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Seaside Chat with Jennifer Luoma on the 2018 Beach Grass Planting

May 1, 2018 by Cindy Leave a Comment

Jennifer Luoma, DNREC Environmental Scientist III
DNREC’s Jennifer Luoma, Environmental Scientist educating children at the Delaware State Fair

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with DNREC Environmental Scientist Jennifer Luoma to talk about the March 17, 2018 Beach Grass Planting. DNREC’s annual beach grass planting initiative has helped Delaware sand dunes over the past several decades by working with volunteers to plant over 5 million stems of Cape American beach grass along the ocean and bay beaches.

Sand dunes provide sustainability and protection against nor’easters, coastal storms and weather events. If we didn’t have sand dunes acting as major sand storage areas, waves would rush inland and flood properties. Each blade of grass helps to trap windblown sand, create new dunes or expand existing dunes. They also provide protection for small animals, birds and their nests.

A plot of 200 beach grass seedlings. Most volunteers were given 1-2 batches, consisting of 100 grass seedlings each.

We discussed the history of the event with Jennifer, including how and why it started. The history behind this decades-old volunteer endeavor is very interesting. Join us for a seaside chat with Jennifer.

Cindy: What is the history of the Beach Grass Planting? When did it start and why? Was it to address a particular need on the beach, and if so, how did this idea come to fruition to address that need?

Jennifer: The annual volunteer beach grass planting began 29 years ago when there was a DNREC initiative to sponsor more volunteer activities. Prior to that Jim Alderman, who was a teacher at Cape Henlopen High School wanted to take his oceanography students out of the classroom and into the field.  He collaborated with DNREC and had a couple classes of students take a field trip to Cape Henlopen State Park to plant beach grass on the dunes.

Before the volunteer effort by the students, all the planting was done by the DNREC Beach Crew and the amount of grass planted at that time was minimal compared to what we accomplish today.

C: How long have you personally organized this event?

J: I’ve been involved with the Beach Grass Planting ever since I started at DNREC back in 1998. I have spear-headed this endeavor since 2007.  Although not new to this, my experiences with the public have been very positive.  The volunteers that take time out of their Saturday morning to come and help strengthen our dunes by planting grass are very valuable to us. They work hard, complain little and are very dedicated.

I would say that out of all of this year’s registered volunteers, over 50% have planted with us before.  We have about ten school groups, five Boy Scout troops, eight Girl Scout troops, two 4-H clubs and 17 other community groups registered. The rest of the volunteers are individuals or families.

C: How is planting beach grass able to help our coastline for the future?

J: We have the experience and knowledge to know that a stable vegetated dune is more protective than having no dune at all when it comes to defense against coastal storms.

C: How many people participated in this year’s event, and how many locations were slated for the beach grass planting?

J: When online registration closed on March 9th we had over close to 1100 volunteers registered for the event and added some late registrations. The plan was to plant 150,000 two-stem planting units at 10 sites.  This year we planted at:

  • Fenwick Island State Park Bathhouse
  • Delaware Seashore State Park North
  • 3 R’s Road
  • North of Inlet
  • Faithful Steward
  • South of Lifesaving Station
  • Conquest Breach
  • Key Box Road Crossing
  • Dewey Beach
  • Cape Henlopen State Park Bathhouse
  • Bowers Beach
Group Shot of DNREC Volunteers at 2018 Beach Grass Planting

C: Any last thoughts?

J: Not only do I want to recognize the mass of volunteers who come out to plant grass, but I also would like to give credit to the team leaders for each site. Team leaders typically are other DNREC volunteers from not only the Division of Watershed Stewardship but also from other Divisions of DNREC (Div. Parks and Recreation, Div. of Water, Div. of Energy and Climate and Div. of Fish and Wildlife).

We also get other team leaders from outside of DNREC, like Americorps or the Veterans Conservation Corps.  These folks also take time out of a Saturday morning to come to the beaches to teach the volunteers how to plant grass and to oversee the planting at each individual site.  Without them, we certainly would not be able to cover the area that we do in one day.

We also would like to thank Giant and Pepsi for donating water and soft drinks for our volunteers. And one more shout out to the Delaware Mobile Surf Fishermen, who help by transporting volunteers up and down the beaches to the planting areas when needed and for providing refreshments.

I was happy to take part in this year’s event alongside hundreds of volunteers that helped to plant grass along Delaware’s dunes. If anyone is curious about how difficult this process is, I’d like to mention that it is quite easy.

DNREC advises for volunteers to bring a broomstick or spade, which is then used to create a hole about 10 to 12″ deep in the sand. If you do not have access to a broomstick or blade, they do have a few for volunteers to use, but it is best to arrive early since there is a limited amount available. Volunteers need to space 2″ wide holes approximately 18″ apart in staggered rows, then plant one to two blades of grass in each hole.  Remember as you traverse the Delaware beaches this summer, that beach grass has thick brittle stalks that can be easily broken and killed by pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Tell your friends and family about the importance of beach grass and remind them to stay off the dunes!

Thank you for joining us for a seaside chat. We hope you will consider volunteering with any of DNREC’s numerous endeavors to protect and serve our environment. For more information on protecting our sand dunes, please visit Dune Protection and Improvement and Barrier Island/Sand Cycle.

If you would like to view more photos from this year’s event, please click here. A video compilation highlighting this year’s event is also saved here.

Filed Under: Day Trips, things to do Tagged With: Cape Henlopen, cindy cavett, Delaware Beaches, DNREC Beach Grass Planting, DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship, dune protection and improvement, Jennifer Luoma, seaside cindy

Coastal Delaware adventures in the snow

January 7, 2018 by coastaldelaware Leave a Comment

If you’re able to brave the cold and your tires can handle it, driving through Coastal Delaware makes for a beautiful adventure just after a snowstorm.

I wasn’t able to get down there until a few days after the big storm of 2018 (I’ve heard his name was Grayson?), but for the most part, the snow-covered beaches of Bethany, Lewes and Rehoboth were still pristine and free of footprints. The roads were a bit of a different story–while the highway was clear, the downtown areas and side streets were pretty icy–but drive cautiously and you can still enjoy the wintry scene.

The beaches of Delaware after a winter storm are a far cry from the views you’ll get during the summer, but they’re just as special in their own right. And they have a few things that the summer beaches definitely can’t claim: peace, quiet and sparkling snow over the sand. You can’t go barefoot, but at least you don’t have to wear sunscreen!

Bethany Beach totem pole
Chief Little Owl guards Bethany’s snowy downtown. He’s weathered plenty of storms in the past and certainly has many more ahead of him.
Bethany Beach Christmas tree
Although we’re well into January at this point, Bethany’s Christmas tree is still up. Its presence is one part saddening, reminding us that the holiday season is over and we’re now back to “real life,” but two parts relieving in that we don’t have to think about Christmas shopping for another 11 months or so. Until next December, downtown Bethany.
Coming up on the Indian River Inlet Bridge. It’s best not to go venturing out until Coastal Highway, at least, is all clear and salted up.
Route 1 Delaware
Route 1 is temporarily a winter wonderland when sand dunes become snow dunes…

Dewey Beach sign
…And surf rentals are currently the last thing on anyone’s mind in Dewey Beach. (Shovel rentals might fare better.)
Penny Lane Mall Rehoboth
Downtown Rehoboth had seen a number of snow plows by this point, but the little alleys and side streets off Main Street remained heavily blanketed.
Rehoboth beach
A few brave souls ventured down to the beach, despite it being about 15 degrees out by the water.
Dolles Rehoboth
No one at Dolles today.

Crooked Hammock snow
A mid-January trek through the snow is best ended with a visit to one of the local breweries, like Crooked Hammock in Lewes.
Crooked Hammock snow
Just don’t expect to be sitting on their front porch anytime soon. 😉

Filed Under: Day Trips Tagged With: Grayson, snow, snowstorm, winter in Delaware

5 Best Ways to De-stress During the Holidays in Delaware

December 4, 2017 by Cindy Leave a Comment

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… stress, stress, and more stress! While the holiday season is filled with creating memories, seeing loved ones, copious amounts of food and laughter, it is also filled with more stress than most of the other eleven months of the year. If you seek to get away from your aunt who won’t leave you alone about getting married, or your mother-in-law who criticizes your cooking (with the best of intentions I am sure), then look to these five ideas for how to de-stress during the 2017 holiday season. Don’t worry, no uncle jokes will be told at these five amazing businesses.

  1. Ocean Vayu Yoga – Ocean View, Delaware – Voted Best of 2017 by Delaware Today, Ocean Vayu Yoga is one of the top yoga studios in Delaware. Offering classes such as Ashtanga Vinyasa, Vinyasa Flow, Gentle, Prenatal, Chair, Restorative and Yoga for beginners, private lessons and even Tai Chai. There is a class for every level. They also have a fantastic retail section with Yoga mats, towels, clothing, jewelry, crystals and so much more. Check out their website and classes page to pick your next hour getaway.

    All About You Massage & Bodywork
  2. It’s All About You Massage & Bodywork – Smyrna, Delaware – If you haven’t been in to see Karyn Malloch-Bailey and her phenomenal staff at It’s All About You Massage & Bodywork in Smyrna, you are truly missing out. Karyn is one of the most compassionate and talented massage therapists in our state. Her studio specializes in therapy treatments of all kinds including Hot Stone, Bamboo-fusion, Deep Tissue, Lymphatic, pregnancy, and much more. The studio also provides sugar scrubs, facials, Reiki, and monthly packages. Keep an eye on the studio’s Facebook page where customers can learn about the latest products and services, including a special beginning on December 13th where they will be offering one discount a day until Christmas – The Twelve Days of Discounts that are all about you!
  3. Murder Mystery Dinner – A Game’s Afoot for Holmes for the Holidays – Delaware City, Delaware – Presented by the Reedy Point Players is a Sherlock Holmes-esque murder mystery dinner at the Delaware City Community Center between Friday, December 15th and Sunday, December 17th. Join the dinner party as you taken back in time to December 1936. Actor William Gillette, known for playing Sherlock Holmes, invites his fellow cast members to his castle in Connecticut for a weekend of fun. One of the guests is stabbed to death and the weekend turns into a dangerous vacation. Gillette assumes the spirit of his role as Holmes to track down the killer before someone else is hurt next. Danger and hilarity await during this holiday whodunit! Check out their Facebook page to keep up with the Reedy Point Players and A Game’s Afoot for Holmes for the Holidays.
  4. Governor’s Cafe Wine Bar – Dover, Delaware – Not many folks are aware that there is a lovely wine bar in the heart of our state’s capital. Nestled inside the historic Governor’s Cafe is its very own wine bar featuring reds, whites and sparkling wines, many of which from the west coast. If you’re looking for a new red or a sparkling wine to enjoy with a friend after a long day of shopping at the mall, this wine bar is the perfect spot to relax and unwind.

    Governor’s Cafe Wine Bar
  5. Crooked Hammock Brewery Tour – Lewes, Delaware – This tour is perfect for both men and women. Enjoy a tour for four people for $25 per person that includes 4 oz. beer samples, a full pint of beer, a commemorative Perfectly Crooked Brew Tour mug, and a Crooked Hammock beer koozie. Tours are available Wednesdays at 5:30 PM and on Saturdays at 11:00 AM and they can be booked directly through their website. Try your pallet with the Wonderfest Winter Warmer, Olde Butternutz Old Ale, or the Backyard Brown Ale, or any of the other tasty craft beers that Crooked Hammock brews on-site.

Whatever you choose to decide on for a moment of relaxation this season, I hope you have a happy and healthy holiday with as little stress as possible! Remember to take time for yourself as you give generously to everyone else.

Happy Holidays!

Filed Under: Day Trips Tagged With: a game's afoot for Holmes for the holidays, christmas 2017 delaware, cindy cavett, crooked hammock brew tours, crooked hammock brewery, delaware murder mystery dinner, destressing during holidays in delaware, governor's cafe, governor's cafe wine bar, it's all about you massage and bodywork, ocean vayu yoga, reedy point players, relax in delaware, seaside cindy

Spending the Holidays in Delaware: Ten Unique Holiday Experiences

November 15, 2017 by Cindy Leave a Comment

The holiday season seems to arrive as fast as Santa’s sleigh with each passing year. One of the ways to ensure that you take time to enjoy the season and create new holiday memories is to plan festivities and events in advance. It may only be the beginning of November, but holiday planning can start now. The following events are divided into the three counties that encompass the state of Delaware. Information for each event includes date/time, location, and details including further information online. May your holidays in Delaware be happy and healthy!

New Castle County

Yuletide in Winterthur

1. Yuletide at Winterthur

– November 18th through January 7th, 2018. Take in the beautiful holiday décor and historical atmosphere of the Henry Francis du Pont home in Wilmington, Delaware. Enjoy displays of holiday traditions from the 1800’s to the early 20th century with decorations such as earliest forms of Christmas lights decorating the exterior of homes, full-room scene from A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Moore, du Pont family holiday celebrations, and the evolution of Christmas trees from the 1880s through the 1960s. A special tour of “The Crown,” from the Netflix series Royal Splendor: The Coronation Gown will be on display. Check out the 18-room dollhouse mansion, a tree with over 450 custom needlework decorations, miniatures, festivities, jazz, wine events, and so much more. Visit their website for more information and tickets.

2. Holiday Open House at Rockwood

– December 1st & 2nd, 5 – 9 PM. Rockwood Park in Wilmington, Delaware. Come home for the holidays at Rockwood Mansion’s Holiday Open House. Enjoy festive children’s crafts, live entertainment, free photos with Santa, costumed characters and food trucks. At this year’s open house, you can find the Youth Entrepreneur Secret Santa Shoppe will be selling gifts for the entire family, go on a tour of the museum’s holiday displays, and enjoy a beautiful light display in the gardens outside of the Mansion and Carriage House. The Delaware Arts Conservatory will be performing “The Snow Queen,” First State Ballet will be performing an excerpt from the “Nutcracker,” and multiple dance troupes and choirs. For a full list of activities/times please visit their website. Come home to Rockwood Mansion this holiday season!

Rockwood Mansion at Christmastime

3. It’s a Wonderful Life

– December 15th and 16th from 7:30 to 10 PM at the Everett Theater in Middletown, Delaware. Have you watched this iconic holiday classic? Is it one of your favorite movies to watch, year after year during the holidays? Join the Everett Theater this December to watch the 1946 It’s a Wonderful Life starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore. Ticket information and details are available on the Everett Theater website or on their Facebook page.

4. The Nutcracker

– Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker will be performing throughout New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties between December 1st to the 23rd at six different venues including Delaware State University, University of Delaware, Milford Senior High School, The Playhouse on Rodney Square, the Mid-Atlantic Ballet and The Grand Opera House. For more information on each event, please visit their web links for dates/times.

Kent County

Choir School of Delaware

5. Holidays in Odessa, Delaware

– November 14th through December 31st. Spending the holidays in Odessa is an experience like no other. Travel back to our state’s colonial era where you can celebrate the season by decorating a tree with the theme from your favorite children’s book, visit the historical homes of Odessa decorated in Victorian Christmas splendor, take a candlelit tour or enjoy a cup of holiday tea. These events and more are made possible through the Historic Odessa Foundation.

6. The Choir School of Delaware

– December 2nd at 7:30 PM at the Smyrna Opera House. Youth ages 7-17 from the Greater Wilmington area put on an engaging performance filled with professional-level choral training, piano, voice and musicianship alongside professional and semi-professional adult singers. This unique program focuses on providing a holistic experience through mentorship and musicianship lessons, harmonizing life & learning. Winner of the 2005 Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Cathedral Choir School of Delaware is recognized as one of the best after-school programs in the nation. Join them as they perform their talents for the community with holiday favorites!

Caroling on the Green

7. Caroling on the Green

– December 6th from 5:15 to 6:15 PM. What better way to ring in the holiday season than to sing Christmas Carols beneath the PEACE sign on The Green in Delaware’s capital city of Dover. Free music will be handed out to singers at this third annual event. Don’t forget to dress warm and bring a flashlight in order to read the music.

Sussex County

8. Winter Wonderfest

– November 17th to January 1st Gates open at 5 PM on the lights spectacular dates listed on the Winter Wonderfest website. Enjoy driving through a 1.5 mile dazzling Christmas lights extravaganza with over 90 light displays. Visit the Christmas Village including carnival rides, midway games, and the Delaware Ice Rink. Tickets and dates/times Winter Wonderfest are open are available on their website and on their Facebook page. 

Rehoboth Beach Tree Lighting

9. Rehoboth Beach Tree Lighting & Sing-Along

– November 24th 6:30 PM. Join the Rehoboth community at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand from 6:30 to 7 PM on Friday, November 24th to ring in the holiday season! The sing-along will be hosted by the Clear Space Theatre at 6:30 PM followed by the tree illumination at 7 PM. Song lyrics for the sing-along will be published in the Cape Gazette in the “Tis the Season,” holiday guide insert arriving to subscribers November 21st and hitting newsstands November 24th. 

10. Capital Ringers Winter 2017

– Multiple dates in November and December 2017. The Capital Ringers Holiday Classics is a joyful experience that combines music on handbells and percussion instruments, movement, humor, audience interaction, and visual technology that creates a “Holiday Classic,” experience for kids of all ages. Songs include, “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch,” “White Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride,” and many more. For dates/times please visit their website’s events. 

Filed Under: Day Trips Tagged With: Capital Ringers, Caroling on the Green, christmas events in delaware, Christmas in Delaware, Christmas in Odessa, Everett Theater, holiday events in delaware, Holiday Open House at Rockwood, Holiday Open House at Rockwood Mansion Park, Holidays in Delaware, Holidays in Odessa, It's a Wonderful Life, Rehoboth Beach Tree Lighting, The Choir School of Delaware, The Nutcracker Delaware, Winter Wonderfest, Yuletide at Winterthur

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