DOVER – The 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 29-30, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship announced today. For information, participants and presenters can visit de.gov/dewetlandsconference.

Dates and deadlines to remember for the 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference are:
• Registration for conference participants opens Wednesday, Nov. 13.
• The deadline to submit abstracts for oral presentations is Wednesday, Oct. 30.
• Poster presentations will be accepted through Monday, Dec. 20.
• The deadline for entries in a new photo and art contest is Friday, Nov. 1. Artists of all ages are encouraged to submit their best work highlighting a wetland plant, animal, or scene. The winning work will be featured on the cover of the 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference program.

DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment and Coastal Training programs have put together a full two-day event that focuses on the importance of wetlands across the Mid-Atlantic region. More than 350 wetland experts and enthusiasts from the area are expected to gather at the biennial conference to share the latest innovations in wetland research, outreach, and conservation programs.

The conference brings together scientists, planners, county and federal representatives, community leaders, educators, natural resource managers, and students to discuss current research on tidal and non-tidal wetlands, the value of the region’s wetlands, and the impact their management has on the community.

Wetlands play a vital role in our everyday lives, protecting our communities from flooding and erosion and boosting our economy through the tourism, outdoor recreation, and seafood industries. This conference fosters an atmosphere that supports the exploration and dissemination of wetlands science. Although wetlands are the primary focus of this learning and networking event, related topics also will include streams, habitat, and wildlife.

For more information on the 2020 Delaware Wetlands Conference, including sponsorships, please visit the website, or contact Brittany Haywood at Brittany.Haywood@delaware.gov, or call 302-739-9939.

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

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DOVER – Hunters and other wildlife area users are reminded that state wildlife area maps with updated regulations and access information for each wildlife area are available for the 2019/2020 hunting season, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today. The maps depict area boundaries, parking areas, deer stand and waterfowl blind locations, trails, wildlife-viewing facilities, and other helpful information.

Several new wildlife area properties are open for public access, particularly on the Eagles Nest, Cedar Swamp, and Tappahanna wildlife areas.

The maps and area-specific regulations are available online at Delaware Wildlife Area Maps. Paper copies of the maps are available at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Licensing desk customers may take up to five printed maps of individual wildlife areas free of charge. A complete set of statewide maps costs $5 to purchase at the licensing desk, or $6 by mail.

Registered motor vehicles used to access designated wildlife areas owned or managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife are required to display a Conservation Access Pass (CAP). Hunters can opt to receive one free annual CAP with the purchase of any Delaware hunting license. To obtain a CAP, hunters will need the registration card for the vehicle to which the pass will be assigned. Additional information is available at Conservation Access Pass.

Information on 2019/2020 hunting and trapping seasons, bag limits, and other helpful information is available at 2019-2020 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. Hard copy guides are available from DNREC’s licensing desk and from license agents throughout the state.

For more information, please call the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Wildlife Section at 302-739-9912.

Follow DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

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

Vol. 49, No. 227

Training to be held May 19

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is seeking volunteers to help diamondback terrapins at a prominent nesting location where they come ashore to lay eggs, Port Mahon Road near Little Creek along the Delaware Bayshore. Optional volunteer training will be offered from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Sunday, May 19 at the Kent County Hunter Education Training Center at the Little Creek Wildlife Area, 3018 Bayside Drive, Dover, DE 19901. Light refreshments will be provided. An optional site visit to Port Mahon Road will follow the training.

Diamondback terrapins are a turtle species iconic to Delaware’s Bayshore, Inland Bays, and tidal creeks, spending their lives in brackish waters except when female terrapins leave the water to lay eggs each spring. At the peak of nesting season, hundreds of terrapin heads can be seen in the water off Port Mahon before female terrapins come ashore to lay their eggs when tide, temperature, and humidity conditions are right.

Port Mahon Road borders the Delaware Bay and is often flooded with water and debris during high tides and storm events. Large rocks are located along sections of Port Mahon Road for needed erosion protection. Terrapins can become trapped in these obstacles, and terrapins impeded from returning to the bay by the rocks after laying eggs are vulnerable to being hit by cars.

Efforts are underway to develop a solution that would allow unimpeded terrapin passage at Port Mahon Road, but until such time, volunteers are needed to help terrapins on their nesting journey by rescuing those caught in the rocks or helping them safely cross the road. Volunteers perform three-hour shifts around high tides from May 20 through July 31, walking or driving along the 2.1 mile road, searching for terrapins in need of assistance. The number of terrapins observed and location of each sighting are recorded on a datasheet to help guide future management.

Attending the training is not required to become a volunteer for this project, but is helpful for volunteers to gain an understanding of what is involved in rescuing terrapins. Pre-registration for the training is encouraged, but not required.

To volunteer to help nesting diamondback terrapins or register for the training, please contact the DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Wildlife Section by contacting Nate Nazdrowicz at 302-735-8688 or by email at nathan.nazdrowicz@delaware.gov. For more information on this project, visit Operation Terrapin Rescue.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

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

Vol. 49, No. 122

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship invites photographers of all ages and skill levels to participate in this year’s Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest. The contest aims to share the beauty of Delaware’s diverse environment while acting as a vivid reminder that everything that happens on land within the state’s watersheds also directly affects what’s happening in our waterways.

A watershed is all of the land that water moves across or under while flowing to a specific body of water. Images from any of Delaware’s watersheds will be accepted. Contest judges will be looking for striking photographic images of Delaware’s waterways, landscapes, native plants and animals, and agricultural practices.

All entries must be submitted by Sunday, June 2. Contest judges from within DNREC will choose entries that move on to the next stage of the contest – online public voting – which will determine the finalists and winners in each category. Photos by contest winners will be on display at the 2019 Delaware State Fair and voted on by fairgoers to determine the overall “Best in Show.” The first place winners of each of five contest categories listed below will receive a Delaware State Park pass for 2020. The first, second, and third place winners of each category will be recognized during the annual DNREC Awards ceremony on Governor’s Day at the Delaware State Fair, and the “Best in Show” will be featured in Outdoor Delaware magazine.

To enter the Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest, participants should fill out the online submission form, which includes providing a description with the entrant’s name, phone number, address, email address, the location the image was taken, the category the photograph is being entered in, and if submitting a photograph in the Native Wildlife or Native Plant category, the name of the species in the photograph. Images must be at least 1650 by 2100 pixels (but no larger than 10MB) resolution, and the digital image must be submitted in .jpeg or .png format. Only photos that meet the criteria, along with a completed form, will be eligible.

Contestants may enter photographs in all or any of the five categories below but photographers can only win one place per category. Your photograph with the most votes will be your final submission for that category. A completed submission form must accompany each photograph entered.

The categories and criteria on submitting photos for them are as follow:

Natural Landscapes of Delaware – Photographs of the scenic visible features of Delaware’s countryside or land.

Waterscapes of Delaware – Photographs of any waterbodies such as streams, rivers, lakes, creeks, estuaries, bay, ocean, etc.

Native Wildlife of Delaware – Entries in this category may only include photographs of native mammals, birds, fish, insects, reptiles, and amphibians of Delaware. Photographs of domesticated animals are not eligible in this category. When submitting in this category, include the name of the species appearing in your photo in the application form.

Native Plants of Delaware – Photographs of Delaware native plants in any setting. When submitting in this category, include the name of the species in the application form. No wildlife are permitted in this category, native plants only.

Agriculture in Delaware – Photographs of the practice of farming, including but not limited to the cultivation of soil for growing crops and rearing animals for food, wool, and other products.

Rules and the submission form are available on the Division of Watershed Stewardship website at Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest. Questions can be emailed to dwpc@delaware.gov.

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

Visitor access limited in construction area until fall completion

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today that construction of the new wildlife observation tower and associated boardwalk has begun on the Main Tract of the Little Creek Wildlife Area near Dover. The project will replace the existing wildlife observation tower and boardwalk with an upgraded, more accessible facility that will enhance outdoor recreation opportunities at this popular wildlife-watching location. Parking upgrades will also be made to benefit hunters, bird watchers, and other wildlife area visitors. Construction is scheduled for completion by October 2019, weather permitting.

During construction, a section of wildlife area roadway will be gated and closed to vehicles for safety and security reasons, and pedestrian access may also be limited during active construction. Other trails and areas on the wildlife area will remain open during construction.

The Little Creek Wildlife Area is located along the Route 9 Delaware Bayshore Byway. This project is funded in part by a Scenic Byway Grant through the Federal Highway Administration and DelDOT, along with matching state funds from the Delaware Bayshore Initiative.

For more information, please call 302-739-9912.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

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

Vol. 49, No. 54