Lorraine Fleming

Lorraine Fleming. Delaware State Parks.

Our generation has the moral obligation to make sure that future generations have open spaces to enjoy where they can refresh their spirit. , Lorraine Fleming

, As a student, Lorraine Fleming and her classmates took wildflower walks through the dwindling prairie of the greater Chicago area. During those walks, Lorraine realized how important it is to protect and preserve open spaces and natural resources before they disappeared., As an adult, that realization became a passion. In the mid-1970s, Lorraine volunteered for the Delaware Nature Society (DNS) and was later hired by the organization. This collaboration lasted until her retirement as Associate Director nearly 30 years later. During that time, she wrote Delaware's Outstanding Natural Areas and Their Preservation. Published in 1978, this comprehensive catalog of Delaware's best remaining natural sites is still used as a reference by conservationists to evaluate Delaware's natural landscapes and progress toward their preservation. Lorraine has received the DNS Lifetime Achievement and the Delaware Audition Society Conservation Award, among her many honors and awards., As a member of Delaware's Open Space Council, Lorraine has been a strong vocal advocate for the environment with Delaware's General Assembly and has been a leader in the conservation community at large. She was driving force behind the preservation of more than 120,000 acres of Delaware's open space and farmland, the successful passage of the Natural Areas Preservation Act of 1978 and the Conservation Easement Act of 1978, and spearheaded the income tax check-off for wildlife.