The Monarch butterfly is a welcome pollinator for gracing any yard or garden with its presence. Attracting them is also mutually beneficial for this majestic butterfly whose numbers have fallen off due to loss of habitat, herbicide use along their migratory routes and impacts of climate change. Photo courtesy of James Davis.

Hosted by DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship in Laurel

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will host two free presentations in March on techniques for attracting butterflies, birds, and other pollinators to suburban yards and gardens and helping them to thrive and flower.

The presentations, part of the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Reclaim Our River Program – Nanticoke Series, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will be given at the Laurel Public Library on March 6 and 27. They will be led by Carol Stephens, a Delaware Master Naturalist by way of a science-based natural resource training program jointly coordinated by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Delaware Nature Society.

• On March 6, “5 Steps for More Butterflies in Your Garden” will highlight easy practices that homeowners can use to increase butterfly populations and for their own outdoor viewing pleasure.
• On March 27, “Helpful Tools for the Birds and the Bees in 2023” will focus on the native shrubs, trees, and flowers most likely to attract birds, bees, and other pollinators. Plant sources for native shrubs, trees, flowers, and seeds also will be shared, along with ideas that homeowners can gradually incorporate into their yard, one step at a time, for enticing more pollinators.

Both hour-long presentations are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Laurel Public Library, 101 E. Fourth Street, Laurel, Del. A limited supply of butterfly habitat-enhancing milkweed seeds will be given away to attendees.

Plants rely on pollinators such as insects and animals moving pollen from one plant to another, to ensure that a plant or tree produces vegetables, fruits and nuts. Flowering plants not only provide food, but also are essential in maintaining local water quality because of their ability to absorb nutrients, prevent erosion and purify water. Insect pollinators have been declining due to the use of pesticides and the loss of habitat and their host plants. Creating a native plant garden can benefit local pollinator populations by offering more opportunities for nectar and reproduction.

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. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

SEAFORD – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship and the Reclaim Our River (ROR) Program, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will host two presentations on pollinators and gardening for clean water on two upcoming Mondays, Feb. 19 and March 26, at the Seaford Library, 600 North Market Street Extended, Seaford, DE 19973. Both events start at 6 p.m.

The presentations will focus on how the monarch butterfly population worldwide over the last 20 years has declined by 90 percent – and what can be done to halt this critical environmental loss, since plants depend on pollinators like the monarch butterfly for reproducing and natural abundance. Pollinators enable flowering plants to help purify water, and also help prevent erosion through a plant’s roots that hold soil in place and the foliage that buffers the impact of rain as it falls to the earth.

A limited amount of free milkweed seeds – which can be grown into attractive monarch habitat – will be available to those attending the presentations. ROR partnership members will share information on activities that support clean water, according to Philip Miller, DNREC Nonpoint Source Program, Division of Watershed Stewardship, while also learning about this year’s ROR-Nanticoke Series which again offers numerous opportunities to have fun around the water and learn surefire techniques for keeping our waterways clean.

The Feb. 19 pollinator presentation will be given by Mike McFarlin, who raises hundreds of monarch butterflies each summer in an effort to bolster Delaware’s monarch population. His presentation will delve into this majestic butterfly’s migration routes and the impact humans have on the monarch’s habitat. Mr. McFarlin will also discuss his experiences looking for eggs, raising the monarch from eggs, feeding them, and ultimately releasing the butterflies he raises into Delaware’s environment.

The March 26 presentation will be led by Alice Mohrman from the Delaware Nature Society’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, and will focus on gardening for clean water and butterflies. Attendees will learn how to make your yard, deck, patio, or balcony more inviting for pollinators including birds and butterflies. Ms. Mohrman also will offer tips on landscaping your yard, whether big or small, with attractive native plants which support wildlife habitat while also helping to reduce pollution in our waterways. She also will demonstrate a few easy steps toward creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

For more information about both presentations, please contact Alice Mohrman at 302-422-0847 or alice@delawarenaturesociety.org. For more information on the Reclaim Our River Program, which is devoted to bringing monthly events, workshops and recreational activities to the Nanticoke Watershed, please contact Philip Miller at 302-739-9939 or Philip.miller@delaware.gov. The ROR-Nanticoke Series offers participants fun opportunities for connecting with Delaware’s waterways and provides important information on water quality that can help in protecting the state’s aquatic resources.

Vol. 48, No. 21

Contact: Philip Miller, DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship, Nonpoint Source Program, 302-739-9939; philip.miller@delaware.gov

SEAFORD – The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Watershed Stewardship, along with the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy and the Delaware Nature Society, invites the public to the Chapel Branch Nature Area for a day of outdoor activities from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. The nature area’s address is 492 Woodland Road, Seaford, DE 19973.

The Chapel Branch Nature Day is the final event in this year’s Reclaim Our River – Nanticoke Series, a program offering monthly events, workshops and recreational activities designed to raise water quality awareness in the Nanticoke Watershed.

The day will feature family fun activities, including nature walks with guides discussing native wildlife; hands-on exploring of the creek critters of Chapel Branch with the Delaware Nature Society; and demonstrations of how Delawareans can test water quality in the state’s waterways. The event will educate visitors on techniques used to improve water quality by reducing nutrient and sediment pollution entering Delaware’s waterways.

Meanwhile, local Boy Scouts and other volunteers will lend a hand to conservation at the nature area by cleaning up trash, working on invasive species removal, trail maintenance, and trail building. Additional volunteers are welcome to join the project for helping maintain the nature area. While some tools will be available, volunteers also are encouraged to bring clippers, shovels, saws, and wheelbarrows.

For more information, contact Philip Miller of DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship at 302-290-3578 or philip.miller@delaware.gov.

BLADES, Del. – The third annual Recycled Cardboard Boat Regatta – presented by the Delaware Nature Society’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, in conjunction with DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Reclaim Our River Program, the Town of Blades and the Nanticoke River Sail & Power Squadron – will cast off Saturday, Aug. 6 at the Nanticoke River Public Marine Park, 26 N. Market Street, Blades, DE 19973. Sign-in and registration begin at noon, with judging of boats’ appearances at 1 p.m. and races starting at 2 p.m.

The Recycled Cardboard Boat Regatta is open to anyone who can build a boat from recycled cardboard and paddle it approximately 200 yards to the regatta finish line. First-place awards will be given for winners of races in four different categories: individual, family, clubs and businesses, and non-profits and government organizations.

Boats may be any size, shape or design, but must be made of recycled cardboard. They may (and should) be painted with multiple coats of any one-part polyurethane or enamel paint. Special awards will be given for “Best Constructed Boat,” “Best Decorated Boat,” “Best Team Effort,” and “Most Whimsical Boat.” Decorations may be removed after aesthetic judging by Gallery 107 of Seaford, prior to the race start. Also, spectators will be asked to pick a “People’s Choice” award winner, while a special “Titanic Award” will be given for the best and “Most Dramatic Sinking!”

Participants can register the day of the event, but are encouraged to start building their boats as well as registering early for a discounted fee of $20. Registration fee is $30 the week of the event, July 31-Aug. 6. Participants are encouraged to challenge others to race in the cardboard regatta and can do so by choosing the challenge option during registration to ensure both parties will be in the same race.

During the event, attendees can enjoy music, grilled and baked foods as well as snacks and beverages from the Blades United Methodist Church, and find information from the Reclaim Our River (ROR) partnership on how to protect Delaware’s waterways.

The ROR partnership also welcomes event sponsors with proceeds going toward event costs, river restoration and water quality education. Sponsorships begin at $50.

More information, rules, flyer and an event entry form are available at www.delawarewatersheds.org, or by emailing Phil Miller or calling 302-290-3578.

A video from the past two years of the Recycled Cardboard Boat Regatta can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDqFDY7eQWU.

The Reclaim Our River – Nanticoke Series is devoted to bringing monthly events, workshops and recreational activities to the Nanticoke Watershed. The series offers participants fun opportunities to connect with Delaware’s waterways and provides important information on water quality that can help in protecting aquatic resources.

Contact: Contact: Philip Miller, DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship, 302-672-1149, or philip.miller@delaware.gov

Vol. 46, No. 264

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