Partners for Fish and Wildlife: Major Successes

By working cooperatively with private landowners, conservation groups, volunteers, and local, state, and federal resource agencies, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program benefits everyone involved. The following are examples of the program's success in Delaware and Maryland

Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary, Frederick County, MD:
Partners restored 7 acres of forested uplands and enhanced 20 acres of scrub-shrub and emergent wetlands. Volunteers from the Audubon Society of Central Maryland, local citizens, and the Linganore High School Ecology Club planted more than 500 trees in the upland buffer. Wetland enhancement included removal of invasive vegetation and erecting barriers to prevent damage by vehicles. The site provides habitat for one of the largest spotted turtle populations in western Maryland.

Kent County, MD:
Nine acres of emergent and scrub-shrub wetlands were restored in the Chester River watershed. The site connects adjacent forested wetlands to provide a wildlife corridor previously separated by cropped fields. The project improves water quality by filtering agricultural runoff to Mills Branch and provides habitat for waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds, and amphibians.

Montgomery County, MD:
Seventeen acres of streamside forest were restored along Broad Run, a tributary to the Potomac River. The project included erecting 6,000 feet of fencing to exclude livestock and planting native woody vegetation within the riparian buffer. The restored site will improve water quality and provide habitat for neotropical migratory birds and other wildlife species.

Pleasantville Elementary School, New Castle County, DE:
A half acre of wildlife habitat was restored on an adjacent, previously mowed field. Teachers and students planted a butterfly meadow with native plants such as joe-pye weed and milkweed. Biologists assisted with planting native shrubs and trees to provide additional forest habitat. The school uses the site as a demonstration area and outdoor laboratory.

University of Delaware Wetland Demonstration Project, Sussex County, DE:
This project restored a former wetland that was previously drained for farming. The 1.6-acre shallow water wetland and upland buffer benefits waterfowl, reptiles, amphibians, and wading birds, including great blue herons that nest in an adjacent wooded area. It also serves as a demonstration of how wildlife habitat can be incorporated into overall farm planning. Service partners include: University of Delaware and Sussex Conservation District.

Forested wetlands, Sussex County, DE:
Restoration of 30 acres of nontidal forested wetlands and 35 acres of associated forested upland buffer were completed in the Nanticoke River watershed. Wildlife using the site include wood ducks, neotropical migratory songbirds, a wide variety of amphibians, bobwhite quail, wild turkeys, and raptors (birds of prey like eagles and hawks). The project improves the aquatic habitat by trapping sediment and excess nutrients flowing from adjacent agricultural lands.