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Milton hosts annual Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival

Brooke White of DuPont Nature Center holds up the festival’s star attraction: the horseshoe crab. RYAN MAVITY PHOTOS
Ryan Mavity
June 2, 2022

A perfect sunny day at Milton Historical Society was the scene for the annual Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival May 28.

The event is a partnership between Milton Chamber of Commerce and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, and raises money for Friends of Prime Hook. The festival featured food trucks, vendors, local artists and environmental stewards such as Delaware Sea Grant, Delaware State Parks and DuPont Nature Center in Milford. 

Rowen Reber, 2, of Milton holds up a plush horseshoe crab at the annual Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Festival in Milton.
Besides horseshoe crabs, the festival allowed visitors to see other kinds of local wildlife. Katie Crane and Conor Naughton of Delaware State Parks man their booth, which included animal furs, shedded snake skins and turtle shells.
Local artists, such as Ragan Callahan of Cape Coastal Art, brought horseshoe crab-themed art. In this case, Callahan made ceramic horseshoe crabs with working tails.
A seahorse explores its underwater environment.
Kevin Abbott of Jabebo Studio in Bellefonte, Pa., helps kids make horseshoe crab art. He uses recycled paper that is ground into pulp, then poured into a mold that works similar to clay. The kids can then paint and decorate.
Chuck Davis of Slaughter Beach explores the grounds with his dog Angel.
The Milton Garden Club was on hand to sell plants.
Delaware Sea Grant laid out a strip intended to resemble a horseshoe crab environment. Plush horseshoe crabs were used for children to identify characteristics within that environment.
Musician Em McKeever entertains the crowd.

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Ryan Mavity covers Milton and the court system. He is married to Rachel Swick Mavity and has two kids, Alex and Jane. Ryan started with the Cape Gazette all the way back in February 2007, previously covering the City of Rehoboth Beach. A native of Easton, Md. and graduate of Towson University, Ryan enjoys watching the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Capitals and Baltimore Orioles in his spare time.

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