LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Out and About in Delaware's State Parks |
by Stephen Schilly |
Spring Chores For the past several weeks Mother Nature has served up a typical grab bag of early spring weather. We've bounced from days filled with cold rain and high winds, to glorious sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures. Intermittent coastal storms have continued to batter the beaches. While we've experienced additional beach erosion, for the most part damage has been minimal. This coastal erosion is fairly typical in the spring and should repair itself through natural processes by early summer. I always greet the arrival of spring with great enthusiasm. I absolutely love the season and look forward to the opportunity to work in the yard. It's all part of my never-ending quest to create the perfect natural landscape. Of course, there's nothing "natural" about what I am doing. I am on a mission to recreate the property according to a very definite vision. In this case, the "vision" belongs to my partner, Bob. I've never been very talented or creative when it comes to landscape design. Bob, on the other hand, has a wonderful artistic talent that he has used to create the ideal design for our beautiful, peaceful oasis in our woods. It's my job to locate and install the perfect shade loving plants to complete the "vision." As a goal oriented type of person, I have eagerly worked to complete the task. While I really enjoy the challenge, it recently dawned on me this project really has no end in sight. Bob is the type of person who likes to "recreate" spaces. Whether it is indoors or outdoors, Bob looks at spaces as ever evolving. To him no space is ever really "done"...it's only "done for now." This is not a concept that easily suits my personality! Fortunately, I love to do this type of outdoor work. With Bob on my side, I know I never have to worry about getting bored. He will always dream up another project to make the yard look even better. There's no getting around it...my fate is sealed. I guess that's what you call "job security!" A Piece of the Action For employees of the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation, the arrival of spring is a bit of a double-edged sword. We look forward to the warmer temperatures and sunny days, but we also know the improved weather will help to lure large crowds back into the parks. While we are all enthusiastic about the return of park visitors, it becomes a significant challenge to meet the needs of so many people. Generally, spring finds the parks with limited staff resources. Seasonal employees hired to meet the demands of the coming summer months normally do not come on-board until closer to Memorial Day. This leaves staff scurrying to provide the necessary visitor services. Fortunately for the Division, our dedicated employees take great pride in the parks and work diligently to ensure our visitors have a quality experience. It is their hard work that makes the Division such a tremendous success! It is sometimes very difficult for park visitors to understand the challenges of managing and protecting such popular and important natural resources. The Division is entrusted with caring for some of the state's most valuable open space. In many cases these parklands were acquired years ago when open space was not at such a premium. Development throughout the state has changed all that. Virtually all of our state parks are now surrounded by residential development. The demand for access by immediate neighbors, as well as an ever-growing state population, has essentially resulted in the parks being put "under siege." I know what you're thinking...I am blowing this all out of proportion. But the truth of the matter is, in Delaware, just as in many other places in the U.S.A., we are "loving our parks to death." Every natural resource has a carrying capacity...the number or types of users a resource can handle without degrading the resource. Once that capacity is exceeded, you begin to destroy the very resource people came to enjoy in the first place. Unfortunately, in dealing with the natural environment, once you destroy a resource, you can not easily correct the damage. Resources can be lost permanently! In the past couple of months, I have been involved in a number of public meetings involving user groups who desire or demand a piece of the parks for their specific recreational activity. For every recreational activity, there is a corresponding support group advocating the interests of the group. As taxpayers, they feel they have an inherent right to the land. They do not always understand the natural resource can not handle the type of use they desire. The Division makes a great effort to educate these groups concerning the importance of these issues. No resource is under more "assault" than our state park beaches. These coastal areas are virtually the only undeveloped beach habitat in Delaware. They contain plants and creatures found nowhere else in the state. They also become the highly sought real estate for surf fishermen, surfers, sunbathers, swimmers, kayakers, wind surfers, hikers, bikers, horseback riders, birders, kite boarders, divers, etc. The Division has the job of understanding and assessing the needs of all these disparate groups and then determining which activities can safely be permitted without destroying the resource. As you can imagine, this task is incredibly difficult. It also will inevitably leave some people dissatisfied. When you come to use the beaches this year, I hope you take the time to understand how precious a resource it is. New beaches are not being "created" by Mother Nature. We have a very rare and finite resource available for our enjoyment. It is the responsibility of all of us to respect the resource to ensure it will remain for future generations. Park Update The state parks started charging our daily entrance fees on May 1. The 2003 fee season runs through October 31. Daily entrance fees remain unchanged from last year$2.50 for a Delaware-registered vehicle or $5 for an out-of-state vehicle. For frequent visitors, season passes are an even more incredible bargainjust $20 for a Delaware-registered vehicle or $40 for an out-of-state vehicle! All park entrance fees go toward the operation of the state parks. At such a bargain price, why not buy a season pass and show your support for the parks? Park season passes are currently on sale at state park offices. Nature's Best Bets If you are looking for fun activities this month, some "best bets" at Cape Henlopen Nature Center include: Molting, Regeneration and Survival Saturday, May 10, 1 p.m. Surviving in the depths of the ocean isn't easy without a backbone. Delve into the lives of shrimps, crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans. Mother's Nature Walk Sunday, May 11, 1 p.m. Celebrate Mother's Day with a walk along a wooded trail in search of spring wildflowers. Mothers will receive a gift for the garden. Limited to 25 people. Pre-registration is required. Horseshoe Crab Arrival Thurs, May 15 and Fri, May 16, 8 p.m. Learn about these fascinating ancient mariners, and then walk to the beach at high tide. Under the light of the full moon, witness the annual landing of the horseshoe crabs along the Delaware Bay. Pre-registration is required. For more information on these and other park programs, contact the Seaside Nature Center at 302-645-6852. Stephen Schilly is Park Operations Administrator Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation. He may be reached at sschilly@state.de.us. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 13 No. 4, May 23, 2003. |