’s Air Force Crew.

Blackbird State Forest covers nearly 6,000 acres in southern New Castle County and is a stop on the historic Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. The project was funded by the U.S. Forest Service and its Chesapeake Bay Program and the Delaware Forest Service and its Urban and Community Program.

To find out how to get involved in future tree plantings or other tree-inspired programs, visit https://de.gov/treeevents.

More photographs are available on Flickr, https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjA7XEp


DNREC Division of Parks & Recreation announces the dedication of a forest in each county into the Old Growth Forest Network

Students from Maple Lane Elementary School join Governor John Carney (left) and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin at the Tulip Tree Woods Nature Preserve in Brandywine Creek State Park, dedicated today as part of the Old Growth Forest Network, a national organization working for forest preservation.
Students from Maple Lane Elementary School join Governor John Carney (left) and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin at the Tulip Tree Woods Nature Preserve in Brandywine Creek State Park, dedicated today as part of the Old Growth Forest Network, a national organization working for forest preservation.

WILMINGTON – At an Arbor Day celebration today at the Tulip Tree Nature Preserve in Wilmington, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation and the Old Growth Forest Network announced that Delaware is the first state in the nation to be recognized for dedicating a mature forest in each of its counties into the nationally-recognized Old Growth Forest Network. Each of the forests to be recognized is also a state nature preserve.

Governor John Carney joined DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin to make the announcement, during a ceremony at one of the designated nature preserves – the Tulip Tree Woods Nature Preserve in Brandywine Creek State Park.

In addition to the Tulip Tree Wood Nature Preserve, the two other preserves designated in the network of protected forests are the Fork Branch Nature Preserve in Dover and the Nanticoke River (Barnes Woods) Nature Preserve outside Seaford.

“Delaware has great outdoor spaces, and we should all take steps to protect our environment for future generations,” said Governor John Carney. “This designation will help boost Delaware’s growing eco-tourism industry, and add value to our $3.3. billion dollar tourism industry, by bringing even more visitors to our great state. We’re proud to recognize and protect the special nature of our preserves, and help promote a national effort to recognize the wonder of these areas on Arbor Day.”

“Delaware is proud to dedicate a forest in each county into the Old Growth Forest Network.” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “By doing so, we are furthering protection of forests, promoting these special places, and recognizing the importance for future generations to enjoy. We can be proud of this distinction.”

The Old Growth Forest Network is a national non-profit organization whose goal is to connect people with nature by identifying and protecting mature forests, like those found in Delaware’s three nature preserves. The network seeks to preserve, protect, and promote the few remaining stands of old-growth forest in the U.S.

The organization was founded in 2011 by scientist and author Joan Maloof of Salisbury University, now executive director of the organization, which is based in Easton, Md.

“As a Delaware native I am thrilled that my home state is the first state to have all of its counties represented in the Old Growth Forest Network,” said Maloof. “To be fair, with only three counties Delaware was one of the easiest states to complete, but it is still a significant accomplishment. To have all the forests dedicated into the network in a single day is very exciting. These forests will be forever protected from logging, and will be open to the public. Countless organisms will find the habitat they need in these shady forests, and generations of humans will find peace under their leafy canopies.”

The Old Growth Forest Network also has dedicated forests in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and is expanding across the U.S.

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

Vol. 48, No. 93

-30-