a small bird is standing in the sand

Nesting birds need share of beach sand, too, this summer

Jarek RutzCulture, Headlines

DNREC will block off some areas of beach to allow birds to nest and wants to train volunteers to man those boundaries and let beachgoers know what’s happening. Piping Plover photo courtesy of DNREC.   Delaware beachgoers should be prepared to share the sands this summer, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said this week. Piping Plovers and …

a small bird standing on a beach

Predators, storm slow piping plover nest production

Betsy PriceCulture, Headlines

Piping plovers had a difficult mating season in Delaware. Photo by Kevin Bronson/DNREC   How many baby plovers did piping plovers produce when they were piping on Delaware beaches in 2020? Answer: Not enough, says the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The endangered birds experienced poor nest productivity in 2021 despite record numbers of mating pairs observed …

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Once Ida passes, weather expected to be gorgeous for Labor Day

Betsy PriceCulture, Headlines

Photo by Jim Stapleton/Unsplash   Delaware weather is expected to be gorgeous over Labor Day weekend, with sunny days and highs hovering around 80 degrees. By Thursday night, the remnants of Hurricane Ida will have swept away, leaving the coast clear for fun. Literally. The Delaware Department of Transportation is suspending construction-related lane closures from Thursday until 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, …

a dolphin jumping out of the sand on a beach

Fin whale that died near Cape Henlopen will be autopsied

Jonathan BudlerCulture, Headlines

Officials say it will be months before they know why a fin whale died near Lewes.   A 46-foot fin whale, dubbed Willy by locals, has died after being stranded and then beached near Lewes Thursday. The MERR Institute and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control responded to reports of the endangered fin whale, or razorback, swimming inside …

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Shark! 128-foot blimp hit Delaware beaches Sunday

Jonathan BudlerCulture

Fireworks weren’t the only thing flying high in  he Delaware sky on Independence Day. A great white shark blimp was scheduled to fly above the state’s beach resort towns as well. Discovery Channel was presenting its marketing ploy for its annual Shark Week programming, a week-work of shark-infested shows which brings in the channel’s biggest viewership each summer. The 128-foot …

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Beauty of popular Junction and Breakwater Trail draws locals, tourists

James DiehlCulture, Headlines

The six-mile trail from Rehoboth to Lewes is the pathway’s most popular part. Photo courtesy Southern Delaware Tourism     Delaware has been in the top 10 of “bike friendly state” lists for the last decade, and on Friday, one more link in the network of bike paths will officially open. The $513,000 Junction and Breakwater Pathway Rehoboth Beach Extension …

VH 3D Marine One over Washington DC May 2005

The Bidens head to Rehoboth Beach house this week

Betsy PriceBeaches, Government & Politics, Headlines

Helicopters like the Marine One were seen flying over Sussex County and at Rehoboth Beach. Photo from Wikipedia Commons.   President Joe Biden seems set to hit Rehoboth Beach this week arriving as early as Wednesday.  Three Marine Ones have been seen flying over Sussex County, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is closing parts of the Gordon …

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Delaware Botanic Gardens ready for a real First State summer crowd

Betsy PriceBeaches, Delaware Nonprofits, Environment, Headlines

A path allows visitors to walk along Pepper Creek.   The Delaware Botanic Gardens at Pepper Creek is hoping for a radically different summer this year than last. It had opened only six months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and its first summer was marked with mask and social distancing mandates, as cases rose and fell. Now, with relaxed mask …