Contact: Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

“Arts in the Estuary” celebration Sept. 26 at St. Jones Reserve
National Estuary Day event also includes John Dickinson Plantation
and Delaware Native Plant Society’s Annual Plant Sale

DOVER (Sept. 22, 2015) – The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) is holding “Arts in the Estuary,” an event celebrating National Estuary Day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26 at the St. Jones Reserve, 818 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover and at the John Dickinson Plantation, located next to the Reserve at 340 Kitts Hummock Road – two of the most treasured natural and cultural areas in Delaware. Admission is free to the rain-or-shine event which also features the Delaware Native Plant Society’s Annual Native Plant Sale.

“There’s something for everyone at “Arts in the Estuary,” said Maggie Pletta, education coordinator at DNERR. “Families can discover the St. Jones Reserve’s natural wonders, browse artwork, listen to live musical performances, and purchase a native plant for their own backyards. They can step back in time by visiting the John Dickinson Plantation and experience the colonial arts. New this year the Mispillion Art League is offering a painting class for festival participants for a small fee.”

“Arts in the Estuary” features more than 15 artists, photographers, jewelers, wood carvers, and exhibitors showcasing their work for sale amidst the lush landscape of the St. Jones Reserve. Visitors can view painting and carving demonstrations, speak to local artists, paint an estuary landscape and get tips on how to create their own artwork. Children of all ages can demonstrate their talents by painting with soils, making fish prints, and doing other children’s activities. Everyone can enjoy live musical performances by Bethany Krumrine at 11 a.m. and by Rick Schuman at 12:30 p.m.

At the John Dickinson Plantation, period artists will demonstrate their heirloom crafts and costumed interpreters will guide visitors through the mansion and demonstrate the colonial art of preserving, smoking and pickling foods.

The event celebrates coastal and estuarine conservation, research and education at the Reserve, and highlights the work accomplished at the Reserve to establish, protect and manage estuarine habitats for research and education.

For more information about the event visit: http://de.gov/dnerrarts 
 
The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) was established in 1993 to promote the stewardship and understanding of Delaware’s coastal areas through science and education.  DNERR is a cooperative program between the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Delaware Coastal Programs and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is one of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves across the country.

Visit us on the web: http://de.gov/dnerr
Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DNERR/
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DNERR 

This project is part of DNREC’s Bayshore Initiative, a landscape approach to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat, increase volunteer participation in habitat stewardship projects, enhance low-impact outdoor recreation and ecotourism opportunities, and promote associated environmentally compatible economic development. For more information, click Delaware Bayshore.   

Vol. 45, No. 316