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Written on: March 19th, 2025 in Education and Outreach
By Olivia Allread, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program
Nature has been engrained into storytelling basically since the beginning of time. In most cultures throughout history, the natural world has been featured in stories and books in many ways – a place of mystery, a pathway of self-discovery, foundations of peace and rest, even a location of magic and unearthly enchantment. Not to mention being the center point of many cultures’ traditions and explanations of our societal history. In these modern times, we could use a little escape. So, for this blog post let’s look at a few books written by female authors that feature one of our favorite things, wetlands.
Curlew Moon by Mary Colewell
Introducing the Eurasian curlew, the largest European wading bird. Once very common in the UK, the species now is under major threat from encroaching agricultural, loss of habitat, and has been listed as Near Threated on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This book collides the story of an endangered species with a 500-mile walk of self-discovery that Colewell herself did in 2016. From the west of Ireland to the east coast of England, the journey was meant to raise awareness of the bird’s plight yet becomes a formative pilgrimage into estuaries and moors. Meeting wildlife, landowners, and conservationists along the way, Colewell takes a hard look at what complicates the lives of vulnerable species while following the curlew’s life from breeding to flying free.
Marjory Saves the Everglades by Sandra Neil Wallace
Real life experiences can breed the best books. This children’s book tells the story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, an environmental journalist and advocate who also helped form our incredible Everglades National Park. When Douglas returned home to Florida after World War I, she became increasingly concerned with the ruin and development of the Everglades area. Though she was not a scientist, she pursued learning as much as she could about the subtropical wetland ecosystem spanning two million acres across central and south Florida. This story concisely encompasses many parts of Douglas’ life – an author, a self-taught ecologist, an advocate, and the original meaning of a “Florida girl”. Through her work, America’s perspective of the Everglades transformed from a useless swamp to an invaluable resource worth protecting and preserving.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
How about one you may have heard of? This critically acclaimed book turned film follows two storylines that intertwine, mixing southern wetlands with murder mystery. Divided into two parts, “The Marsh” and “The Swamp”, readers follow the protagonist as she grows up in remote wetlands of North Carolina into young adulthood, when she is accused of committing a local murder. Along the way, she becomes a skilled,self-taught naturalist and scientific illustrator along the way. Known as the “Marsh Girl”, the meandering creeks and coastline of Kya’s world are worked into the plot from exposition to resolution in this coming-of-age story.
Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu by Pamela Freeman
Freeman is a well-known Australian writer with a hefty list of novels for all ages, and her children’s books usually have a heavy focus on the environment. Her most recent publication takes readers on an informative journey through the diverse seasons of Australia’s Kakadu National Park, where tropical wetlands go through the yearly weather cycle; dry to wet to dry again. Floodplains, lizards, light storms, spear grass, fruit bats, crocodiles, tidal flats – you name it, they’re featured. Plus, there are amazing illustrations to keep kids engaged. Nestled in Australia’s Northern Territory, Kakadu is also a UNESCO World Heritage site full of diverse wetland landscapes and Aboriginal culture.
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
This one is a bit out there, but an awesome read. As an alternative American history piece, the book expands on an early 20th century idea to fix the country’s meat shortage by importing hippos and raising them in Louisiana’s bayou. Yes, you heard that correct. The proposed plan and bill unfortunately fell through, but Gailey ran with the idea for her book to showcase an America where ranchers raised hippos in wetlands, rather than beef, to provide meat and control the invasive water hyacinth. Set in the 1890s, swamps and marshes are overrun with feral hippos, then steps in a super-hero not often seen – a rancher turned mercenary hippo wrangler. The wrangler and his band of whacky characters are tasked by the United States government to deal with the dangerous beasts and save the wetlands.
The Shore by Sara Taylor
And finally, wetlands on the Delmarva peninsula. A fiction novel taking place on a group of small islands off the coast of Virginia, the Shore has been home to generations of strong and resilient women. Throughout the story, the women’s experiences meet head-on, combining a 150-year history of two barrier island families from 1876 to 2143. Wealth and poverty play a major role in the outcomes of the generations who have lived there, while the connection to maritime land is threaded in each of the characters’ plot lines. Chesapeake Bay life is often beautifully isolated in culture yet biologically diverse in ecosystem, and this book certainly speaks to both sentiments of the watershed.
A setting in a book can provide that “je ne sais quoi” we all need to enjoy or take a break from the world. When we get in the weeds about politics or the degradation of our environment, a story can help us turn our thoughts to positivity and even advocacy. Discover a conservationist you’ve never heard of. Recount a historical moment in a dramatized way. Get kids enthralled with our ecosystems or habitats unseen. Not matter the genre, we’re happy to see wetlands setting the scene as a focal point of a good read.
Written on: March 19th, 2025 in Wetland Research, Wetland Restoration
By Kenny Smith, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment
In 2024 the Delaware Coastal Program and the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program worked together to update the Delaware Marsh Migration Model originally created in 2017. New and updated layers were added, as well as some refinement of scoring to better understand where our tidal wetlands may migrate to as sea levels rise. This effort should be used as a guidance tool for landowners and professionals to aid in land management and resiliency planning.
Tidal wetlands are found in coastal areas where the land meets water and are flooded and drained twice a day by tides. A natural, healthy tidal wetland will receive nutrients and suspended sediments from tidal waters that help plant growth and replenish wetland sediment which allows tidal wetlands to maintain proper elevations. Ideally, tidal wetlands could build their surface elevation over time to match rising water levels. However, tidal wetlands can fall behind in sediment building and become permanently flooded and eventually convert to mudflats or open water.
Another technique tidal wetlands use is to move slowly towards higher ground or migrate inland, which is called marsh migration. Tidal wetlands, when able, will slowly start a landward based movement as water level conditions begin to threaten vegetation survival. This can be visually seen by an increase in water, a slow die off of upland vegetation, and a transition into wetland plants. The model that was updated is predicting where tidal wetlands could potentially migrate. However, migration can only occur if adjacent upland habitat is natural and undeveloped and if conditions such as slope make it possible.
The updated Delaware Marsh Migration Model predicts where tidal wetlands have the potential to migrate under a 4ft. sea level rise scenario. The model uses various mapping layers to predict where migration is likely to occur. Model inputs include the slope of the land, land use/land cover (LULC), soil type, and distance to the nearest tidal wetland. It is important to note, this model does not provide any timeline for migration and should only be a guidance tool for consideration of future land management decisions.
Each of the mapping layers were used to assign a potential migration score ranging from 0 to 12. Areas with 0 score are not suitable for migration, while areas scoring 1-3 are least suitable, 4-6 less suitable, 7-9 suitable, and 10-12 are highly suitable. While this model shows where marsh migration is suitable, there are many other components that go into the potential for future habitat transition. For example, land use and ownership are the most important things to consider when using the marsh migration model. There may be an area that has high suitability for marsh migration but if it is privately owned and the land is being used for profit then it is doubtful that area will actually have marsh migration. The inverse also could be true; there could be an area that is only suitable but is publicly owned and can be maintained to foster marsh migration, not combat it.
For our analysis we focused on conditions with 4ft. of sea level rise as it is a likely scenario to occur in the next 75 years. Across Delaware the model predicts 34,211 acres total of migration potential, with 21,449 acres of that being scored as highly suitable.
According to the Delaware Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment, 99% of tidal wetlands will be lost to 4ft. of sea level rise by 2100, where the 21,449 acres of highly suitable marsh migration pathways would only replace 21% of these lost tidal wetlands. Of the highly suitable areas, 72% are found on private property, with the most being in an agriculture land use (6,906 acres; 45%) and existing non-tidal vegetated wetlands (4,757 acres; 31%). The remaining highly suitable migration areas are found on public property (6,101 acres; 28%).
While these results only provide a prediction of where tidal marshes may migrate in the future, they can be used to inform current and future management decision at both the public and private levels. Some examples of how this tool might be used are provided below:
Keep a lookout for our report and informational handout coming soon!
Written on: March 19th, 2025 in Education and Outreach, Natural Resources
By Laura Scharle, Delmarva Trails and Waterways and
Scharle Outdoor Recreation
Picture this. It’s spring and the weather forecast for the weekend is looking like it’s going to be beautiful. You and your family are deciding how to spend your time outside enjoying the sunshine and mild temperatures. A bike ride, a trip to the beach, and a picnic at the park are ideas that come to mind for most families, but I bet exploring a wetland is not at the top of your list!
Wetlands can elicit thoughts of muddy marshlands, stinky swamps, and places that will leave your clothes and the inside of your car filthy at the end of the day. We know wetlands provide crucial habitats and environmental benefits – and we love them for that – but most people aren’t going to jump at the opportunity to immerse themselves in all of that wetland glory.
Luckily, there are a variety of trails throughout the state that make visiting and experiencing a wetland much more accessible and enjoyable – without the need for waders and mud boots. These trails all have something in common: boardwalks.
I have always said, “Everyone loves a good boardwalk!” There’s just something satisfying about comfortably strolling just above the tops of the grass, elevating your view, and enabling you to experience a habitat that was otherwise inaccessible. Boardwalks also help protect the natural resources of the wetland. For one, they keep visitors contained to a specified area, keeping the impact of foot traffic to a minimum. Second, many boardwalks in Delaware are built with a composite material called “Thru-Flow” which has small holes allowing sunlight to reach the vegetation growing below the boardwalk. In addition, many of the boardwalks that aren’t constructed with Thru-Flow have the boards spaced far enough apart from each other to allow sunlight to get through.
So enough about boardwalk construction; you’re probably eager to get out and explore some of these scenic boardwalk vistas! Here are some of my favorite trails with boardwalks in Delaware, in no particular order.
St. Jones Preserve
Managed by DNREC’s Coastal Programs, the St. Jones Reserve is just a stone’s throw from Dover and offers a trail leading from the visitor center and over the marshes within the Reserve and the nearby Ted Harvey Wildlife Area. The trail is about a mile long (one-way), with the boardwalk stretching almost a quarter mile.
Little Creek Wildlife Observation Tower
If you’re after elevation and not distance, you’ll love the observation deck at Little Creek Wildlife Area. It’s just a short boardwalk stroll from the parking area and then there’s a two-level observation platform to take in some unobstructed views of the wetlands down below.
Bombay Hook and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuges
Delaware is lucky to have two national wildlife refuges along the bayshore. Bombay Hook and Prime Hook provide access to world-class birding opportunities throughout the year. There are several trails within each refuge that have short boardwalks, offering views of the coastal wetlands along the Delaware Bay.
Cape Henlopen State Park
The trails at Cape Henlopen State Park are some of the most popular in the state. The Gordons Pond Trail has an extensive boardwalk that is bikeable and passes through not only wetlands, but coastal dunes as well. The Walking Dunes Trail also offers stretches of boardwalks that pass over salt marsh habitats.
Burton Island Nature Preserve
Tucked away behind the Indian River Marina within Delaware Seashore State Park is the Burton Island Nature Preserve. This 1-mile loop trail has several boardwalks that make it easy to experience the vast salt marshes of the preserve.
DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center
The Woodland Wildlife Management Area is home to DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center, located in Smyrna. The trail here has an expansive stretch of boardwalk that showcases even more of the precious wetlands along the shores of the Delaware Bay.
James Farm Ecological Preserve
Just about the entire list so far has described boardwalk trails that are owned and managed by state and federal agencies. But let’s not forget the trails that are maintained by environmental nonprofits. The James Farm Ecological Preserve in Ocean View has boardwalks that pass-through damp forest as well as salt marsh habitat, ultimately leading out to a beautiful sandy beach. This boardwalk trail is managed by the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays.
Chapel Brach Nature Area
Speaking of trails managed by nonprofits, another gem of a boardwalk trail is located at the Chapel Branch Nature Area in Seaford. This tract of land is managed by the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy and has several trails, one of which has a boardwalk with great views of a wooded wetland area.
The Bob Trail
Probably the most famous boardwalk in western Sussex County would be the Bob Trail at Trap Pond State Park. This boardwalk is part of a 4-mile loop around the pond that welcomes both hikers and cyclists and is home to some of Delaware’s Unique Wetland Communities.
Port Penn Wetlands Trail
Another gem along Delaware’s bayshore is the Port Penn Wetlands Trail. This short little boardwalk trail is packed with wetland scenery and birding opportunities. Combine it with a trip to the Port Penn Interpretive Center to learn a bit about the history of the area.
Holts Landing State Park
The Sea Hawk Trail at Holts Landing State Park did not always have a scenic boardwalk. Years ago, a portion of the trail meandered along the sandy shoreline of the park, but due to erosion and sea level rise, that part of the trail became inaccessible over time. A few years back, the park system constructed a long boardwalk over the marsh, providing a beautiful connection to the rest of the trail, completing the 1.3-mile loop.
Jack A. Markell Trail
Boardwalk trails and wetlands are not just found in quiet, rural parts of the state. The Jack A. Markell trail is located between Wilmington and Newcastle and connects two urban areas. There are long stretches of boardwalks and bridges along this trail, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to get up close to the surrounding wetlands.
Experiencing wetlands has never been easier with all of the stunning boardwalk trails we have around Delaware. And nothing makes me happier than to spread the word and inspire others to explore the trails we have in our region. Back in 2020, I started developing the website, delmarvatrailsandwaterways.com, to help connect people with outdoor spaces on the Delmarva peninsula. I invite you to explore the site. Each of the trails listed above, as well as hundreds more outdoor spaces, are on the website – complete with photos, visitation tips, and driving directions. Make a commitment to yourself and your family to get outdoors and explore new places this season!
Laura Scharle is a freelance writer and tourism marketing professional. As a former employee of Delaware State Parks, she is passionate about inspiring and empowering people to get outside. For questions about this article, she can be reached at Laura@scharleoutdoorrec.com.
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