Habitat Restoration
Delaware Nature Society restores and manages habitats to bring them back to their healthiest, most natural state. Every acre we care for helps strengthen ecosystems, support native wildlife, and protect the land for future generations.
Forest Habitat Restoration
Forests once covered much of Delaware before European settlement. Today, our restoration work focuses on replanting native trees and shrubs across many of our sites – to reforest areas cleared long ago and restore damaged areas to health. As these trees mature, they help reestablish and repair the forests that so many native species depend on for food, shelter, and nesting.
DelNature has been leading reforestation on a large scale at the Middle Run Valley Natural Area, a New Castle County-owned park we partner with the County to manage to benefit biodiversity. The Middle Run Valley Reforestation Project is a volunteer-driven effort to increase forest on the site and improve water quality in the Middle Run, a tributary in the White Clay Creek Watershed. DelNature staff and volunteers have planted more than 50,000 trees and shrubs at key locations within the park since 1991. For more information about Middle Run and our work there, see our Nature Centers and Preserves page
Wetland Habitat Restoration
Wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems in Delaware. Our sites include freshwater non-tidal wetlands, tidal marshes, vernal pools, and floodplains along both piedmont and coastal plain streams. We restore and manage these areas to maintain proper water flow and native vegetation, supporting rare plants and animals that rely on healthy wetlands.
Meadow Restoration
Many of our former agricultural fields are being transformed into thriving native meadows. These grasslands are restored using native wildflowers and grasses that provide food and cover for pollinators, songbirds, and other wildlife. Seasonal mowing and controlled burning help maintain meadow health and biodiversity.
Controlling Invasive Plants
Non-native invasive plants threaten Delaware’s native landscapes by outcompeting native species and disrupting natural food webs. Our staff and volunteers work year-round to remove these aggressive plants using science-based methods. These meadows are maintained by seasonally timed mowing and controlled burning.
