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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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Poking Around the Pocomoke

Written on: July 13th, 2022 in Wetland Assessments

By Brittney Flatten, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section This summer, the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program (WMAP) team is doing wetland condition assessments in the Pocomoke River watershed. During an assessment, scientists look at soil quality, rate sources of water, evaluate the plant community, and identify stressors in or around the wetland. These observations […]


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An Evolving Future: The Path of Environmental Justice

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

By Olivia Allread, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program Science and reality of our current times shows that certain groups in society carry unequal economic and environmental burdens. The food we eat, the air we breathe, our water sources, and indeed our overall health depend on a clean and sustainable environment. Unfortunately, the benefits of […]


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

Written on: May 25th, 2022 in Wetland AnimalsWetland Research

By Kayla Clauson, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section Wildlife cameras are a tool scientists can use to collect wildlife field data. Often, scientists go out in the field and conduct monitoring that gather similar data but are restricted because they only get a small snapshot of their target observations. For example, a field crew […]


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Planning a Brighter Future for the Wetlands of Delaware’s Inland Bays

Written on: May 25th, 2022 in Wetland AssessmentsWetland Restoration

By Erin Dorset, DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife The Inland Bays are a beautiful and beloved part of Delaware, containing about 20% of the state’s wetlands. Those wetlands are important economically, culturally, and ecologically, as they improve water quality, support commercial and recreational fisheries, support tourism, absorb flood waters, and provide crucial feeding and […]


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Coastal Wetlands: More Than Just a Pretty View

Written on: May 25th, 2022 in Education and Outreach

By Olivia McDonald, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program As you drive through the coastlines of Delaware and roll down your windows, you’re greeted by a view like no other. You spot an expansive marsh on your right, opening to a vast bay filled with boats and glistening with sunshine. Most of us know that […]


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A Summer Exploring the Brandywine

Written on: May 25th, 2022 in Wetland Assessments

By Alison Rogerson, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program The summer of 2019 was like most for the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program field crew. Similar to summers before it since 2000, we had a selected watershed to focus on and call ‘office’ for the growing season. Field crews spend the summer visiting randomly selected […]


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Tiger Salamanders and Forested Buffers

Written on: March 17th, 2022 in Wetland Animals

By Alison Rogerson, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program Early on a rainy but relatively warm February morning, while most people were still snuggled under the blankets, two biologists from DNREC Fish & Wildlife wade through a wetland pond in Blackbird State Forest. Their chest waders and raincoat keep them dry. Their headlamp helps them […]


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Status and Trends: Wetland Changes

Written on: March 16th, 2022 in Wetland Assessments

By Alison Rogerson, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program By now, you may have read through our previous Status and Trends blog posts focused on current acreage, or status, of wetlands, as well as trends such as gains and losses. There is still one trends category to dive into: changes. This is probably the most […]


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