Wetlands celebration and family bike rally set May 5 at Trap Pond

DNREC is celebrating May as American Wetlands Month with a variety of activities to honor wetlands as an important natural resource that plays key roles in protecting Delawareans from storms and flooding, and providing habitat for wildlife. DNREC's Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program will highlight wetlands by hosting a family event, releasing a new wetland video, and posting wetlands trivia and stories online.

To kick off the month, the Second Annual Wetlands Celebration will be held in conjunction with the 15th Annual Get in Gear Family Bike Rally from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 5 at Trap Pond State Park in Laurel. These two events together will provide fun and engaging entertainment for the whole family that brings awareness to Delmarva's wetlands and the critters that inhabit them, as well as offering a unique mix of outdoor recreation, science, art and history.

The Wetlands Celebration features interactive activities, exhibitors, demos, live music, and games. Families will find plenty to do, including self-guided wetland walks, enter to win a rain barrel, scavenger hunt, and free pontoon boat tours of Trap Pond. Boat tours will be offered every hour, with the last one pulling out at 2 p.m., and will provide a brief history of the pond and some of the plants and animals that call Trap Pond home. Rental fees for the park's canoes and kayaks are covered by the event admission.

Exhibitors include Delaware Museum of Natural History, DNREC's Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, Rehoboth Art League, Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, Tri-State Bird Rescue and Trap Pond State Park. Snacks will be available for purchase from food trucks.

Run by Trap Pond Partners, the Get in Gear Family Bike Rally starts at 10:30 a.m. and will traverse the perimeter of Trap Pond. Registration for the Bike Rally is $10 per person or $25 per family, and it is requested that participants bring their own bikes. All funds go to support Trap Pond State Park. To register or get more information about the event, please visit the Wetlands Celebration website, www.trappondpartners.com/bike-rally.html.

Park admission will be covered by the Bike Rally entry fee, or by mentioning the Wetlands Celebration at the fee booth; the first 150 cars that go through the booth also will receive free park admission. This outdoor event is rain or shine, but some of the day's activities are weather permitting.