Watershed development, invasive species, habitat alteration and sea level rise pose significant threats to the resources of coastal Delaware.  The stewardship program at the Delaware Reserve focuses on habitat restoration, resource protection and land acquisition, integrating aspects of resource management with research, monitoring, education, and coastal training to provide long-term protection, and to restore and promote wise use of the natural resources within the reserve watersheds.

Priority Topics

Habitat Restoration
The Delaware Reserve developed and is now utilizing a phased approach to implement the Blackbird Creek Reserve Ecological Restoration Master Plan which has identified the following priority restoration opportunities to enhance ecosystem function at the Blackbird Creek Reserve including:  headwater stream restoration; riparian corridor buffer restoration; invasive species management; wetland restoration (freshwater nontidal and tidal marsh); upland reforestation; upland native meadow restoration. 

Resource Protection
Stewardship at the Delaware Reserve focuses on maintaining Reserve sites as field laboratories to support research and education.  Public access is encouraged on those parts of the Reserve that are publicly owned or that have received private landowner permission for access, as long as it is not to the detriment of the resource, or does not interfere with approved research. Public access is restricted in key resource protection areas.

The Reserve encourages the protection of essential habitat within its sites, as well as adjoining essential buffer and habitat through land acquisition. The main objective of the acquisition strategy is to promote protection of sensitive areas in and around the Reserve.