NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

Sept. 23, 2009
Vol. 39, No. 383

For more information contact Lynne Staub, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Private Lands Assistance Program, 302-735-3600; or Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Volunteer for 5th Annual Acorn   Collection Day on Oct. 10

With acorns in abundance this time of year, volunteers are needed for DNREC’s 5th Annual Acorn Collection Day being held from 9 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Oct. 10. Volunteers will collect acorns from places where seedlings would not generally be able to grow – along trail edges, open spaces and roadsides – at two Delaware State Parks and the Smyrna Rest Area.

Acorn Collection Day is the perfect opportunity for families and youth groups to volunteer, gain community service hours and help Delaware’s environment. Since the volunteer event was initiated in 2005, nearly 1,050 pounds of acorns have been collected that supports reforestation projects for DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program.

The acorns will be scattered in reforestation areas to grow on their own, or with the help of program partners, grown into oak seedlings that will be transplanted on privately-owned lands throughout the state. The oak trees will expand wooded areas and forested corridors that provide valuable habitat – shelter and food – for many native wildlife species, including the Delmarva fox squirrel, wood thrush, and Cooper’s hawk. With more than 80 percent of available or restorable wildlife habitat in Delaware on private lands, the program provides a cooperative solution to protecting wildlife habitat.

Three collection sites, one in each county, will have bags and collection materials for volunteers.

New Castle County
Lums Pond State Park
1068 Howell School Rd.
Bear, Del. 19701
Meet at Area 2, first parking lot

Kent County
Smyrna Rest Area
5500 DuPont Highway
Smyrna, Del. 19977
Meet at the building entrance

Sussex County
Trap Pond State Park
33587 Bald Cypress Lane
Laurel, Del. 19956
Meet at second parking lot

Pre-registration is encouraged by contacting Lynne Staub at (302) 735-3600 or by email, Lynne.Staub@state.de.us.

For more information on the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program, visit http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/dplap.