Camper Chronicles Day Four: The Animal Encounters

The campers have been introduced to several interesting animals throughout the week. For the blog today they wrote about their favorite animal. Enjoy reading what they had to say!

Teddy, “I never knew a snake can smell through his tongue.”

Rachel, “My favorite animal in the aquarium is Luna the albino alligator. She is so cool being albino, and also having red eyes.”

Maddie, “Today my favorite animal I got to see was the sea anemone. When I put my finger in it, it would close up. It’s a really cool creature.”

Melissa, “Today I learned that mosquitoes find you by smelling the carbon dioxide you breathe out. So cool!

Max, “One interesting fact that I learned is that non-venomous snakes have solid colored eyes and venomous snakes have slits in their eyes.”

Ben, “I learned that sea turtles go lay their eggs where they were born.”

Other campers just enjoy splashing around in the water.....

Spencer, “The best part was going to the BEACH!”

Camper Chronicles: Day Three

Day three of camp and the Ocean Explorers spent the morning at the beach, then took a behind the scenes tour and did crafts.

Enjoy reading about their experiences below.

Maddie: "My favorite part of the day was the craft. We made picture frames out of the shells we collected at the beach. It was so fun."

Melissa: "My favorite part of the day was when we went to the beach and found shells. It was so fun relaxing and playing in the ocean!"

Ashley: "We went to the beach and made picture frames!"

Teddy: "Today, I went to the beach and played in the water."

Rachel: "The best thing today was going to the beach. The waves were huge and pushed us over. We also found tiny hermit crabs."

Max: "On the 3rd day of camp we went 'behind the scenes' in saltwater quarantine. We saw many cool fish."

Ben: "The coolest thing was the saltwater quarantine."

Spencer: "The best part today was making picture frames and decorating them with seashells."

Camper Chronicles: Day Two

Summer campers at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher are learning much, meeting new friends and having fun! Below are their day two blog entries.

Rachel: "The best part of today was canoeing to Zeke's Island. I got to be on the front of the canoe and killed myself rowing in the heat. On the island, we swam and saw a little shark.

Ashley: "The height of my day was that we saw a cute baby shark on Zeke's Island. It couldn't have been more than a week old!"

Teddy: "The best part of the day was when we used our sense of smell to see what kind of jelly bean we are eating."

Maddie: "My favorite part of the day was when we went canoeing and swam at Zeke's Island. We swam in the tide pools and saw a baby shark. It was awesome."

Max: "On the 2nd day of camp, we made snakes out of toilet paper rolls. I had a lot of fun making mine with feathers and crazy designs."

Melissa: "The most fun thing that happened to me today was when we did the jellybean activity. It was so fun to do and it was very, very funny."

Ben: "The coolest thing that happened was that we caught a shark and let it go."

Spencer: "The best thing that happened today was practicing our taste by eating jellybeans."

Camper Chronicles: Day One

Summer camp is under way at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, and the kids are all smiles. The second week of camp began on Monday with an inside day full of fun! This year instead of journal time, the Ocean Explorers, ages 10-12, will be guest authors on the blog. Each day they are asked to write a few sentences about their day or experience…we hope you enjoy Camper Chronicles!

Teddy wrote, “Today I saw the coolest thing. In the conservatory there is an Albino Alligator.”

Maddie wrote, “The funniest thing that happened to me today was when we went to meet Wilson the Wood Duck. I was kind of scared when she told us that we were going to be feeding him. I was sitting down and suddenly he ran at me and chased me.”

Ben wrote, “What I think about summer camp. I really like it here at summer, especially Luna the Albino Alligator.”

Melissa wrote, “My favorite activity in summer camp was when we met Wilson the Wood Duck. He ate out of my hand and pecked me! It was so funny!”

Rachel wrote, “The funniest thing that happened today was when we went blue crab fishing at the saltwater marsh. When I was pulling in the rig I fell forward, but I put my hands forward before I landed in the mud. The mud was so black that it could be ink.”

Spencer wrote, “The best thing that happened today was having popsicles.”

Max wrote, “On the first day of camp I saw many amazing animals. My two favorites were Luna the albino alligator, and Wilson the Wood Duck. We got a sticker from Luna, and we got to feed Wilson out of our hands.”

Stay tuned for more fun filled quotes written by the Ocean Explorers on the Camper Chronicles.

Aquarium Offers Canoeing Opportunities

Spend summer on the water with the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher. The Aquarium offers a canoeing program that takes participants on a three-hour exploration of the Zeke’s Island Estuarine Research Reserve, considered to be one of the most unusual areas of the North Carolina coasts. The trip includes an almost one mile paddle across the basin to Zeke’s Island. Common animals seen while touring the salt marsh include pelicans, seagulls, egrets, herons, ibis, sea turtles, and dolphins.

After arriving on the island, participants search for blue crabs, small fish, and invertebrates using crab rigs and dip nets, and also learn how to use cast and seine nets to catch fish. Throughout the journey, information on the history and maritime culture of this breathtaking area is described by the instructors.

Zeke’s Island is located in Brunswick and New Hanover Counties and is one of three main islands that make up the North Carolina Reserve. The island is only accessible by small boats, canoes, and kayaks.

Participants should be able to swim and be capable of sustained physical exertion. The program is for ages 8 and up. Ages 8-12 must be accompanied by two adults. The fee is $25.00 per participant. Admission to the Aquarium is not included. Pre-registration is required. Upcoming canoeing classes are Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 2:00 pm, Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 9:00 am and Sunday, July 19, 2009 at 2:00 pm.

For more information about this program or other summer programs, call 910-458-7468 or visit www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher.

NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is located just south of Kure Beach, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, on US 421. The site is less than a mile from the Fort Fisher ferry terminal. Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day). Admission: $8 adults; $7 seniors; $6 ages 6-17. Free admission for: children under 6; registered groups of N.C. school children, and NC Aquarium Society members. General information: www.ncaquariums.com.

Young adults are the key to success!

Findings from America, the Ocean, and Climate Change: New Research Insights for Conservation, Awareness, and Action showed that young people ages 12-17 know and care more about the ocean and environmental issues, and are more willing to act than adults. It has long been thought that young adults were less concerned with the environment’s status, but these results prove that they in fact are an essential target audience to focus on. If given the right tools and guidance young people are the key needed to start an environmental revolution. Their concern will spark the interest of adults and inspire and motivate them to do their part to save our oceans.

A surprising result from the survey: Americans believe that their individual actions can have a positive effect on protecting the environment and improving the health of the ocean. Individuals believe they can help, but are unsure of what to do. They simply need direction on how they can put these thoughts into action. Environmental education is an excellent source for people to become informed on how to get involved. The Aquarium at Fort Fisher holds free programs daily which focus on environmental issues, animals and their habitats and how actions affect wildlife. With these efforts and the environmental revolution upon us, our oceans and environment can rest easy knowing we are going to save them!

* Information from The Ocean Project and picture from bviguides.com

Fearless Females

“Target”, Julie Johnson calls as she taps the red and white “candy” striped stick until the alligator touches it and receives the long-awaited reward. Kari Ysland keeps a watchful eye on the other alligators as she cleans the opposite side of the tank. Julie and Kari are just one husbandry team at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach, yet their primary responsibility is one that most people, male or female, would fear. These women specialize in alligator care, as well as target training them.

Kari Ysland (l) and Julie Johnson (r) prepare for alligator target training.

“The fear is always there when we are target training,” says Julie, “you just have to understand them and have patience.” During weekly feedings and periodic cleanings, Julie and Kari train the alligators. Target training is a form of behavior conditioning with the ultimate goal of getting the alligators to come out of the water on command for vet visits; making it less stressful on the animals and safer for the staff.

When training began two years ago, the alligators were feisty, to say the least. “It was amazing the change we saw in just two weeks of starting the training, their behavior went from aggressive to calm immediately.” Currently the alligators are not yet coming fully out of the water on command, but Julie and Kari remain committed to use less restraint while examining the animals.

Working with alligators wasn’t always the dream job for Julie and Kari. “When I started at the Aquarium I wasn’t a huge fan of reptiles at all,” says Julie. Now they are both extremely passionate about working with the alligators, and ensuring safety and health. In the future, Julie and Kari both hope to further their careers in similar areas. Kari is focused on wildlife rehabilitation, while Julie’s vision is conducting behavior research in the wild.