DuPont Nature Center’s Osprey and Horseshoe Crab/Shorebird is live
DuPont Nature center is now back live streaming. There are a pair nesting again this year. You can view the live stream from this link: https://portal.hdontap.com/s/embed/?stream=de_dupont_center-osprey_cam-CUST&ratio=16:9
The Horseshoe Crab/Shorebird cam is now live: https://livestream.com/DNClivecam/events/8665285
New Osprey Nesting Platform Installed
Another collaborative effort between Slaughter Beach, Delaware Nature Society and DuPont Nature Center has produced another Osprey nesting platform in the Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve. Osprey usually return in March looking for nesting areas. The platform was provided by DuPont Nature Center and volunteers from SB and DNS installed it on the north end of Town. Our first Osprey platform has been up for 3 years and has produced 7 chicks which have fledged. Hoping this is just as productive as our other one.
Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey and Training Set
Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey and Training Session has been set.
Saturday, April 23, 2022
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.
Abbott’s Mill Nature Center staff will give training on Slaughter Beach, at Marvel Drive, beginning 1 p.m. April 23, 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 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, Abbott’s Mill Nature Center at (302) 422-0847. Cell (302) 593 3565 Elliott@delawarenaturesociety.org
or Matt Babbitt, Abbott’s Mill Center at (302) 422-0847. Cell (804) 477 5922
Matt@delawarenaturesociety.org
Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey Dates and High Tide Times
Slaughter Beach 2022
Saturday, May 14, 8:36 pm Sunday, June 12, 8:09 pm
Monday, May 16, 10:11 pm Tuesday, June 14, 9:55 pm
Wednesday, May 18,11:55 pm Thursday, June 16,11:43 pm
Saturday, May 28,8:49 pm Sunday, June 26, 8:23 pm
Monday, May 30,10:02 pm Tuesday, June 28, 9:41 pm
Wednesday, June 1,11:18 pm Thursday, June 30, 10:58 pm
Please note that volunteers should arrive approximately 1 hour 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 phone 422-0847 cell 302-593-3565 Elliott@delawarenaturesociety.org
or Matt Babbitt 422-0847 cell 804-477-5922 Matt@delawarenaturesociety.org
Trash/Recycling Days are Changing
Republic Services, Inc. (the Town’s trash and recycling contractor) notified us that for cost containment and efficiency purposes they are re-routing our trash pickups from Mondays to Fridays. We will have a normal trash pickup on Monday, January 28th and a second trash pickup on Friday, February 1st. Our recycling pickups are scheduled for Monday, February 4th, and Friday, February 8th. Thereafter, curbside recycling will occur every other Friday.
Delaware’s 2018 Coastal Cleanup, another year another haul
2018 DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Cleanup
drew 1,100-plus volunteers who collected 2.7 tons of trash
DOVER (Dec. 14, 2018) – The DNREC-sponsored 31st annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup held Sept. 22 drew 1,115 volunteers, who collected 2.7 tons of trash and recyclables from 42 sites along more than 68 miles of Delaware’s waterways and coastline stretching from Wilmington to Fenwick Island. For the first time in its history, the cleanup was moved to a rain date, due to Hurricane Florence.
“Each year, Delaware’s Coastal Cleanup helps make a difference for marine life and water quality – and it’s the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, many of whom come back year after year, who make the Cleanup an annual environmental success story,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “This year, we would like to extend a special thanks to the volunteers who rearranged their calendars to join us a week later than usual.”
This year, more than 21,547 pieces of food/beverage-related trash were picked up, including 3,509 food wrappers, 2,361 plastic beverage bottles, 1,203 beverage cans, 712 glass bottles and 2,882 paper, plastic and foam cups, plates and take-out containers. In a year when the numbers of most trash items were lower, the count of three plastic items increased: 2,738 straws, up from 1,898; 1,116 plastic lids, up from 993; and 7,026 plastic bottle caps, up from 4,636. Other notable items included 1,946 plastic bags, 32 tires, 235 shotgun shells, 8,885 cigarette butts and cigar tips, and 723 balloons.
Some of the more unusual items found during this year’s cleanup were: a dishwasher, a message in a bottle from 2007, a knife in a sheath, mattress springs, scissors, contact lens case, power cord, charcoal grill, pirate hat, utility knife, car muffler, beach chair, bushel baskets, street sign, key card, glow stick, ink cartridge, pacifier, pith helmet, car console, golf club handle, metal canopy frame, and a wide variety of clothing and shoes including sneakers, flip flops, and jeweled sandals, as well as numerous balls and toys, including a troll doll, an Incredibles action figure, a Nintendo game controller, and a Rubik’s Cube.
Delaware’s next Coastal Cleanup is set for Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. Registration will be posted on DNREC’s website at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/coastal-cleanup/ next July, with groups of 10 or encouraged to pre-register beginning May 1 by calling 302-739-9902 or emailing Delaware Coastal Cleanup Coordinator Joanna Wilson at Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov.
DNREC organizes Delaware’s Coastal Cleanup with co-sponsors including Edgewell Personal Care/Playtex Manufacturing Inc., which donates gloves; and Waste Management, which hauls trash and recyclables collected by volunteers. Delaware’s event is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. The types and quantities of trash collected are recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles the information to help identify debris sources and focus efforts on elimination or reduction. For more information, please visit www.oceanconservancy.org.
Vol. 48, No. 336
Boardwalk construction to start in January
Links to press coverage on the groundbreaking:
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2018/10/19/slaughter-beach-marvel-saltmarsh-preserve-boardwalk/1647756002/
http://www.wboc.com/story/39316675/new-boardwalk-in-slaughter-beach
https://delawarestatenews.net/news/marvel-tract-saltmarsh-boardwalk-project-in-slaughter-beach-to-begin/
SLAUGHTER BEACH – This morning, Delaware Governor John Carney joined DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, DelDOT Secretary Jennifer Cohan, state legislators, conservation partners, and the community of Slaughter Beach to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve Boardwalk project. The boardwalk and overlook will enable visitors, including schoolchildren, to walk out onto the saltmarsh to view and experience this amazing Bayshore ecosystem and its natural resources up close.
“The scenic overlook that we are building here will provide a new opportunity to enjoy this saltmarsh landscape and a diverse array of wildlife year round,” said Governor Carney. “This project will help Delawareans, and visitors to our state, discover our state’s rich history and natural heritage, as well as the Bayshore’s natural beauty.”
“This project is a major enhancement to a premier destination in our Bayshore region, giving visitors unique access to a new outdoor recreation opportunity,” said Secretary Garvin. “Visitors also will have the opportunity to learn about our dynamic coastal marsh systems, the plants and animals they support, and the coastal communities like Slaughter Beach that depend on them.”
“DelDOT is pleased to partner with DNREC and the Town of Slaughter Beach in the construction of a scenic overlook along the Delaware Nature Society’s Marvel tract,” said Secretary Cohan. “This overlook will be another great addition to the Delaware Bayshore Byway that showcases our beautiful state.”
Owned and managed by the Delaware Nature Society, the 109-acre Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve was donated to DNS in 1988 by the Marvel family of Milford – Randy and Linda Marvel, and Harvey and Kate Marvel, who attended today’s event. The preserve is home to many species, including fiddler crabs, blue crabs, grass shrimp, mollusks, and insects, as well as being a premier birding destination, with marsh wrens, seaside sparrows, clapper rails, great egrets, willets, and osprey. The Y-shaped, accessible boardwalk design, totaling approximately 345 feet, will provide access to a marsh pool at one end and a view of a nearby constructed osprey nest platform from an elevated observation platform at the other end. The boardwalk will enhance the environmental education programs DNS hosts for more than 1,000 students and families annually at the preserve.
The Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve scenic overlook project was made possible by a partnership between DNREC, DelDOT, DNS, and the Town of Slaughter Beach, with funding for design, engineering, and construction coming from multiple sources. Initial design and engineering funding was provided through a grant from DNREC’s Outdoor Recreation Parks and Trails grant program, with additional funding from DNREC’s Delaware Bayshore Initiative. Project construction funding is from the U.S Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration via DelDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program, which requires matching funds from a sponsor. With a long-term land lease between DNS and the town in place, Slaughter Beach is serving as the match sponsor, with a second grant from DNREC’s Outdoor Recreation Parks and Trails grant program. State Senator Gary Simpson and State Representative Harvey Kenton provided additional state funding from the Community Transportation Fund. The Delaware Nature Society also assisted and supported Slaughter Beach’s fundraising efforts by acquiring additional funds from the Delmarva Ornithological Society, Milford Lions Club, and Dogfish Head Brewery.
Photo: Governor John Carney, DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, DelDOT Secretary Jennifer Cohan, Slaughter Beach Mayor Harry Ward, Federal Highway Administration Division Administrator Mary Ridgeway, Delaware Nature Society Acting Executive Director Anne Harper and DNS members, state legislators, Marvel family members, and residents break ground for the Marvel Saltmarsh Preserve Boardwalk.
Land Use Plan Update
The Town’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan has been revised after receiving comments from State Agency’s through Preliminary Land Use Service.
7-19-2018 Draft CLUP submission no markup
Public Parking/Fire Company Parking Lot Paving Closure Update
The Town Council just wants to give a parking lot update; we will likely be closing the Fire Department and the Pavilion parking lots for several days at the end of the month.
Both parking lots are being repaved and re-striped. Weather permitting, this should happen during the week of August 13th.
We apologize for any inconvenience this will create, but are all looking forward to a new facelift to our parking areas.
Please use other access roads to the beach, to both the north and south during this construction time.
Regards
Harry Ward
Mayor, Town of Slaughter Beach
July 4th Regatta Update
All,
Just a short note of reminder regarding the 11th annual Slaughter Beach Sail Club Regatta as well as a couple of other great notes:
- Remember, the Regatta is on Thursday, July 4th beginning at 10:00 AM. It is at Delaware Avenue, North. Lots of fun stuff for the kids and adults who act like kids – This year we have the new “Walk the Plank” contest. No t-shirt required to be brought this year. Trying some new things for the second decade!!!
- Mono hull race (Sunfish)
- Catamaran race
- Adult Kayak race
- Kids Kayak race
- Boogie Board race
- Adult pie eating contest
- Kids pie eating contest
- Walk the plank contest
- All of this in no particular order, so just show up at 10 and have fun most all of the day
- Know that in the evening, we plan on having fireworks – weather permitting
- We have awesome new Slaughter Beach flags that have been developed and produced by Joy Rust-Feulner and you can reach her at joyfeulner@verizon.net She ran a limited edition of approximately 50 pieces this spring. They will be offered at cost $50.00 . It looks like they may get here closer to the end of the month. You can stop by 437 Bay Avenue and see Joy or Terry and purchase our community flag. Mine is getting to the point of needing replacement – so.
- Lastly, you all know my passion for sailing, as well as my passion for hooking up people and boats. Especially kids, and getting them involved in sailing. There is an awesome opportunity for someone to pick up a beautifully well maintained Sunfish sailboat with a very new sail and a new rudder and tiller assembly. The family has decided to venture into a newer boat to see if that will help them pull off a July 4 victory. So a few points here:
-
- After June 21st – swing by 437 Bay Ave and check out a classic that has been maintained and upgraded. This would be the perfect boat to start a tradition of understanding the bay, with your child, grandchild, nephew or niece. The Commode Ore will throw in lessons if you need or wish. (Not sure if you still want this in here
- Know that it isn’t the boat – it’s the captain. Heather & Kim, the new boat may make you look cooler, but you still have to get around the south buoy without running into the Commode Ore.
- Also – team Ward/Kniep/Harris has a new fleet that all have undergone special surgeries and barely legal adjustments for a better part of three months at undisclosed locations in Australia and France. We are prepared to take on all comers, and we absolutely know that it isn’t the boat, but we also wanted to look cool.
Lastly, I have returned from Italy and Illinois after many weeks of keeping a low profile after the unfortunate incident. The SBSC Legal Team (SBSCLT) will not let me go into significant details in public, but just know that Illinois and Italy both have extradition agreements with Delaware and in particular, Sussex County. Needless to say, this constant press by the forces against all things good in Slaughter Beach is eating up most all of the SBSC petty cash, so the Ward Foundation has stepped up to the plate to assist in mounting a robust defense.
We do not expect any final actions to take place before or on the 4th, but know that our esteemed SBSC Legal Defense firm of Dewey, Cheatem and Howe (SBSCLDFDC&H) is standing by with plenty of barely sensible filings to present to our legal system, when and if necessary.
I cannot tell you how much we are looking forward to this year’s celebration.
See you all on the water, especially on the 4th!
Prosit,
Harry Ward
Commode Ore
Slaughter Beach Sail Club
Town Election
There will be no Town election this year. 3 Council terms were up for election and only Ken Lewis, Kathy Lock and Bob Wood filed Letters of Intent by the deadline.
