In 2018, Natasha Whetzel helped burn 20 acres at Delaware’s Hurley Tract to restore habitat. 10 weeks later, native purple love grass had spread extensively, transforming the site into habitats for birds and pollinators

Restoring natural habitats can involve carefully planned actions that improve conditions for plants, wildlife, birds, and pollinators. In southern Delaware, conservation work at the Middleford North Preserve and Hurley Tract has combined habitat management, prescribed fire, and reforestation to strengthen important ecosystems within the Nanticoke River watershed.

The Nanticoke River and Its Rich Wildlife

Named for the Native and Indigenous peoples who inhabit the area, the Nanticoke River is explained as one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most productive tributaries. Its surrounding 725,000-acre watershed supports a diverse range of wildlife and has more rare plants than any other landscape on the Delmarva Peninsula.

The Nature Conservancy and its partners have safeguarded an estimated 20% of the Nanticoke River watershed. One major conservation area is Middleford North Preserve in southern Delaware, situated just upstream from Seaford along Gravelly Branch.


Gravelly Branch is described as the last undisturbed portion of the Nanticoke River watershed that has not been channelized or dredged. The preserve therefore retains much of the river’s wild and scenic character despite increasing development in the surrounding place.

Forests, Plants and Butterfly Habitat

Middleford North Preserve contains deciduous swamps and upland forests with tree species such as red maple, blackgum, loblolly pine, and sweetgum. Atlantic white cedar groves provide the sole caterpillar-stage food source for a population of the globally imperiled Hessel's hairstreak butterfly.

The preserve also supports rare plant species regarded globally and locally imperiled. These include seaside alder, Parker's piperwort, and Long's bittercress.

The area provides feeding, staging, and nesting habitat for more than eighty species of migratory birds. Among them are Eastern wood-peewee, American redstart, black-and-white warbler, Blackburnian warbler, Louisiana waterthrush, and worm-eating warbler.

Important Fish Habitat

The undisturbed portion of the Nanticoke River within the preserve also serves as spawning and nursery habitat for several fish species. These include striped bass, hickory shad, and river herring.

Resident fish found in the region include largemouth bass, redbreast sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, and golden shiners. Protecting the surrounding habitat therefore supports a range of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife.

The 2018 Controlled Burn

In April 2018, the chapter conducted its first controlled burn at Middleford North. The Nature Conservancy manages 45 acres of the 171-acre tract as an early successional scrub-shrub habitat.

This type of habitat is significant for many species, particularly declining birds that depend on shrubland environments. Field sparrow, American woodcock, and Northern bobwhite are among the species identified as benefiting from this habitat.

A prescribed fire is a methodically planned and carefully managed forest fire that is intentionally set under controlled conditions. Prescribed burns can thin dense brush while restoring soils by recycling nutrients through ash. They can also reduce the likelihood of unplanned wildfires becoming excessively hot and difficult to control when dense brush and dead plant material have accumulated.

Native Plants Return After the Burn

The response of vegetation following the Hurley Tract burn was notable. Within a few short weeks, native grasses and milkweed were growing vigorously in the area.

Ten weeks after the burn, native purple love grass had spread extensively throughout the site. The resulting meadows provide habitat for several pollinator and insect species, which are important food sources for birds.

The open fields also offer habitat for small mammals. These animals can serve as food for larger birds of prey, snakes, and other mammals, helping support connections among different parts of the ecosystem.

Who Is Natasha Whetzel?

Natasha Whetzel is responsible for overseeing the management and restoration of The Nature Conservancy’s nature preserves in Delaware. Her work is focused on the broader conservation goal of protecting the natural plant and animal communities that live within these preserves. Whetzel also plays an important role on the PA/DE fire team.

Reforestation at Middleford North Preserve

Conservation work continued in 2019, when TNC reforested 22 acres of former agricultural land at Middleford North Preserve. The project involved planting 7,150 native trees and shrubs.

Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the project was designed to increase and improve headwater forest habitat within the Nanticoke River watershed. The restoration was also intended to improve water quality in Gravelly Branch and ultimately contribute to improved conditions in the Chesapeake Bay.

The newly planted area provides additional habitat for local wildlife and migratory birds.

Native Trees and Shrubs Planted

The reforestation project included a diverse mixture of native trees and shrubs. Trees planted included shortleaf pine, southern red oak, blackjack oak, black oak, white oak, chestnut oak, mockernut hickory, and persimmon.

The planting also included highbush and lowbush blueberries, adding further native vegetation to the restored landscape.

Conservation Through Multiple Partnerships

The restoration work at Middleford North Preserve and the Hurley Tract involved multiple organizations and sources of funding. The Nature Conservancy and its partners have played a role in protecting and managing habitat within the Nanticoke River watershed.

Funding for the reforestation project was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

Together, prescribed fire, habitat management, and reforestation have supported attempts to maintain and improve important natural areas within the Nanticoke River watershed. The work illustrated how targeted conservation activities can create better conditions for native vegetation, pollinators, migratory birds, fish, and other wildlife.

Source: The Nature Conservancy

FAQs

Q1. What is habitat restoration?

Habitat restoration is the process of improving natural areas for plants and wildlife. It can involve different conservation activities depending on the needs of the ecosystem.

Q2. What is a prescribed burn?

A prescribed burn is a carefully planned fire carried out under controlled conditions. It can reduce dense vegetation and recycle nutrients into the soil through ash.