“A field of dreams”: celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week in Sussex County
MILTON, Del. – This National Wildlife Refuge Week, conservation officials and local leaders are celebrating the natural resources found in Delaware. But, in a bigger sense, it’s also a call to action for Delawareans to keep the First State clean and beautiful.
“A field of dreams”
“You just don’t see what we have here in other places. You don’t see just the vastness of this beautiful salt marsh. It’s one of the most productive habitats in the entire world,” said Kate Toniolo, Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Manager for Prime Hook and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuges. “We just have such a vast marsh ecosystem. The salt marshes here are really unlike anywhere I’ve ever seen, and I’ve worked in places with salt marshes before.”
While there are over 560 National Wildlife Refuges across the country, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge is home to endangered species, migratory birds, and other critters. Piping Plovers, Terns, and Bald Eagles are just a few of the feathered creatures found in the area that Toniolo calls “a field of dreams”. Plus, Toniolo says the salt marshes can help mitigate coastal flooding.
“More land and water is protected than the entirety of our other national lands combined; More than parks, more than Bureau of Recreation lands. Refuges are really the heartbeat of conservation across the country,” said Toniolo. “National wildlife refuges are known as a best kept secret. But, we’d like it to be less of a secret.”
Revealing the Secret
That best kept secret isn’t just a sanctuary. U.S. Senator Tom Carper says it’s also a place to inspire stewardship and reconnect with the Earth.
“A lot of people don’t know about these wildlife refuges. We want to make sure that they know about them, and that when they come here, they have the opportunity to fully experience what is offered – this gift from God,” said Sen. Carper. “We want to be able to tell that story, and do a better job telling that story. That’s one of the changes that’s happening at this wildlife refuge, and it’s sister [Bombay Hook] right up the road.”
For that reason, Sen. Carper says part of the puzzle of combating climate change is protecting such places.
“One of the best ways to fight climate change is to make sure that we have the ability to absorb carbon dioxide. These trees and the land around here is like a sponge,” said Sen. Carper. “We have a planet that’s on fire, floods, droughts, you name it. So, this is part of the system by nature to help us address climate change.”
Looking Ahead
Toniolo says improvements are coming to the refuges. At Bombay Hook, they will be constructing new buildings, and plan to open them in 2023. At Prime Hook, they’re working on getting a contract in place to build a new visitor contact station near the entrance of the park.
The refuge system is the worlds largest network of lands for the protection of wildlife in their habitat,” said Toniolo. “We’re very lucky here in Delaware to have two beautiful National Wildlife Refuges.”
