Blackbird State Forest is a state forest of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

located in

New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

and Kent County, north of

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. The ten tracts of Blackbird State Forest feature of trails and are open to the public year-round for walking, hiking, running, cycling, and horseback riding. The Tybout Tract features a , wheelchair-accessible wildlife and nature interpretation trail. Other permitted activities include hunting, fishing, picnicking, and primitive camping. Long-range management plans for Blackbird State Forest outline goals for timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, soil and water protection, wetland and endangered species protection, and public education. Educational programs are available at the Blackbird State Forest Education Center on the Meadows Tract. Complementing a center at Redden State Forest, the facility has two meeting spaces and interactive displays: The Life Cycle of a Forest, Tree Identification, Invasive Species, Urban/Community Forestry, and Wildland Firefighting. Visitors can see a diorama of a beaver pond, a working beehive, and exotic and native insects. Work has also begun on a new nature trail, demonstration saw mill, and arboretum.

History

As a state forest, Blackbird began with the 1941 acquisition of the Tybout Tract, purchased for $6,916.20 when land prices in New Castle County presented a rare opportunity for the Forestry Department. The Forestry Department's 1941 Annual Report stated:

References

{{Coord, 39, 20, 31, N, 75, 40, 58, W, region:US-DE_type:forest, display=title Delaware state forests Nature centers in Delaware 1941 establishments in Delaware