Ørsted Awards Landmark Grant to Delaware Center for Inland Bays to Accelerate Environmental Restoration in Delaware
Annapolis, MD - Ørsted, the world leader in offshore wind and developer of the Skipjack Wind Farm, announced today it has awarded a $50,000 grant to the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays to significantly expand environmental research, education, and preservation in Delaware.
The Center will leverage Ørsted’s grant to expand initiatives that conserve and restore local ecosystems across the Inland Bays watershed and southern Delaware. Ørsted’s grant will support five programs:
Lessons in Nature Initiative at James Farm Ecological Preserve: The 150-acre James Farm Preserve in Ocean View offers popular environmental education and recreation opportunities. Ørsted’s grant will support improvements to the Preserve’s infrastructure to better accommodate environmental education, restoration, research, and community recreation, including a new education building and maintenance facilities, trail system realignment, interpretive and wayfinding signage, and restrooms.
Horseshoe Crab Survey: Ørsted will support the Center’s citizen science survey held annually in May and June to collect data about the horseshoe crab spawning population in the Inland Bays. Funding will help support 200 volunteers who collect data that is used for species management decisions.
Shellfish Restoration: Oysters are powerful natural filters that remove excess nitrogen from water. Adult oysters can filter up to 50 gallons per day. Ørsted will support a series of integrated programs that utilize oysters at every stage of their life cycle for their water filtration capabilities. These programs include the Don’t Chuck Your Shucks shell recycling program, Oyster Gardening, and Oyster Reef Restoration.
Sussex Conservation Partnership: Ørsted will support the Center’s efforts to preserve open space in the Inland Bays watershed and southern Delaware identify potential conservation properties and pooling resources to purchase them. The Center indicates that properties are not just preserved for the sake of preservation, but also for public access so that outdoor recreation opportunities are expanded to new areas where people may have previously lacked easy access due to traffic congestion or a lack of transportation.
Decked Out! Fundraiser Support: Ørsted is supporting the Center’s annual fundraising event Decked Out!, which draws over 200 attendees who are active in the local community and concerned about the health of the Inland Bays and the environment as a whole.
“Ørsted is privileged to support the Center of the Inland Bays’ efforts to strengthen environmental protection and education in Delaware,” said Brady Walker, Mid-Atlantic Market Manager for Ørsted. “As a leader in the sustainable development of clean energy, we are big believers in local partnerships that protect and enhance the natural habitats and species we all cherish.”
"Ørsted’s support of the Center is extraordinary and demonstrates their deep commitment to protecting and restoring our coastal environment," said Chris Bason, Executive Director of the Center for the Inland Bays. "Our organizations share the vision of a world powered by renewable energy as it is essential to preserving our waters, our wildlife, and our way of life on the coast."
In January, Ørsted was named the world’s most sustainable energy company for the third year in a row and the second most sustainable company overall on the Corporate Knights’ 17th annual Global 100 index of the world’s most sustainable companies.
About the Skipjack Wind Farm
The Skipjack Wind Farm was awarded offshore wind renewable energy credits by the Maryland Public Service Commission in 2017 and will generate enough clean energy to power 35,000 homes in the Delmarva region.
About Ørsted Offshore North America
The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted ranks as the world’s most sustainable energy company in Corporate Knights’ 2021 Global 100 index of the most sustainable corporations and is recognized on the CDP Climate Change A List as a global leader on climate action.
In the United States, Ørsted operates the Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm, and constructed the two-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project – the first turbines to be installed in federal waters. Ørsted has secured over 2,900 megawatts of additional capacity through five projects in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Ørsted Offshore’s North American business is jointly headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island and employs more than 150 people. To learn more visit us.orsted.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@OrstedUS).
About the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is a non-profit organization and a National Estuary Program. It was created to promote the wise use and enhancement of the Inland Bays watershed by conducting public outreach and education, developing and iii implementing restoration projects, encouraging scientific inquiry and sponsoring needed research, and establishing a long-term process for the protection and preservation of the Inland Bays watershed.
For further information please contact:
Gabriel Martinez
Ørsted Offshore North America
Gamar@orsted.com
978-447-2301