WILMINGTON, DELAWARE — The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), host of the Delaware Estuary Program, marks a milestone this year with its pearl anniversary, celebrating 30 years of connecting people, science, and nature for a healthy Delaware River and Bay. Since its incorporation on March 21, 1996, PDE has grown from one staff person working out of a small office at Bellevue State Park in Wilmington into a science-based organization of 29 staff leading efforts in coastal restoration, estuarine research, and community engagement.

Like a pearl — built layer by layer over time — PDE’s impact on the Delaware Estuary has accumulated over decades of sustained efforts, innovative science, and the enduring partnerships that have always been central to its mission. The Delaware Estuary is an ecologically significant and heavily populated coastal watershed, providing drinking water, and recreational opportunities for more than 8 million people.

Since 1996, PDE’s environmental education roots have grown and expanded to include scientific work in freshwater mussel restoration, wetland assessment, living shorelines, stormwater pollution prevention, community resilience, and oyster shell recycling. Some of PDE’s many milestones include:

• The 1996 publication of the Delaware Estuary Program’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), which was revised in 2019.
• The establishment of the annual Pennsylvania Coast Day in 2000, which later evolved into the Delaware River Festival and Chester River Festival.
• The creation of a volunteer storm drain marking program in 2000 in partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), which has resulted in thousands of strategically placed markers to raise awareness about water pollution prevention.
• The inception of the biennial Delaware Estuary Science & Environmental Summit in 2005, creating a tradition that continues to bring together scientists, resource managers, and conservation professionals every two years to share research, build connections, and deepen a shared understanding of the watershed.
• The founding of the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) in 2003, a collaborative network of over 300 partner organizations, which has implemented best water pollution prevention practices across the Schuylkill River Watershed.
• The creation of the Freshwater Mussel Recovery Program in 2007 to study and rebuild native populations through surveys, volunteer efforts, electronic tagging, and more.
• The publication of the first State of the Estuary report in 2008, with subsequent reports released in 2013, 2018, and 2023.
• The 2010 installation of a living shoreline near Bivalve, New Jersey, in collaboration with Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Lab.
• The creation of the Trash Free Waters and Trash Into Treasure Art contests in 2023, which continues PDE’s long history of linking art with education, dating back to youth art contests in the late 1990s.
• The Delaware River Watershed’s 2012 inclusion in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership as one of 21 Designated Urban Waters locations across the country, focused on the cities of Philadelphia, Wilmington, Camden, New Jersey, and Chester, Pennsylvania.
• The creation of a shell recycling program in 2016 that has collected over 150 tons of used oyster shells from restaurants that are reused at restoration sites across the watershed.
• The establishment of the Homegrown Habitats program in 2023, which provides residents with free native plants and education on the essential role native plants play in maintaining good groundwater quality.
• The 2024 acquisition of a new research boat, Tkuweyo, through support received from Yamaha Rightwaters, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Aqua, an Essential Utilities Company.
• The dedication of a new outdoor classroom and amphitheater at Cool Spring Park with the City of Wilmington in 2024.

“The key to our organization’s success is the dynamic partnerships we have with environmental and community organizations, schools, businesses, local, state, and federal government agencies, and individuals who care deeply about the Estuary and its future,” said PDE Executive Director Kathy Klein. “Over the years we have worked hard to build on our innovative programs and to creatively address the estuary’s ever-changing challenges.”

Celebrating 30 Years in 2026

 PDE will mark this special anniversary through March 2027 in several ways:

• A New Website: In the next few weeks, PDE will launch a redesigned website that will offer new ways to learn about PDE’s science-based work, explore the estuary, and get involved. Stay tuned to experience the exciting new delawareestuary.org website.
• Public Events and Volunteer Opportunities: PDE invites the public to take part in events taking place throughout the year including the Christina River Watershed Cleanup (April 11 in Wilmington), the Chester River Festival (May 9 in Chester), the Delaware River Festival in September, and other volunteer and community programs throughout the year.
• Experience the Estuary Celebration: PDE’s signature annual fundraiser returns on October 8 in Philadelphia for an evening of celebration, recognition, and commitment to the estuary’s future, featuring cocktails, dinner, silent auction, and the beloved Delaware Bay oyster raw bar. Tickets and sponsorship information will be available at www.Delaware Estuary.org later this spring.
• $30 for 30 Campaign: This fundraising campaign invites the community to make a gift of $30 or more to help fuel the next chapter of protecting clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities in the Delaware River Watershed.
• Artist in Residence Program: This fall, five murals will be installed at each of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership cities in the watershed, plus one overarching mural that ties them together and highlights the importance of a healthy environment.
• Delaware Estuary Science and Environmental Summit: Slated for early 2027, this event will bookend the 12-month celebration and bring together scientists, researchers, and students to share their latest research and restoration success stories.

“I firmly believe that PDE has been an integral part of the science community in this region and brings the community, the people, to the Delaware Estuary,” said Nicole E. Brown, chair of PDE’s Board of Directors. “This cycle of engagement is critical to the sustainable health of our waters and continues to create stewards for future generations. I am so proud to be part of that inclusive legacy.”