Charter School of Wilmington Team A won the school’s 21st straight Delaware Envirothon championship today at DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center on the Delaware Bayshore near Smyrna. Left to right are team members Mukta Kantak, Tiffany Situ, Zavior Brown, Dhriti Tattari and Amber Wong. DNREC photo

Charter’s Team A Claims School’s 21st Straight Victory
in Statewide High School Environmental Competition

Charter School of Wilmington Team A is the winner of the 2023 Delaware Envirothon competition held today at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Aquatic Resources Education Center on the Delaware Bayshore near Smyrna. The latest state Envirothon championship marks Charter School of Wilmington’s school’s 21st win in the event’s 28-year history, highlighted by an unbroken winning streak in the Envirothon competition since 2002. Newark Charter High School The Thneed for Speed came in second place, while Odessa High School FFA placed third in the Envirothon competition.

A program of the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts and sponsored by DNREC, the annual environmental education competition is open to high school students statewide.

“Our high school students are today’s environmental leaders. This is helping to show their knowledge and continue to learn,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Congratulations to all the competing team members who applied their environmental knowledge to planning and presenting their inventive solutions to present-day environmental situations.”

The 16 competing Envirothon teams representing nine high schools and one 4-H club statewide – Calvary Christian Academy, Charter School of Wilmington, Middletown High School FFA, Newark Charter School, Odessa High School FFA, Polytech High School, Smyrna High School FFA, Sussex Central High School FFA, Sussex Tech High School FFA and Peach Blossom 4-H Club/Lake Forest FFA – worked hard all school year to prepare for the 2023 event held at the Aquatic Resources Education Center managed by DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Each team answered questions, reviewed specimens, and took measurements in topics dealing with aquatic ecology, soils/land use, wildlife, forestry, air quality and the current environmental issue of “Adapting to a Changing Climate.” Teams also had to give a 7-to-10-minute oral presentation of a scenario based on the current issue. After more than three hours of testing, Charter School of Wilmington Team A was crowned the 2023 state champion. The first-place team will represent Delaware at the 2023 National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Envirothon to be held at Mount Allison University in Tantramar (Sacksville), New Brunswick, Canada from July 23 to 29.

Each member of the winning team earned a $500 scholarship from the Delaware Envirothon and other prizes. The winning team will also receive an award plaque for their school. The second through seventh place teams received more than $1,300 in special team awards and cash prizes.

Prizes in the form of gift cards and ribbons were awarded to the top seven teams. The official results are as follows:

• First place – The Charter School of Wilmington Team A: Mukta Kantak, Tiffany Situ, Zavior Brown, Dhriti Tattari and Amber Wong
• Second place – Newark Charter High School Thneed for Speed: Noah Ali, Samita Bomasamudram, Andre Gill, Anna Gliwa and Sidrisha Sarbajna
• Third place – Odessa High School FFA: Zach Binnie, Joseph Delaney, Kalena Diaz, Marco Lucia, and Nate Sutton
• Fourth place – Peach Blossom 4-H/Lake Forest FFA: Ava Gallo, Aidan Garey, Brenna Geidel, Mason Hay, and Justus Moritz
• Fifth place – Polytech High School Dirt Diggers: Zoe Goodbred, Julianna Korup, Eve-Alexa Mobely, Chloe Smith, and Sadie Vaughn
• Sixth place – Odessa High School The Under Ducks: Kaelin Desrosiers, Natalie Holdren, Bruce Macolley, Taylor Mahoney, and Ella Vandervort
• Seventh place – Calvary Christian Academy Climate Heroes: Carolyn Laskey, Tiara Nichols, Dawson Shahan, John Thomas, and Michelle Thomas

Since its inception, the Delaware Envirothon has awarded $64,000 in scholarships to 135 students. The event is hosted by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD), a voluntary, non-profit association that coordinates conservation efforts statewide to focus on natural resource issues identified by Delaware’s three local districts.

In addition to DNREC, the Delaware Envirothon is also sponsored by the Delaware Solid Waste Authority, the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Delaware Department of Agriculture – Pesticide Management Section, FMC Corporation, and the New Castle Conservation District.

More information about the annual event can be found at delawareenvirothon.org.

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. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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Earth Day Event Hosted by DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship

As part of the month-long celebration in April of Earth Day 2023, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and partners are seeking volunteers to clean up the area around Concord Pond in Seaford from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 15. DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society, Reclaim Our River – Nanticoke Series and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will host the cleanup.

Registration is now open for volunteers. More information about the cleanup – which will begin from the Concord Pond parking area located near the intersection of Concord Pond Road (Road 516) and Henry Drive in Seaford – can be found on the DNREC website.

Volunteers will remove trash from the area and also will get guidance on how to identify and remove invasive plant species from around the pond. Gloves, trash bags and some trash grabbers will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves and trash removal tools if they have them.

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

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A white-tailed deer browsing on a wildlife refuge. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

DNREC Reports Almost 17,000 Deer Taken by Hunters, With More Than Half the Total From Sussex County

Delaware hunters harvested 16,848 deer during the 2022/23 hunting season, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The number reported by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife represents an increase of 9.5% over last year’s harvest total and ranks as the third highest harvest in Delaware’s history, behind the 2021/22 season and the record-setting 2020/21 season, when 17,265 deer were taken in the state.

The 2022/23 season also marks the 10th year in a row Delaware’s deer harvest has exceeded 14,000 deer, with 1,704 (10% of the season total) harvested through the state’s deer damage assistance programs designed to help farmers who are experiencing crop damage. Sussex County had the highest harvest with 8,986 deer, followed by Kent County with 5,235, and New Castle County with 2,627.

During the 2022/23 season, hunters harvested more females (does) than males (bucks), with 58.1% (9,789) does and 41.9% (7,059) bucks. The doe harvest was a new record, eclipsing a previous high set during the 2004/05 season. Antlerless deer – does, juvenile bucks without antlers known as button bucks, antlered bucks with antlers measuring less than three inches, and bucks that had already shed both of their antlers when harvested – represented 74.1% of the total harvest. Antlered deer – bucks with an antler at least 3 inches in length – represented 25.9% of the harvest.

Other 2022/23 season harvest facts of note included:

• The November general firearm season yielded 6,995 deer or 41.5% of the harvest.
• The highest Delaware wildlife management zone harvest was from Zone 11 in Sussex County, an area bordered by Rtes. 113 and 13 to the east and west, and Rtes. 16 and 9 to the north and south, respectively.
• The preferred method of take for hunters was by shotgun – accounting for 35% of the deer harvest.

Over the coming weeks, DNREC wildlife biologists will continue analyzing the harvest data with more results to be made available at that time. For more information about Delaware deer management, visit de.gov/deer.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. 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

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DNREC’s Mosquito Control Section is soon to begin its spring spraying campaign of woodland pools to limit numbers of emerging mosquitoes. /DNREC photo

Spring Spray Campaign Will Reduce Numbers of Year’s First Biting Mosquitoes

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will begin annual spraying of spring woodland pools to control aquatic immature (larval) mosquitoes as early as Wednesday, March 15, weather permitting. Spraying by DNREC’s Mosquito Control section will begin in southern Sussex County, then expand into Kent and New Castle counties over the next several weeks. Controlling early-season woodland pool larval mosquitoes limits the emergence of biting adult mosquitoes later in the spring.

Up to 10,000 acres of wet woodlands near select populated areas will be treated with a helicopter applying the bacteria-derived insecticide Bti. As with all insecticides used by the Mosquito Control section within the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, Bti has been determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pose no unreasonable risks to human health, wildlife or the environment when applied in accordance with product label instructions as required by federal law.

The spring woodland mosquito larvae spraying campaign marks the beginning of Delaware’s mosquito control season – which in most years continues until late October or early November. Starting in April, Mosquito Control Section activities will expand to larval and adult saltmarsh mosquitoes, other freshwater mosquitoes, and urban and suburban container-breeding mosquitoes to manage mosquito populations for improving the state’s quality of life and to protect public health.

Locations and times for scheduled mosquito spraying activity in the state can be obtained by calling toll-free 800-338-8181. Mosquito spraying announcements can also be received by email, text or voicemail by subscribing to Mosquito Control’s Spray Zone Notification System at de.gov/mosquitospray.

To request local mosquito control service, please call the following Mosquito Control field offices:

• Glasgow Office, 302-836-2555, serving New Castle County and the northern half of Kent County, including Dover.
• Milford Office, 302-422-1512, serving the southern half of Kent County south of Dover and all of Sussex County.

For more information on mosquito control in Delaware, visit de.gov/mosquito.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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Once a federally-listed endangered species, the Delmarva fox squirrel now populates five sites in Delaware as it continues to rebound through DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife efforts. /Photo courtesy of Sandra and George Wiley

Translocations to Three New State Sites Increase the Total Populated Delmarva Fox Squirrel Sites to Five

Delmarva fox squirrels now have three new homes in Sussex County as a result of translocations during 2022 to the Assawoman Wildlife Area, Redden State Forest and Trap Pond State Park, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today on the eve of National Squirrel Appreciation Day. The new locations coordinated by DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife add to known Delmarva fox squirrel populations within the state at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and DNREC’s Nanticoke Wildlife Area.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife began in the fall of 2020 translocating Delmarva fox squirrels captured from robust populations in Maryland to suitable habitats for the species in southern Delaware. Thirty-two Delmarva fox squirrels were translocated in 2022, 15 of them going to Trap Pond State Park and 11 to Redden State Forest during the spring and an additional six squirrels placed within Trap Pond last fall. Delmarva fox squirrels translocated to Assawoman Wildlife Area during 2020 and 2021 have established distinct home ranges and reproduction has been documented. Translocations of additional Delmarva fox squirrels from Maryland to Trap Pond State Park and Redden State Forest are planned for the spring of 2023.

While Delmarva fox squirrels are now abundant on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, these large, silver-gray squirrels remain rare in Delaware. Unlike many of its squirrel relatives, the Delmarva fox squirrel is very slow to expand its range and colonize new territories. Although the Delmarva fox squirrel was once a federally-listed endangered species, translocations, habitat management and land and species protection have helped their populations recover regionally in Maryland, resulting in the species being removed from the federal endangered species list in 2015.

Since Delmarva fox squirrels are no longer a federally-listed endangered species, landowners should not be concerned if they start seeing them on their property. Hunting of Delmarva fox squirrels is still prohibited, so it is important that hunters note the differences between them and the more commonly seen eastern gray squirrels, for which Delaware has a hunting season.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife developed a Delmarva Fox Squirrel Conservation Plan in 2014 in collaboration with stakeholder input to increase the number of Delmarva fox squirrels in Delaware. The plan is now being successfully implemented, as indicated by new resident populations in the state. Translocations have proven to be an important and effective tool for increasing the distribution of this species, and are the cornerstone of Delaware’s Delmarva Fox Squirrel Conservation Plan.

More information about DNREC’s Delmarva fox squirrel restoration project, including photographs differentiating the appearance between the Delmarva fox squirrel and the eastern gray squirrel, and answers to frequently asked questions about the Delmarva fox squirrel in Delaware, can be found at de.gov/foxsquirrel.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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