Green Space

Delaware Bayshore: residents say they care

A recent survey of residents who live within 15 miles of the Delaware Bayshore -- the ribbon of marshes and beaches along both side of Delaware Bay -- holds good news for those who want to bring more attention to this special landscape and its creatures. More than 80 percent of those surveyed said they "strongly agree" with the statement that they care about the environment, and pretty much as many -- 79 percent -- said they believe migratory shorebirds are important to the environmental quality of the region.

0 comments

Delaware Bayshore: residents say they care

POSTED: Thursday, June 28, 2012, 6:23 PM

Sandy Bauers, Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist

More than 80 percent of those surveyed said they "strongly agree" with the statement that they care about the environment, and pretty much as many -- 79 percent -- said they believe migratory shorebirds are important to the environmental quality of the region.

Those shorebirds come through every May, at precisely the same time horseshoe crabs are coming ashore to lay their fat-rich eggs. The birds descend on this banquet to refuel before heading to their nesting grounds to the north.

Chief among them, because its population has declined so precipitously, is the red knot. Its population has declined about 80 percent from its historic highs in the early 1990s. Other shorebirds that migrate through the bayshore have declined as well.

For more than a decade, scientist have studied the red knot and have blamed its decline on an overharvest of horseshoe crabs, which are used as bait to catch conch, which is highly prized in the Asian food market.

Biologists have succeeded in getting some harvest restrictions, but the birds did not show any signs of recovery ... until this year, when the weather was good, the crabs laid and the birds ate.

So now they are trying to generate more public support for the crabs, the birds and the bayshore.

This survey was part of an initial effort to gauge public opinion.

Some of the highlights:

• 95% believe the Delaware Bay is important for the region’s ecological diversity and environmental quality.

• A majority (57%) believe the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of economic growth. (32% strongly agree and 25% somewhat). 38% want priority given to economic growth over environmental protection).

And -- good news for the Manomet Center, which commissioned the study -- a majority think conservation can help economic growth in this rural region. Specifically:

• More than 90% believe the Delaware Bay is important to their history, economy, and for recreation.

• 69% believe shorebirds are good for the region, and not just for attracting tourists for seasonal bird watching.

• 60% believe shorebirds are important to the local economy.

Although only about half of those surveyed felt they were knowledgeable about horseshoe crabs and red knots, 95 percent said protecting shorebirds and horseshoe crabs is important.

“The survey results speak powerfully about the values of the people who live on both the Delaware and New Jersey sides of the Bay,” said Charles Duncan, Director of the Shorebird Recovery Project at the Manomet Center, in a press release about the survey. “We found that people from all sectors: business owners, local officials, sportsmen, birdwatchers and educators, are speaking with one voice, saying ‘We care about this place, our place, and that includes the shorebirds and horseshoe crabs.’”

Here's a story I wrote earlier this year about the Bayshore and the effort to celebrate it.

0 comments

Previous Story: Jersey beaches still beset by pollution, report finds

Next Story: Guest column: A millennial reports on sustainability

Comments (0)

Tesla comes to KoP; electric cars get boost
SW Philly adds 1.5-mile segment to region's trails
Robert Redford: President needs to act on climate
Plastic bags: A debate today on Radio Times
Philly "Leaders in Conservation" honored
B95, the Moonbird, spotted on Delaware Bay
Cheers to Stonefly, helping the Schuylkill
New data: Who's emitting most greenhouse gases?
Textile donations: So much more than clothes
Big stink bug year on the horizon?

About this blog

Sandy Bauers is the environment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she has worked for more than 20 years as a reporter and editor. She lives in northern Chester County with her husband, two cats, a large vegetable garden and a flock of pet chickens.

GreenSpace - her column about how to reduce your carbon footprint in everyday life - appears every other Monday in Health & Science.

For Inquirer.com. Portions of this blog may also be found in the Inquirer's Sunday Health Section.

Reach Sandy at sbauers@phillynews.com.