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Written on: May 21st, 2025 in Education and Outreach
By Maddie Fox, Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is a private nonprofit organization and one of 28 National Estuary Programs in the nation. Its creation was the culmination of 20 years of public participation and investigation into the declining water quality of the Inland Bays and the remedies for their restoration. The Center strives to preserve, protect, and restore Delaware’s Inland Bays and the surrounding watershed through science-based research, restoration, education, public policy, and advocacy.
The James Farm Ecological Preserve was donated to Sussex County in 1992. The late Mary Lighthipe donated the 150-acre property in memory of her late son, Harold. Lighthipe donated the land under the condition that the property be used for education and recreation purposes. The Center took over management of the Preserve in 1998. The Preserve is free and open to the public every day from dawn to dusk.
Located in Ocean View, the James Farm Ecological Preserve is an important resource for the Center and the community. As the Preserve’s popularity increased and its programs expanded, the need to plan for increased visitation while protecting its ecosystems became evident. The Center embarked on the development of a holistic plan that would address the needs of Preserve users and collectively envision its future. The Master Plan addresses enhancements to better serve residents and visitors of Delaware while protecting the Preserve’s ecosystems and enhancing education and outreach opportunities.
Environmental Education
The education department at the Center is committed to offering educational opportunities to people of all ages to engage with and learn about the Inland Bays in meaningful ways that improve their lives and the health of the environment. The Center’s education programs can be divided into a few main categories.
Youth Education
The Center is turning the beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests, and meadows of the Inland Bays watershed into interactive outdoor classrooms for young learners. The Student Estuary Exploration (SEE) Program consists of interactive, nature-based learning opportunities aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for preschool through high school. The goal is to increase environmental literacy, an individual’s understanding, skills, and motivation to make responsible decisions that consider their relationships to natural systems, communities, and future generations” (Oregon State University).
This spring, the Center will welcome over 500 students from several local schools and youth groups, including Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences, Rehoboth Elementary School, Next Step Learning Center, and Stephen Decatur Middle School. During field trips, students will explore the Preserve and examine different habitats, test the water quality of the Indian River Bay, learn about the ecology and importance of dunes, handle living creatures like fish and horseshoe crabs, and so much more.
Homeschool Series
This spring, the Center launched a new component of our education program, the Inland Bays Homeschool series! This new educational offering was created specifically for homeschool families and provides a dynamic learning experience designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love of the outdoors. During the inaugural spring session, the “Power of Plants”, students learned about different parts of a plant, how plants grow, and plant identification techniques, and wrapped the season up by learning about the importance of native plants. Students put these skills into action and helped plant native flower seeds at the Preserve. In a few months, those flowers should be in bloom. More information about the Center’s homeschool series, including details on upcoming sessions, can be found here.
Public Education
There’s something for everyone at the Center’s public education programs! These opportunities rotate seasonally and include programs better suited for adult learners and those specifically designed for families with children. From learning about ospreys, the importance of marshes, beachcombing, or joining us for a Kids’ Day, these programs allow everyone to learn while exploring the Preserve and connecting with nature. Check out our events calendar for upcoming programs! Registration is encouraged.
Written on: May 21st, 2025 in Education and Outreach
By Olivia Allread, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program
We know. This one sounds a little crazy. And by no means are we saying to throw on some boots and go out into the waist-deep mud to get yourself an afternoon snack. But, to add to all the other ways wetlands are wonderous, we wanted to cover a more niche topic: edible wetland plants. Grab your fork and knife, and let’s cut into some types of wetland plants you can eat that are native to Delaware.
Wild Rice (Zizania aquatica)
Seen abundantly and occasionally eaten, wild rice is a very tall grass native to North America that produces an edible seed. As a grass grain, it is easy to collect, hence why many Indigenous and Native American tribes had it as a staple in their diet. Full of carbohydrates and sprinkled with a dash of protein, the grains can be cooked, ground into flour, or used as a thickener in recipes. Additionally, the grains are rich in amino acids and glutelin, plus a good source of B vitamins. Birds also really dig this grain! When in bloom from June to September, flocks of wetland birds, like the red-winged blackbird, chow down on the rice blooms, grains, and even insects that live on the vegetation. Tidal freshwater and brackish marshes and non-tidal marshes are common places to find wild rice.
Glasswort (Salicornia virginica)
Now this one is rather tasty. Also known as pickleweed or marsh samphire, the leaves are the edible portions of the plant and have been harvested for centuries for culinary, industrial, and medicinal uses. Its physical characteristics are quite interesting, as it is a low-growing succulent with fleshy, branched stems that appear to be fused together. Though glasswort does have inconspicuous fruits and flowers, both the green and red leaves are the true delicacy which can be eaten raw, cooked, or even pickled. From personal experience, the red leaves are the best (very salty!) and pair excellent with a lemony fish, buttery meat, or citrus-based salad.
Broadleaf Cattail (Typha latifolia)
You can eat everything on this plant – young shoots, to pollen, to the roots! Found in tidal and non-tidal wetlands, the cattail provides a plethora of flavors to tantalize the tastebuds. When in the shoot stage, raw, it tastes like cucumbers and is ideal for dicing, slicing, or pickling. But when steamed, has a rather earthy undertone much like cabbage. The base of the stem, where it attaches to the root, can be boiled or roasted and has been said to taste like potatoes. Additionally, the roots themselves can be dried and ground into a powder that is rich in protein and can be used for making biscuits or muffins. Cattail pollen can substitute flour in bread making and the flower stalks can be taken out of their sheaths and cooked just like corn. With certain plant parts high in starch and full of carbohydrates – plus cattails abundance around the world – there may be potential to utilize this wetland-loving plant as a food source.
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata)
Beautifully colored and tasty. As an emergent wetland species, this plant is rooted in soil but grows with its stems and leaves extending above the water’s surface. The seeds, stalks, and unfolded leaves are edible to humans, and the violet-blue flowers produce a sweet nectar that attracts pollinators like butterflies and bees. Its starchy seeds can be roasted or boiled, but still retain a nutty taste – a good addition to a bowl of granola or on top of any type of gourd. The stalks and leaves have a milder taste, being just slightly sweet, and can be eaten raw on salads or boiled as a vegetable side with melted butter. Reaching 4 feet in height, this plant can provide an abundance of stalk snacks!
Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)
Ah, the duck potato. In mud, the stems of this aquatic perennial produce starchy tubers – an underground storage organ – that can be fried, roasted, or broiled. It’s a rather simple flavor, like sweet chestnuts with a crunchy, potato texture. The shoots, leaves, roots, and flowers are also edible, but the tuber is what is most widely used for food. In Indigenous and Native American communities, it historically was used for medicinal purposes to treat everything from headaches to stomach blockages, clean and treat wounds, reduce fevers, and rubbed on as a dermatological aid. Blooming mid to late summer in Delaware’s wetlands, you may also be able to spot the species by its 3-petalled white flower or arrowhead-shaped leaves.
Wetland plants certainly will not feed the world or fix global hunger issues. But as we look to 2050, when we’ll need to feed two billion more people then currently on the planet, it may not be a bad idea to incorporate new foods into our diet. The foods we choose to eat and the methods we choose to harvest them in the coming decades will have ramifications for the planet. How can we better understand the ecological and nutritional benefits of edible wetland plants? Are these species a perk to wetland conservation and restoration? Can they be considered a delicacy to shine the spotlight on wetland habitats? Food for thought. But in the slim chance you find yourself stranded in a salt marsh or in a wet forest with an apocalyptic-like society, you wouldn’t go completely hungry.
Written on: May 21st, 2025 in Natural Resources
By Alison Stouffer, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program
It’s been a few months since our last cross country road trip. With winter in the rear-view mirror, I am excited to come out of hibernation and explore the wetlands of the Southeast United States! Need a refresher on where we have been thus far? Be sure to read up on our first, second, and third excursions on our blog.
Defined by a subtropical climate, the Southeast experiences mild winters, humid summers, and ample rainfall – important considerations when discussing wetland diversity within the region. With wetlands covering over 60% of the region1, these states are known for alluvial floodplains, bottomland forests, tidal freshwater swamps, and estuarine marshes. Alluvial floodplains are flat areas alongside rivers and streams that buildup sediment from flooding events over long periods of time. For example, the Mississippi River Delta is a well-known alluvial floodplain in Louisiana that boasts extensive salt marsh habitat. The Mississippi River, and other smaller rivers and streams, in this region also feed many bottomland forests. We will get to see these popular wetland habitats up close and personal throughout our drive.
Kentucky
We will be starting our southeast road trip off with a one-of-its-kind, rare Kentucky wetland. Protected in a conservation easement, Hazeldell Meadow is the only remaining highland rim wet barren in the state. Less than 2 acres in size, this property is a safe haven for rare and threatened plant species, such as Kentucky’s only carnivorous plant, the sundew. Falling under the wetland category of wet meadow, these habitats are susceptible to conversion to agriculture due to their low-lying elevation and seasonal inundation.
Tennessee
Continuing south, we will be heading to Shady Valley, which falls within the southern Appalachian Mountains. After the last Ice Age, the high elevation of this region of Tennessee was left peppered by bogs, a type of peat wetland. Even cranberry bogs can be found here, which are more characteristic of wetlands in New England. Our road trip will be taking us to Orchard and Quarry Bogs, owned by The Nature Conservancy. Together, the two properties span 218 acres of land that provides important habitat for many critters, including the federally threatened bog turtle.
Arkansas
I hope you are ready for a long car ride because our next stop is a 10-hour drive away! (Maybe we should fly?… No! This is a road trip after all). Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge is a designated Ramsar Wetland of International Importance as it is a major stopover for birds migrating along the Mississippi Flyway. Characteristic of many wetlands within this region, this refuge is a bottomland hardwood forested wetland. Access can be tricky when the White River is experiencing high water levels so be sure to bust out your favorite pair of knee boots for the mud!
Louisiana
Practically a straight shot south, we will be visiting the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge. Part of the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River alluvial floodplains, the Atchafalaya Basin, at large, encompasses almost 1 million acres of bottomland hardwood forest and bald cypress tupelo swamp, with over 15,000 acres protected within the refuge. That’s the largest contiguous wetland complex in North America! Other wetland habitats that can be found within the basin are bayous and salt marshes. Need help separating out the difference in wetland types? Check out this blog post here.
Mississippi
Our next stop has us continuing east along the Gulf Coast to Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). A partnership between Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the reserve protects 18,049 acres of coastal habitat for long-term research and educational purposes. Wetland habitats that can be seen here include salt marshes, bayous, salt pannes, and pine savannas. Be sure to visit the Interpretive Center to read about the coastal habitats the reserve has to offer, as well as check out the boardwalk to a nearby freshwater marsh!
Alabama
In Alabama, we will be visiting another area similar to the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta encompasses around 200,000 acres between the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers. It is the second largest delta in North America after the Mississippi River Delta. During our visit, we will see bottomland hardwood forests, cypress-tupelo swamps, oxbow wetlands, and marshlands. Beyond the range of wetland habitats that can be found here, the delta is also home to the largest population of American alligator in the state. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled; we wouldn’t want you to become a snack!
Florida
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Florida? Some might say Florida Man, Miami, or Disney. But true wetland enthusiasts would say the Everglades, which is a designated Wetland of International Importance. Encompassing around 1.5 million acres of wetlands, Everglades National Park is just a tiny drop in the bucket of 11 million acres of wetlands throughout the state. The park showcases a variety of wetland habitats including freshwater sloughs, cypress swamps, mudflats, salt marsh, and mangroves. Mangrove forests or swamps are unique wetlands that consist of salt-loving trees and are extremely valuable in coastal protection.
Georgia
Heading north, we will be visiting the third Wetland of International Importance on this installment of the cross country road trip, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area. Okefenokee encompasses 438,000 acres of blackwater swamp. A blackwater swamp is a freshwater wetland with slow moving water stained brown or black from tannins in decaying leaf litter. Fun fact: the peat-filled wetland lies within a massive depression that used to be the ocean floor!
South Carolina
Say goodbye to the swamps of pitstops past and say hello to Carolina bays. Carolina bays, or coastal plain ponds and Delmarva bays as they are known in the Mid-Atlantic, are nontidal freshwater depression wetlands that have an oval shape. As they are seasonally flooded, they can be challenging to locate. However, we will be visiting Ditch Pond Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area, which contains a 25-acre coastal bay. Fortunately, where many bays have been significantly altered or disturbed by humans, the bay at Ditch Pond has remained in its natural, intact state.
North Carolina and Virginia
Back to the swamps we go! And this one is a two-for. On this next wetland stop we will be visiting the Great Dismal Swamp. Encompassing around 480,000 acres, this forested wetland complex falls within both North Carolina and Virginia and is managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Additional acreage is protected by the North Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation as a state park. Within the swamp is Lake Drummond, one of only two natural lakes in Virginia. Be sure to enjoy a scenic stroll along a boardwalk, paddle through the cypress trees at the lake, or enjoy the mosquito-free environment of the visitor center! I’m sure you will be left wondering how such a place could ever be called dismal.
West Virginia
For the final destination in our Southeast wetlands road trip, we will be visiting Cranesville Swamp Preserve within the Appalachian Mountains. The preserve, owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, falls within a frost pocket—a location where cold air sinks into a lower lying area—making conditions extra soggy. This area is one of the few remaining boreal bogs in the southern United States. But don’t worry about getting your boots too wet; there is a boardwalk into the boreal peat bog!
Next Stop: Wetlands of the Northeast
While not every wetland point-of-interest is a swamp, bottomland hardwood forest, or delta, it is clear what wetland types reign supreme in the Southeast. With one installment left of our cross-country road trip, we are nearly at the finish line. The next part of our trip will take us to the Northeast United States, including our home state of Delaware. Until then, rest up and stretch your legs!
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