Susan obtained a position with Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management where she first worked as a marine naturalist and then with the division of Groundwater and Freshwater Wetlands as a biological assistant. Susan also conducted environmental education programs at Rhode Island's W. Alton Jones Environmental Education Center, a 2,300 acre forest and farm. While completing her Master's degree, she was an education specialist trainee at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I can use my varied experience in environmental education to help the Nature Center reach its full potential as a growing part of the Delaware Nature Society. Susan also sees real opportunities for the Center and Abbott's Mill to work together, especially in the area of environmental education.
Silvicultural operations refer to the various activities used to manage our forests.
Silvicultural activities include reforestation, timber stand improvement, herbicide application, and timber harvests. Most of Delaware's BMPs apply to timber harvest activities, because they usually present the greatest potential for erosion and sedimentation. Although soil erosion and sedimentation from forest management activities are a very small part of the pollution problem within Delaware, these activities when poorly conducted can cause soil erosion and lead to sedimentation in our streams, rivers, and bays. When BMPs and other proper forest management techniques are followed, soil erosion and sedimentation are minimized, and the forest continues to serve as a filter and a sink for nutrients and other pollutants, thus protecting water quality. The DDA Forest Service and the f orest industry are working hard to ensure that forest management activities continue to improve our environment and provide a substantial economic contribution to our economy.