White Clay Creek State Park's sloping hills and rocky outcrops place it within the Piedmont, which comprises just six percent of Delaware's land mass, and its forested hills contain a rich variety of animal habitats and diverse plant communities. Growing up in Newark, Donald Sharpe enjoyed canoeing, fishing, and hiking in the White Clay Creek Valley, and as an adult he wanted others to understand and appreciate the valley's natural resources through those same educational and recreational activities. Nationally recognized for lobbying at all levels of government, Don Sharpe helped bring about the permanent protection of close to 5,000 natural acres in a highly urbanized area, played a major role in halting a dam and reservoir project in the 1960s, and contributed to many land acquisitions in the White Clay Creek and Middle Run Valleys. His phone calls, speaking engagements, and press releases helped unite preservation groups, elected officials, the United Auto Workers, and the public, and he persistently urged the enactment of open spaces legislation and helped secure the open space, endowment, and agricultural preservation component of the 21st Century Fund. Wildlife including squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, songbirds, and white-tailed deer thrive in the sheltered woodlands, and preserving these lands for wildlife also provides valuable educational opportunities to visitors of all ages. Guided by a vision of large expanses of open land preserved for wildlife and open to public use, Don became a major leader in promoting preservation of the Middle Run Valley Natural Area and continued organizing events that directed attention to the importance of land preservation programs throughout the state.