April 20, 2010
Vol. 40, No. 119

Contact:  Kimberly Cole, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, 302-739-3436; or Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Volunteers make a difference at the Blackbird Creek Reserve
An Earth Week tree planting event helps preserve an ecologically valuable area

On Saturday, April 17, volunteers—including families from around the state, Boy Scout Troop 24, and the Wolfe 3 team from the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC)—joined with DNREC and planted 800 natives trees at the Blackbird Creek Reserve near Townsend.

The Blackbird Creek Reserve is a component of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the tree planting event was part of a long-range restoration plan to protect and preserve one of the most beautiful and ecologically valuable areas in Delaware.

“The volunteers did an outstanding job, planting native bare-root and potted trees, including black cherry, river birch, swamp white oak, maple, loblolly pine and eastern red cedar to name a few, as part of our restoration effort at the Blackbird Creek Reserve,” said Kimberly Cole, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve manager. “Restoration of the Reserve has been a primary concern and thanks to volunteers like those who came out on Saturday, we’ve been able to plant over 8,000 native trees in restoration projects since 2004. We truly appreciate the volunteers’ efforts working with the Reserve to inspire wise stewardship of Delaware’s estuarine and coastal areas.” 

Delawareans will have the opportunity to explore the diverse habitats of Blackbird Creek Reserve on a guided Habitat Hike scheduled for Friday, April 30 from 9 to 11 a.m. For additional information and to register for the hike or any other program, please contact Jennifer Holmes at  302-739-3436.

For information, visit DNERR’s web site  and join us on Facebook!

The Blackbird Creek Reserve and St. Jones Reserve are two components of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR), a cooperative program between the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Delaware Coastal Programs and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Inspiring appreciation and wise stewardship of Delaware’s estuarine and coastal areas through science and education.