Delmarva Roots
Delmarva Roots is co-sponsored by the Rehoboth Beach Film Society and the Milton Historical Society. This winter series takes place on a Friday in January, February, and March of each year and features films about the rich history of the Delmarva region. Each event is held at the Milton Fire Hall, located at 116 Front Street, Milton, Delaware (map) . For more information call the Film Society office at 302-645-9095, ext. 1, or the Milton Historical Society office at 302-684-1010. Admission is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children ages 11 and below.
Crash: A Tale of Two Species
Friday, February 17, 7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
Location: Milton Fire Hall, located at 116 Front Street, Milton, Delaware (map)
Admission: $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children ages 11 and below. (Purchase tickets online here up to Noon, February 17, or at the RBFS office or by phone up to 4:00 pm. Tickets may also be available at the door.)
This documentary illustrates the story of nature’s amazing ability to create fragile connections among the most unexpected creatures, and how easily humans destroy these connections. It may surprise many Delmarva residents that the iconic horseshoe crab, celebrated in a festival in Milton each year, is a part of just such a fragile connection. For many decades, humans harvested the horseshoe crab for fishing bait, leading to a significant decline in the population by the 1990’s. Unfortunately, eggs produced by the crabs are the primary food source for a small shorebird called the red knot, endangering the numbers of that species. How can the humans of Delmarva repair the damage done to the creatures in the local ecosystem? [2008, USA, Runtime: 60 min, Not rated]
After the screening, Dr. Douglas Miller, Professor of Oceanography, and Dr. Patrick Gaffney, Professor of Marine Biosciences, both from the University of Delaware College of Marine and Earth Studies, will lead a discussion about challenges to the local horseshoe crab population.
Watermen
Friday, March 16, 7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
Location: Milton Fire Hall, located at 116 Front Street, Milton, Delaware (map)
Admission: $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children ages 11 and below. (Purchase tickets online here up to Noon, March 16, or at the RBFS office or by phone up to 4:00 pm. Tickets may also be available at the door.)
Making a living on the water is an essential part of the cultural history of Delmarva. Watermen provide restaurants near and far with the staples for the dishes we enjoy. Economic and environmental issues have made a huge impact on the profession in the past 40 years. This documentary provides a glimpse of this life in a community dependent on the water in the 1960’s. By examining three years in the life skipjack captain Art Daniels, his family, and his colleagues as they spend time oystering, crabbing, and living on the Chesapeake Bay, the simple but powerful story of watermen’s lives is revealed to those who enjoy the fruits of their labor. [1969, USA, Runtime: 63 min, Not rated]
After the screening, Dr. Michael Lewis, a Salisbury University professor specializing in Delmarva environmental history will conduct a brief Q&A comparing the profession’s past and present.
