Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR)

Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) DNERR’s goal is to establish, protect and manage estuaries for research, education and stewardship.

The Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR) is one of 29 National Estuarine Research Reserves across the country whose goal is to establish, protect, and manage natural estuarine habitats for research, education, and coastal stewardship. It was established in 1993, and is a cooperative program between the State of Delaware and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day from DNERR! We got you something special! If these gifts aren’t enough, we also have a special Mother’s Day episode of Skimmer Says, just for you! You can listen to it by following the link in our comments.

05/05/2026

Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments which genre of music you think best matches each of our exhibit animals at DNERR!

With warm weather comes rapid change in the colors, forms and textures of the plants around the reserve. This spring yo...
05/02/2026

With warm weather comes rapid change in the colors, forms and textures of the plants around the reserve. This spring you may have been out and noticed these alien-like clusters among more familar cones in pine trees like this one.

Pictured here is a Virginia Pine, and these are staminate (male) cones. They create pollen which is blown in the wind to the female cones as part of their reproductive process.

A big thank you to our volunteers who spent a portion of their Saturday morning potting seedlings at the Delaware Nation...
04/27/2026

A big thank you to our volunteers who spent a portion of their Saturday morning potting seedlings at the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve in Dover.

Pops of color are finally returning to the reserve. The red flowering dogwoods at St. Jones have already started to bloo...
04/23/2026

Pops of color are finally returning to the reserve. The red flowering dogwoods at St. Jones have already started to bloom.

Dogwoods are native ornamental trees known for their flowers. If you haven't seen a flowering dogwood with pink leaves like these, it's possible you've seen some with white bracts instead. Bracts are the leaves that surround this tree's true flowers and are commonly mistaken for petals.

It's Earth Day! Though everyday at DNERR feels like Earth Day to us. What's your favorite way to celebrate this special ...
04/22/2026

It's Earth Day! Though everyday at DNERR feels like Earth Day to us. What's your favorite way to celebrate this special day? Could it be listening to your favorite podcast Skimmer Says? We thought so! You can listen to Skimmer Says on most streaming platforms or you can follow the link in the first comment to listen to the latest episode through BuzzSprout.

This April we have a very special Earth Month open day. On Saturday, April 25, 2026 , not only will the visitor center a...
04/15/2026

This April we have a very special Earth Month open day. On Saturday, April 25, 2026 , not only will the visitor center at St. Jones Reserve be open to the public but we are also hosting our annual Seedling Potting event at the reserve at 10 a.m. So come by to see our exhibits or come get your hands in the dirt. Either way we are looking forward to seeing you!

More about the Seedling Potting Event:
To celebrate Earth Month and Arbor Day, and as part of DNERR’s restoration efforts, we are holding a volunteer tree potting event at the St. Jones Reserve! We ask that you bring a pair of gloves and drinking water to this event. Preregistration is required. Register at the link in the comments.

Elementary students from schools across Delaware learned about ecosystems, horseshoe crabs, watersheds and the environme...
04/15/2026

Elementary students from schools across Delaware learned about ecosystems, horseshoe crabs, watersheds and the environment at the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, as well as historical activities such as brickmaking, musket firing and blacksmithing at the John Dickinson Plantation during the annual Make a Splash event in Dover Tuesday.

Address

818 Kitts Hummock Road
Dover, DE
19901

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+13027396377

Website

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