DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife seeks volunteers
for Blackbird Reserve Wildlife Area weed-out on Feb. 26

DOVER (Feb. 22, 2012) – The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife is looking for additional volunteers to help kick off National Invasive Species Awareness Week with an invasive plant “weed-out” at the Blackbird Reserve Wildlife Area near Smyrna from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26.

Fish and Wildlife staff and volunteers have been working on restoration projects at this site for the past year and made great progress. Native trees have been planted and invasive vines and shrubs cut back. However, more invasive plants must be eradicated before restoration at the site is complete, so plan to join in and help kick off National Invasive Species Awareness Week (www.nisaw.org) by working to remove invasive plants such as wintercreeper euonymous, English ivy, Japanese wisteria and multi-flora rose.

Work gloves, hand saws, pruners and loppers will be provided, but volunteers may bring their own. Volunteers for this project must be at least 15 years old. Those under the age of 18 must provide a parental consent form, which can be printed from the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s volunteer website, www.fw.delaware.gov/volunteers.

Volunteers will meet at the parking lot on Eagles Nest Landing Road, between Gum Bush Road and Deer Run Road. A map is available on the calendar page of the volunteer website above. The rain/snow date for the project will be 1 - 4 p.m., Sunday, March 11.

For more information or to sign up for this wildlife area project, please contact Lynne Staub at 302-735-3600 or email lynne.staub@state.de.us. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to pre-register with contact information in case of inclement weather leading to postponement.

For maps showing the location of volunteer events, parental consent forms or more information on other volunteer opportunities with the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, visit www.fw.delaware.gov/volunteers.

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.

Vol. 42, No. 54