One would have to be living under a rock not to know about Lewes’ rich maritime history and legacy of its marine life educational opportunities. One of those is coming up soon. Coast Day 2025 is scheduled for Sunday, October 5 from 10 am – 3 pm at the Lewes campus of the University of Delaware near the huge white windmill that is visible for miles around the facility. Coast Day highlights include hands-on activities, tours of research vessels, an opportunity to explore campus laboratories and listen to lectures from local scientists and interact with a variety of exhibitors from student organizations, community partners, and state environmental agencies.
Also, there will be plenty of food trucks on hand for refreshments that range from crab cakes to ice cream.
Coast Day highlights the many ways that the university and its partners are working together to “understand the region’s rich environmental resources and also better serve local communities”, according to the U of D’s web site. Coast Day attracts more than 5,000 visitors each year and it is the flagship event of the University’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment. This is truly an event where everyone, no matter the age, can enjoy some of the special ingredients that make the Lewes/Rehoboth communities vibrant and vital. It’s an opportunity to learn about coastal, marine, and environmental science.
A wide range of marine and environmental oriented organizations with be on display including groups such as Delaware Center for Inland Bays, Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, Prime Hook Natural Wildlife Refuge, the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition and others. Aside from providing literature about their programs, many offer creative and interactive ways to educate the public about issues that affect day to day life. In addition to dozens of vendors and participating organizations, Coast Day also highlights how UD scientists, staff and students are gaining a deeper understanding of ocean environments and helping to serve coastal communities.
The University halls and corridors offer a plethora of interesting displays on wide-ranging revelations including some that few people realize. For example, did you know that the world’s largest mountain range is underwater? Have any idea what hydrothermal vents are?
Organization displays are equally provocative. Are you familiar with the life cycle of the honeybee family? Would you know what to do if a torrential rainstorm floods your space? The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control can fill you in. Protecting Wetlands and Waterways along coastal Delaware is crucial and plenty of information on that topic is available at Coast Day.
Complex events like Coast Day rely heavily on teamwork so organizers are looking for volunteers who are willing to pitch in. Interested parties can sign up for the full day or do morning or afternoon shifts by filling out the sign-up form. that is posted on the University of Delaware web site. The Coast Day planning team assigns event volunteers to a location depending on needs. Volunteers will be contacted via email one week prior to the event with information about their assigned location and shift.
By Mary Jo Tarallo, Resident Journalist
Mary Jo Tarallo spent much of her career in public relations with various non-profits and spent 40 years involved with the ski industry as a journalist, public relations director for a national trade association and as executive director of the Learn to Ski and Snowboard initiative. Prior to her ski industry involvement she worked for the Maryland International Center in Baltimore and United Way of Central Maryland. She won a Gold Award for TV programming for a United Way simulcast that starred Oprah Winfrey. She has been cited for her work by numerous organizations. Mary Jo grew up in Baltimore, attended the University of Maryland and Towson University, lived in Washington, DC for 21 years and has been a full time resident of Rehoboth Beach and Milton since May 2019.
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