The Nature Conservancy in Delaware

The Nature Conservancy in Delaware Conserving the lands and waters in Delaware for people and nature to thrive.

Rain and wind couldn’t stop the birds—or the birders! 🐦🌧️On Saturday, May 9, we celebrated Migratory Bird Day at Ponders...
06/04/2026

Rain and wind couldn’t stop the birds—or the birders! 🐦🌧️

On Saturday, May 9, we celebrated Migratory Bird Day at Ponders Tract with 14 participants who braved the conditions and were rewarded with sightings of 38 bird species!

A big thank-you to our knowledgeable leaders: Steve McInnis and Ann Dinkel of the Sussex Bird Club, and TNC volunteer Tracey Haines, for guiding the group and sharing their expertise.

Moments like these remind us why protecting habitat along migration routes is so important both for birds and for people who love to experience nature together. 💚

📸: (1-2) Molly Anderson/TNC; (3-4) Ann Dinkel

We recently had a great day on the ground at Milford Neck Preserve! We welcomed TNC colleagues Chris McGuire (Interim No...
06/02/2026

We recently had a great day on the ground at Milford Neck Preserve!

We welcomed TNC colleagues Chris McGuire (Interim Northeast Division Oceans & Coasts Strategy Lead) and Nate Woiwode (Northeast Division Climate Adaptation Strategy Lead) to Delaware for a tour with our local team.

We explored the unique challenges and opportunities facing our state’s landscapes from coastal resilience to climate adaptation and the strategies we’re implementing to protect both people and nature.

It was a great chance to connect, share ideas, and highlight how projects here in Delaware contribute to broader conservation efforts across the region.

Moments like this remind us of the importance of collaboration in protecting nature, locally and beyond!

📸: Will Helt/TNC

🌿 Nature is one of America’s smartest investments.Forests, rivers, and wetlands don’t just inspire us; they protect our ...
05/30/2026

🌿 Nature is one of America’s smartest investments.

Forests, rivers, and wetlands don’t just inspire us; they protect our communities, strengthen local economies, AND support our health.

New research shows that investing in conservation delivers real, measurable returns—again and again. From reducing flood risk to creating jobs and improving quality of life, nature works for all of us.

👉 Learn more about nature’s dividends: https://nature.ly/4n55icQ

📸: Jeanne Parente/TNC

A major moment for Delaware’s wetlands happened this week❗ For the first time in decades, Delaware is closer to protecti...
05/28/2026

A major moment for Delaware’s wetlands happened this week❗

For the first time in decades, Delaware is closer to protecting its freshwater wetlands, and what’s remarkable is who agrees.

Environmentalists, farmers, and developers are all supporting the Wetlands Stewardship Act (SB 9), a rare moment of alignment on an issue that impacts clean water, wildlife, and communities statewide.

Our Director of Government Relations, Emily Knearl, was featured in a new Spotlight Delaware story and shared:
“This is hands-down the best process I have ever seen in terms of writing a complex piece of legislation.”

That process brought people to the same table and even to the same words. Emily and a homebuilding leader “literally wrote the same sentence” in their remarks on the bill.

That’s how real solutions take shape.
💧 Cleaner water
🌱 Healthier ecosystems
🏡 Stronger, more resilient communities

📖 Read more: https://nature.ly/43vMF8O

📸: The Nature Conservancy

Thank you to the 8 amazing Delaware volunteers who rolled up their sleeves for a roadside trash clean-up at Ponders Trac...
05/26/2026

Thank you to the 8 amazing Delaware volunteers who rolled up their sleeves for a roadside trash clean-up at Ponders Tract. Your impact was immediate! 💪🌿

Together, the hard-working crew hauled out 15 bags of trash and a tire, helping keep this landscape healthier for people and wildlife.

We’re so grateful for volunteers who show up for nature in big and small ways. 💚

Interested in lending a hand at a future clean-up or stewardship event? Stay tuned!

📸: The Nature Conservancy

🔴 Red eft alert! 🔴This bright little amphibian is a red eft, AKA the juvenile, land‑dwelling stage of the eastern newt.R...
05/24/2026

🔴 Red eft alert! 🔴

This bright little amphibian is a red eft, AKA the juvenile, land‑dwelling stage of the eastern newt.

Red efts are known for their bright red‑orange color, which serves as a warning to predators that they’re toxic to eat. At this stage of life, they spend several years roaming moist woodlands before eventually returning to water as olive‑green, aquatic adults.

Fun facts about red efts:
• 🌲 They live on land during this stage, unusual for amphibians!
• 🧭 They can travel surprising distances through the forest
• 🌧️ They thrive in healthy, moist ecosystems
• 🏠They're native to Delaware

Small, vivid, and easy to overlook red efts are a reminder that some of the most fascinating wildlife is found right under our feet.

📸: Elizabeth Hanson/TNC

Meet one of nature’s most dedicated—and misunderstood—moms 🕷️This photo shows a female wolf spider from the Lycosidae fa...
05/22/2026

Meet one of nature’s most dedicated—and misunderstood—moms 🕷️

This photo shows a female wolf spider from the Lycosidae family, recognizable by her robust, hairy appearance and the large egg sac attached to her spinnerets.

A few fun (and reassuring) facts:
• Active hunters, not web builders: wolf spiders chase down insects like beetles and crickets instead of trapping them in webs.
• Devoted mothers: after carrying the egg sac until it hatches, spiderlings climb onto her back, where she continues caring for them.
• Not harmful to people: wolf spiders are not aggressive, and bites are rare and generally no worse than a bee sting if they do occur.

Often unfairly feared, wolf spiders play an important role in healthy ecosystems by keeping insect populations in balance and they’re a fascinating example of attentive parenting in the wild.

📸: Elizabeth Hanson/TNC

Did you know 1 in 4 acres in Delaware is wetlands? 🌾💧 These natural areas quietly do so much for us, cleaning our water,...
05/20/2026

Did you know 1 in 4 acres in Delaware is wetlands? 🌾💧

These natural areas quietly do so much for us, cleaning our water, reducing flooding, storing carbon, and providing habitat for wildlife across the state.

But many freshwater (nontidal) wetlands lack state-level protections, leaving them vulnerable as federal rules continue to change.

That could soon shift!

A new bill, Senate Bill 9, would help protect these important habitats by filling gaps in existing regulations and creating stronger safeguards here in Delaware.

🎧 In this Delaware Public Media story, TNC Delaware's Emily Knearl and Sen. Stephanie Hansen join the conversation to explain why these wetlands matter and why NOW is the time to act.

👉 Listen and learn more: https://nature.ly/4dEkkSp

📸: John Hinkson/TNC

A Breakthrough for Freshwater Wetlands!Delaware is closer than ever to protecting its freshwater wetlands. A new bill wo...
05/18/2026

A Breakthrough for Freshwater Wetlands!

Delaware is closer than ever to protecting its freshwater wetlands. A new bill would close long‑standing protection gaps—helping safeguard wetlands that reduce flooding, store carbon, filter pollution, and provide vital habitat for wildlife.

This is a critical moment for Delaware’s nature and communities. With key decisions ahead, what happens next could shape the future of our lands and waters for generations.

👉 Learn why this matters and what’s at stake in the final push forward.

Read the full story: https://nature.ly/43rLfwX

📸: The Nature Conservancy

Delaware’s wetlands do more than meet the eye and right now, many of them are left unprotected.In a new op‑ed, Emily Kne...
05/14/2026

Delaware’s wetlands do more than meet the eye and right now, many of them are left unprotected.

In a new op‑ed, Emily Knearl, Director of Government Relations & External Affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Delaware, and Mark Nardone of the Delaware Nature Society, explain why it’s time to finally protect the state’s freshwater (nontidal) wetlands through the proposed Wetlands Stewardship Act.

From flood protection and clean water to wildlife habitat and carbon storage, these wetlands are essential to Delaware’s future, and we’ve already lost about half since the Colonial era.

👉 Read the full Daily State News at baytobaynews.com article: https://nature.ly/4cuLV9i

These “hidden” wetlands may look small, but their impact is huge!

📸: Aimin Tang

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Wilmington, DE
19801

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