The Appoquinimink Tributary Action Team
Has a New Name!

As part of the transformation of the Appoquinimink Tributary Action Team into a nonprofit organization, the Team is being renamed.   At its April meeting, the Team voted to become the Appoquinimink River Association.  The Founding Board of Directors was then elected.  Dan O'Connell will be the president of the board, Tom Harrison and Katie Shaulis will co-chair the education committee, and Charlie Miller will chair the implementation committee.  A vice-president will be named soon.

In addition to working on the formation of the new organization, the Team has been busy in other areas.  The Delaware Nature Society (DNS) is partnering with the Appoquinimink River Association to offer a Stream Watch (Stream Adoption) workshop and to provide 20 watershed residents with the DNS “Smartyards” landscaping packages.

Stream Watch workshops provide a basic level of training on biological indicators of a healthy stream and simple chemical tests used to assess water quality.  Workshops are open to all ages we encourage you to attend with your family.  No experience is necessary to participate.  Providing a Stream Watch workshop in the Appoquinimink Watershed helps focus attention on local water quality issues through a hands-on, outdoor experience, while teaching residents how their own actions can impact the integrity of local waterways.  The workshop will be held this fall.

Smartyards is a unique component of the Delaware Nature Society’s Backyard Habitat program, through which participants discover how to provide an oasis for local birds, butterflies, and other wildlife while helping to ensure the health of our streams and rivers.  In Delaware, the Backyard habitat program is conducted by the DNS in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the University of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Gateway Garden Center, and Wild Birds Unlimited.  The program provides official certification for properties where owners meet four criteria necessary for wildlife habitat: food, water, cover, and places for wildlife to raise young.   Certified habitats range from those meeting the requirements, such as a small urban balcony or rooftop, to extensive naturalized areas that meet a variety of wildlife needs.  By adopting practices beneficial to wildlife such as planting native species and limiting use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, you also help to improve local water quality by reducing their reliance on products that contribute to nonpoint source pollution.  Smartyards participants will receive landscaping packages valued at approximately $550 that include

• A variety of native trees, shrubs, and perennials provided by Gateway Garden Center
• A bird feeder, nesting box, and bird bath provided by Wild Birds Unlimited
• A Delaware Nature Society Backyard Habitat starter kit filled with educational and how-to resources, including application for certification, water quality checklist, Delaware native plant list, local watershed information, habitat planning guide, and tip sheets on attracting birds and butterflies
• A Backyard Habitat sign
• One-on-one technical assistance from Delaware Nature Society trained Habitat Stewards
• Planning and installation guidelines to ensure proper placement and maintenance of the plant materials
• A rain barrel to help conserve water resources

All residents of the Appoquinimink Watershed are eligible for the Smartyards program, although community open space parcels are not appropriate for this project.  Smartyard packages will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.  If you are selected to participate, we ask that you agree to attend a brief introductory meeting, pick up you Smartyards materials at a central location, install all materials, provide mulch for plantings, and complete the Backyard Habitat certification process.  

Information for the Appoquinimink Smartyards project will be available at the Middletown Education Fair on Saturday, May 8 at Middletown High School from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.  You can sign up to be added to a mailing list.  Signups for the program will take place throughout the summer.  If you are a participant, assistance will be available from Habitat Stewards in the weeks following the workshop to select plants and your materials will be delivered early in the fall.

The Appoquinimink River Association is also working to obtain funding for a full-time public outreach and implementation specialist.   This person will work almost exclusively on getting the word out about the river and the watershed.  In addition to general outreach, our specialist will run two water-related public outreach events per year such as Project WET's "Make a Splash" day and a the Water Environment Federation's "Water Festival."

The team received recent press in the News Journal (Changes in County Provoke Preservation Need) and the Middletown Transcript (MOT groups vigilant against threats to sap and impurify our precious bodies of water) about their work and upcoming plans.  They will be continuing with a monthly column in the Middletown Transcript.

The Appoquinimink River Association's next regular meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 12th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at St. Anne's Episcopal School.  They will discuss by-laws for the new organization, organizational structure, upcoming events, and current work on funding for next year.

Please get in touch with Cortney Worrall if you have any questions or would like more information about the efforts of the Appoquinimink River Association.