Live Green: Delmarva Trails and Waterways
OCEAN VIEW, De – If you’re in Delaware and you want to get out in nature more but don’t know where to start, one local woman has created a website to help those connect with nature.
Outdoor recreation specialist, Laura Scharle, created a website in 2020 – What started out as a passion project turned into a place where people can go to explore the natural beauty in Delmarva.
“I started during the pandemic, and now it’s grown into this beast of a website. I was really amazed at how little people knew about all the great stuff that’s really in our backyards here,” Scharle said.
“I run a website called Delmarva Trails and Waterways dot com, and it is kind of like a one stop shop for all trails, beaches, fishing piers, bike paths, you name it, greenspaces. It’s searchable. There’s interactive maps. There’s an outdoor recreation inspiration blog, all kinds of good safety tips, visitation tips.” She explained.
When you go to the home page, you can decide if you’re going to explore by land or by water. This includes ADA accessible trails and bike trails on land. The water section includes kayak launches, boating and more.
“And you can search on a map view of all those things or you can search by what kind of beach you’re looking for,” Scharle said.
Having trails in a sea of development are beneficial to the communities physical and mental health.
“These create sanctuaries for wildlife and also for people. So it’s really, really important for that aspect because environmentally, we need to be preserving more land. But it’s also important to have public access to those lands so that people can come out and experience the ecosystem that’s around them that they might be missing otherwise.” Scharle explained.
Not many areas around Delmarva, and preserves like James Farm help bring tourists to the area. Scharle urges the public to do their part, and volunteering is one way to help.
“I always try to weave in this message of stewardship. Like, stay on the trail that’s marked. Don’t go venturing off of it. Pick up after yourself. I always post the rules. So if I’m promoting a trail where dogs are not allowed, I make that known, or if they need to be on a leash, I make that known, and another thing that I like to promote is try not to over visit an area.” She said.
Scharle added, “The biggest one that I push is if the parking lot is full, leave and come back another time. That parking lot size has been established based on the carrying capacity of whatever trail park you’re visiting.”
Scharle also told me when she visits these areas, she feels connected to past generations because history is woven into different green spaces throughout Delmarva.
“I could probably go on and on, but just think, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad that’s woven into Blackwater and some other trails and green spaces.” She explained.
Scharle’s website lists different organizations and agencies all over Delmarva that provide volunteering opportunities for the community. To volunteer, or to simply learn about Delmarva, and connect with nature, visit her website.
