Pocomoke museum celebrates Delmarva’s cultural heritage

The Delmarva Discovery Center and Museum hosted their second annual Delmarva Heritage Days event this weekend.

Quite a few people made it out to the event to learn all about duck hunting and decoy making.

Barbara Tull, a Founder of the Delmarva Discovery Center and Museum, said, "Delmarva Heritage Day's is a celebration of our hunting and carving traditions."

Heritage Day attendee's were able to chat with and learn from world renowned decoy makers that come from right here on the Eastern Shore.

Event Coordinator Herb Watson said, "It's been a time where there's no competition. Everybody's talking to each other and talking while they're here and answering questions that other carvers might have and it's just been a good time."

Doug Fisher, a local decoy maker, added, "The talent here in one room is incredible."

Event coordinators said duck carving and hunting are two activities that once thrived all across Delmarva, and they wanted the weekend's visitors to understand the rich history behind the trade.

Watson said, "We're trying to save the traditions of hunting and decoy carving on the shore. It's so important that we do that and we hope that the attendees see that and pass it on to other generations."

Some at the event even said that decoy making is the United States' first true art form. Fisher said, "Decoy making is the original American art form. The only one. And I think people come to realize it was through necessity providing for families that decoys were used for a long time until it was finally realized that it was truly an art form."

Overall, event coordinators said they felt the second year of the Delmarva Heritage Day's event was a success. Watson said, "It's been pretty well attended! You always want more, but I think we've done pretty well."

As previously mentioned, the Delmarva Heritage Day's event takes place at the Delmarva Discovery Center and Museum located in Pocomoke.

Museum directors said they began planning to build this popular museum back in 1997, and finally brought the idea to life in June of 2008.

Museum directors said they believe the Discovery Center is bringing more people and businesses to Pocomoke City, rather than just to the highway.

Now the museum has plans to add more expo's and exhibits in the future, in fact they are now planning to build up their focus on cultural heritage by bringing in a ship building event.

Tull said, "We have traditionally promoted nature heritage here. Now we're trying to bring in some cultural heritage events that will educate people about our cultural history."

The museum says they are always looking for more volunteers to help them with future events.

To sign up to be a volunteer, you can contact the museum at (410)-957-9933.