James Farm volunteers remove 2.75 tons of debris

Nine dedicated volunteers with the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays spent 26 hours removing 2.75 tons of assorted debris and trash from the James Farm Ecological Preserve March 8. The preserve is owned by Sussex County and managed by the CIB.

Waste Industries of Millsboro and its Full Circle program provided the construction dumpster used during the cleanup, and Sen. Gerald Hocker, R- Ocean View, graciously sponsored the preserve for the Delaware Solid Waste Authority Community Clean-Up initiative.

Just like anybody's yard, the James Farm needed a good spring cleaning. What was collected stemmed from two sources: debris that had washed up into the marshes during storms (largely wood and fencing) and junk left at the site by the rare inconsiderate visitor.

The James Farm Ecological Preserve serves residents of and visitors to coastal Delaware and is open all year from dawn to dusk. There is no admission cost. In addition to hosting more than 10,000 visits by the general public, and being home to the James Farm Middle School Education Program, the preserve is also the staging area for many of the center’s science and restoration activities.

Visitors are reminded that the facility is carry-in/carry-out, and all guests are asked to respect the wildlife and fellow patrons by keeping dogs leashed and picking up after them.

There are regular volunteer opportunities including trail maintenance, invasive species control and facility repair taking place at 9 a.m. every Wednesday. For more information, go to www.inlandbays.org/volunteer or email jamesfarm@inlandbays.org.

The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is a nonprofit organization established in 1994 and is one of 28 National Estuary Programs. With its many partners, the CIB works to preserve, protect and restore Delaware’s Inland Bays, the water that flows into them, and the watershed around them. For more information, go to inlandbays.org.