im Alderman was a teacher for 23 years before he found his true passion. It just goes to show that it’s never too late to do something you love.
Alderman taught environmental science, oceanography and biology at Cape Henlopen High School and also was the school’s football coach, but he said he got tired of the monotony of school life.
“I lived by a bell,” said Alderman. “Now I have to look to see what day it is.”
Alderman now works as restoration coordinator for the Center for the Inland Bays.
He mostly works at the James Farm Ecological Preserve in Ocean View, where his easy-going attitude and good humor entertain the other staffers.
The James Farm is a dedicated parcel of land on Cedar Neck Road that can never be developed. It features walking trails, native plants, wetlands and a beach. Off shore, there are two oyster reefs that Alderman and others at the preserve are working to maintain each year. The James Farm is also home of the annual native plant sale, coming up in May.
Along with many volunteers, he worked to map and build trails across the 150-acre preserve, making sure not to encroach on anything endangered.
The trails wind through different habitats, including fields, forests and wetlands. Alderman said a lot of it was legwork, but in the end they have an area that is open for the public to enjoy.
“It’s a labor of love,” said Alderman at the center’s annual holiday party Dec. 16. And now with the dedication of 30 more acres in Dagsboro for preservation, Alderman will have more wild lands to love.
Alderman lives on Camp Arrowhead Road outside of Lewes with his wife Kathy, their dog, Kalie, and Mooney, their pony. His daughter, Abby, works for the Wilmington News Journal.
Alderman’s house is a testament to his love of the outdoors as it is surrounded by forest and not visible from the road. He tells people he lives in the middle of a nature preserve.
His boisterous laugh and booming voice can be heard over the rustle of wildlife and even over the noise of the center’s annual pig roast, held in October.
Alderman has a spring in his step and a sparkle in his eye as he talks about his work at the preserve.
“The best time out here is a sunrise,” said Alderman. “Then you can see a lot more animals.”
The oyster reefs are a particular point of pride for Alderman. It is here that he and other CIB staffers work to increase the numbers of naturally growing oysters in the Inland Bays. Local residents participate in the project by growing oysters off their docks, said Alderman.
“We are all somewhat responsible for the health of the bays,” said Alderman, who thinks of the James Farm as his second home.
