Homeowners
Protecting the Inland Bays: A Waterfront Property Guide
Owning a waterfront property—whether along the shores of the Inland Bays, a tributary of the Bays, or even a stormwater pond—can present its own set of challenges. The following educational publication offers guidance on how to protect and enhance your investment while promoting healthy shorelines and nearshore areas, water quality, and habitats for both people and wildlife. It addresses some of the most persistent threats facing the Inland Bays and their watershed, and how you can help care for our shared paradise in a way that benefits you, your family, and your community.
Click the button for a free copy of the guidebook.
Additional Homeowner Resources
Native Plants & Invasive Species
- Flora of Delaware
- Audubon Native Plant Database
- USDA Plant Database
- Delaware Wetland Plant Field Guide
- Controlling Backyard Invaders
- Delaware Invasive Species Council
- Mistaken Identity? Invasive Plants & Their Native Look-Alikes: An Identification Guide for the Mid-Atlantic
- Private Lands Assistance: Phragmites Control Cost-Share Program
Local Vendors Offering Native Plant Options:
East Coast Garden Center
30366 Cordrey Road, Millsboro, DE
302-945-3489
www.eastcoastgardencenter.com
Roots Landscaping & Garden Center
36226 Dupont Blvd., Selbyville, DE
302-732-0866
www.rootsde.com/garden-center
Delmarva Native Plants
Jillian@DelmarvaNativePlants.com
410-972-9161
delmarvanativeplants.com
Sussex Conservation District’s online store
shop.sussexconservation.org
Inland Bays Garden Center
38320 Muddy Neck Road, Frankford, DE
302-539-1839
www.inlandbaysgardencenter.com
Local & State Resources
- Sussex Conservation District: Homeowners and HOAs
- Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control: Environmental Crimes Hotline
- Delaware Department of Transportation: Stormwater Management
- Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control: Wetlands and Subaqueous Lands
- A Guidebook for Public Participation in Wetland Decision Making & Permitting
- Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control: Wetland Regulations
- Delaware Solid Waste Authority: Yard Waste Recycling
- Delaware Sea Grant: Coastal Hazards and Resilience
Further Reading…
These books have been hand-selected to help you learn more about our Inland Bays watershed.
Anything marked with an asterisk is *Great to read to children, yet informative for adults.
Between the Ocean and Bay: A Natural History of Delmarva, by Jane Scott
A Place Between the Tides: A Naturalist’s Reflections on the Salt Marsh, by Harry Thurston
Between Ocean and Bay: A Celebration of the Eastern Shore, by Jim Clark
Teaching the Trees: Lessons from the Forest, by Joan Maloof
Delaware Trees, by William S. Taber
Common Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Coast: A Field Guide, by Gene M. Silberhorn
Horseshoe Crab Biography of a Survivor, by Anthony D. Fredericks
*Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds: The Story of a Foodweb, by Victoria Cresson and Annie Cannon
*Crab Moon, by Ruth Horwitz
Birds of Delaware (Pitt Series in Nature and Natural History), by Gene Hess and Richard West
*Red Knot: A Shorebird’s Incredible Journey, by Nancy Carol Wilis
The Flight of the Red Knot: A Natural History Account of a Small Bird’s Annual Migration from the Artic
Circle to the Tip of South America and Back, by Brian Harrington
The Narrow Edge: A Tiny Bird, an Ancient Crab, and an Epic Journey, by Deborah Cramer
Salt Marshes: A Natural and Unnatural History, by Judith S. Weis and Carol A. Butler
*A Journey into an Estuary, by Rebecca L. Johnson
Get Involved
- Volunteer with the Center for the Inland Bays
- Build a Terrapin Garden
- Join the Delaware Master Naturalist Program
- Found a sick or injured animal? Below are local organizations who specialize in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation:
- Birds: Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research
- Local wildlife (squirrels, possums, rabbits, bats, turtles, and more): Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators
- Marine mammals and sea turtles: Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute