DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is seeking volunteer bat spotters to help in locating and counting the state’s bat colonies for the annual Delaware Bat Count. A training session for volunteers will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14 at the Aquatic Resources Education Center, 4876 Hay Point Landing Road, Smyrna, DE 19977. Weather-permitting, the session will be followed by a visit to a bat maternity colony site for a count demonstration from 7:30-9 p.m. Preregistration for the training is requested and can be done by contacting Alex Heinemann at 302-735-8676 or alexandra.heinemann@delaware.gov.

The Delaware Bat Count is a statewide study documenting population trends and bats that breed in our state. The bat program is always looking for reports of new bat colonies, and for volunteers interested in being part of this important research program. Once volunteers adopt a site, they are asked to count the bats at least twice during the summer.

Delaware is home to nine species of bats, several of which have begun their annual move from winter hibernation sites to summer maternity colonies. Female bats return to their colonies pregnant, and then congregate to give birth and raise their pups. In Delaware, these colonies often take up residence in barns, garages, attics, bat boxes and homes.

Bats feed at night on insects, including many pest species such as mosquitoes. Some eat moths and beetles that damage crops. A study published in Science magazine suggests that bats could be one of the most economically-valuable groups of wildlife to North American farmers, saving them at least $3.7 billion annually by reducing the amount of pesticides needed.

“They’re providing us with a valuable and free service, so it’s to our benefit to have them around,” said Wildlife Biologist Holly Niederriter, Division of Fish & Wildlife.

Even though bats play an important role in our ecosystem, they are often unwanted visitors to homes and outbuildings. A bat exclusion from the building or structure may be warranted in such situations.

It is crucial that bat exclusions be completed before May 15 – when mother bats typically start giving birth – to prevent trapping flightless young inside a building and permanently separating the mothers from their pups, which cannot survive on their own.

For a list of permitted wildlife control operators who can conduct bat exclusions, visit apps.dnrec.state.de.us/NuisanceWildlife/Search.aspx. To review the “Best Management Practices” for excluding bats, go to www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/bats/ and check out the “Bats In Buildings” section.

To report a bat colony, or for more information on becoming a bat spotter or on proper bat exclusions, please contact Alex Heinemann or Holly Niederriter at 302-735-8651, or email alexandra.heinemann@delaware.gov or holly.niederriter@delaware.gov.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 130

DOVER – In honor of Earth Day, volunteers are needed to assist with planting native tree seedlings in pots from 9 – 11 a.m., Saturday, April 23 at the St. Jones Reserve, 818 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, DE 19901. More than 500 seedlings – including loblolly pine, tulip poplars and red and silver maples – will be planted in pots by volunteers, then cared for in a greenhouse by Reserve staff until ready to go into the ground this fall for a restoration project.

“On National Estuaries Day (Sept. 24), these seedlings will be planted at the Blackbird Creek Reserve, north of Smyrna,” said Maggie Pletta, education coordinator with the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR), which includes the St. Jones and Blackbird Creek Reserves. “By putting the seedlings in pots now and then planting them as more mature seedlings in the future, we’re promoting volunteer participation in habitat stewardship by preserving an ecologically-valuable area along the Delaware Bayshore.”

While garden trowels will be provided for working with the seedlings, volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gloves. The potting event will be held outdoors, and volunteers asked to dress appropriately for the weather and in clothing conducive to a dirty job. Volunteers must be at least 13 years old to participate, and those between the ages of 13 and 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Preregistration for the event to pot seedlings at the St. Jones Reserve is required by contacting Maggie Pletta at 302-739-6377 or Margaret.Pletta@delaware.gov. Volunteers are encouraged to register in advance to ensure that enough potting materials are available on the day of the event.

For information on the Reserve’s volunteer program and other happenings there, please visit de.gov/dnerr or find us on Facebook at Delaware NERR.

The St. Jones Reserve and the Blackbird Creek Reserve are two components of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR), a cooperative program between the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Delaware Coastal Programs and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As one of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves protecting over 1.3 million acres of coastal and estuarine habitat across the country, DNERR serves as a place-based living laboratory and classroom to support local coastal research and long-term monitoring while advancing estuary literacy and generating meaningful experiences for all kinds of people interested in learning about, protecting and restoring the Delaware’s estuarine and coastal areas.

This project is part of DNREC’s Bayshore Initiative, a landscape approach to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat, increase volunteer participation in habitat stewardship projects, enhance low-impact outdoor recreation and ecotourism opportunities, and promote associated environmentally compatible economic development. For more information, click Delaware Bayshore.

Media Contact: Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 125

New award recognizes youth accomplishments in wetlands

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is seeking nominations for the 2016 Delaware Wetland Warrior Award and the program’s new youth award, Wetland Apprentice. These awards recognize exemplary efforts to study, protect and preserve wetlands and the critical services they provide to all Delawareans.

The adult Wetland Warrior Award, now in its 9th year, is presented annually to a citizen, organization, business or other group that has demonstrated outstanding efforts to benefit Delaware’s wetlands through outreach and education, monitoring and assessment or restoration and protection. Past recipients of the award have varied from natural resources program managers who have pushed the envelope in restoration practices, to landowners who have become voluntary hands-on stewards of wetlands on their property, to volunteers who have run and supported wetland conservation programs. For a complete list of all past recipients, please visit the Wetland Warrior webpage.

The Wetland Apprentice award will recognize a K-12 student, classroom or school for volunteering or completing a project to evaluate, improve or educate about the condition of Delaware’s wetlands.

The Wetland Warrior and Wetland Apprentice awards will be presented by Governor Jack Markell and DNREC Secretary David Small on Governor’s Day, Thursday, July 28, at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington. Awardees also will be recognized on the Delaware Wetlands website and social media sites. Information on submitting a nomination can be found on DNREC’s Delaware Wetland Warrior webpage. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, June 24.

Delaware has more than 320,000 acres of wetlands, comprising about 25 percent of the state’s area. Wetlands serve a vital role, protecting lives and property from the impacts of floods and storms, filtering pollutants and improving water quality, reducing erosion and providing critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Almost every part of our state is within one mile of a wetland – making wetland protection essential to our health and safety.

Wetland Warriors and Apprentices are a key element in the wetlands protection, restoration and education. For more information about Delaware’s wetlands or the awards program, please visit de.gov/delawarewetlands, view the Delaware Wetlands Fact Sheet, or contact Wetland Outreach Specialist Brittany Haywood at 302-739-9939 or Brittany.Haywood@delaware.gov.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 110

NEW CASTLE COUNTY – DNREC Secretary David Small encourages volunteers to join the 25th annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup along the river and several of its tributaries on Saturday, April 9 from 8 a.m. until noon at 15 sites throughout northern New Castle County. The City of Newark site will hold its cleanup beginning at 7:30 a.m., and Brookhaven Park will begin at 9 a.m.

“For 25 years, dedicated volunteers have devoted a Saturday morning to helping beautify our northern waterways in the Christina River Watershed Cleanup,” said Secretary Small. “Clearing debris from the Christina River Watershed not only improves the landscape for residents and visitors to enjoy, it improves the health and quality of the river and its tributaries, the primary sources of public water supply for New Castle County residents and businesses. The work these volunteers do is important, and we thank them for it.”

In honor of the Christina Cleanup’s 25th anniversary, Brandywine Creek State Park, The Nature Conservancy and Delaware’s own First State National Historical Park will host cleanup locations at Thompsons Bridge, Rocky Run and Smithbridge, respectively. This year’s cleanup will be dedicated to the memory of longtime Cleanup Committee member, Dorothy P. Miller of Newark.

The annual cleanup will be held rain or shine. Since the cleanup began in 1992, more than 360 tons of tires, appliances, household items, and plastic and styrofoam have been cleared from the Christina River, White Clay Creek, Naamans Creek and other tributaries. More than 13,000 volunteers have filled trash bags along Churchmans Marsh, White Clay Creek State Park, the City of Wilmington and various other locations.

DNREC has been a sponsor and an integral part of the Christina River Watershed Cleanup since its inception. Specifically, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife provides planning support in addition to staff, boats, and specialized equipment to transport volunteers and discard trash from remote locations. The cleanup of the river within the city of Wilmington benefits DNREC’s ongoing marsh restoration work at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge.

For a complete list of cleanup sites with directions and to register, visit www.ChristinaRiverCleanup.org or call 302-307-2757. Volunteers are encouraged to register for one of the 15 sites by Friday, April 1 so adequate supplies can be provided to each site captain. Due to insurance requirements, volunteers under the age of 16 must have adult supervision.

For safety and efficiency, participants are encouraged to wear brightly-colored clothing, long sleeves and pants, boots or water-resistant shoes, hats, heavy-duty gloves and sunscreen. Waders or hip boots are helpful for the City of Wilmington, Hale-Byrnes House and Churchman’s Marsh-Christiana sites. Additional jon-boat- work boats are still needed for Wilmington’s Riverfront. All participants must wear a life jacket while on board any boat.

Volunteers will receive a 2016 Christina River Watershed Cleanup t-shirt designed by Ramiro Lopez-Villalobos, a senior at Delcastle Technical High School. The 2016 event marks the 11th year for the cleanup’s T-shirt design contest, which is open to New Castle County students in 7th-12th grade. Ramiro’s winning design takes a more modern approach to a traditional cleanup t-shirt design element, the great blue heron.

More than 40 organizations and businesses sponsor the cleanup each year. In addition to DNREC, primary sponsors include: Christina Conservancy, Noramco Inc., Artesian Water Company, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Delaware City Refining Company, Horizon Services Inc., BASF – The Chemical Company, GE Aviation, Dow Chemical, Veolia Water, Delmarva Power, Kenny Family Foundation and SUEZ in Delaware.

For more information on DNREC’s programs, visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 101

DOVER – Almost one thousand hardy volunteers who turned out in the face of cold and snow for DNREC’s 27th Annual Beach Grass Planting March 19 enabled the planting this year of more than five miles of Delaware shoreline with Cape American beachgrass that helps protect and preserve the state’s dune system, the Division of Watershed Stewardship announced today.

American Cape beachgrass planting at a DNREC Annual Beach Grass Planting event on the Delaware coast“We had close to 1,000 volunteers who braved the cold northeast winds and came out to help,” said event coordinator Jennifer Luoma, DNREC Shoreline & Waterway Management Section. “An amazing turnout given the elements, and a great measure of the volunteer spirit – all to help preserve and make our shoreline more resilient for what the state faces with extreme weather events.”

She noted that volunteers planted in South Bethany, Bethany Beach, Delaware Seashore State Park, Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Cape Henlopen, Slaughter Beach and Bowers Beach – and “some residents in North Fenwick also planted on State Park land in front of their homes.”

A great percentage of the 150,000 2-stem Cape American beachgrass plugs available for volunteers this year were planted Saturday. The work continued with the better weather this week – “Since Saturday,” Ms. Luoma said, “a probation violator work crew, conservation technicians with the Shoreline and Waterway Management Section and the AmeriCorps NCCC Falcon 5 team all have been planting the remaining grass in South Bethany.”

Their efforts along with volunteers’ perseverance March 19 has brought the total grass planted since the inception of the beach grass event in 1990 to almost 5.2 million stems of Cape American beachgrass planted and helping to stabilize Delaware’s sand dunes along both the state’s ocean and bay beaches.

“The beach grass planting is among the state’s premier volunteer efforts – through good weather and bad, year after year, these dedicated volunteers turn out to put Delaware in a better place for adaptation and resiliency against sea level rise,” said DNREC Secretary David Small. “It’s an event of greater importance than getting plugs of beach grass in the ground to grace our beaches and dunes – and we’re thankful for the volunteers who acknowledge that importance in turning out for DNREC’s annual beach planting.”

Beach grass helps to build and stabilize dunes by trapping windblown sand. As the grass traps sand, it helps build the dunes higher and wider, which makes a dune more protective of the structures behind it. The Shoreline & Waterway Management Section also advises that beach grass has thick brittle stalks that can be easily broken and killed by pedestrian or vehicular traffic. The section also notes that recently-planted grasses, as went into the dunes during this year’s DNREC beach grass planting event, are very vulnerable to pedestrian traffic until dune fencing is installed.

Beach grass planting coordinator Ms. Luoma also expressed gratitude for sponsorship from Pepsi Co and Giant Foods in Ocean View for supplying beverages to volunteers; the Delaware Mobile Surf-Fishermen, Inc. for providing transportation on the beach along with refreshments; the Towns of Dewey Beach and Bowers Beach for providing restrooms, and Delaware State Parks for waiving fees for volunteers participating in the event.

Media Contact: Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 97