DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program

We got a drone! We're extremely excited to finally have our very own drone to capture the work we do in wetlands. Remote areas, images for education, reconnaissance of wetland sites - the possibilities continue to grow.
Here is snapshot from our drone test day of our Indian River Near Millsboro Beneficial Use Dredging Project.

A burrowing brown blob! Well, kinda. Sea cucumbers are a part of a larger group of animals called echinoderms, which means spiny-skinned. Their body shape is similar to a cucumber, but they have small tentacle-like tube feet that are used for locomotion and feeding. Found only in salt water and tidal wetlands, more than a thousand species of sea cucumbers exist around the world.

Pretty and ornamental doesn't mean native. Vinca minor, commonly know as periwinkle, is an invasive vine that grows vigorously and forms dense groundcover crowding out native vegetation. In fact, this species is banned under Delaware law! Wetlands and other vital Delaware habitats can be under great threat when this species enters a natural area.

Time flies when your in the wetlands. Throwing it back ten years ago to our 2014 field crew - don't worry, flip flops are the standard after wetland work attire.

Join us this Thursday for a free public lecture on living shorelines! Learn more about the basics of living shorelines and how they can be used to protect and improve your coastal property. Discover what natural materials this green infrastructure uses and example projects in Delaware. Get a glimpse at resources available as well as gain knowledge on how to determine if a living shoreline is right for you.

Location: South Coastal Library, Bethany Beach, DE
Date and Time: Thursday, June 13 at 2PM
Registration:

Living Shorelines 101: A Green Way to Protect Your Property — Delaware Living Shorelines Join DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship at this free lecture to get to know living shorelines. Discover the basics of this type of green infrastructure, example projects, and resources available to property owners for this method of shoreline stabilization. Click here to register for this

Just saying hello. We spotted this musk turtle catching some sun on a riparian wetland in Kent County. Also known as a stinkpot turtle, this reptile produces a foul-smelling scent from glands along the bottom of their carapace when handled. On top of the getting a funky whiff, we got a nice snapshot of its snout and mouth in action.

Why do we need wetland mapping? A major reason is to show where wetlands are likely to exist and how they change over time. In the past 20 years, the technology to produce accurate maps without visiting each habitat has become cheaper and more reliable. These techniques have even evolved to deliver information about wetland types, as well as their location and size.

Take a look at these snapshots that are 10 years apart - outlined in orange is an example of a non-tidal forested wetland in 2007 that was lost to agriculture by 2017. Wetland maps like these are essential for management, necessary for protection, and critical for restoration.

Such a staple in the salt marsh ecosystem. Spartina alterniflora, or smooth cordgrass, is a native to Delaware's wetlands and is prominent feature in tidal marsh areas. Glands on its leaves excrete salt, much like human sweat, allowing the plant to survive in very salty conditions as well as the daily tidal cycle.

This whelk shell washed up looking wonderful. Knobbed whelks call this shell home and are marine gastropods that live in tidal wetlands and estuaries along our Atlantic coast. As a type of predatory sea snail, they use their foot to hold prey while the lip of its shell pries and chips at a bivalve. Once a big enough hole has opened, the snail inserts its foot and begins to feed.

As a nocturnal species, living mostly in moist woodlands and wetlands, gray tree frogs main defensive system is its ability to change color in seconds. These frogs use their round and sticky toe pads to cling to tree bark or high up surfaces. When danger is present, they will blend darker to match the area they are attached too - what a skill to have!

American Wetlands Month continues! We're grateful to be working with these amazing habitats every single day. Browse our webpage below to see all the projects, education, and research happening with wetlands in Delaware.

https://dnrec.delaware.gov/watershed-stewardship/wetlands/

This is about as close as we will get. The common snapping turtle has very few predators when fully grown, yet still maintains an omnivorous diet. With large claws and an alligator-like tail, these reptiles can dig well into soft bottoms of ponds, rivers, and streams. Freshwater and brackish wetlands can be areas to spot this species, but be sure to keep your distance from their powerful jaw.

Looking to spruce up your perennial plants? Why not use natives! As species that are habituated to the local area, native plants are “customized” to survive the temperatures and conditions that typically occur during summer in a particular territory. In Delaware, black-eyed Susan's are a great example of summer beauties that enjoy heat. Visit your local garden center or nursery to search for this plant and discover others that support the local, native ecosystem.

With erosion and the impacts of sea level rise effecting our shorelines, we have a lot to protect. Join us at this free lecture on June 13 to get to know living shorelines. Discover the basics of this type of green infrastructure, example projects, and resources available to property owners for this method of shoreline stabilization.

Registration for this free lecture below.

Living Shorelines 101: A Green Way to Protect Your Property — Delaware Living Shorelines Join DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship at this free lecture to get to know living shorelines. Discover the basics of this type of green infrastructure, example projects, and resources available to property owners for this method of shoreline stabilization. Click here to register for this

Forget your zodiac sign, what wetland type are you?
The celebration of American Wetlands Month continues!

A soon to be a veracious eater. Diving beetle larva like this one will crawl out of the water and burrow in the mud to pupate, or transition, and emerge from its case into an adult. Once back in the water as a large beetle, this predator hunts invertebrates, tadpoles, and even smaller fish in slow-moving freshwater. We found this larva while conducting stream assessments - seeing a species in a transitional life stage was interesting to say the least.

Tomorrow's the day - our Water Family Fest and Native Plant is finally here! Join us and DE Center for the Inland Bays for an incredible event filled with Delaware's waters, wetlands, shorelines, and native plants.

Over 30 exhibitors
Local nurseries selling native plants
Dozens of family activities
Raffles and giveaways
Food, beverages, and a band from: Taco Reho, Bountiful Bowls, Ocean View Brewing Company, and Homestead Bluegrass Band
Discover the event program, parking, and more through the link below. See you there!
https://dnrec.delaware.gov/watershed-stewardship/wetlands/family-fest/

It's American Wetlands Month! During the month of May lets celebrate the incredible importance of wetlands to the environment and humans alike. Wetlands are ranked as one of Earth’s most productive ecosystems, supporting an huge amount of biodiversity, and are considered a nature-based solution to climate change.

Wetlands can be found all across the United States and can include marshes, swamps, deltas, mangroves, and floodplains, just to name a few. On a more local scale, almost anywhere you stand in Delaware puts you within one mile of a wetland. Stay tuned for more ways to celebrate in the coming weeks!

May is American Wetlands Month | US EPA American Wetlands Month, a time when EPA and its partners in federal, state, tribal, local, non-profit, and private sector organizations celebrate the vital importance of wetlands

This little thing can go a long way. The American eel is a migratory species that spawns in the open ocean waters of the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic, but spends its adult life within inland waters along our coasts. During the first year of life these eels will metamorphose into a glass eel, shown here, then currents assist with migration transport into estuaries for more stages of life to come.

Join in on a jammed-packed event! Our Water Family Fest and Native Plant Sale is soon approaching. We have over 30 exhibitors, oodles of family-friendly activities, giveaways and raffles, plus an abundance of resources at exhibitor booths. Here is a sneak peak of a few below.

SNAC Garden
Delaware DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife
Storyhill Farm
Surfrider Foundation Delaware Chapter
MERR Institute
Delaware Livable Lawns
Sussex Conservation District
Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc.

May 4 is the day, get ready to discover more than just a good time. https://dnrec.delaware.gov/watershed-stewardship/wetlands/family-fest/

For what it's earth, we created an Earth Day Top 20 playlist 🌎🎶 What song would you put on our earth day playlist that we missed?

Check out the full song list on our Outdoor Delaware article:https://dnrec.delaware.gov/outdoor-delaware/earth-day-playlist/

Smart seafood is the "in thing". Not only is the Eastern oyster a keystone species in its environment, they also can be sustainably grown and harvested under state and federal regulations. This bivalve can be found in tidal wetlands throughout Delaware and provides benefits to water quality, filtration of pollutants, and nutrient cycling.

Doin' science. Some field days in wetlands can get pretty tough, but showing our goofy side certainly helps. Peep this snapshot from field work in 2003 of Griff striking a pose.

You never know what you may find in the wetlands. Insects, mammals, larvae, reptiles, amphibians - the list goes on. Comment below you identification guess to this field find.

We're less than a month away - our Water Family Fest and Native Plant Sale is coming up! Get ready to grub and groove with our local food vendors and band. Join us and DE Center for the Inland Bays on Saturday May 4 at this FREE family-friendly event.

Taco Reho
Bountiful Bowls
Ocean View Brewing Company
Homestead Bluegrass Band

Discover more information through the link in our bio.
📸: Delaware DNREC

An underwater predator. Water stick insects not only camouflage well in their environments, but can ambush prey quickly underwater. This species uses its hooked front legs to capture food, while its tail acts like a snorkel above the water to siphon air for breathing. Wetlands can provide ideal homes for these hunters to feed on other invertebrates or small fish and tadpoles

In your down time this week, read our latest blog additions! Featured articles touch on wetland pollinators, victories in wetland habitat preservation, and citizen monitoring in the Nanticoke watershed.

https://wmap.blogs.delaware.gov/

Butorides virescens, the green heron. Often a secretive bird who is solitary most seasons, this species can be spotted around smaller bodies of water or densely vegetated areas. When seen in the open, the green on the bird's back is an iridescent color, but usually looks dull bluish or simply dark.

Shoutout to our nurseries participating in the Water Family Fest and Native Plant Sale! Purchase native plants from the folks below and learn more about the importance of native species in Delaware.
Inland Bays Garden Center
Roots Landscaping and Garden Center
East View Farms

See you Saturday, May 4!
https://dnrec.delaware.gov/watershed-stewardship/wetlands/family-fest/

Happy World Water Day! This special occasion celebrates water and inspires action to tackle the global water crisis; the theme for 2024 is water for peace. This year, spread the realization that water is not only a resource to be used, but a human right intrinsic to every aspect of life.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day