Reference Publications

Delaware Affiliate: Legacy of Education, Stewardship - programs offered by Delaware Nature Society - Brief Article

National Wildlife, August-Sept, 1999

With programs ranging from a two-week trip to New Zealand to a one-hour session that introduces toddlers to the feel of a rabbit's fur or a turtle's shell, the Delaware Nature Society reaches 60,000 people a year state- wide with its conservation message.

'Reaching the people and protecting the land' have been the society's primary missions since it originated from a Junior League project 35 years ago, says Lynn Williams, the organization's first president and now honorary board member. 'Over the years, we have added advocacy -- taking public positions on important conservation issues,' she notes. But perhaps the most important contribution, she adds, is 'the attitude of respect for living with the land that the society has generated among the people of the state.' Today, the Delaware Nature Society cultivates that respect through 400 different education programs. In addition, the society: *Operates two nature centers that serve as hubs for year-round education, and four nature preserves managed for their wildlife habitat and educational resources.

*Enlists teams of volunteers for its Stream Watch and Soil Watch programs to monitor conditions in the state's streams and spot sources of soil erosion that can pollute streams.

*Maintains an active steward-ship program to help thousands of landowners improve water quality and protect natural areas. The society estimates that it has directly influenced preservation of 10,000 acres of the state's critical natural resources.

*Produces educational materials such as a video about the impact of landscaping decisions on the water supply, which was broadcast on PBS.

For more information about the society and its programs, check the web site at www.dca.net/naturesociety.>