Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park

Home
United States
Lewes, DE
Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park is the Friends group working to support the Cape Henlopen park. Directors serve 2-year terms which are staggered.

We have a wide variety of programs...many of which are unique due to the geographical location and environmental diversity of the Cape Henlopen area. ABOUT THE FRIENDS OF CAPE HENLOPEN STATE PARK
FOCHSP is a volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by an 11 member Board of Directors. Directors are limited to three consecutive terms. Elections are held annually for new Directors and Directors wishing to serve an additional term. Following the election, the newly elected Board of Directors chooses its officers for one year terms. The outgoing President takes the title of Immediate Past President and remains on the Board for one year as a non-voting member.

Board meetings are usually held on the 2nd Thursday of each month (except July & December) All members are welcome to attend Board Meetings. Note: The dates and times of the meetings are occasionally subject to change . If you are planning on joining us please send an email to : [email protected] to verify the date & time of the next meeting Members can also view or download the minutes of our board meetings and financial reports which are posted on the members only pages of the FOCHSP Website

The 2022 Board of Directors are:
John Bracco, President
Polly White, Vice President
Bob Callahan, Treasurer
Carl Frey, Secretary

Board Members
Dave Frazier
Ian Friedland
Dean Johnson
John Placko
Rich Suszko
Jeff Underwood
Barry Snyder

10/28/2026

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
The Bike Barn will be closed for maintenance and upgrades October 19–November 3.

10/17/2026

It’s that time of year… time to declutter for a cause!

Have you made your list (and checked it twice)?

It’s time to search those attics, basements, crawlspaces, and closets for hidden holiday treasures! The Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park are looking for your quality donations of:

Gently used holiday-themed décor & ornaments
Homemade crafts
Complete board games & puzzles for kids & adults
Music CDs & movie DVDs for adults & kids
Books for adults and children (fiction & nonfiction)

Donation Drop-Off:
The Officers' Club — 14628 Officers Road, Cape Henlopen State Park
Friday, November 13, 2026 · 9 AM – 1 PM

All items will be beautifully displayed and for sale at our Holiday Boutique & Book Sale on Saturday, November 14 (10AM – 2 PM) — supporting projects that keep Cape Henlopen State Park special for everyone.

FOCSHP will NOT be able to accept donations of: Large Pieces of furniture, Mattresses, Large Screen or tube TV's, Textbooks, Encyclopedia’s or out of date manuals and periodicals or medical equipment.

10/15/2026

📸 AND THE WINNERS ARE…!

🎉 Congratulations to the winners of the Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park 2026 Capturing the Cape Photo Contest!

From dramatic skies and icy shorelines to delicate wildflowers and captivating wildlife, this year's winning photographs showcase the extraordinary beauty of Cape Henlopen State Park through the eyes of talented photographers.

👏 A round of applause for our winners and a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who shared their creativity and love of the park!

Special thanks to our partners, the Coastal Camera Club, Cape Henlopen State Park, and Nations Photo Lab for helping make this year's contest a success!

The winning photographs are now on display at the Biden Environmental Center, and we're delighted to share them with you here!

Stay tuned! We'll be announcing upcoming opportunities to view these remarkable photographs at public exhibits.

📷 Congratulations to all our winners!

Coastal Camera Club Landscape SIG Cape Henlopen State Park Nations Photo Lab Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park

10/14/2026

💚 A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR OCTOBER TRAILS DAY CREW! 💚

A big shout-out to the 17 wonderful volunteers who joined Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park (FOCHSP) for our October Trails Day on Saturday, October 10, at Gordon’s Pond on the Rehoboth Beach side of the park!

Our hardworking crew split into two teams to give this beautiful area of the park some much-needed TLC!

🏖️ Beach Cleanup: One team tackled litter and debris along the shoreline, from the truck access area to the end of the park beach.

🌿 Parking Lot & Pathway Spruce-Up: The second team rolled up their sleeves, clearing sand from walkways and surrounding areas while trimming back overgrown vegetation to keep pathways and parking spaces clear and accessible.

🗑️ Together, our volunteers collected approximately 45 pounds of trash!

🌎 A Friendly Reminder: Delaware State Parks follow Leave No Trace principles. Please help protect our beautiful park by taking out everything you bring in. Leave only footprints and take only memories! 🐚

👏 A heartfelt thank-you to all our volunteers for giving their time and energy to keep Cape Henlopen State Park clean, beautiful, and welcoming for everyone.

Every pair of hands makes a difference! 💚

10/14/2026

💙 A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR COASTAL CLEANUP CREW! 💙

A huge thank-you to everyone who joined the Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park (FOCHSP) for the 39th Annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 19, 2026!

We had a fantastic turnout of 46 volunteers — 39 adults and 7 children — who rolled up their sleeves to help keep Cape Henlopen State Park beautiful!

Our cleanup crew gathered at The Point before splitting into two teams — one scouring the ocean beach and the other combing the Delaware Bay shoreline for litter and debris.

🗑️ Together, our volunteers collected 41 pounds of trash, filling three bags!

A special thank-you to Tim McDermott and Fran Giacoma, who completed DNREC's Trash Tally sheets, recording the types of debris collected. Their findings were submitted to DNREC to be included in the statewide Coastal Cleanup results.

Shoutout to FOCHSP volunteers Barry Snyder and Gavin Braithwaite who were featured in a DNREC Coastal Cleanup video!
https://youtu.be/MYcB3dN9wUQ?si=Q4-rdMp3Fo_CxCPi

Across Delaware, more than 1,200 volunteers participated in this year's cleanup effort, collecting over 3,800 pounds of trash! We're proud that our FOCHSP crew was part of this incredible statewide effort.

👏 To every volunteer, young and old, who gave their time and energy — thank you for making a difference! Every piece of trash removed helps protect our beaches, wildlife, and coastal environment. 🌿🌊

Together, we're keeping Cape Henlopen beautiful — one cleanup at a time! 💚

10/14/2026

🍂🥾 November Trails Day – Join Us November 7, 2026! 🥾🍂

New month, new date, same great way to give back to the park!
Join the Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park for our next Trails Day as we roll up our sleeves to help keep our beautiful park clean!

📅 Saturday, November 7, 2026
🕣 8:45 a.m.
📍 Main Beach Parking Lot – Cape Henlopen State Park

We'll be focusing on trash pickup around the Main Beach parking lot, Hawk Watch, beach access areas and the beach.

🧤 What to bring:
• A bag or bucket for collecting trash
• A litter picker/grabber if you have one (we'll have a few available)
• Closed-toe shoes, gloves and a hat

🍁 Please note: For November 2026, Trails Day has moved to the first Saturday of the month!

Whether you're a longtime volunteer or joining us for the first time, we'd love to see you there!

💚 Every pair of hands makes a difference in keeping Cape Henlopen State Park beautiful!

10/14/2026

CAPTURING THE DARK: Nighttime Photography in Cape Henlopen State Park!

Ever wondered how to capture the beauty of the night sky through your camera lens? Join Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park (FOCHSP) for our next Speaker Series event and discover the art of nighttime photography!

📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026
🕙 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
📍 Biden Environmental Center, Cape Henlopen State Park

John Whitmore, leader of the Coastal Camera Club’s Nighttime Photography Special Interest Group, will share tips and techniques for photographing after dark, followed by a Q&A session.
Attendees will also receive helpful handouts covering essential camera gear, settings, and editing techniques.

🎟️ FREE EVENT — REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
Seating is limited, so reserve your spot today! Please note that park entry fees still apply.
👉 Register here: https://www.fochsp.org/event-details/capturing-the-dark-nighttime-photography-in-the-park/form

PUT YOUR NEW SKILLS TO WORK!
Weather permitting, we're planning a special evening photography outing at Herring Point on Saturday, October 24, at 5:00 p.m. to capture the Hunter’s Moon! Members of the Coastal Camera Club will be on hand to offer guidance as you put your newly learned skills into practice.

Full details, including weather-related updates and possible alternate dates, will be shared at Saturday’s Speaker Series event.
Whether you're an experienced photographer or just getting started, come discover a whole new perspective on Cape Henlopen State Park after dark!

10/07/2026

Join Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park for our next Trails Day on Saturday, October 10, 2026!

📍 Meet at Gordon’s Pond parking lot on the Rehoboth side
🕣 8:45 a.m.

We’ll spruce up the Gordon's Pond parking lot, beach access areas and beach with pruning, raking, w**d whacking and trash pickup.
Tools will be provided.

Please dress for outdoor work and wear closed-toed shoes, gloves and a hat. Bringing a bag or bucket for trash pickup would be greatly appreciated!

Every pair of hands helps keep our park beautiful. We hope to see you there! 🌿

Address

Lewes, DE
19958

Telephone

+13028586127

Website

https://www.fochsp.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.