It's Good Being First. The state of Delaware's official slogan ran through my head on Oct. 9 during the opening of the DuPont Environmental Education Center at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington.
The Delaware Nature Society is responsible for operating programming and other public outreach at the center, which is owned and funded by the Riverfront Development Corp.
Within walking distance of downtown Wilmington and easily accessible from Greater Wilmington neighborhoods, the center is located on the edge of the 212-acre Peterson Refuge on the tidal Christina River, where the city, river and marsh meet. Here, visitors can enjoy the tranquility of a natural sanctuary that is just steps away from the urban bustle.
After the official opening festivities, we got down to the real business at hand - welcoming each of you to your education center. While not every Delawarean was able to accept our invitation, a whopping 3,000-plus people visited over the course of the grand-opening weekend.
They strolled the 1/4th mile long boardwalk that extends into the marsh, dipped nets into the freshwater tidal pond, watched the release of tagged monarch butterflies and even saw a bald eagle soaring high above the center. Inside, they pored over exhibits and interactive displays that line the third floor of this gleaming, four-story facility.
But what really makes the DuPont Environmental Education Center special is what we are doing there now, and will continue to do long after the grand opening is just a fond memory.
For 45 years, the Delaware Nature Society has offered quality environmental education to audiences statewide, from toddlers to seniors and every age in-between. In the first weeks after the center opened, we welcomed hikers and birders, held a canoe trip and a river cruise, educated and entertained families at a water quality program, astronomy program and much more.
We're committed to making this education center accessible to everyone, regardless of income or ability to pay for programming. That's why we offer free family programs every weekend. Come out on a Saturday (at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.) or Sunday (1 p.m. & 3 p.m.) and make marsh leaf rubbings, meet a snapping turtle or do a marsh science experiment.
School programs are an integral component of our public outreach. We have partnered with the Christina School District to offer environmental education at our new center. From mid-October to the end of November, more than 1,400 students will have experienced land- and water-based lessons that are tied into state standards for science curricula.
Delaware Nature Society received a $25,000 grant from Bank of America that will cover the cost of these field trips, as well as additional programming for Christina students at other DNS sites. Our Bank of America partnership is just one of many that we have formed with Delaware's corporate community.
In addition, the Society has developed a number of successful alliances with other nonprofits and community organizations, including the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, the Latin American Community Center and the City of Wilmington's Department of Parks & Recreation.
All of these partnerships work to bring Delaware Nature Society educational programming to youth who might not otherwise have the kind of firsthand experiences that contribute so much to learning - touching a raccoon pelt, watching a snapping turtle gnaw with its powerful jaw, seeing an osprey fly overhead, gazing into a microscope at the life that teems within a drop of marsh water.
I recently stopped by the DuPont Environmental Education Center when 4th grade Christina School District students were busy dip netting and exploring the marsh. Looking upon their animated and engaged faces, I realized that this center, and what we do here, represents one of the Delaware Nature Society's finest moments.
Yes, it's good being first...when doing good is what it's all about.
Mike Riska, Executive Director, Delaware Nature Society
