Project protects blue heron habitat

The great blue herons that guide kayakers and boaters along the edges of Lake Bethany needed some assistance recently to ensure they would continue to roost along the shoreline.

“The reason we are here today is to protect about 10 great blue heron nests,” Center for the Inland Bays Habitat Coordinator Eric Buehl said. “They nest in numbers; that way they can make lots of noise and flap to scare predators away.”

Lake Bethany is a man-made lake, created in the 1970s, Buehl said. The shoreline has been affected through the years by the dynamics of its shape, eroding significantly near the tall pine trees where blue herons nest.

“This is our first time doing a project of this nature,” he said. “The idea is to stop the erosion on the shoreline here.”

In order to do so, the Center for the Inland Bays took advantage of funding from the town of Bethany Beach, owner of the lake, as well as donations made by the members of the community of Lake Bethany, some of whom also donated their day to installing the biodegradable coconut-fiber coir logs that will help create a new shoreline once they are planted with natural grasses.

About 10 volunteers, including Lake Bethany residents and members of the Center for Inland Bays staff, spent a morning Aug. 23 to install long, coconut-fiber logs along a section of shoreline volunteers had cleared.

A team of workers ferried the logs by boat to the volunteers, who waded along the shoreline and secured the logs with stakes driven into the bottom of the lake. Volunteers will return to plant native grasses to complete the project.

Volunteer Andy White is also a resident of Lake Bethany. White said it was important to come out in order to preserve part of what he believes makes the community so special.

“The herons guide you up and down the canals,” he said. "This neighborhood is like the best kept secret.”

According to Len Kidwell, president of the Lake Bethany Homeowners Association and volunteer coordinator for this project, the restoration is critical to preserving the integrity of his neighborhood of 95 homes and 25 full-time residents.

“It protects our shore and not only our shore but the blue herons. It’s the right thing to do,” Kidwell said. “The only challenging thing was finding volunteers because a lot of people can’t come out.”

For more information or to volunteer assistance for future projects at Lake Bethany, contact the Center for the Inland Bays at 302-226-8105.