DNREC’s digital magazine wins a national award

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, better known as DNREC, converted its Outdoor Delaware magazine to all digital in 2020, when subscriptions to the print magazine, which had been published since 1956, hit an all-time low.

It is already picking up accolades. The new, more accessible format was recognized with a first place award from The National Federation of Press Women (NFPW), honoring excellence in communication in the web and social media blog category during its awards competition earlier this month.

The online magazine, which calls itself, “Your guide to nature, conservation and fun,” covers everything from wildlife to air quality issues to green technology. It’s also connected to DNREC’s Youtube Channel, which offers related video content like a live feed of nesting ospreys at the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor.

We won! Thank you @NFPW for recognizing our Outdoor Delaware online magazine. #OutdoorDE 🏆 https://t.co/Q3Y5UhhW9z pic.twitter.com/XYPXE6O7AP

— Delaware DNREC (@DelawareDNREC) June 14, 2021

“This award marks a significant achievement for the DNREC,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, in a press statement. “It recognizes the success of the new format and is a credit to the many DNREC colleagues who contribute engaging content to the online magazine. We are pleased our online magazine has been acknowledged for excellence by the National Federation of Press Women.”

The new format has been beneficial to connecting with more Delawareans about conservation, says Nikki Lavoie, DNREC chief communications officer.

“Thanks to the transition from print to digital,” she said, “we’re able to reach more people about Delaware’s natural resources and the many ways DNREC works to protect, preserve and enhance them.”

Recently, DNREC partnered with Delmarva Power and REACH Riverside for the Energize The Warehouse initiative, supporting vocational and educational opportunities in solar power, electric vehicles and urban agriculture for teenagers in the predominantly low income Riverside neighborhood in Wilmington.