DNREC’s Delaware Wetlands website landed with a splash today in coinciding with celebration of World Wetlands Day. The newly revamped website at http://de.gov/delawarewetlands is replete with online tools, making it possible for all Delawareans to get involved in the ongoing effort to conserve our wetlands – the site is primed to host landowners, educators, volunteers, biologists, and environmental decision makers. “There’s something for everybody to help make a difference for our wetlands and to ensure that Delaware’s wetlands continue contributing to our quality of life,” said Mark Biddle, environmental scientist with DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship.

Delaware’s wetlands purify our waters, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and help protect the state from flooding and coastal storms. In return, wetlands must be conserved so that they remain an environmental mainstay for the services they provide toward the safety and lifestyle of Delaware residents and the many visitors to our coastal state.

Meanwhile, visitors to the revamped website will find pages on Delaware’s wetland habitats and values, restoration, conservation, monitoring, wetland health, regulations, volunteering, education, recreation, a data portal, mapping, and the Delaware Wetlands Conservation Strategy. The site not only offers ease of use, but also covers much material never before available online, with links to the many programs within DNREC that work on behalf of wetlands.

Rebecca Rothweiler, DNREC wetlands outreach specialist, cited another new aspect of the website, social media. “We’re establishing connections with and educating visitors while fostering support for wetland protection through social media tools including Delaware Wetlands Facebook and Delaware Wetlands Twitter,” she said. “We want to reach the public and share current details of what we’re learning about wetlands while allowing for dialogue between our biologists and the public. We welcome everyone to join the conversation through Facebook and Twitter.”

World Wetlands Day also gives DNREC cause to announce the upcoming 2012 Delaware Wetlands Conference in Dover February 29. This year’s theme is “Protecting Our Communities & Coasts for the Future.” The conference is an opportunity to join scientists, decision makers, natural resources managers, and interested members of the public in sharing current research on the value of the services Delaware’s wetlands provide and the impact that managing them has on the community, on tidal and non-tidal wetlands, and on sea level rise. The conference is hosted by DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program and the Delaware Coastal Training Program. Details and registration are available on the wetlands conference webpage.

“DNREC is working hard to enhance communications and further research on our critical wetland habitats, and how they are being affected by natural processes and land use decisions,” Biddle said. “As wetlands are destroyed or degraded, the services they provide are diminished, often permanently lost. The more we protect them, the more they can protect us!”

To learn more about how you can help to protect and benefit Delaware’s wetlands visit the “What you can do to help” webpage.