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Local Partnership Provides Hands-On Environmental Training for the Next Generation

By Matt Carney

At Delmarva Power, we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with local community partners to promote environmental stewardship and preservation for future generations. Our partnership with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research in Newark, Del., delivers on this commitment and makes it possible for interns like Martin Ortiz to receive a unique hands-on experience.

“I learned a great deal during this program,” said Ortiz. “It’s one thing to sit in a lecture hall and view all of these experiences on a PowerPoint slide, but it’s different to actually be in the field and see how things are done.”

Through this partnership, Delmarva Power annually provides $15,000 to Tri-State, along with employee volunteers who help support the maintenance of the Tri-State’s campus. With Delmarva Power’s support, Tri-State is able to offer a summer internship program to local students, which promotes the importance of wildlife in our local ecosystem through proper wildlife rehabilitation.

Ortiz, along with other interns, learned all aspects of Tri-State’s operations, including how to administer medication, care for oiled birds, and properly handle and restrain birds. One of the most important teachings included dealing with habitat enrichment techniques to help rehabilitate injured or displaced birds. Many birds taken in by organizations for rehabilitation can suffer stress brought on by unfamiliar environments and hinder recovery.

“What we do for habitat enrichment is try and mimic the environment the bird would usually live in,” said Ortiz. “We provide the birds a suitable diet, recognizable nesting areas, and much more. We try to make them as comfortable as possible, which promotes better recovery.”

Our partnership with Tri-State is one of the many partnerships we have with local communities and organizations. In 2017, we contributed more than $1.3 million to local nonprofits, and our employees volunteered more than 11,300 hours to assist hundreds of local organizations, including through beach and river cleanups, wildlife habitat preservation, and initiatives to support the replenishment of bird and fish populations.

Delmarva Power is proud to partner with Tri-State and many other organizations that share our environmental values and promote the protection of our ecosystem and wildlife for future generations.