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A Dynamic Ecosystem

Written on: December 19th, 2022 in Wetland AnimalsWetland Assessments

By Brittney Flatten, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section For the past year, I’ve been working with another DNREC scientist to document submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Delaware’s streams, ponds, and bays to get a better understanding of where these plants like to grow and how we can protect them. I had previously observed some […]


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Oh, For Peats Sake

Written on: December 19th, 2022 in Education and Outreach

By Olivia Allread, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program Ah, yes. The terrestrial ecosystem of bland, brown stuff. The innocuousness of peat may look like just any run of the mill soil, but this dirt is way beyond your average stuck under the nail type. Peat, Peatlands, and Wetlands First things first. Peat soil, or […]


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“For Future Generations of Delawareans”: What the Heck Does that Even Mean?

Written on: December 19th, 2022 in Education and Outreach

By Melanie Cucunato, DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation Did you know that Delaware is home to 34 Nature Preserves?! …What even is a Nature Preserve you ask? First off, ouch. Second off, allow me to attempt to give you the cliff notes version of the History of Natural Areas and Nature Preserves in Delaware. […]


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Status and Trends: Management Recommendations

Written on: December 19th, 2022 in Wetland Assessments

By Alison Rogerson, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program In this sixth and final installment in my Wetland Status and Trends blog series, I’m wrapping it all up with management recommendations. We came, we mapped, we calculated, we reported, now what? What comes next for wetland management and conservation in Delaware based on this project? […]


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The Artsy Side of Wetlands

Written on: September 26th, 2022 in Education and Outreach

By Olivia Allread, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program For many of us about to read this blog post, we may not be artists at heart. In fact, some of us may have not picked up a paint brush or sculpting clay since middle school. Everyone has their niche, right? Luckily a benefit of modern […]


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Wildlife Cameras as a Wetland Monitoring Tool: Mammals in the Marsh

Written on: September 26th, 2022 in Wetland Animals

By Kayla Clauson, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section Wildlife cameras are a tool that scientists can use to collect wildlife field data. Discussed previously in a past blog post, wildlife cameras allow scientists to collect field data secretly, without being there, round the clock. This wildlife habitat utilization monitoring is part of a salt […]


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Delaware Tax Ditches: Getting Back to Nature

Written on: September 26th, 2022 in Education and Outreach

By Ivette Clayton and Brittany Haywood, DNREC’s Tax Ditch Program What is a Tax Ditch? Did you know that there are 234 tax ditch organizations across the state of Delaware? They make up approximately 2,000 miles of channels across Kent, New Castle, and Sussex Counties. However, not all ditches are tax ditches. A tax ditch […]


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Status and Trends: In Summary

Written on: September 26th, 2022 in Wetland Assessments

By Alison Rogerson, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program Over the past year plus I’ve written five blogs sharing the results of our 2007-2017 Status and Trends report which reviews many angles of Delaware’s wetlands based on analysis of the 2017 Statewide Wetland Mapping Project (SWMP). In this post I am focusing on final thoughts […]


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The Big Year at DNERR

Written on: July 13th, 2022 in Education and OutreachWetland Animals

By Laurel Sullivan, DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Programs Attention! Calling all birders, experienced and newbies- the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) has a Big Year challenge for you! A Big Year is a challenge birdwatchers set for themselves to see or hear as many birds and bird species as possible within a single year. This […]


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Where Does the Trash Go?

Written on: July 13th, 2022 in Education and Outreach

By Ashley Cole, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program This summer I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work with DNREC’s Department of Watershed Stewardship, specifically their Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program. I was very excited to get outdoors, see wild places no one has seen before, and keep our wetlands healthy. I thought these wetlands […]


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