Pages Tagged With: "outdoor delaware"
Many communities across the United States face challenges related to air quality and respiratory health, especially as it pertains to emissions from diesel engines. In Delaware, transportation is a major contributor to pollution, producing 75% of the state’s nitrogen oxide emissions, which contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. But Delaware is also taking advantage of a federal program to clean up diesel pollution, replacing and retrofitting older diesel vehicles like school buses and trash trucks.
At the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Earth Day is far too important and multifaceted to be confined to a single 24-hour period. Though Earth Day normally takes place on April 22, in Delaware, this holiday is transformed into a monthlong event recognizing the importance of preserving our natural world. For 2025, DNREC has planned tree plantings, beach cleanups, hikes, talks and more.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control handles a lot of responsibilities, one of the most important yet often overlooked of which is ensuring companies and other entities are following environmental laws and regulations. This includes regularly inspecting boilers, septic systems, exhaust stacks and more around the state. Learn more about the dedicated professionals who handle these duties in this piece from Outdoor Delaware.
As part of its duties overseeing Delaware’s environment and wildlife, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control regularly responds to fish kills. These die-offs can occur in bodies of water as disparate as an ocean or a neighborhood stormwater basin and can consist of just a few fish or literal millions.
Do you know what chemicals are stored in your community? For four decades, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act has helped keep Americans safe by requiring officials to track hazardous substances, develop emergency plans in case of spills or leaks and make information available to the public. That includes providing details about businesses, schools and other places storing chemicals, which Delawareans can now view through a new portal from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Virginia is named for Queen Elizabeth I of England, Pennsylvania is derived from proprietor William Penn, New Jersey takes its designation from a British island and everyone knows the origin of Washington. But what about Delaware? And even if you are aware of where our state’s name comes from, how about the Murderkill River or Cape Henlopen? The origins of Delaware’s place names make for fascinating stories.
Delaware marshes are chock-full of phragmites, a mostly invasive plant species that threatens to disrupt ecosystems throughout the state. First identified in Delaware in the 1840s, it is ubiquitous near waterways in our state today. That’s why the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has for decades worked to control the population and manage habitats, in the process preserving a delicate balance.
From Laurel to Wilmington, Delaware has an array of natural spots, including parks, nature reserves and wildlife areas. And between these sites, there are more than a handful of notable trails, including wilderness treks and historic strolls. While few of them can really pose the challenge that experienced hikers used to genuine mountains may prefer, they’re certainly worth checking out if you like the outdoors (and who doesn’t?).
Perhaps few natural sights are more beautiful than the changing leaves in autumn. In Delaware, there are myriad locations to see the warm reds, oranges and yellows of oaks, beeches, maples, poplars and more, including numerous state parks and wildlife areas managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Delaware is home to more than 100 different tree species, from the bald cypress to the American holly to the yellow poplar. Trees have always played a significant role in human society and culture, and the First State is no exception in that regard. In this piece, Outdoor Delaware takes you inside Delaware’s forests. By the way — do you know what our state tree is?
For more than 30 years, Delaware’s Coastal Cleanup has removed literal tons of garbage from our state’s coastal areas. In the 2024 event, held after the prior year saw a cancellation due to bad weather, more than 1,000 people gave their time to help pick up litter (including a couch and a mannequin head) at almost 50 sites up and down eastern Delaware.
Invasive species threaten to outcompete native species, could carry disease and generally risk disrupting the fragile ecosystem. In this piece from Outdoor Delaware, experts offer an overview of what qualifies as an invasive species, how these plants and animals can harm the environment and what Delawareans should know about them.
When the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control needs to test water samples for contaminants, it turns to its Environmental Laboratory, which has been helping protect the state’s natural resources for 75 years — and will, before long, move into a new home. In this piece, Outdoor Delaware takes you into the lab to elucidate its important duties.
You don’t need to know much about mosquitoes to appreciate efforts to prevent the insects from spreading and sucking blood. But how exactly does the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control go about controlling the mosquito population? Learn all about mosquito control in this article from Outdoor Delaware.
Prior to 2016, black bears had not been spotted in Delaware in more than a century. Over the past eight years, however, four different juvenile male bears have ventured into Delaware, capturing the public imagination. Is this a trend residents can expect to continue?
Delaware’s last official drought emergency came in 2002. That was also the worst drought here since well before Delaware became a state. Learn more about drought in this article from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Meet the winners of DNREC’s Haiku Poetry Contest, which celebrates June’s Ocean Month.
Delaware’s beaches are home to a dizzying array of wildlife that might surprise even many Delawareans, from fish to birds to crabs to mammals and more. This summer, visitors to the state’s beaches will have a chance to observe many critters in their natural habitats.
The bald eagle population plummeted greatly in the middle of the 20th century but has since rebounded. In 2023, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control conducted a count of eagles’ nests in the First State.
Everybody is affected by the state of our environment. Today, young people are often leading the charge in environmental action, getting involved in the annual school Envirothon competition, tackling individual projects aimed at benefiting nature and pursuing environmental-based careers.
This Mother’s Day, Outdoor Delaware is highlighting some of the state’s most fascinating animal parents, from the pouch-packing Virginia opossum to the solo-singing spring peeper.
Flooding is already a problem in Delaware, the lowest-lying state, and it is expected to worsen over time due to climate change. That’s why the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has launched a new flood planning tool, known as I-ADAPT, or the Individual Adaptation and Decision Planning Tool.
Every March for more than three decades, hundreds of volunteers have gathered at beaches along the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean to plant Cape American beach grass.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is working alongside partners to clean up the Christina and Brandywine rivers in an ambitious initiative known as CBR4.
Delaware doesn’t have many “true” hibernators, but it does have its share of critters that use long naps as a winter survival strategy.
The Delaware Estuary Water Quality Monitoring Program, informally known as the boat run, is one of the longest-running water quality monitoring programs in the world.
zzzzz … slap. Sound familiar? The whine of buzzing mosquitoes followed by swats is a tell-tale sign of summer in Delaware. There’s plenty you can do in your backyard to reduce populations of these pests. Our Mosquito Control Section has tips to share, along with the mosquitos to watch out for.
Get smarter about our environment and enjoy the journey. Learn what makes our natural world tick and how we can help conserve and protect it.
Delaware’s Materials Recycling Facility is a 64-thousand-square-foot repurposing facility with state-of-the-art sorting equipment.
Want to go cruisin’, drop a line or test your aim? Here’s where you’ll find out about seasons, safety, licenses and much more.
Who’s behind the discoveries we make? What’s it like to be a hunter? How do our K9 officers help our Natural Resource Police? Get these answers and more.
Any disc golf enthusiast will tell you it’s a great game. No clubs are required, you don’t need a caddie or an electric cart, you can play alone or with a group, and you don’t have to wear funny pants.
As anyone who’s searched for them knows, finding snakes, turtles, frogs and other reptiles or amphibians isn’t always easy. For conservationists, who must develop detailed plans around propagating species that are typically rare to begin with, it can be even more difficult. Experts have too often lacked good data about these critters, including where exactly they live. Mapping the range of every species in our state is a very big task. But, thanks to a very extensive project that took the better part of a decade, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control now has a better idea about the location of reptiles and amphibians here.
Outdoors or indoors, there are plenty of exciting activities to experience and places to see in Delaware. Discover what’s out there!
What are the latest discoveries our scientists are making? How are we keeping our air and water cleaner? What’s White-nose syndrome? Learn more.
Hey animal lovers! Find out all about Delaware’s wildlife, from who’s new at the Brandywine Zoo to the other creatures that crawl, swim, walk and fly.
Delaware is full of beauty and wonder. From our insects and animals, to our wild lands and beaches, learn why our natural world is important to all of us.
Want to find out how we can help the environment? From habitat and wildlife protection to recycling, learn how we can conserve our natural resources.
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.
Former Division of Fish and Wildlife Regional Manager Bill Jones reflects on 34 years in state service and his progress from a part-time job to a career in wildlife management.
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. But the species is also in danger. Kestrel populations have been falling, with the Mid-Atlantic region experiencing the greatest decline.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Our relationship with electric automobiles has run hot and cold over the last 100 years, with gas-powered vehicles always winning in the end. Now people are looking for cleaner alternatives as concerns for the environment increase.
