New Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve Sign/Boardwalk
Delaware Nature Society honors Marvel family donation & celebrates partnership with Town of Slaughter Beach
MILFORD, Del. (March 22, 2016) – Delaware Nature Society (DNS), a state-wide non-profit organization, in partnership with the Town of Slaughter Beach, would like to announce the installation of a new sign denoting our Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve as well as the awarding of a Lands & Waters Conservation Trust Fund Grant, through Delaware’s Department of Natural Resource & Environmental Control (DNREC), for the design of a public boardwalk to be constructed at the Preserve. The 109-acre Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve was graciously donated in 1989 to Delaware Nature Society by the Marvel family of Milford, Delaware, and DNS’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, also located in Milford, has been conducting environmental education programs for students and families at the site ever since. The new Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve sign, installed by Rogers Sign Co., in Milton, DE, and made possible through the generosity of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s Beer and Benevolence program, recognizes the Marvel family’s commitment to conservation while furthering DNS’s mission of connecting people to the natural world to improve our environment through education, advocacy, and conservation.
Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve, an excellent example of the large expanses of saltmarshes that form much of Delaware’s eastern bayshore, is home to a large diversity of animals including fiddler crabs, blue crabs, grass shrimp, and many species of mollusks and insects. Nesting Willet, Clapper Rails, Red-wing Blackbirds, Marsh Wrens, and Swamp and Seaside Sparrows can be heard singing and calling from the marsh grasses each spring and summer. In the winter, Northern Harriers and Short-eared Owls can be observed hunting low over the marsh. In the spring of 2015, Abbott’s staff and Slaughter Beach community members erected an Osprey nesting platform in the southern end of the Preserve, with support from DNREC’s DuPont Nature Center and funding from the Sussex County Council. The platform hosted a pair of nesting Osprey throughout last summer, and just last week those Osprey have returned to the site after a winter spent in Central and South America.
The highly productive saltmarsh is a key component of the food chain in the Delaware Bay estuary, providing nutrients in the form of decomposing vegetation, called detritus, for countless estuarine organisms. These minute, decaying grass particles feed small fish, plankton, oysters, shrimp, clams, and crabs that live in the bay. These smaller organisms are in turn eaten by larger animals, some of which are consumed by humans. The marsh also serves as an important nursery ground for young fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. The Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve’s beautiful open landscape adds to the scenic nature of the town of Slaughter Beach and serves as a natural green buffer by providing flood control during storms for the community.
Delaware Nature Society’s environmental education programs conducted at our Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve, averaging 900+ annual participants, stress the important role that the marsh plays in the Delaware Bay ecosystem and in the lives of people that live around it. Additionally, Abbott’s has hosted an annual Horseshoe Crab Spawning & Population Volunteer Survey at Slaughter Beach since 1999, providing the Division of Fish & Wildlife important data used to monitor the species’ health as well as to set harvest limits for Whelk fishermen and the scientific community who use the crab’s blood to test the sterility of medical equipment and prescription medications. The Town of Slaughter Beach has been actively engaged in conservation efforts as well, becoming an official Horseshoe Crab Sanctuary, and becoming Delaware’s 3rd (83rd in the U.S.) Certified Community Wildlife HabitatTM through the assistance of DNS last May.
In February of 2016, the Town of Slaughter Beach, in partnership with Delaware Nature Society, was awarded a Lands & Waters Conservation Trust Fund Grant, through DNREC, for the design of a boardwalk to be built at our Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve for the intended use of educational programs and public access. The project to plan, design, and build a boardwalk and elevated observation area at Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve seeks maximize access to the marshlands and tidal pools located in the Preserve, and greatly expand educational activities for students and families visiting the Town to study wildlife habitat and ecosystems. Landscape Architectural Services, L.L.C., located in Milford, Delaware, is overseeing the permitting and design phase for this project, and additional design funding has generously been provided by DNREC’s Bayshore Initiative, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s Beer and Benevolence program, and DNS. The Town and DNS will seek additional funding for the construction phase of the boardwalk project.
DNS is currently celebrating the 35th Anniversary of our Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, which represents a unique partnership between DNS and Delaware’s Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs and Division of Fish & Wildlife. Since 1981, Abbott’s has provided hands-on educational programs for Delmarva area students and families (188,500+ participants since 2000), while also preserving 482 acres of wildlife habitat and public hiking trails in Sussex County. Our namesake, Abbott’s Mill, is Delaware’s only preserved, working gristmill, and allows visitors to discover over 220 years of history and engineering. Additionally, as the National Wildlife Federation’s state affiliate, DNS has been instrumental in designating over 1,000 yards and 3 communities in Delaware as Certified Wildlife HabitatsTM. Abbott’s Mill Nature Center is located at 15411 Abbotts Pond Road, Milford, DE, and can be reached by phone at 302-422-0847 or online at www.delnature.org/abbotts.
Nice article from the Milford Chronicle
Slaughter Beach selected for DCP’s first annual Resilient Community Partnership
NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Contact: Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902
Slaughter Beach selected for
DNREC Resilient Community Partnership
DOVER (March 14, 2016) – DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Programs (DCP) announced today that the Town of Slaughter Beach has been selected for DCP’s first annual Resilient Community Partnership. This partnership leverages up to $75,000 in federal funding provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help Delaware communities improve their planning and preparation capabilities for responding to coastal hazards.
“Delaware towns are extremely vulnerable to coastal storms and climate change,” said Sarah Cooksey, DCP administrator. “Advance planning can help communities minimize their risks and rebound more quickly from hazardous events. We applaud Slaughter Beach for wanting to take the necessary steps to become more resilient.”
Slaughter Beach has compelling reasons to enhance its resiliency to hazardous events. This small town in Sussex County lies immediately north of Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and east of Slaughter Creek. Its northern and western boundaries front Cedar Creek and the Delaware Bay. The town routinely experiences flooding from storms and extreme tides, and the two access roads in and out of town often flood for up to three days at a time, posing risks for evacuation. During Snowstorm Jonas in January 2016, the town experienced near record flooding as well as substantial dune loss and property damage. Residents have expressed concerns that their town is flooding more often, particularly from the marsh side, according to DCP’s Cooksey.
The Mayor or Slaughter Beach Harry Ward said. “We’re thrilled to have been selected as the first community to participate in the resiliency project and look forward to working with Delaware Coastal Programs. We’re a small town with limited means and being selected to participate in this program gives us the opportunity to identify the resources needed to ensure the safety of our citizens. Slaughter Beach is a beautiful and unspoiled bay beach and is home to over 400 species of wildlife. We have an obligation to protect our environment and community for future generations, and the only way to guarantee that our children and grandchildren can experience the beauty and serenity that we now enjoy is to become a resilient community.”
Through this partnership, DNREC, DCP and Slaughter Beach will carry out a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of risks from coastal storms, sea level rise and extreme tides. Other potential risks, including wildfires and temperature changes due to climate change will be examined. This assessment will produce data and visualization tools that characterize the Town’s risk so that the Partnership can identify adaptation and mitigation measures that will enhance the Town’s resiliency to hazardous events. Other goals are to promote best practices and their transferability so that other Bayshore towns may benefit from this important work.
The selection of Slaughter Beach follows a competitive process that was announced in November 2015. DCP will provide direct staffing, technical support, public outreach and training to assist the Town with its vulnerability assessment. In addition, DCP will collaborate with other DNREC and state partners, including DelDOT and the State Office of Planning Coordination, to obtain valuable insights and assistance. Stakeholder participation will also be a major part of the process, with an initial public workshop to be scheduled in Slaughter Beach later this spring.
Delaware Coastal Programs improves local capacity to conserve and wisely manage coastal resources and supports the integration of coastal management principles through local planning and implementation activities. For more information about the Resilient Community Partnership, contact Danielle Swallow, DCP at 302-739-9283.
Note from the Town regarding the Grant
First and foremost, DCP will look at the town’s vulnerability to flooding. They will also identify possible abatement strategies to mitigate risks caused by flooding. One of the lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy is that fires are caused by extreme floods, and we know from the Slaughter Beach Memorial Fire Company and from FEMA, that propane tanks are especially dangerous because they float in flood waters. That hazard can be mitigated by strapping down the tanks. FEMA estimates the cost of securing a tank is approximately $500 per residence. DCP has already agreed to assist us in locating grant funds to secure the tanks and mitigate the risk of fire. However, they will need access to your yard to identify which property contains unsecured propane tanks. So, if you see a Council member or one of our volunteers walking on your property with DCP staff, please welcome them. DCP hopes to begin their walk-through before the end of March.
Why securing propane tanks are important: Video link
Abbott’s Mill Nature Center to celebrate 35th anniversary May 20-21
Abbott’s Mill Nature Center to celebrate 35th anniversary May 20-21
Delaware Nature Society is celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, a hidden gem of southern Delaware four miles outside Milford. Abbott’s Mill encompasses 483 acres of upland forests, restored native meadows, pristine ponds and streams, Atlantic white cedar swamps and bogs, salt marsh and wetland preserves and Delaware’s only preserved, working grist mill.
Abbott’s Mill will be kicking off its 35th anniversary year with Patagonia’s The New Localism Documentary Film Festival and an inaugural Run the Mill 5K.
What is now known as Abbott’s Mill Nature Center first began in 1795, when a stone grist mill powered by a breastshot water wheel was built. In the early 1900s, the mill added roller mills, allowing for full production of corn, wheat, barley and oats. During this addition, the mill’s power source was changed from water wheel to water turbine.
In 1919, Ainsworth Abbott purchased the property. He operated the mill singlehandedly until 1963, when he sold the facility to Howard and Frances Killen. The Killens, wishing to preserve its historic and cultural importance, decided to sell the mill property to the Delaware Board of Game and Fish Commissioners (now the Division of Fish and Wildlife).
A multiyear renovation project started in 1976, with the goal to restore the mill to a preserved, working order. Part of the project included building a small classroom facility, which is the current visitor center. In 1980, Delaware Nature Society leased the property as its third statewide facility. In 1981, Abbott’s Mill Nature Center was officially commissioned.
Abbott’s Mill Nature Center has grown from its humble 27 acre beginnings to include 483 acres of conserved lands all over Sussex County, including Blair’s Pond Nature Preserve, Isaacs and Isaacs-Greene Preserves, and Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve. Environmental education and public visitation programs at the site have reached over 35,000 people since their beginning, advancing the mission to connect people to the natural world.
In celebration of Abbott’s Mill Nature Center’s 35th Anniversary year, Delaware Nature Society has planned several fun, family-friendly events.
Patagonia’s The New Localism Documentary Film Festival begins at Abbott’s Mill at 7 p.m., Friday, May 20. The evening will feature environmentally themed short films inspiring people to think globally and act locally via surfing, trail running, climbing and more. This film festival is made possible with generous support from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.
Tickets are $25. The night will include film, craft ale and food from the Taco Reho truck.
The inaugural Run the Mill 5K is set for Saturday, May 21. The race starts at Blair’s Pond Nature Preserve and ends at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center. After the run, visitors can enjoy a complimentary Dogfish Head beer, some post-race food, live music and see the mill in operation. Preregistration is required; the entry fee is $20.
Abbott’s Mill Nature Center’s 35th Anniversary celebrations will conclude in the fall, with Meal at the Mill Friday, Oct. 14. Meal at the Mill is a farm-to-table menu paired with Dogfish Head beer. The Autumn at Abbott’s Festival will be Saturday, Oct. 15.
For more information, go to www.DelNature.org/Abbotts35.
Volunteers needed for DuPont Nature Center – Spring Cleanup Day
DuPont Nature Center – Spring Cleanup Day
Saturday, April 2
2 Shifts: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Project: The DuPont Nature Center in Milford has been closed for the winter and will be re-opening to the public on April 16, 2016. Fish & Wildlife is looking for assistance with re-opening projects as well as some minor construction and grounds maintenance projects to cleanup/repair damages from winter storm Jonas. Spring Cleanup Day projects include: exhibit and tank set-up, deck maintenance, clearing sand/debris from sidewalks, replacing sandbags, planting beach grass, and cleaning the center and the surrounding grounds.
*There are two volunteer shifts. Lunch will be provided for volunteers attending both shifts.
Age Requirement: Volunteers under the age of 18 must provide a parental consent form<http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Volunteers/Documents/FW%20Parental%20Consent.pdf>. Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Contact: To volunteer, contact Lynne Pusey at lynne.pusey@delaware.gov<mailto:lynne.pusey@delaware.gov> or 302-735-3600.
Horseshoe Crab Survey Needs Volunteers
2026 Annual Slaughter Beach Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey
Volunteer Training Session
Saturday, April 11, 2026 – 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Marvel Drive – Slaughter Beach
Since 1990, surveys have been conducted of horseshoe crabs spawning in Delaware Bay. Despite the horseshoe crab’s importance to the ecology of the Delaware Bay, little is known about its population status. Spawning surveys give scientists an index of the population to assist them in the management of the species. Now, every spring on several peak spawning days, volunteers donate their time to count crabs on key beaches in Delaware and in New Jersey.
The Delaware Nature Society at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, Milford, will once again be coordinating the annual Slaughter Beach horseshoe crab spawning survey. You must attend one training session to participate in the survey.
Abbott’s Mill Nature Center staff will give training on Slaughter Beach, at Marvel Drive, beginning 1 p.m. April 11, for those who are interested in assisting with the count this year. Volunteers will learn how to conduct the survey, how to properly record data, and how to distinguish between male and female horseshoe crabs and be able to sign up for dates and times. Participants who are interested in other beaches are more than welcome to attend our training and will be referred to the appropriate beach leader for further information. An adult must accompany volunteers under age 18.
If you have taken the training previously you do not have to take it again.
For more information or to register for the training, please contact:
Elliott Workman at Elliott@delnature.org Cell (302) 593-3565
or Mike Rivera at Mike.Rivera@delnature.org Cell (302) 222-0903
Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey Dates and High Tide Times
Slaughter Beach 2026
Wednesday, April 29, 8:41 pm Friday, May 29, 8:50 pm
Friday, May 1, 9:53 pm Sunday May 31,10:05 pm
Sunday May 3,11:04pm Tuesday, June 2,11:23 pm
Thursday, May 14,7:51 pm Saturday, June 13, 8:20 pm
Saturday, May 16,9:32 pm Monday June 15, 10:10 pm
Monday May 18,11:16 pm Wednesday, June 17, 11:58 pm
Please note that volunteers should arrive approximately 20 minutes prior to the high tide so they can do the preliminaries necessary for the survey and walk to the beach starting point. A minimum of 3 volunteers will be assigned each night.
For more information contact
Elliott Workman at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center Elliott@delnature.org cell (302) 593-3565
or Mike Rivera Mike.Rivera@delnature.org cell (302) 222-0903
Slaughter Beach Lead/Contact Laurie Conner cell (302) 270-2355
Residents once again helping our Wildlife
Storm Jonas not only caused property damage and major beach erosion, it also harmed our wildlife. Several Diamondback Terrapins were washed ashore out of their hibernation spots leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia. Quick thinking residents took the Diamondback inside and slowly warmed them up in an effort to save them. From there, they contacted the Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators and were able to get the diamondbacks into their hands for rehabilitation. To find out more about there rehabilitation or what to do if you find one, here is the Facebook page. You will need to scroll down a bit to read their posts. Here is a Delaware State News article.
Not only were diamondbacks at risk, but the storm also washed in numerous Horseshoe Crabs, both old and juveniles, which were exposed to the elements. Once again residents lent a helping hand by placing the Horseshoe Crabs back into the bay. As a Horseshoe Crab Sanctuary and Certified Wildlife Habitat Community, we take pride in helping our wildlife.
Santa Claus Coming to S.B.
Sant Claus will be coming to Town on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. See flyer for details: Santa Claus flyer.
DNREC Workshop on Regulations Governing Beach Protection and the Use of Beaches
DOVER (Aug. 27, 2015) – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Shoreline & Waterway Management Section will hold two public workshops next month addressing proposed changes to Delaware’s Regulations Governing Beach Protection and the Use of Beaches. The first workshop will take place from 2 – 4 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25, at the Milton Public Library, 121 Union Street, Milton, DE 19968; with the second workshop set for 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Bethany Beach Town Hall, 214 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach, DE 19930.
The Shoreline & Waterway Management Section anticipates updating the Regulations Governing Beach Protection and the Use of Beaches to incorporate legislative changes to the Beach Protection Act, increase effectiveness of the state’s Coastal Construction Program and to improve DNREC’s protection of the beach and dune system.
Notable proposed changes are:
• Formal approvals for construction activities on lots between the Mean High Waterline and the first public road are currently required. The Beach Preservation Act (Del. Code Title 7, Ch. 68) and proposed regulations define a “Regulated Area,” which would require formal approval for construction activities for the first three buildable lots landward of the Mean High Waterline. This will expand the amount of lots required to get approval in some areas and reduce it in others.
• Due to recent amendments to the Beach Preservation Act (Del. Code Title 7, Ch. 68), proposed regulations direct DNREC to consider the effects of beach nourishment when existing houses located seaward of the Building Line are being reconstructed after being destroyed by an “Act of God or other accidental event.”
• Placement and approval of temporary structures are directly addressed in the proposed regulations. The placement of temporary structures related to an event lasting 72 hours or less will be exempt from getting approval.
• The four-step process for designing dwellings seaward of the Building Line to minimize encroachment onto beach and dunes, which is currently Department policy, is incorporated into the proposed regulations.
The workshops will provide the public with information about updates to the regulations and are open to questions and comments. A presentation will be made by DNREC at the start of each workshop, followed by a question-and-answer period. The same content will be presented at both workshops.
More information about the updating of beach regulations can be found on the DNREC website. Copies of the draft proposed updates to the Regulations Governing Beach Protection and the Use of Beaches may be obtained by contacting the Shoreline & Waterway Management Section, Division of Watershed Stewardship, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, phone number 302-739-9921, or by emailing DNREC Environmental Scientist Jennifer Luoma.
Here is a copy of the proposed regulations: 5102 Draft Regulations 6-23-15 with comment. The blue strikeouts are deletions. The red underlined text is additions or changes and the green comments are the reasons for the changes.
Grotto Pizza Community Pizza Night for Memorial Vol Fire Company
August 19th from 4PM to 9PM is Grotto’s Community Pizza night to benefit the Memorial Vol Fire Company at Slaughter Beach. Here is the flyer which will provide more information Pizza Flyer. When you present this Voucher at the time of ordering, an amount equal to 20% of your total bill will be donated to the Memorial Volunteer Fire Company.
2015 Coastal Cleanup Registration is Open
This years Coastal Clean Up is set for Sat. Sept. 19th from 9 to noon. More information can be found on DNREC’s Coastal Cleanup website. Last year over 150 volunteers, including many local residents, participated in September’s Coastal Clean Up. Close to 300 pounds of trash, debris, and recyclable materials were removed, preventing it from washing back out into the bay. The most unusual items found last year were chopsticks, a laundry basket, a mop, toy grenade, Badminton Birdie, and a pair of sneakers. Remember when enjoying the beach please leave nothing behind but your foot prints.
