By Kimberly Cole, Environmental Scientist III, Delaware Coastal Programs

Published on March 6, 2008
(Click here to download the entire newsletter as a full-color PDF file)

In recognition of all that Delaware Bay provides, Delaware Coastal Programs has partnered with The Nature Conservancy and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to created www.tydb.org, a new baywide awareness campaign called Thank You Delaware Bay. This program was officially launched before an audience of partners and journalists during a press conference in Lewes, Delaware, on February 12.

Thank You Delaware Bay was inspired by the Thank You Ocean campaign in California. The goal of its creators is to instill in both residents and visitors a feeling of personal connection to the bay and a sense of responsibility for its environmental health.

The slogan for the Thank You Delaware Bay campaign is “Delaware Bay takes care of us. Let’s return the favor.” This message will be seen by millions of people in a variety of television commercials and printed advertisements, all of which focus on the tangible resources provided by the bay, such as jobs, food and recreation, just to name a few. Public service announcements are designed to help viewers understand these relationships and to compel them to get involved in activities that protect the bay.

Each advertisement refers viewers to the campaign’s website, www.tydb.org. This site serves as a portal for information about Delaware Bay. Everyone who logs on will have an opportunity to say “Thank You Delaware Bay” by:

• learning about the bay’ resources
• discovering where they can experience the bay
• evaluating the impacts of their daily decisions
• reviewing baywide conservation issues
• volunteering to help the bay

Delaware Bay is a critical component of our region’s well being thanks to its economic, recreational and cultural resources. Please return the favor by logging on to www.tydb.org to experience the beauty and amenities our bay has to offer, celebrate its diverse resources, and embrace the delicate balance between humans and this exceptional estuary.

For more information and to request an online hyperlink, please call Kimberly Cole at (302) 739-WAVE. And for more insight into the creative makeup of Thank You Delaware Bay, please call Mobius New Media at (302) 475-9880.