Snow Geese on snowy farm field (credit: Beth Sheppard/Lower Shore Land Trust) | |
DCIB Climate Questionnaire & Community Conversations | | | |
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The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is seeking to better understand community members' views on the impacts of a changing climate. To do that, we've developed an informal questionnaire to gather information to guide future discussions as we work to build a shared vision of coastal resilience across the region over the next 50 years. If you live, work, or recreate in Southern Delaware, please fill out our questionnaire.
For additional information, contact coastalresilience@inlandbays.org
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Restoring Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality across Delmarva: A Successful Start to an Ambitious Program | | |
(photo credit: Whitley Gray/ShoreRivers) | |
Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT) and ShoreRivers are celebrating the early success of their collaborative habitat and water quality focused restoration program, funded through an Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Launched in 2024, the initiative is making remarkable progress toward its ambitious goals of installing 110 acres of grasslands, 25 acres of wetlands, and 25 acres of trees across Delmarva.
The program’s innovative approach to restoring critical ecosystems and improving downstream water quality, has sparked significant interest, with nearly all project goals already on track to be secured for this grant cycle. This level of success, achieved with limited public marketing, highlights the strong demand for impactful restoration efforts. The program builds off of and is the geographic expansion of Envision the Choptank’s successful Best Management Practice program, also funded by NFWF INSR that accelerated implementation of trees, grasses, and wetlands in the Choptank River Watershed by reducing barriers for landowner enrollment.
Beth Sheppard, Agricultural and Restoration Specialist for Lower Shore Land Trust notes the enthusiasm as more landowners are considering the value added with these habitat restoration efforts. A mix of warm season grasses and native wildflower species are critical for wildlife, especially the bobwhite quail, which depend on these ecosystems to thrive. By restoring these acres, we’re improving water quality and creating landscape diversity across the region.
Native grasslands also help reduce sediment and nutrient runoff into local waterways. By combining restoration with targeted outreach to landowners, LSLT and ShoreRivers are demonstrating how conservation and agriculture can work hand-in-hand to benefit both the environment and the community.
As the program continues, LSLT and ShoreRivers remain committed to collaborating with local landowners, agricultural professionals, and conservation partners to restore and sustain Delmarva's natural resources. For more information about the restoration program or how you can get involved, contact Beth Sheppard at bsheppard@LSLT.org or Laura Wood at lwood@shorerivers.org.
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Funding Opportunities & RFPs | |
Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) Releases RFP for MCBP Mini Grant Program and Research Grant programs | | |
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Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) is excited to release the Request for Proposals for the MCBP Mini Grant Program and the MCBP Research Grant program on January 21st. The Mini Grant Program seeks to support watershed-based community, science, and educational initiatives in Worcester County that align with Maryland Coastal Bays Program’s Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) action items. The Research Grant Program grants are being offered to MCBP’s partners to assist in responding to the implementation of actions outlined in the Maryland Coastal Bays Program CCMP. The CCMP can be found on Maryland Coastal Bays Program’s website.
Visit https://mdcoastalbays.org/funding-opportunities/
Contact Ellen Turnbaugh (eturnbaugh@mdcoastalbays.org) with questions
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Request for Proposals: Videography, Animations, Infographics, & Digital Assets for Conservation Education | | | |
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Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) seeks qualified videographers, artists, graphic designers, and communications experts to help develop and promote accessible educational content in the form of digital assets like explainer videos, animations, infographics, story maps, illustrations, interactive website components, and/or social media posts. More than one contractor may be selected for this project.
View RFP
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Events, Workshops and Conferences | |
Sustainable Eastern Shore Coffee Hour
Join us for the second Sustainable Eastern Shore Coffee Hour! Stakeholders from local governments, state agencies, nonprofits, and other regional organizations will convene to build partnerships and help promote growing lists of data and resources available to address regional issues. Our second coffee hour will focus on harmonizing comprehensive plans and zoning. Local governments are encouraged to attend and share this invitation with their Planning Commission Members. This event is in-person only and notes will be shared afterwards.
Register for Free
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Advancing Coastal Resilience through
Nature-Based Solutions: Weathering the Storm
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) webinar will showcase two efforts aiming to understand the performance of nature-based solutions for shoreline protection during and after storm events. The two practitioners who will discuss their work include Lexia Weaver from the North Carolina Coastal Federation and Tom Ries from Ecosphere Restoration Institute.
This webinar is part of a new informational series sharing NOAA-supported projects that use nature-based solutions to advance coastal resilience. If you are new to nature-based solutions, the Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Hazards: The Basics interactive module is a helpful introduction. For additional NOAA resources on nature-based solutions, visit our Digital Coast topics page.
Who: Hosted by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management
When: Thursday, February 20, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
How: To register, fill out this form.
More: For questions, please contact Lauren.Long@noaa.gov
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Maryland Coastal Bays Program
Trivia Night Fundraiser
Please join the Maryland Coastal Bays Program for a fun Trivia Night at Seacrets in Ocean City, Maryland. The event will take place on Thursday, February 27th. Doors open at 5:15, and trivia begins at 6:00! There will be food and drinks for purchase, along with raffles and auctions!
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Introduction to Living Shorelines Training 2025
The Delaware Living Shorelines Committee is hosting an Introduction to Living Shorelines Training on March 25-26, 2025 in Lewes, Delaware. This in-depth, 2-day training is for those interested in an introduction to the process and components of living shorelines in Delaware. It is open to scientists, engineers, landscape professionals, government entities, marine contractors and students who want to take the first steps in understanding shoreline processes and developing natural shoreline stabilization solutions. The in-person event boasts multiple instructors that are from: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, private consulting firms, and non-profit organizations. Presentations, field visits, talking with experts and more – join in on this green infrastructure training.
Attending both days of the training is required, coffee/lunch/snacks and training binder are included. Registration is $35. Please reach out to olivia.allread@delaware.gov with questions or general information.
Register Here
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Save the Date: Annual Delmarva Alliance of
Adaptation Practitioners (DAAP) Forum
Join us for the 2025 Delmarva Alliance of Adaptation Practitioners (DAAP) Annual Forum on Friday, April 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Salisbury University. Information on free registration is coming soon. Please save the date on your calendar. Contact Jessica.McIntosh@noaa.gov with questions.
The Delmarva Alliance of Adaptation Practitioners (DAAP) provides opportunities for practitioners working with rural communities in Delmarva to share existing approaches, build off current knowledge and expertise, discuss common challenges, explore potential solutions, and identify cooperative actions that enhance individual efforts. This year’s forum is graciously sponsored by the Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution of Salisbury University.
Forum Objectives:
- Share information, approaches, and lessons learned from current adaptation efforts in Delmarva
- Learn about planned and ongoing work related to adaptation in Delmarva
- Brainstorm common challenges and discuss potential solutions
- Provide an opportunity to initiate or expand Delmarva partnerships
- Build and sustain partnerships between alliance members
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National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) Program announces largest geospatial dataset update ever!
NWI provides foundational scientific information which enables the strategic management of wetlands. In FY24, USFWS provided new data across 22 states covering over 155 million acres.
Read Here
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About the Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network (DRCN) | |
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The Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network (DRCN), formed in 2017, is a collaborative of local, state, and Federal government agencies and NGOs working with private and public landowners and local governments to identify the most important places to protect and restore, and to obtain support and funding for voluntary restoration and conservation.
The DRCN Mission is to restore and conserve Delmarva’s landscapes, waterways, and shorelines that are special to its people, fundamental to its economy, and vital for its native fish, wildlife, and plants.
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Want to be featured in next month's newsletter?
Email submissions to delmarvarcn@gmail.com
| Delmarva Restoration & Conservation Network | delmarvarcn.org | | | | |
