September 3rd, 2010
Can it be that there is still lotus lily (Nelumbo lutea) growing along the St. Jones River? Absolutely and we’ve seen it with our own eyes! Staff from the St. Jones Reserve and the University of Delaware – Cooperative Extension went on a lotus lily expedition last week to explore the existence of this beautiful plant in our very own St. Jones River. Why would we even go on such a journey? Well, it has been documented that the upper reaches of the St. Jones River at one time had acres of lotus lily growing. However, in the 1930’s the river was dredged which allowed brackish water (mixture of fresh and salt water) to move further up the river into primarily freshwater areas. Lotus lily is a freshwater plant and cannot tolerate salt or brackish water; therefore, as the brackish water intruded into its growth zone along the St. Jones it began to die back. At least that is a theory.
The good news is the lotus lily is not completely gone in the St. Jones! And, what a beautiful sight it is. The large greenish blue leaves towering above the water, the yellowish white flowers, and the unique seed pods are amazing to behold. Lotus lilies are quite common in states in the Mississippi drainage basin. However, this beautiful plant is considered to be a rare native in Delaware.
For more information about lotus lilies in the St. Jones River, Delaware check out these references:
Delaware Federal Writers Project, Delaware, a guide to the First State, 1938, 1948.
http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/puncheon_run/pdf/august2005/VOL2-2005-PDF/E_Volume_II_PDF_b.pdf
Tags: vegetation
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August 26th, 2010
Come and explore the St. Jones Reserve trail with the aid of our new trail guide! Learn about the natural and cultural history of the St. Jones River and its surrounding lands. Keep an out for fiddler crabs, great blue herons, bald eagles, and muskrats ,as well as, beautiful landscapes and plants. The trail is open dawn to dusk 7 days a week. Please be cautious of hunting seasons (particularly in fall and winter) a section of the trail traverses part of the Ted Harvey Wildlife Management area (note areas are marked with “active hunting” signs). As always, there is no hunting on Sundays so enjoy a Sunday stroll on the St. Jones Reserve trail!
Tags: Education & Outreach, St. Jones Reserve
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August 20th, 2010
Come and join us for the 3rd Blackbird Creek Fall Festival to be held at the Blackbird Creek Reserve in Townsend, Delaware on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 from 10 am – 4pm. The festival celebration will include live music, vendors, exhibitors, hayrides, hikes, canoe trips, and kids crafts. If you are interested in vending or exhibiting at this year’s festival please view the Blackbird Exhibitor Flier or the Blackbird Vendor Flier. For additional information please call 302-739-3436.
Tags: Blackbird Creek, Education & Outreach, event
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August 18th, 2010
Join in Delaware’s National Estuaries Day celebration by participating in Delaware’s 2010 Coastal Cleanup on September 25th, 2010 from 9 am to noon. Help us clean up our beaches and waterways for a healthier Delaware! Volunteers are strongly encouraged to pre-register on the DNREC website to ensure everyone has the supplies they need and receive a custom-designed 2010 Coastal Cleanup t-shirt in appreciation of their effort. To pre-register, click on www.dnrec.delaware.gov/CoastalCleanup. For more information, please call Joanna Wilson at 302-739-9902 or email joanna.wilson@state.de.us.
Tags: coastal, Stewardship
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August 10th, 2010
The Delaware Invasive Species Council (DISC) is conducting an online survey of Delaware residents to gather information that will be used to help them to improve their programs and services. DISC is interested in engaging Delaware residents and motivating them to action to prevent the introduction and reducing the impact of non-native invasive species. A non-native invasive plant/animal species is plant/animal which has the potential to become widely established and out-compete those plants/animals naturally found in Delaware.
DISC really values your input. Please click on the following link to complete the on-line survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/discsurvey. Please complete the survey by September 3, 2010.
The DISC would like as much feedback as possible. Survey results will be made available at the DISC annual meeting and on the website shortly after the presentation at the annual meeting. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. For more information about the Delaware Invasive Species Council please visit them on their website: www.delawareinvasives.net.
Tags: invasive plants, partnership, Research
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August 6th, 2010
The Reserve would like to welcome our new conservation technician, Charlie Bishop! Charlie’s primary responsibilities include invasive species control, tree plantings as part of restoration efforts, grounds maintenance, and assisting with education programs. We are pleased to have his expertise on the Reserve team. Welcome aboard, Charlie!
Tags: Staff, Stewardship
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July 30th, 2010
It’s Brown University graduate student and Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Graduate Research Fellow, Sarah Corman! Sarah is working on the effect of global change on a salt marsh plant called cord grass (Spartina alterniflora). She is studying the effect of temperature on biomass allocation. What is plant biomass? It is living or recently living plant material which contains stored energy from the sun. This information can be helpful in directing salt marsh conservation efforts . Using a latitudinal gradient of NERRS sites from Massachusetts to South Carolina will provide a valuable regional perspective on the future of salt marsh productivity. Welcome to Delaware, Sarah!
Tags: Graduate Research Fellow, Research
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July 22nd, 2010
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The Reserve researchers are often busy keeping “an eye” on the quality of the water in the St. Jones River and Blackbird Creek. This is an important part of the research conducted at the Reserve. The researchers are monitoring the water quality as part of a program called the System-wide Monitoring Program (SWMP; pronounced “swamp” which is utilized by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (a system of 27 Reserves around the United States). SWMP is used to track short-term and long-term changes in the waters of the estuary (areas where fresh water and salt water meet) to understand how human activities and natural events can change ecosystems. As part of this monitoring, nutrients are collected twice a month; once through grab samples and once through diel sampling (shown in the photos). The diel samples are collected over a complete tidal cycle every 2.5 hours. For more information about SWMP and to look at the data being collected at the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve and the other 26 Reserves visit the following website: http://cdmo.baruch.sc.edu/
Tags: Blackbird Creek, Research, St. Jones Reserve
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July 16th, 2010
How great it is to get outside and explore! Well, that is exactly what these young Delawareans did on July 15 as they participated in the 2010 Estuary Explorers’ Mini-Camp at the St. Jones Reserve. They discovered that an estuary was an area where fresh water and salt water meet. They journeyed to a local beach to learn more about one of Delaware’s precious estuaries, the Delaware Bay and what plants and animals live there. The campers were able to help some stranded horseshoe crabs back to the water so they have a chance to live another day. One of our campers pointed out the black skimmers that flew right passed us doing what they do best…skimming the water! It was a fun-filled day full of adventure! We encourage you to get outside and go on an adventure of your own!
Tags: Education & Outreach
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July 9th, 2010
Ladies, have you ever wanted to learn how to fish, hunt, canoe, drive a boat, join in the fun of archery, geo-cache, or perhaps learn gun safety? Come and join us for the 2010 “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” program on August 27-29 at Camp Arrowhead in Lewes, Delaware. This is a fun filled weekend for women of all outdoor abilities…no experience is necessary. Don’t be afraid to try something new! For registration and more information about the program visit us on the Delaware’s BOW webpage.
Tags: Education & Outreach
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