Be the First to Know

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is a large agency with multiple divisions overseeing permits and regulations, natural resources assessment and protection, and outdoor recreation opportunities. There’s a lot going on and many opportunities for public participation. Part of the DNREC mission is to engage all stakeholders to

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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

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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.

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Virtual Eco-Explorers Field Trip Program

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Aquatic Resources Education Center now offers a virtual version of the Eco-Explorers field trip program that school groups can use until it becomes possible to resume traditional, in-person field trips. Mary Rivera

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Outdoor Delaware: Fun and Education

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.

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The Delaware Bayshore Initiative

Extending from Pea Patch Island in New Castle County to the City of Lewes in Sussex County, the Delaware Bay shoreline is widely recognized as an area of global ecological significance. Its expansive coastal marshes, shoreline, agricultural lands and forests provide diverse habitat to many species, including

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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″

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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. Virtual Field Trips In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Aquatic

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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DuPont Nature Center Events

The DuPont Nature Center offers educational programs and events from April through September. They include field excursions, lectures and hands-on activities. The DuPont Nature Center is located at the end of Lighthouse Road, at the mouth of the Mispillion River, on the Delaware Bay. For more information, call 302-422-1329. [eme_calendar full=true

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Education and Outreach

The Division of Fish and Wildlife offers a variety of educational and outreach programs.

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Blackbird Creek Fall Festival

The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) offers a day of free family fun at the Blackbird Creek Fall Festival every October.

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For Kids and Families

The Reserve offers a variety of fun and educational activities for children and adults on Reserve property and along the Delaware Bayshore. All activities are free. Most require pre-registration.

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School Programs

Are you looking for a great field trip opportunity or possibly a visit from a naturalist into your classroom? Have you thought about the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve? The Reserve provides wonderful field trip and classroom outreach opportunities for you and your students! [panel type=”success” heading=”Information

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Resources for Teachers

The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve offers a variety of Teacher Professional Development opportunities every year. These training sessions give teachers from around the Delaware Bay an opportunity to grow and expand their skills. Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve

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Get Involved

You can get involved in your community and your estuary when you volunteer with DNREC’s Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR). The Reserve offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for adults and high school students throughout each year at each of its two locations. The Delaware National Estuarine

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Education and Outreach

Delaware Coastal Programs offers a variety of volunteer, educational, and recreational opportunities at the two research reserve sites that make up the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR).

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Community Septic System Outreach

The Community Outreach Initiative identifies low- and moderate-income homeowners in the Chesapeake and Inland Bay Watersheds that may need financial assistance to replace failed and/or failing septic systems. Bruce Wright First State Community Action Agency Stanford L. Bratton

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