The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is collaborating with organizations around the region, and the nation, to celebrate September 17-24 as National Estuaries Week.
The governors of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have all issued proclamations declaring National Estuaries Week.
“It’s great to have recognition from our governors on the importance of estuaries,” said Jennifer Adkins, executive director of Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. “Many people don’t know what estuaries are or how important they are for our health, clean water, or jobs.”
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary seeks to change that, with education and outreach in all three states.
The Delaware Estuary, or tidal Delaware River and Bay, provides billions of dollars of economic value and endless hours of enjoyment for people every year. Estuaries and the plants, fish, and wildlife that live in them provide people with clean water, food, recreation, and protection from storms.
National Estuaries Week highlights these values and is a way for anyone to connect with estuaries, up close and personally.
Now in its 28th year, National Estuaries Week is the nation's largest celebration of coasts and estuaries and the multitude of benefits they provide.
Each year, dozens of organizations host restoration events, beach cleanups, education events, and more to get local communities out to enjoy and restore their local waterways.
Events in and around the Delaware Estuary range from cleanups of rivers and coastlines to sails, paddles and festivals.
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is hosting a workshop on freshwater mussels at the Palmyra Cove Nature Park on September 21. The same day, the Bayshore Center at Bivalve is hosting the grand opening of its new Fishermen and Farmers Market.
The weekends are busy with coastal activities in Delaware. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is hosting the Coastal Cleanup at sites all along the coast on September 17, and events at both National Estuarine Research Reserves on September 24.
The week also wraps up with the Walnut2Walnut Challenge on September 24 in Philadelphia. This paddle between the Delaware River and the Schuylkill River is hosted by the Independence Seaport Museum.
There is also a September 30 Delaware River Cleanup that didn’t quite make it into the official National Estuaries Week timeframe. Organized by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Philadelphia Water, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, volunteers will clean up debris from Little Tinicum Island.
“If you live in the tri-state area, you benefit from the Delaware Estuary every day,” notes Adkins. “National Estuaries Week is the time to give back, and have fun doing it.”
Click Here to find an event near you.
For more information on the programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Partnership, Like the Partnership on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, Join them on Instagram or Subscribe to their YouTube Channel.
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