DNREC to offer lecture for shoreline homeowners

The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship is offering a free lecture on shoreline stabilization for homeowners living along the shore and the public on June 13. | PHOTO COURTESY OF DNREC

BETHANY BEACH – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is targeting erosion and the impacts of sea levels rising by offering a free lecture to introduce property owners to living shorelines in Delaware on Thursday, June 13.

The hour-long lecture will take place at the South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach at 2 p.m. Registration is required and can be made up to the day before the event. The lecture is presented by the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship in conjunction with the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee and the South Coastal Library.

Olivia Allread, outreach and communications coordinator with DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program, will provide an overview of living shorelines and how they can be used to protect and improve a property. The lecture will highlight the specific types of living shorelines that can be installed and what natural materials can be used for them. The presentation will cover the benefits of this type of shoreline stabilization, as well as resources and user-friendly tools available for landowners.

Living shorelines utilize natural materials like native plants, oyster shells, and biodegradable coconut-fiber coir logs as a barrier against shoreline erosion and flood impacts. Living shorelines also enhance the natural beauty of shoreline ecosystems. The lecture will offer insights into the how to enhance the natural beauty of a property and showcase project examples in Delaware.

This lecture is part of educational efforts offered by the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee, a work group dedicated to facilitating the understanding, peer review and implementation of living shoreline strategy within the First State. The DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program represents the Department in supporting the committee and its work. More information can be found at delawarelivingshorelines.org.