DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center announces
‘Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crabs’ to be held on May 21

SLAUGHTER BEACH (April 6, 2011) – The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve, a DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife facility, will host “Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crabs,” its second-annual festival celebrating the spring spectacle of migrating shorebirds and spawning horseshoe crabs, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 at the center and the Slaughter Beach Fire Hall in Slaughter Beach. Admission is free.

The festivities will feature children’s games, music, crafts and vendors, food and a variety of fun and educational activities at eco-stations set up on the grounds. Visitors will have great viewing opportunities from the center’s large deck to check out migrating shorebirds including the Red Knot. Guides will be on hand to help identify the birds, which depend on horseshoe crab eggs to help fuel their 9,000-mile journey. In addition, special presentations on topics such as birding, horseshoe crabs and shipbuilding will be presented throughout the day at the fire hall.

Parking will be available at the public boat ramp, with shuttles running to the center throughout the day. Parking will also be available at the fire hall. The festival will be held rain or shine.

The celebration will continue from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Slaughter Beach Fire Hall with a fundraiser by the Friends of the DuPont Nature Center, featuring raffles, a silent auction and food and beverages by Chef Phillip Harris. Entertainment begins at 6 p.m. with singer songwriter Em McKeever, followed by the Island Boyz steel drum band from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 each or $60 per couple. Proceeds benefit the DuPont Nature Center Scholarship Fund.

Perched on the edge of Mispillion Harbor at the intersection of the mouths of the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek, the center regularly offers a variety of interactive exhibits, school tours and educational programs. The center is located at 2992 Lighthouse Road, east of Milford. From May 1 through Aug. 31, the center’s regular hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information about “Peace, Love & Horseshoe Crabs,” tickets to the fundraiser or about the DuPont Nature Center and its programs, please call 302-422-1329, or visit http://dupontnaturecenter.blogspot.com.

Vol. 41, No. 137