DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin joins schoolchildren to celebrate Arbor Day at Bellevue State Park
DNREC Secretary Garvin joined schoolchildren and members of the Friends of Bellevue State Park in planting a tree to celebrate Arbor Day at the park.
Governor Carney celebrates Arbor Day at St. Jones Reserve in Dover
Governor John C. Carney, Jr. presided over the Delaware Forest Service’s 2018 Arbor Day Celebration at DNERR St. Jones Reserve in Dover on Friday, May 4.
Joined by Rep. Harvey Kenton, Rep. David Wilson, Agriculture Secretary Michael T. Scuse, and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, Governor Carney honored the winners of the Delaware Forest Service’s Arbor Day School Poster Contest, including Statewide Winner Amelia Meyer of Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville. The 2018 poster contest theme was “Trees are Terrific… and Perfect for Pollinators!” The Governor also recognized representatives from some of Delaware’s 17 Tree City USA communities, including Dover Air Force Base and Arden. The event culminated with the planting of two new hawthorn trees, part of a new “science garden” at the reserve, in keeping the 2018 poster contest theme and its focus on pollinators.
Volunteers needed to plant trees on March 17 and 18 at Blackbird State Forest, enhancing the Chesapeake Bay
Volunteers of all ages are needed this month to help plant 8,800 hardwood seedlings along the Cypress Branch at Blackbird State Forest to enhance the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The planting will take place on Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at Blackbird State Forest’s Naudain Tract, 2076 Harvey Straughn Road, Townsend, Delaware 19734.
The weekend tree planting is a “rain or shine” event. Equipment, including shovels, will be provided. Volunteers are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and wear boots or other work shoes. Snacks will be provided and commemorative T-shirts and patches will be given to both youth and adult volunteers on a first-come, first-served basis.
The project is a cooperative partnership between the Delaware Forest Service, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Division of Watershed Stewardship, and the Girl Scouts of the USA.
2018 Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program Now Open
The Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Program is offering up to $5,000 in grants for community-based tree projects throughout the First State. The program is open to all Delaware municipalities, homeowner associations, and certified nonprofits. Applications are limited to one project in one category (tree planting or tree management), and all funds must be utilized on publicly owned land or community open space. Grant recipients must also provide a 50-50 cost-share match, which can be met through a combination of volunteer labor, donated materials and services, or cash from non-federal sources.
This year’s application deadline is March 2, 2018. Winners will be notified by April 2.
Delaware Forest Service Awards 2016 Urban Forestry Grants
A total of 15 municipalities, homeowner associations, and nonprofits will receive almost $40,000 for community tree projects from the Delaware Forest Service’s 2016 Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program. The program’s goal is to increase tree canopy, beautify community spaces, and promote the benefits of trees. In addition, the Delaware Forest Service also funded $10,799 in grants for tree planting projects within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, an effort to improve water quality by mitigating storm water run-off and reducing erosion and sedimentation.
