The turtle squirms, waving its tiny legs and head in the air as if to say, “Put me down!” After a minute, the woman holding it obliges, releasing it into the marsh along with two of its compatriots. One of them scurries into the grass and muck, while the other two just sit there, perhaps unsure of what to do with their freedom. But after a few minutes, they too scramble away to begin a new life in the wetland. In the coming years, they will grow to maturity and hopefully mate, all the while being tracked by dedicated biologists.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control encourages Delaware nonprofit organizations, conservation districts, community organizations and homeowners’ associations to submit project proposals to be considered for matching grant funds from DNREC’s Community Water Quality Improvement Grants program. Submission deadline is Oct. 30.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has once again expanded Delaware’s renowned artificial reef system, creating more marine habitat by sinking the Calcasieu Pass, an offshore oilfield supply vessel turned menhaden processing ship, onto Reef Site 13 following environmental remediation and approval. Also known as the Del-Jersey-Land Reef, the site is the centerpiece of the reef system – with its offshore location equidistant from ports in the three states that make up its name.

The Calcasieu Pass, 180 feet long with a 40-foot beam, will provide valuable habitat for aquatic life, along with angling and diving opportunities for outdoor recreationalists. Originally built in 1982 as an offshore supply vessel, later joining the East Coast menhaden fleet, the ship’s final repurposing is expected to buoy both economic and environmental opportunity for Delaware.