National Estuaries Week, 2023, Volume 33, Issue 3

KILHAM’S LEGACY REMEMBERED

COMMITTEES CONTACT LIST

Meetings conducted by the Delaware Estuary Program’s implementation and advisory committees occur on a regular basis and are open to the public. For meeting dates and times, please contact the individuals listed below:

Susan S. Kilham, Ph.D., a leading scientist in aquatic biology and ecology and a dedicated supporter of Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), passed away in April 2022 following a long battle with cancer. While PDE and the greater scientific community mourn her loss, Kilham’s dedication to science will live on through the work of others. Years before her passing, Kilham shared her estate plans with PDE, leaving a generous bequest to PDE in her will. The enduring legacy of Kilham’s generosity will go toward helping the organization’s work to connect people, science, and nature for a healthy Delaware River and Bay. PDE is deeply grateful to Kilham for her many years of service to PDE as a member of the board, the Science Technical and Advisory Committee, and as a champion to PDE and the estuary. Moreover, she will be remembered as a colleague, mentor, teacher, and friend.

Susan S. Kilham, Ph.D.

Estuary Implementation Committee

Kathy Klein Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Executive Director (Chair) (800)445-4935, ext. 102 kklein@DelawareEstuary.org

Monitoring Advisory & Coordination Committee

Elaine Panuccio

Water Restoration Scientist, Water Quality Assessment Delaware River Basin Commission (609)883-9500, ext. 307 elaine.panuccio@drbc.gov

Toxics Advisory Committee

Jeremy Conkle

Senior Toxicologist

If you are interested in leaving a legacy gift to support PDE’s mission, contact Elizabeth Horsey at ehorsey@delawareestuary.org

A HEALTHY ESTUARY IS A WORTHY CAUSE FOR KEIRAN HAYWOOD

By Amy Haywood

On March 24, Keiran Haywood graciously presented Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE) with a $5,000 donation from the Morgan Family Foundation. Haywood is a senior at St. Mark’s High School. In addition to her studies and school activities, Haywood serves as a youth ambassador for the Morgan Family Foundation Youth Philanthropy Project. In this role, she identifies worthy causes to receive monetary donations from the foundation. Haywood takes her responsibility seriously and wanted to give to an organization whose work was meaningful to her.

continued on page 8

Delaware River Basin Commission (609)883-9500

Jeremy.Conkle@drbc.gov

Science and Technical Advisory Committee

Danielle Kreeger, Ph.D. Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Senior Science Director (800)445-4935, ext. 104 dkreeger@DelawareEstuary.org

Water Quality Advisory Committee

John Yagecic, P.E. Manager, Water Quality Assessment Delaware River Basin Commission (609)883-9500, ext. 271 john.yagecic@drbc.nj.gov

ON THE COVER

PDE’s Outreach Coordinator Kaitie Evers, right, and PDE scientists make marsh measurements in Fortescue, New Jersey.

Keiran Haywood (left) presents PDE’s Development Director Elizabeth Horsey with a $5,000 donation from the Morgan Family Foundation Youth Philanthropy Project Partnership for the Delaware Estuary would like to thank Haywood and the Morgan Family Foundation for their generous donation.

PARTNERSHIPFORTHEDELAWARE ESTUARYANDUNIVERSITYOFDELAWARE DOINGGOOD DEEDSWITHOYSTERSTUDY

Picture this: You’re in a restaurant, and a platter full of oysters on the half shell arrives at your table. When served on a bed of ice with lemon slices, fresh herbs, and cocktail sauce, these shellfish are a delicious part of your meal. Sounds great, right? What’s even better? Knowing your culinary choice plays a role in environmental restoration.

If you eat oysters in Philadelphia or Wilmington, Delaware, chances are the shells you leave behind are recycled and reused. From your plate, the shells travel to sites along the Delaware Bay to keep shorelines from eroding, to create

habitat for new oysters, and to improve our waterways.

For years, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE) has recycled oyster shells to restore shorelines along the Delaware Bay and rivers that drain to this large body of water. However, PDE is bringing this expertise to the table with a new partnership with the University of Delaware on a Lewes, Delaware, project called Developing Engineering practices using Ecosystem Design Solutions (DEEDS).

DEEDS is a University of Delawareled project. PDE’s role is to study how oysters can survive along

the Delaware Coast and how shellfish-based shorelines work in unique environments. Although the project is in its conceptual stages, landscape architects and oceanographers, will be involved in planning shoreline restoration activities for future installation.

“This project is aimed at researching the potential for shellfish-based living shorelines as a tool to protect and enhance Delaware’s coastline,” PDE’s Senior Science Manager Kurt Cheng said. Living shorelines are erosion control methods that use natural elements such as mud, native grasses, and rocks as an alternative

Oysters grow in Mispillion Harbor near Slaughter Beach, Delaware

Every Week

AT PDE, IS ESTUARIES WEEK

NATIONAL ESTUARIES WEEK WAS SEPT. 16 TO 23. DURING THAT TIME, PARTNERSHIP FOR THE DELAWARE ESTUARY CELEBRATED THE ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT AREAS WHERE RIVERS MEET THE SEA AND WHERE TIDAL WATERS FLOW.

on

1. PDE’s Science Coordinator Kelly Faller in a mudflat in Lawrence, New Jersey.

2. PDE’s Engagement Director John Harrod (left) and PDE’s Delaware Community Assistant Coordinator Kristie Arlotta at the City of Wilmington Earth and Arbor Day Festival.

At Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, you might say every week is National Estuaries Week because we’re always out and about conducting scientific research and public outreach. We listen to bird calls in the marsh, dive in the Delaware River to see freshwater mussels, recycle oyster shells to build new wildlife habitats, and get out in the community to share our love of the Delaware Estuary.

At PDE, we are a hard-working crew that is often up before dawn, toting heavy equipment, digging in the dirt, lifting oyster barrels, sweating in the heat of the day, wading in cold water, spending hours at public events, and collecting data. We fall in mudflats, make unusual finds, and – true story – sometimes critters eat our equipment. That may sound chaotic to some, but there’s nowhere else we’d rather be than in this beautiful, wild, and fabulous estuary. We strive daily toward what a healthy estuary should be – a place we call home with clean waters, healthy habitats, and strong communities.

ALL THREE THEMES, CLEAN WATERS, HEALTHY HABITATS, STRONG COMMUNITIES

3. PDE’s Philadelphia Community Coordinator Chesa Blom (left) and Urban Waters Program Coordinator Erica Rossetti present on the importance of dog owners “scooping the poop” at an event in Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Water Department. 4. Rossetti (left) explores the Estuary by map at the Brandywine Shadfest in Wilmington, Delaware. 5. Spotfin killifish (Fundulus luciae) found in the Mispillion River, Delaware. 6. A field survey microphone in New Jersey after a raccoon chewed off the foam cover.

7. PDE staff holds up a big check that indicates the total amount of conservation grant funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the William Penn Foundation, and Astra Zeneca. PDE received $228,000 in funding for the implementation of a 300-foot living shoreline and riparian habitat improvement project in Wilmington, Delaware. From left, PDE’s Urban Resilience Assistant Manager Ella Rothermel, Development Director Elizabeth Horsey, Executive Director Kathy Klein, Business and Operations Director Brian Yerger, and Assistant Manager of Shellfish Programs Matt Sarver of Sarver Ecological, LLC. 8. PDE’s Restoration Specialist Ken Williamson leans in to get the proper measurements in a Fortescue, New Jersey marsh. 9. PDE’s Assistant Science Manager Matt Gentry shows five freshwater mussel species from the Delaware River. 10. Left to right, Faller, PDE’s Programs Director Martha Maxwell-Doyle, and PDE’s Assistant Science Director LeeAnn Haaf head out for annual vegetation assessments in the salt marshes of Dividing Creek, New Jersey. Photo by Jenny Shinn, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory.

HOMEGROWN HABITATS PROGRAM AIMS TO MAKE WILMINGTON GARDENS GROW

By PDE’s Delaware Community Assistant Coordinator Kristie Arlotta

Doyou love the color of purple coneflowers and the butterflies they bring? How about blue flag irises and how they brighten up a garden? These plants are just some of Delaware’s native flowers that are beautiful, easy to grow, and help improve local habitat. Wilmington, Delaware, residents can grow these plants for free through the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s (PDE) recently launched Homegrown Habitats program.

Homegrown Habitats aims to provide free native plants to those who want to beautify their outdoor space while improving habitat, air and water quality, and health. Every inch of green space, even in urban areas, makes a difference to the environment. Because native plants are local and adapted to their present environment, they are easier to grow, require less water and maintenance, and tend to be naturally hardy. In addition, they’re beautiful and create habitats for birds, pollinating insects such as butterflies and honey bees, and other wildlife.

PDE will work with Wilmington residents to create simple and engaging habitat-friendly gardens. The program offers expertise in planning a garden and free plants that best suit a resident’s outdoor space, from patio planters to pollinator gardens, shrubs, and trees. Those interested in participating in the Homegrown Habitats program must live within Wilmington city limits and attend two project planning workshops. This is one way PDE is leveraging Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding to support emerging communities in alignment with the EPA Justice40 Initiative. This program additionally supports Habitat for Humanity projects in Wilmington.

STRATEGY C2.2: UTILIZE EVENTS TO INCREASE STEWARDSHIP AND ENGAGE NEW PEOPLE

Haywood from PDE continued from page 2

Through her research, Haywood became aware of PDE’s mission of connecting people, science, and nature for a healthy Delaware River and Bay. Haywood truly believes animals and people need a healthy estuary for drinking water, industry, food, and fun. She loves the outdoors and animals and is sincerely concerned with conservation issues, feeling that we all have a responsibility to do our part to respect the planet and keep it healthy for generations to come.

Last year, during a youth retreat, Haywood participated in a beach cleanup and became greatly concerned by the condition of some of our local beaches because of careless people who left trash and other debris behind. She found it greatly rewarding to do her part to help keep our shorelines clean and became committed to this cause. Haywood is excited about the work PDE does and is proud to be able to provide the donation from the Morgan Family Foundation.

MONARCH MIGRATION

DEEDS continued from page 3

to traditional methods such as concrete sea walls. Incorporating shellfish into living shorelines helps shoreline stabilization, enhances fish and wildlife habitat, and improves water quality.

Although the work PDE is doing with DEEDS isn’t new, it does advance the organization’s shell recycling and shoreline restoration work. PDE is interested in understanding how oysters grow in different areas and what factors influence their growth and numbers. Further, PDE scientists hope to understand why oysters thrive in certain areas but not others.

Another objective of the project that is particularly exciting to PDE is working alongside the University of Delaware’s researchers to study the growth trends and patterns of farmed and wild oysters over a year.

“Shellfish are generally seen as a good addition to environmental projects,” Cheng said. “The assumption is that filter-feeding shellfish are currently less plentiful in our waterways than what is possible. For that reason, building up these local shellfish populations will result in good things for the environment. Whatever the project, PDE always strives to incorporate nature-based solutions like this.”

So the next time you order oysters, remember that the shells you leave on your plate will soon be on a journey back into the water, where they’ll go to good use. If you’d like to support the restaurants in our shell recycling program, visit PDE’s website.

CLEAN WATERS / W3.2 – CONDUCT RESEARCH AND MONITORING ON WATER QUALITY AND HABITAT REQUIREMENTS OF ESTUARY-DEPENDENT SPECIES

HEALTHY HABITATS / H1.3 STRATEGY H1.3: DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT NATURAL AND NATURE-BASED TECHNIQUES TO STABILIZE AND RESTORE ERODING SHORELINES AND TO BUILD AND PROTECT WETLANDS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND OTHER KEY RESOURCES

GOAL 3, INCREASE AND IMPROVE FISH AND SHELLFISH HABITAT

H3.2 – RESTORE OYSTER BEDS AND PRODUCTIVITY IN AND AROUND THE DELAWARE BAY

People gather at the DuPont Environmental Education Center in Wilmington, Delaware, to see butterfly tagging at the Monarch Migration Celebration. The event, which took place on Saturday, Sept. 16, was part of the lineup of events PDE was involoved with during National Estuaries Week, Sept. 16-23.

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Inc. received financial support from the EPA under an Assistance Agreement funded by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support this work.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW FOR PDE’S 2023 EXPERIENCE THE ESTUARY CELEBRATION

5 - 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12

Switch House by Cescaphe, Philadelphia

Join PDE at the 2023 Experience the Estuary Celebration – our annual gala fundraiser. The evening will feature a cocktail hour, open bar, dinner, auction, and the famous 90-minute raw oyster bar featuring local Delaware Bay oysters. Tickets are on sale now! Click here

SAVE THE DATE! 20TH SANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2

Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown, Pennsylvania

Join the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) in celebrating two decades of environmental collaboration at its SANniversary Celebration. Whether you are new to the SAN or have been with the group since the beginning, you can reflect on SAN’s journey and direction for the future. Engaging sessions and networking opportunities await.

The event is free of charge thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, Aqua — an Essential Utilities Company, Philadelphia Water Department, and Pennsylvania American Water Company.

Mark your calendars and click her to register

CCMP TAG: CLEAN WATERS / W3.1: INFORM AND COLLABORATE WITH DECISION-MAKERS AND WATER RESOURCES MANAGERS TO ENSURE THAT MAIN-STEM DELAWARE RIVER FLOW MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE DELAWARE ESTUARY

PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT HAS A NEW SPOKESDOG

DELAWARE RIVER FESTIVAL MAKES A SPLASH IN PHILLY AND CAMDEN, NJ

Meet Freddy! Freddy is the Philadelphia Water Department’s (PWD) new spokesdog for 2023 after getting the most votes on social media. As spokesdog, Freddy will help PWD educate humans about the importance of keeping waterways in the Delaware Estuary clean and poo-llution free. Let’s give him a round of ap-paws.

We had so much at this year’s Delaware River Festival. The festival drew thousands of people to Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia and Wiggins Park in Camden, New Jersey, to see environmental exhibits, play games, participate in scavenger hunts, ride in pedal boats, and help judge the Trash Free Waters Art Contest. We’re looking forward to seeing you next year. To view more photos from the 2023 Delaware River Festival, go to our Flickr Page HERE

THE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE DELAWARE ESTUARY CONNECTING PEOPLE, SCIENCE, AND NATURE FOR A HEALTHY DELAWARE RIVER AND BAY

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, host of the Delaware Estuary Program, leads collaborative, science–based efforts to improve the Delaware River and Bay, which covers portions of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. To find out how you can become one of our partners, call PDE at (800) 445-4935 or visit our website at www.DelawareEstuary.org

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Inc.

Kathy Klein (800)445-4935, ext. 102 kklein@DelawareEstuary.org

Environmental Protection Agency

Irene Purdy, EPA Region II (212)637-3794 purdy.irene@epa.gov

Megan Mackey, EPA Region III (215)814-5534 mackey.megan@epa.gov

Pennsylvania Sue Weaver

Department of Environmental Protection (717)783-8055 suweaver@pa.gov

Delaware Rachael Phillos

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (302)735-3411

Rachael.Phillos@delaware.gov

New Jersey

Lynette Lurig

Department of Environmental Protection (609)633-1314

lynette.lurig@dep.nj.gov

Delaware River Basin Commission

Chad Pindar (609)883-9500, ext. 268 chad.pindar@drbc.gov

Philadelphia Water Department Will Whalon (267)207-0937 william.whalon@phila.gov

Editor Kate Layton (800)445-4935, ext. 113 klayton@DelawareEstuary.org

Estuary News encourages reprinting of its articles in other publications. Estuary News is produced four times annually by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Inc. (PDE), under an assistance agreement (CE-99398516-0) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The purpose of this newsletter is to provide an open, informative dialogue on issues related to PDE. The viewpoints expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of PDE or EPA, nor does mention of names, commercial products or causes constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. For information about the PDE, call (302) 655-4990.