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 Pages Tagged With: "education"

Spring – It’s Bird TV

Now is a great time to grab your binoculars to witness the spectacle of the return of our migrant bird species throughout the state. Outdoor Delaware sat down with our staff birders to talk about spring birding and what makes it so special.


Shopping in Delaware? Here are Four Alternatives for Plastic Carryout Bags

Delaware’s recent plastic bag ban may have you looking for other ways to take your groceries home. Here are four alternatives to single-use carryout plastic bags that are better for you and the environment.


Four Tips for Fishing with Young Anglers

Fishing is a great activity for young people to jump-start interest in the natural environment. Our staff agree, there is no time like the present to encourage the next generation of environmental stewards.


The Transformers

You may not have heard about them, but there are brownfields all over Delaware. They’re neither pretty nor healthy. That is, until we step in to clean them up and make way for redevelopment.


K-9s – DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Superpower

They find lost children and suspects, sniff out illegal drugs and perform many other law enforcement tasks. But instead of two legs, they have four. They’re enforcement officers like any other with our Natural Resources Police.


More Than a Drink of WATAR

Safer water for us, less flooding and shad returning to their spawning grounds in the Brandywine River. Our WATAR team is making it happen.


Wetlands Education Opportunities

There are multiple opportunities for wetland education and field trips in Delaware. They include opportunities within the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and among our conservation partners. DNREC Opportunities The Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Aquatic Research Education Center (AREC) offers extensive wetland education materials for teachers, a field


Water Family Fest and Native Plant Sale

DNREC and the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays host an annual Water Family Fest and Native Plant Sale at the James Farm Ecological Preserve, in Ocean View. The event highlights the work of each organization to improve Delaware’s wetlands, water and recreational shorelines. The


Library: Education and Outreach Materials

A collection of wetlands education and outreach materials from the DNREC Watershed Assessment Section.
Wetland Publications Library
  • Wetland Health Reports
  • Management Plans and Monitoring Protocols
  • Long-Term Wetlands Monitoring



  • Enjoy Wetlands

    Nearly 30 percent of Delaware is covered in wetlands, offering residents and visitors alike the opportunity to explore and enjoy everything wetlands have to offer. Whether it’s visiting one of the nature centers, or taking a hike through a park, wetlands are easily accessible across the state. So grab your friends and family and


    Answering the Call 24/7 – Our Emergency Response Team

    Our Emergency Response Team is the state’s designated first responder for environmental emergencies. The team is on call 24/7 to respond to emergencies from oil spills to clandestine drug labs, chemical leaks, radiological incidents and many more that may occur.


    Eco-Explorers Virtual Field Trip Registration

    This form is for teachers and homeschool groups to register for an Eco-Explorers virtual field trip with the Aquatic Resources Education Center. There is no charge for the field trip but please register if you plan to use the virtual field trip material. This will help us provide additional programs in the future.


    Virtual Eco-Explorers Field Trip Program

    The Aquatic Resources Education Center offers a virtual version of the Eco-Explorers field trip program. The resources of the virtual field trip are useful for students or school groups unable to attend traditional, in-person field trips and as supplementary and review material for in-person field trip participants.



    Plastic Carryout Bags in Delaware – Their End is Here

    As of January 1, we no longer use plastic carryout bags from many places like convenience, grocery or other retail stores. Most retailers don’t distribute point-of-sale plastic carryout bags anymore. You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers.


    Training and Certification

    The DNREC Sediment and Stormwater Program provides several different training opportunities to help those involved in land development and construction projects meet the requirements of the Delaware Sediment and Stormwater Regulations.

    Contact Us

    Sydney Hall Sediment and Stormwater Program 302-608-5458



    Microplastics: A Not So Tiny Tale

    What happens to plastic after it fulfills its original purpose? Recycling gives many plastic items a second use but vast amounts are discarded and make their way into the environment. Some of this becomes microplastics. DNREC scientists are working on ways to clean them up.


    Hanging with the Bats

    Many of us are scared of bats. But they’re far more beneficial than harmful – and they’re not out to get us.


    “Not My Trash – But I Picked It Up.”
    Coastal Cleanup 2020

    For 32 years, volunteers cleared tons of trash from Delaware beaches in single-day events. In 2020, to make the Coastal Cleanup accessible and safe for everyone, the effort transitioned to a month-long campaign.


    Go Herpin’ — Join the Effort to Catalogue Delaware’s Reptiles and Amphibians

    You can help us create the first-ever Delaware Amphibian and Reptile Atlas by submitting photos and locations of Delaware’s reptiles and amphibians, or as we call them, “herps.”


    Our Own Toliara

    Toliara is a radiated tortoise who lives at the Brandywine Zoo. Radiated tortoises are reptiles and considered among the most beautiful in the world. His ancestors emerged on land shortly after dinosaurs became extinct some 65 million years ago.


    What About Kestrels? The Brandywine Zoo is Finding Out

    The American kestrel is a pint-sized yet ferocious aerial predator notorious for taking out tree swallows or bluebirds in mid-air. About the size of a mourning dove, this raptor is the smallest and most colorful falcon in North America.


    Jellyfish to Watch Out For

    Are you planning to go for a swim? If so, you may encounter jellyfish because they love warm water. And there are several species of jellies you should keep a watchful eye on as you venture out for a dip.


    Wildlife Enthusiasts – Check Out Improved Access to the Bayshore!

    Enjoy birding, boating, fishing, hiking, hunting, taking photographs or just watching wildlife in their natural habitats when you visit the Delaware Bayshore. It doesn’t take much effort to find your favorite spot to enjoy some time outdoors.


    Everything Including the Kitchen “Sink” — Delaware’s Artificial Reefs

    Over 20 years, Delaware has recycled more than two million tons of rock, 100,000 tons of concrete, 86 tanks and armored personnel carriers, 1,329 retired subway cars and 27 retired vessels to create new, artificial reefs.


    Time Travelers Dig the John Bell House

    The Delaware State Parks Time Traveler program offers a hands-on experience for volunteers to get involved in cultural heritage work at our state parks. And you can literally get your hands dirty.


    Eco-Explorers Field Trips

    Eco-Explorers is a free field trip program designed for fifth grade students in Delaware. Participants visit the Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC), where they experience and explore connections between plants and animals within a tidal salt marsh ecosystem.

    Contact Us

    Mary Rivera Aquatic


    Horseshoe Crab Education Resources for Teachers

    Each spring during May and June, the ancient, amazing and globally significant ritual of horseshoe crab spawning and mass shorebird migration brings visitors from around the world to our Delaware Bayshore backyards. The Division of Fish and Wildlife offers a variety of resources to support teachers who are educating about this phenomenon. [column md=”5″


    Aquatic Resources Education Center

    The Aquatic Resources Education Center, operated by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, focuses on wetlands, fishing and other aquatic education themes.

    Contact Us

    Mary Rivera Aquatic Resources Education Center 2520 Lighthouse Road Smyrna, DE 19977 302-735-8666



    Youth Fishing Programs

    The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife offers free fishing lessons, aquatic adventures and explorations of the Delaware Bay for children and young teens. Once they are hooked on fishing, they can try one of Delaware’s kid-friendly fishing ponds for a great day at the water’s edge.



    DuPont Nature Center

    DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center is located in the beautiful Mispillion Harbor, where the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek meet and flow out into the Delaware Bay. It is a science-based educational and interpretive facility with interactive exhibits designed to connect people with the Delaware Bay’s natural history and ecology.
    The


    Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center

    The Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center is one of two state shooting ranges managed by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. It offers trap and skeet shooting, rifle and pistol shooting, archery, and more.

    Contact Us

    Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center 1205


    Do Something Wild

    Volunteer with the Division of Fish and Wildlife! The Division offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups, part of a larger, Department-wide network of volunteer opportunities.
    Aquatic Resources Education Center


    Becoming an Outdoors-Woman

    DNREC’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) is an educational program offering hands-on workshops to encourage and enhance participation in outdoor activities like hunting and shooting sports, fishing and boating, and non-harvest activities. The 2024 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Program The 2024 Delaware Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program will


    Hunter Education Training Centers and Ranges

    There are hunter education training centers in all three Delaware counties, and shooting ranges in Kent and New Castle Counties.

    Contact Us

    Office of Hunter Education 6180 Hay Point Landing Road Smyrna, DE 19977 302-735-3600 x 1 HunterEducation@delaware.gov


    Hunter Education Volunteer Instructor Program

    The Delaware Hunter Education Program needs you to help prepare the next generation and other newcomers to hunting or trapping for a safe and enjoyable hunting future.

    Contact Us

    Robert Brennan Hunter Education Coordinator 302-735-3600


    Hunter Education Courses

    The Hunter Education Program offers a variety of classes, both basic and advanced. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, most hunter education classes are only available online.

    Contact Us

    Office of Hunter Education 6180 Hay Point Landing Road Smyrna, DE 19977 302-735-3600 x1 HunterEducation@delaware.gov


    Hunter Education Course Calendar

    The Hunter Education Program offers a variety of classes, both basic and advanced. Basic hunter education classes are available in person or online. Use the Digital DNREC Hunter Education system to register for hunter education courses, print hunter education cards, and manage your profile. [eme_events category=14 template_id=4 


    Delaware Master Hunter Program

    The Delaware Master Hunter Program is not for beginners. Your hunting license was only the beginning. And you aren’t a beginner any more. In fact, you’ve been at this outdoors pursuit called hunting for a long time and have a wealth of experience to show for it.



    Hunter Education

    The Delaware Hunter Education Program is committed to putting safe, ethical and educated hunters in the field. Since 1970, it has continued Delaware’s tradition of fair chase hunting by educating and developing responsible, involved, safe and knowledgeable hunters for the future of The First State.
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    Climate Communications Training

    It is possible to facilitate informative and empowering conversations about climate change. In this two-day course, participants will learn about strategic framing – a research based approach to communication that engages audiences in thinking productively about how they can participate in creating or supporting solutions to climate change. Overview This training,


    Resilient Community Partnership: Atlantic Coast Communities and Lewes

    DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Programs (DCP) office has partnered with a group of seven unique coastal municipalities on a comprehensive assessment of impervious surface coverage. The project will produce community-specific strategies for reducing existing and future impervious surface coverage and increasing stormwater infiltration. Local Leadership
    Presentations


    Delaware Trout Stamp Contest Rules

    The next Delaware Trout Stamp Art Contest will take place during the week of Aug. 19, 2024 when judges will review the artwork. Contest Rules Summary Here are the basics. Please see the 2024 Stamp Art Contest Artist Agreement and Contest Entry Form for a full set of the


    Delaware’s Trout Stamp Program

    The DNREC Freshwater Trout Program is supported by funds derived from the state’s trout stamp program. Anglers fishing for trout have been required to purchase a Delaware Trout Stamp since 1955. Today, fees paid by anglers for trout stamps provide DNREC with an average of $50,000 annually to purchase trout from commercial hatcheries. Stamp revenues


    Winning Waterfowl Stamp Contest Entries

    The winning entries for the 2024/2025 edition of the Delaware State Waterfowl Stamp Contest were chosen by a panel of five judges who independently evaluated and scored the contest entries in person.  A painting of a redhead duck in open water by Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Greene, Indiana, will grace the 2024/2025 Delaware


    Winning Trout Stamp Contest Entries

    The winning entries for the 2024 edition of the Delaware Trout Stamp Contest were chosen by a panel of five judges who independently evaluated and scored the contest entries in person. The 2024 Delaware Trout Stamp will feature a painting of a rainbow trout by Trevor Dumaw of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mr. Dumaw received $250


    Delaware Waterfowl Stamp Contest Rules

    The Delaware Waterfowl Stamp Art Contest will take place during the week of August 19, 2024 when judges will review the artwork. Contest Rules Summary Here are the basics. Please see the 2024 Stamp Art Contest Artist Agreement and Contest Entry Form for a full set of the


    Delaware Hunting and Fishing Photo Contests

    Join the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife in celebrating Delaware’s fishing and hunting traditions by submitting your own fishing and hunting photographs for these annual contests. The contests are open to all Delaware residents of any age.

    Contact Us

    Kaila Dukes 302-739-9106



    Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp Program

    DNREC’s Delaware Waterfowl Stamp Program helps raise funds for waterfowl conservation. Hunters and stamp collectors buy stamps and prints. The money raised is used to restore and improve wetland habitat vital for migratory waterfowl. DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife began the program in 1980, in partnership with Delaware Ducks Unlimited. The program has generated


    DNREC at the Delaware State Fair

    The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control welcomes Delaware State Fair visitors to DNREC’s climate-controlled building on the fairgrounds at the corner of Holloway Avenue and East Rider Road. The Fair runs from July 20 through July 29, 2023. Visitors will learn about the science behind the


    Get Involved

    You can take simple steps every day to help keep our air cleaner and more safe. The DNREC Division of Air Quality offers information, educational materials and more to help you take control.






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