The Delaware Nature Society, the First State’s chapter of the National Wildlife Federation, celebrated its 50th anniversary last week.
Over five decades, the organization has used awareness, education and advocacy to carry out its mission of protecting the environment. Executive director Brian Winslow says the challenge now is motivating folks to connect to nature as more people move to cities and spend more time online.
“We want to make sure the programs that we’re offering today do look different than 50 years ago," said Winslow, who has held the position for three years. "How do we fit into people’s lifestyles now? How do we relate to those who live in urban settings? How do we reach out to kids who don’t have same access to nature as they did before?”
Winslow says organization has been working hard to continue its legacy by trying to stay relevant in today’s issues. He says the most effective way to accomplish this is by bringing these issues home.
“Issues like climate change are so overwhelming that you have to start where they are in their backyards," said Winslow. "So organizations are carrying out local projects that [the public] can participate in to adapt and reduce their energy footprint. That’s how they can feel empowered.”
This approach to the issues is currently being used in the Delaware Nature Society’s Clean Water Campaign, which is reaching out to water recreationists and residents who live near the First State’s many rivers and streams. The campaign was announced earlier this year, in conjunction with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and the Center for the Inland Bays. The Delaware Nature Society is planning a rally for this campaign in Dover this June.
Another way that the Delaware Nature Society is reaching people at home is by encouraging them to certify their neighborhoods as official wildlife habitats. The town of Slaughter Beach this month officially received their certification, making it Delaware’s third community to do so with the National Wildlife Certification. Slaughter Beach will be holding an event to recognize it at the end of May.
Additionally, the organization will focus on making its nature centers more accessible to the public by increasing hours and number of programs available at the Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin and Abbott’s Mill in Milton.
