Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Ocean View, DE — Celebrate the Indian River with the River Rally at Cupola Park on May 10, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Hosted by the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, this FREE family-friendly rally aims to inform, entertain, and inspire the community to celebrate and protect our Indian River!

Beginning at 4:00 p.m., visitors can find out what fish live in the river, check out how oysters help clean the water (live and up close!), watch a fishing demonstration by Delaware Surf Fishing,  grab some food from the food truck, learn how to use a Letter to the Editor to share your thoughts with neighbors and decision makers, and explore booths packed with take-home information! At 5:30 p.m., take a brief break for a Blessing of the River prayer ceremony, led by Herman Jackson of the Nanticoke Tribe.

The Indian River is used for fishing, boating, swimming, and bird-watching by countless residents and visitors each year. Wildlife, too, depend on the river as a source of food and shelter. Cormorants, osprey and great blue herons build nests along its shores, while Weakfish and American eels use it as a nursery for their young.

As part of the Inland Bays watershed, the Indian River also plays a vital role by providing fresh water to the Inland Bays. When freshwater from the Indian River meets salt water from the ocean, it creates an estuary: a delicate habitat that supports populations of crabs, shellfish, fish, and other important marine animals. We rely on the river — it’s time to celebrate it and learn how we can better care for it!

Information and resources will be available from groups including Clean Water: Delaware’s Clear Choice, the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, the Delaware Nature Society, the Delaware SeaGrant, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC’s) Division of Watershed Stewardship, the League of Women Voters, the DNREC Septic Rehabilitation Loan Program, the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, the Sussex Conservation District, and the Sussex Master Gardeners.

Attendees that RSVP at www.inlandbays.org/RiverRally will receive 1 free ticket for a meal at the food truck during the event. Walk-ups will have the option to purchase food from the vendor.

This is a rain or shine event; in the case of inclement weather, the location will be changed to the Indian River Senior Center at 214 Irons Ave, Millsboro, DE 19966.

The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is a non-profit organization established in 1994, and is one of 28 National Estuary Programs.  With its many partners, the CIB works to preserve, protect and restore Delaware’s Inland Bays–the water that flows into them, and the watershed around them.

For more information call Amy Barra at 226-8105×103, send an email to abarra@inlandbays.org  or, visit our website: www.inlandbays.org

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