Home Is Where the Habitat Is
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News from the Delaware Ce N ter for the I N l a nd B a y s spring 2010 Home is Where the Hirst Brothers Panic Grass Coastal Plain Seasonal Ponds What’s Inside Habitat is more inland than the interdunal swales, but still By Matthew Bailey, Wildlife Biologist in the heart of the Inland Bays watershed, hirst DE Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Brothers panic grass (Dicanthelium hirstii) has been found in only one coastal plain seasonal the Inland Bays watershed hosts an astounding pond (CPsP) in Delaware and in only 6 CPsP in array of species. from the bald eagles that soar the world. Events, see page 2. above the trees to the summer flounder that spawn in the water, life courses through the CPsP are a unique type of shallow, seasonally- watershed. the great variety of animal and plant flooded, freshwater, depressional wetland that life that can be found here can be attributed to a are found on the Delmarva Peninsula. great extent to the diverse mosaic of habitats that Generally elliptical in shape, these wetlands are make up the Inland Bay watershed. typically inundated in the winter and draw down however, it is not only the grand and the during the growing season. these ponds are Living Shorelines, see sought-after species that exist at the Inland Bays. small (most are less than one acre in size), but page 4. a few of the smaller and more obscure life forms they are numerous—it is estimated that there are that live in some of the watershed’s specialized between 1,500 and 2,500 of these ponds on the habitats are actually the stars of the show when Delmarva Peninsula. the large number of CPsP one considers rarity. in Delaware, in comparison with the low number (one) of CPsP that have been found to host hirst There are species in the Inland Brothers Panic Grass, indicates that there Bays that can be found only in may be other, currently unknown Students test water quality, a few other places in the entire factors, that contribute to a CPsP’s see page 7. world and each one of them would suitability as a habitat for the panic grass. (continued on page 6) likely escape your notice, even if you had the good fortune to amble past one while out enjoying a hike. The Inland Bays Journal Bethany Beach Firefly is a publication of the Freshwater Interdunal Swales Delaware Center for the Leopard Frog Inland Bays. The CIB is a the Bethany Beach firefly (Photuris bethaniensis) nonprofit organization and has only been found in seven freshwater a National Estuary Program. The purpose of the Inland interdunal swales, and every one of them is Bays Journal is to educate within the Inland Bays watershed. freshwater and inform citizens and interdunal swales are seasonally flooded visitors to the Inland Bays depressions occurring in coastal back dunes. watershed about this “estuary although these swales are usually dominated by of national significance.” herbaceous vegetation, all the swales where the For more information or Bethany Beach firefly has been found have also inquiries, contact our offices hosted large patches of shrubs. at 302-226-8105, or visit www.inlandbays.org. Email letters to the editor to Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, 39375 Inlet road, rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971, 302-226-8105, www.inlandbays.org [email protected]. Board of directors From the Executive Director Mr. richard eakle, Chair Appointee of the President as I look out my office window, the Beach Plum is in full bloom and ospreys fly over carrying fish Pro Tem of the Delaware to their nests. and before long, the horseshoe crabs will gather on our beaches under the full Senate moons of may and june to lay their eggs, and the female terrapins will be on the move. dr. William McGowan Vice-chair; Sussex It’s an exciting time of year. things are busy here at the Center for the Inland Bays as well. In fact, Conservation District there’s more to do than we can possibly accomplish without the help of friends…friends of the Mr. ron Wuslich Bays. so I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to come on board and join us to help Secretary; Citizens Advisory out, to learn, and have fun working with us for better Bays ahead. here’s a calendar of what’s Committee coming up in the next few months. I hope to see you there! Ms. dell tush Treasurer; Sussex County ed lewandowski, executive Director Association of Towns Mr. david Baker Sussex County Administrator Landscaping with Native Trees Native Plants for your Backyard Ms. Joanne cabry and Shrubs Tuesday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. Appointee of the Speaker Thursday, May 6 at 7 p.m. Lewes Public Library of the Delaware House of Representatives Good Earth Market Kings highway and adams street in lewes dr. William Ullman rt 26, just west of rt 17 here’s your chance to make your list Scientific and Technical Come learn about the beautiful trees and of native plants to buy at this year’s Advisory Committee shrubs that are native to our watershed. Native Plant sale! secretary ed Kee Delaware Department of Agriculture secretary collin o’Mara 6th Annual Gardening for Schoolyard Habitat Department of Natural Resources and Environmental the Bays Native Plant Sale Planting Days Control Saturday, May 15 9 a.m.–1 p.m. thursday, may 27 at 8:30 a.m. Mr. ed ambrogio James Farm Georgetown elementary school (Ex-officio); U.S. Environ- tuesday, june 8 at 8:30 a.m. mental Protection Agency Cedar Neck road, ocean View Georgetown middle school five nurseries, great food, experts, a wednesday, june 9 at 8:30 a.m. ciB staff children’s tent and prizes! millsboro middle school Mr. edward Lewandowski Executive Director If you’d like to help call 302-226-8105. dr. dennis Bartow Schoolyard Habitat 2nd Annual Diamondback Dash Coordinator 5K Run/Walk Mr. chris Bason Saturday, May 22 at 9 a.m. 6th Annual Inland Bays Science & Technical Center for the Inland Bays Clean Up Day Coordinator For information call 302-644-8952 or Saturday, June 19 at 9 a.m. Mr. eric Buehl Habitat Coordinator 302-226-8105. For info and to register Northern group will meet at massey’s go to www.inlandbays.org. Mr. e.J. chalabala landing Public Boat ramp at the end of Restoration Coordinator long Neck road Ms. Pat drizd southern group will meet at the Volunteer Coordinator mulberry landing Public Boat ramp at Ms. Jennifer Jones the assawoman wildlife area Development Coordinator DeckedDecked OutOut Thursday, July 29 Save the date! To volunteer contact Ms. Loretta smith Capt. Aaron Hurd at 302-855-1901 Administrative Assistant for a summer evening on the or 302-270-8496, or by email at Ms. sally Boswell [email protected] Education & Outreach deck at Center for Coordinator the Inland Bays. Editor, Inland Bays Journal 2 in l a nd B a y s j o u r N a l A Plan for the Bays… by E.J. Chalabala, Restoration Coordinator Ever wonder about the future of our Inland Bays, or if there is a “plan” for the use of our Bays? well, the CIB’s water use Plan Implementation Committee (wuPIC), representing recreation a damselfly nymph, an interests, boaters, anglers and other users of the indicator species for water bays works to address those questions. quality in freshwater the water use Plan was developed in 1999 streams and ponds. to outline acceptable uses of our Bays and anticipate and plan to minimize user conflicts What’s an Indicator Species? and environmental impacts. the plan is designed to be flexible and dynamic to account for future changes in the bays’ living resources and An indicator species is a plant or animal species which is used changes in human activity and impacts. to glean information about an environment or area. the committee is charged with identifying the presence of an indicator species can be a signal, as can the absence of environmental impacts and monitoring such a species. In cases where indicator species are present, their relative conditions related to water use activities in abundance and health can also be used as an indicator. the Delaware’s Inland Bays, and is responsible many plant and animal species are used as indicators including the for evaluating and documenting the progress damselfly nymph, a member of the insect order, odonata. Dragonflies and toward implementation of the Inland Bays water damselflies are freshwater indicator species that are found in slower moving use Plan and suggesting possible strategies to waters such as stream margins and in lakes and ponds. while they can tolerate ensure successful execution of the plan. some pollution, their dominance usually signifies good water quality. We are very proud of our successes which Create habitat include expanding no wake zones, publishing Dragonflies and damselflies need native plants along public access guides and coordinating our You the water’s edge. Planting these or allowing them to annual Bays Clean-up. we continue to set goals grow instead of mowing to the shoreline will provide the and develop new projects. among these are habitat they need. for recommended plant species for the reviewing the need for more adequately dredged Can establishment, expansion, or enhancement of buffers within channels, additional buoys for navigable the Inland Bays watershed of sussex Co. go to: channels, and identification and posting of Help www.dnrec.state.de.us/water2000/sections/watershed/ws/ resource protection areas.