Documenting Bird Life in Delaware Bay Salt Marshes

by Harrison Hepding, CWF Biological Technician

The remote coastal salt marshes of the Delaware Bayshore harbor a unique and seldom observed ecosystem, boasting a rich natural history and diverse wildlife. To help prevent the loss of these valuable habitats and their inhabitants, CWF is participating in a partner-driven, multi-year project led by Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to enhance habitat quality and restore natural hydrology to salt marshes in Delaware and New Jersey. CWF is actively involved in the second season of biological monitoring at select Bayshore salt marshes targeted for restoration efforts designed to revegetate mudflats existing on old salt hay farms (read more about salt hay farming impacts here). At this stage of the project, our role is to gather important pre-restoration data to evaluate the anticipated impact and effectiveness of restoration techniques.

A view from one of our survey points at Dix Wildlife Management Area.
Photo courtesy of Emmy Casper, CWF Wildlife Biologist.
Continue reading “Documenting Bird Life in Delaware Bay Salt Marshes”

In the News: WHYY Article Highlights New Delaware Bay Marsh Restoration Project

by Emmy Casper, Wildlife Biologist

Over the winter, biologists from CWF, Ducks Unlimited, USFWS, and Partnership for the Delaware Estuary visited sites like this marsh in Dix Wildlife Management Area to assess their restoration potential and strategize monitoring plans.  

This spring, CWF will begin fieldwork for a new marsh restoration project along the Delaware Bay. The ambitious project, funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and co-led by Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, aims to implement cost effective and low-tech marsh restoration techniques in New Jersey and Delaware salt marshes. Restoration plans will be designed to create, protect, and/or enhance habitat for multiple marsh-dependent species including black rails and saltmarsh sparrows. As a project partner, CWF will provide two seasons of biological monitoring assistance at the New Jersey sites. This week, WHYY published an article about the project, featuring representatives from CWF and other project partners. Click the link below to read the piece and learn more about some of the important work being done by the Delaware Bay!