New Year’s Day is a great time to kick the 2020s off on the right foot with one of 18 First Day Hikes hosted by DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation. First Day Hikes is a national movement sponsored by America’s State Parks to encourage the celebration of fitness in the nation’s great outdoors.

There’s no need to register for any of the hikes listed below; just show up prepared to walk! Items hikers may want to bring along include comfortable hiking/walking shoes, a camera, a bottle of water, appropriate layers for the weather, a hat, sunglasses, a backpack, and snacks. Some hikes may require water-resistant shoes, or have age or pet restrictions. Not all hikes are suitable for strollers.

Check out one of the following hikes to celebrate the New Year at a Delaware State Park.

• 10 a.m. – Alapocas Run State Park, Wilmington – 2 to 3 miles – Easy/Moderate
Meet at Blue Ball Barn. Leashed, well-behaved dogs welcome.

• 10 a.m. – Fort Dupont State Park, Delaware City – 1.1 miles – Easy
Meet at the parking lot closest to the river, at the end of Wilmington Avenue/Old Battery Lane.

• 10 a.m. – Trap Pond State Park, Laurel – 2 miles – Easy
Meet at Baldcypress Nature Center.

• 11 a.m. – Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes – 1.5 miles – Moderate
Park in the Point Comfort Station Parking lot and walk north to the Point parking lot. Minimum age: 7 years old with an adult.

• 12:30 p.m. – Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington – 1/4 mile – Easy
Meet at the gift shop.

• 12:30 p.m. – Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area, Lewes – 1.7 miles – Easy
Meet at Fort Miles Parking Lot. Minimum age: 7 years old with an adult

• 1 p.m. – Bellevue State Park, Wilmington – 1.5 to 3 miles – Easy
Meet at Bellevue Arts Center. This hike is for all ages and is stroller friendly.

• 1 p.m. – First State Heritage Park, Dover – 1/4 mile – Easy
Meet at the John Bell House.

• 1 p.m. – Holts Landing State Park, Bethany Beach – 1.7 miles – Easy
Meet at Holts Landing Picnic Pavilion.

• 1 p.m. – Killens Pond State Park, Felton – 1 to 3 miles – Varying Difficulty
Meet at the Nature Center.

• 1 p.m. – Lums Pond State Park, Bear– 2.5 miles – Easy/Moderate
Meet at Area 1 Pavilion/. Pets are permitted but must be on a 6-foot leash.

• 1 p.m. – Auburn Valley State Park, Yorklyn – 1.1 miles – Moderate
Meet at 1516 Snuff Mill Road Trail lot.

• 1 p.m. – Brandywine Creek State Park, Wilmington – 2-2.5 miles – Moderate
Meet at the Nature Center.

1 p.m. – White Clay Creek State Park, Newark – 1 to 2.5 miles – Multiple Difficulties
• 1.3 miles – Moderate – Millstone Pond Trail. Meet at Carpenter Recreation Area.
• 2 miles – Moderate/Difficult – Arc Corner Monument Loop. Meet at Nature Center.
• 2 miles – Moderate – PennDel/Pomeroy Trail. Meet at Nature Center
• 2.5 miles – Moderate/Difficult – Twin Valley Trail. Meet at Carpenter Recreation Area.

• 3:30 p.m. – Auburn Valley State Park – Easy – 1 mile
Meet at the Paper Mill Parking Lot on Benge Road.

For more information about the Delaware State Parks First Day Hikes and to see maps of the park trails beforehand, go to https://destateparks.com/firstday or call 302-739-9220.

Reminder for the week: Have a safe Labor Day weekend on Delaware waterways

DOVER – To achieve public compliance with laws and regulations through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Aug. 20-26 made 3,034 contacts with anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 41 citations. Officers responded to 83 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

• On Aug. 25, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers discussed the role of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers, answered hunting, fishing, and boating questions, and displayed the Operation Game Theft trailer during a National Wildlife Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited Family Picnic near Odessa.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Unlicensed fishing (6), possession of undersized blue crabs (9), possession of undersized tautog (1), possession of undersized black seabass (1), possession of undersized flounder (1), possession of flounder parts (1), possession of undersize white perch (1), and no F.I.N. (1).

Boating and Boating Safety: No throwable life preserver aboard as required for vessels 16 feet or longer (2), careless operation of a motor vessel (1), no flares on board (1), operating an unregistered vessel (2), no life jacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (1), operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (2), allowing use of a non-compliant vessel (1), and no boater safety certificate (1).

Public Safety: Public intoxication (1)*, failure to use turn signal (1)*, and possession of drug paraphernalia (1).

Other: Operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area (1)*, trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (3)*, and littering on a state wildlife area (2).

*Includes citation(s) issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

Are you AWARE?
For the Labor Day weekend, Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind boaters that drinking and boating don’t mix and that boat operators found to have blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher will face charges for operating a vessel under the influence for putting themselves, their passengers, and other boaters at risk.

Other tips for recreational boaters to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend include:

• Exercise patience and courtesy at crowded boat ramps and docks.
• Observe all Slow No Wake areas.
• Maintain a lookout for other vessels and keep a safe distance away.
• Avoid traveling at unsafe speeds, including in congested areas.
• Make sure children 12 and younger are wearing life jackets while underway as required by law.
• Check navigation lights and make sure to turn them on when operating at night.

For more information on safe boating practices in Delaware, please visit Delaware Boating Safety.

To report boating violations or accidents please call the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police 24hour dispatch line at: 302-739-4580 or 1-800-523-3336.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell 302-382-7167, or Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police 302-739-9913

DOVER – DNREC’s First State Heritage Park’s lantern tours of The Green and three of Dover’s historic cemeteries will entertain with stories from Dover’s history at 8 p.m. on Friday evenings this fall. Take a walk through Dover’s history by the light of a lantern on one of the four of the evening tours offered by the park.

Tours will be held at:

• Old Methodist Cemetery
  Fridays, Sept. 7 and Oct. 12
• Christ Episcopal Churchyard
  Friday, Sept. 21
• The Green
  Friday, Sept. 28
• Presbyterian Churchyard Cemetery
  Friday, Oct. 5

Old Methodist Cemetery
Meet at the Johnson Victrola Museum Parking Lot – 375 S. New Street
The stories of those buried in this historic cemetery help reveal the meanings behind the elaborate rituals associated with death and mourning in the 19th-century, as you are guided among the ornately decorated tombstones of the Wesley United Methodist Church’s old historic cemetery. Uncover the meanings of the carefully chosen and crafted funeral art that decorates the tombs of the high and lower classes alike, and what those symbols might reveal about the people buried beneath them.

Christ Episcopal Churchyard
Meet at Christ Church – At the corner of South State & Water Streets
Encounter characters from the past to hear not only tales of the tombstones, but also tales of joy and sorrow from those who are laid to rest within the walls of the churchyard. From Caesar Rodney’s unrequited love, to Civil War opponents buried within yards of one another, be prepared for a surprise or two on this unique tour.

Lantern Tour of the Dover Green
Meet at the John Bell House on The Green
Join historical interpreters from the First State Heritage Park dressed in colonial attire as they relate the stories of historic Dover. Dover’s public square was the site of markets and fairs, suffragists and abolitionists, soldiers and slaves, lawmakers and law breakers. Hear tales of the most infamous resident of Dover’s jail, of devastating fires that threatened the town, of poisonings, and tragic love.

Presbyterian Churchyard Cemetery
Meet at the Johnson Victrola Museum Parking Lot – 375 South New Street
Visit by lantern light the Presbyterian Church of Dover’s historic cemetery, where many prominent Delawareans and their families are buried. Among them is Delaware’s great statesman John M. Clayton, and Revolutionary War martyr Colonel John Haslet, who died a hero’s death at the Battle of Princeton in 1777. Meet these figures from Dover history along with several 18th-century Dover widows with decided opinions about their husbands.

Admission to all lantern tours is $10. All fall tours begin at 8 p.m. Space is limited; call 302-739-9194 to reserve your lantern. Lantern tours cancelled due to inclement weather will not be rescheduled.

The churchyard tours are made possible with the cooperation of the Presbyterian Church of Dover, Christ Episcopal Church and Wesley United Methodist Church.

The First State Heritage Park is Delaware’s first urban “park without boundaries,” linking historic and cultural sites in the city that has been the seat of state government since 1777. The park is a partnership of state agencies under the leadership of DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, working in collaboration with city and county government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector.

Contact: Sarah Zimmerman, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation, First State Heritage Park, 302-739-9194 or sarah.zimmerman@delaware.gov.

Vol. 48, No. 233

Reminder for the week: Purchase your 2018/2019 Delaware hunting license, waterfowl stamps now

DOVER – To achieve public compliance with laws and regulations through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Aug. 13-19 made 2,995 contacts with anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 32 citations. Officers responded to 79 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

• On Aug. 18, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers discussed the role of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers, answered hunting, fishing, and boating questions, and displayed The Operation Game Theft trailer during Middletown’s Peach Festival.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Possession of undersized blue crab (4), possession of undersized summer flounder (4), no F.I.N. (2), possession of undersized striped bass (1), and unlicensed fishing (4).

Boating and Boating Safety: Operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (1), no life jacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (4), failure to observe slow no wake (2), and no boater safety certificate (2).

Public Safety: Clamming in a prohibited area (1).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (6) and failure to stop at a red light (1).

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind hunters to purchase their 2018/2019 Delaware hunting licenses and waterfowl stamps.

Resident hunters younger than 13 or 65 and older are not required to purchase a Delaware hunting license. Non-resident hunters 13 and older are required to purchase a Delaware hunting license.

To hunt waterfowl in Delaware, residents age 16 through 64 are required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl stamp. Non-resident waterfowl hunters age 16 and older need a Delaware waterfowl stamp. Resident and non-resident hunters age 16 and older also need a federal migratory bird stamp to hunt waterfowl.

Hunters who are exempt from purchasing a license must obtain an annual, free License Exempt Number (LEN). Both exempt and non-exempt hunters of migratory gamebirds, including waterfowl, dove, woodcock, and rail must also obtain a free Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Both are available online or by calling 855-335-4868 toll-free.

Delaware hunting licenses and waterfowl stamps are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Dover office at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating hunting license agent, purchase a Delaware hunting license or waterfowl stamp or obtain a HIP or LEN number online, click Delaware Licenses & Permits. For additional information on Delaware hunting licenses, call 302-739-9918. Federal migratory bird stamps may be purchased at U.S. Post Offices, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges, and online. For more information, call 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

For more information on hunting in Delaware, click 2018-2019 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk, and from license agents throughout the state.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell 302-382-7167, or Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police 302-739-9913

DOVER – Three of DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation’s state parks will be transformed into the Forest of Arden as the Brown Box Theatre Project performs its eighth annual free, outdoor Shakespeare tour of “As You Like It” during September.

The performances will be held at Holts Landing State Park, Holts Landing Road, Dagsboro, DE 19939, on Thursday, Sept. 6, at Wilmington State Park’s Rockford Tower on Thursday, Sept. 13, and at The Green at First State Heritage Park at Dover on Friday, Sept. 14. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

“As You Like It” transports audiences into the heart of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. It features a motley cast of characters who, when they’re banished from the court, find that misdirection, desire, and serendipity unite to form a tangled web of identity and love that could only be possible in a pastoral haven where expectations are turned upside-down.

These programs are supported in part by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division of the Arts promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.

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

Vol. 48, No. 227