Delaware Wild Lands: Celebrating 60 Years of Conservation Success

That’s a problem. A big problem. Insects form the foundational food source for all birds and wildlife, are imperative for pollination, support food production and agriculture in the State of Delaware, and their precipitous drop in numbers is indicative of the sixth mass extinction of species underway around the globe. Here in Delaware, Delaware Wild Lands (DWL) is leading the fight against this mass extinction by protecting priority wildlife and their habitats in Delaware.  Although DWL is a Delaware-centric organization, their conservation work has a global impact.

To mark its 60th anniversary this year, and with the help of partner organizations, DWL is undertaking three critical land protection projects and two large restoration projects. More than 350 acres to be protected. 122 acres to be restored. 17,000 trees to be planted.

Since its founding in 1961, DWL has protected 31,600 acres of land, 21,600 of which it now owns and actively manages. But DWL knows that’s not enough to reverse dramatic declines in insect, bird, waterfowl, and plant species. Their fight for conservation includes the critical work of restoring and enhancing Delaware’s wildlife habitat, freshwater and tidal wetlands, and upland and coastal forests. It is also dedicated to cultivating the next generation of conservation-minded citizens and environmental stewards.

A Wild History
DWL traces its roots to the early 1960s when Shell Oil began to acquire environmentally critical lands along Delaware Bay to build an oil refinery. To thwart the refinery, some motivated visionaries – now Delaware Wild Lands – bought strategic parcels of land in the Blackbird Creek and Appoquinimink River watersheds. Ultimately, Shell abandoned their plans and sold its land to DWL and the state. Today, these tidal marshes and upland farms and forests provide sanctuary to flocks of waterfowl and wild turkey, bobwhite quail and Virginia rail, Sandhill cranes, spotted salamander and rare skipper (a butterfly known in only 20 places in the world), and so much more.

Progress Through Partnership
Over the decades, DWL has always stayed true to its roots of protecting land, landscapes and livelihoods in Delaware. But DWL’s impact is amplified to a global scale with the help of our partners.

In New Castle County, with valuable help from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Sarver Ecological, DWL is restoring a total of 42 acres with native trees and wildflowers to connect 90 acres of high value forestland and create new habitat for waterfowl, wildlife, and insects.

In Sussex County, DWL is partnering with Wild Earth Allies (with generous support from Longwood Foundation and other funders) to accelerate restoration of the 10,600-acre Great Cypress Swamp, the largest freshwater wetland and contiguous forest on the Delmarva Peninsula and a bastion of biodiversity. As part of this restoration effort, DWL is reverting 80 acres of marginal ag land to expand and restore 1,000 acres of proximate wetlands and will plant 10,000 native trees and seedling this fall. (This will bring the total number of trees planted at the Swamp to more than 300,000 native tree seedlings since 2007.)

In Kent County, in partnership with Delaware Sea Grant and the State of Delaware, DWL is monitoring migratory shorebirds and spawning horseshoe crabs at their Milford Neck beaches. This area provides key feeding and resting sites for shorebirds migrating from South America to the Arctic along the Atlantic Flyway, including the threatened Red Knot. It is also a keystone territory for the world’s largest concentration of spawning Horseshoe Crabs. The blood of this ancient species has been used in the development of FDA-certified drugs, flu shots and vaccinations, contact lenses and joint replacements.

The Fight’s Not Finished
“Our journey started 60 years ago when conservation in Delaware became more than just an idea – it became a necessary reality,” Hackett said. “Yet, with all we have accomplished, our work is not done. We don’t accept habitat fragmentation, poor water quality, and sea-level rise, as the status quo.

“2021 is DWL’s 60^th anniversary, and sometimes at 60 people start thinking of the sunset years,” Hackett said, “but not at DWL.”

“We are a resilient, hopeful group of conservationists known for delivering enduring results that change the landscape in positive ways.  But we cannot do this work alone,” she said. “Be a part of the next generation of DWL supporters who will forge a better future for us all.” Visit DWL’s website (dewildlands.org) and Facebook page to learn more about opportunities to get involved.