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Santa pitches in to help the bays

Project aims to reforest 10 acres of wildlife preserve
Santa Claus gives a thumbs up after planting a native sapling at the Marion R. Okie Memorial Wildlife Preserve at Poplar Thicket in Millsboro. BY MADDY LAURIA
Maddy Lauria
December 28, 2015
This small shortleaf pine sapling is one of thousands to be planted at the Marion R. Okie Memorial Wildlife Preserve at Poplar Thicket. BY MADDY LAURIA
Santa takes a break from Christmas duties to lend a hand planting saplings in Millsboro. BY MADDY LAURIA
Santa tries his hand at science for a day, with the help of Delaware Center for the Inland Bays Program Manager Bob Collins. BY MADDY LAURIA
Masseys Landing resident Mike Pitcavage and his yellow lab Sully secure saplings at a wildlife preserve in Millsboro Dec. 15. BY MADDY LAURIA
Sully the lab, sporting his holiday scarf, calmly sits behind a shortleaf pine sapling. BY MADDY LAURIA
Center volunteer Jonathan Forte, right, hands out the limited arrowwood saplings to volunteers (l-r) Millsboro resident Ab Ream, Lewes resident Bob Wallace and Ocean View resident John Buono. BY MADDY LAURIA
Center for the Inland Bays' Citizens Advisory Committee Chair Susan Ball pitches in during the planting project. BY MADDY LAURIA

Volunteers with the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays were joined by a jolly Santa Dec. 15 to help plant thousands of native saplings as part of reforestation efforts at Poplar Thicket in Millsboro.

The project, which is a partnership between the center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, will bring nearly 9,000 native saplings to about 10 acres of the Marion R. Okie Memorial Wildlife Preserve at Poplar Thicket.

“The goal is to supplement the growth out here,” said Bob Collins, program manager at the center. Collins said the project will utilize a federal grant as well as volunteers to plant thousands of shortleaf pine, black oak, persimmon, arrowwood and American plum saplings, which will take about 10 to 15 years to fully mature.

Once the trees begin to fill out what was once open land, the shrub-like environment will provide vital habitat for native and migratory species, including song birds, and help meet some of the goals included in Delaware's Wildlife Action Plan.

For more about this project and the Center for the Inland Bays, go to www.inlandbays.org.

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