Volunteers needed for holiday tree planting Dec. 14-16
Get into the holiday spirit and give back to the earth! The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays needs 100-plus volunteers to plant trees at the Angola Neck Preserve, located between Lewes and Millsboro, Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 14-16.
"These efforts will create important habitat for birds and native wildlife and will help prevent nutrient pollution to the bays for years to come," explained Center Project Manager Bob Collins.
These new forest areas will benefit migratory songbirds like the Yellow-breasted Chat, Northern Parula, American Redstart and Indigo Bunting. Interestingly, as the forest ages, it will play host to a different set of migratory birds that prefer a more mature forest. This includes Eastern Kingbirds, Acadian Flycatchers, Wood Thrushes and Scarlet Tanagers.
This project will also help to reduce nutrient pollution in Delaware's three Inland Bays. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in water can cause excessive algae growth and poor water quality. The new trees and shrubs will utilize excess nutrients found in the soil, preventing an estimated of 192 pounds of nitrogen and 4.8 pounds of phosphorus from reaching the Bays annually!
To volunteer as a planter, sign up at inlandbays.org/holidaytree, or email or call the center at communications@inlandbays.org or 302-226-8105 Ext. 109.
New this year when joining for a planting shift, they will mail a free postcard to a loved one to show them the volunteer gave back to the earth - in their honor.
Project partners include the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Community Involvement Advisory Council.
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is a nonprofit organization established in 1994, and is one of 28 National Estuary Programs. With its many partners, the CIB works to preserve, protect and restore Delaware's Inland Bays--the water that flows into them, and the watershed around them.
