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Spring is here, and so is Earth Month — the perfect time to celebrate Delaware’s natural beauty and make a commitment to its protection and preservation. At DNREC, we believe caring for our environment is something we all share, and this month is a great reminder of the power we have when we come together.
From beaches to backyards, cleanups to conservation projects, there are so many ways to get involved. Whether you're rolling up your sleeves at a local event, joining a community cleanup, reducing your plastic use, planting a tree in your backyard or simply taking a quiet moment to enjoy the outdoors, you are making a difference.
Let’s keep this momentum going beyond April and carry the spirit of Earth Month all year long!
Discover ways to get involved and stay connected at dnrec.delaware.gov.
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At DNREC, Earth Day is far too important and multifaceted to be confined to a single 24-hour period. Though Earth Day normally takes place on April 22, in Delaware, this holiday is transformed into a monthlong event recognizing the importance of preserving our natural world. For 2025, DNREC has planned tree plantings, beach cleanups, hikes, talks and more. Read more
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DNREC staff have come up with an Earth Day playlist to help you get into the mood to plant some trees, pick up trash in your neighborhood or just enjoy nature. Read more
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Pocomoke Watershed Wetlands Get Highest Rating in DNREC’s Wetlands Monitoring and Assessment Report Card
Good advance Earth Day news from DNREC's Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program: An "environmental report card" on the health of wetlands within the Delaware and Maryland portion of the Pocomoke watershed – gave the wetlands a grade of A-, the highest-rated wetlands of any Delaware watersheds graded to date by DNREC. Read more
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Latest DNREC Air Quality Report Shows Progress, but Highlights Need for Continued Focus on Improvement
DNREC has released the Annual Air Quality Report, with the latest full-year data (2023) from the statewide air quality monitoring network showing that Delaware is making steady progress toward cleaner air which leads to healthier communities. Read more
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Odessa High School Wins 2025 Delaware Envirothon Championship
In an historic upset, Odessa High School’s FFA and Agriscience Team broke a 22-year winning streak by Charter School of Wilmington Thursday, April 10 to win the 2025 Delaware Envirothon competition, sponsored by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts and DNREC. Read more
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Holy Cross School Students Earn Junior Solar Sprint Crown
A team of students from Holy Cross School in Dover earned the most points in combined design, portfolio and race competitions to win first place in the 2025 Junior Solar Sprint held on the campus of Delaware State University in Dover today. Read more
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DNREC Announces Spring and Summer Schedule for ‘Take a Kid Fishing!’ Events
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife announced a full spring and summer schedule of "Take A Kid Fishing!" events for budding anglers ages 6 through 15 who, along with their parents, grandparents or guardians, can learn how to fish at the upcoming events sponsored by DNREC's Aquatic Resources Education Center. Read more
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New Website Tracks Drought Conditions in Delaware
With the state under a drought watch since late October of last year, the Delaware Climate Office, in conjunction with DNREC and the Delaware Geological Survey, has launched a website to help Delawareans stay informed about the state’s water supply. Read More
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Earth Day 2025 is celebrated on April 22, but at DNREC Earth Day is what we do all year long. Join us this Earth Day and make an investment in our planet. We offer a variety of activities and ideas to celebrate Earth Day throughout the month of April. Visit us at de.gov/earthday to learn more.
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Beachcombing with DuPont Nature Center Naturalists
April 19, 3 p.m.
Slaughter Beach Pavilion
359 Bay Avenue, Milford
More Info
Take A Kid Fishing!
April 22, 9 a.m.
Aquatic Resources Education Center
2520 Lighthouse Road, Smyrna
More Info
Slaughter Beach Earth Day Cleanup
April 22, 10 a.m.
Slaughter Beach Pavilion
359 Bay Avenue, Milford
More Info
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Earth Week Lecture: Delaware’s Wildlife Action Plan
April 23, 4 p.m.
DuPont Nature Center
2992 Lighthouse Rd., Milford
More Info
Take A Kid Fishing!
April 24, 12 p.m.
Aquatic Resources Education Center
2520 Lighthouse Road, Smyrna
More Info
Bellevue Spring Tree Planting
April 25, 9 a.m.
Bellevue State Park
800 Carr Road, Wilmington
More Info
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 Continuing #FieldTripFridays, more than 50 DNREC and Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) colleagues spent the day at Port Mahon for a shoreline and roadside cleanup as part of the DelDOT Gives Back program. Together, we tackled litter along Port Mahon Road — a location that’s been a Delaware Coastal Cleanup site for 33 years. Thank you to all the DNREC and DelDOT staff who rolled up their sleeves to make a difference teamwork and share in the commitment to keep Delaware beautiful.
From cleaning up our coastlines to stepping back in time, we also explored the rich history of First State Heritage Park, Delaware’s first urban park, founded in 2005 through community engagement and government support. Park Superintendent Nicole Worthley, alongside Interpretive Programs Manager Nicole Hutchison, led a tour of the John Bell House, The Green, and other significant historical sites around Dover. Secretary Patterson had the chance to connect with Amanda Cinque, President of the First State Club, whose student volunteers from Milford Middle and High School dedicate more than 800 hours each year to supporting the park!
As we celebrate 20 years of First State Heritage Park, we honor not only our journey but also the deep-rooted history of The Green and the John Bell House — the last standing piece of a historic tavern complex dating back to 1727. The Bell House has worn many hats over the centuries, serving as a hatter’s shop, post office, law office, warehouse and private home. The Green, originally laid out by William Penn, has been a stage for Colonial musters led by Col. John Haslet, abolitionist speeches, suffrage rallies and political clashes. These places continue to connect us to the past, thanks to the dedication of our staff, volunteers and community.
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Delaware Recycles
Recycling conserves valuable natural resources and energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps us take responsibility for our waste today, as opposed to leaving a burden for future generations.
Delaware has one recycling program that is the same whether at home, at work or at school. To learn more about how to recycle or check out our Recyclopedia tool that takes the guess work out of recycling, visit de.gov/recycling.
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Digital DNREC E-Permitting
Use the Digital DNREC ePermitting system for recreational fishing and hunting licenses, license exempt numbers, deer harvest report cards and tags, deer damage assistance, hunter education, waterfowl stamps, permits, Conservation Access Passes and harvest reporting.
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Environmental Justice at DNREC
We provide free interpretation services, upon request, to help ensure full participation by all communities, primarily those with limited English proficiency.
Requests for oral interpretation of an application or assistance with submitting a public comment must be made no later than 10 days prior to the close of that application’s comment period. Requests for live oral interpretation must be made no later than 10 days prior to date of the DNREC-hosted public hearing, meeting, or community event.
Submit a request using the interpretation services request form: de.gov/dnrectranslations
Learn more at de.gov/titlevi
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Weatherization Assistance Program
The program, run through the Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy, helps homeowners and renters cut their energy bills by weatherproofing and improving the energy efficiency of their homes. More information on this offering will soon be available at de.gov/wap.
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 Meet Lauren Barczak, curator of conservation science and learning at the Brandywine Zoo in our Division of Parks and Recreation 🦋 🐾
Lauren started working for DNREC in 2017 as a booth attendant and naturalist at Lums Pond State Park. In 2022, she began working for the Brandywine Zoo. She shares, “My job includes overseeing our team of educators who do different kinds of programming for the public and for school groups, as well as overseeing our conservation initiatives — things like our citizen science efforts and assisting with research projects here in Delaware, like the Madagascar Biodiversity Project.”
The Brandywine Zoo offers various kid-friendly programs that Lauren is involved in, including a performance stage, bug hotel, bird blind and a Little Free Library stocked with nature books. The zoo also runs a program called Little Nature Explorers, which allows children to engage in discovery-based learning year-round. Lauren says, “I really love getting engaged with the public here. There’s a lot we get to do to encourage kids, adults, people of all ages toward wanting to be involved in conservation.”
She chose to work for DNREC because she believes that now more than ever, the younger generation is looking for guidance on how to be stewards of the environment. “I think my advice is just to continue to learn what you like, try new things, because I think there’s a lot of value in doing things that are a little out of your comfort zone, getting experience that you don’t realize will take you places you never thought you’d go,” she urges those looking to get into conservation.
Lauren grew up in Delaware, which makes the Brandywine Zoo even more special to her. She cares deeply about Delaware wildlife and preserving the natural habitats for those who also call it home. “I actually went to zoo camp here when I was a kid. So, every time I thought about the Brandywine Zoo, I always thought about how much fun I had as a child,” she explains.
We are proud of Lauren and all her hard work throughout her years at DNREC. Her dedication to her job at the Brandywine Zoo inspires people of all ages, reminding them that conservation and education can start in their own backyard.
Learn more about Lauren's story on our YouTube channel.
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