AquaCamp - Register Now!

Need something to do with the kids on the MLK holiday? Give them an up close look at reptiles and animals including, turtles, salamanders, and alligators at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Campers will learn about the similarities and differences between these two types of animals. Live animal presentations and more are all part of this exciting program. Come and join the fun! Snacks are provided. Kids will need to bring a bag lunch. $40.00 per participant. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Call 910-458-7468 Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5pm.

Recycle your Tree and Gift Wrap!

New Hanover County residents can resolve to start the New Year in a greener way by putting their holiday greenery to good use. Christmas tree recycling is a good way to reuse those firs and helps spruce up our local landscape. Please recycle your Christmas trees at these locations:

• Smith Creek Park – off Gordon Road

• Landfill – 5210 US Hwy 421 North

• Diversified Biomass – on Sunnyvale Drive

• Myrtle Grove Middle School – 901 Piner Road

Trees can be taken to these locations from December 26th through January 31st. Please remove all decorations and lights. Trees will be ground into mulch for landscaping material or boiler fuel All used wrapping paper and cardboard boxes can be recycled at the following locations:

• Market Street beside Blair Elementary School

• Monkey Junction at Moose Lodge 353 on Carolina Beach Road

• Murrayville at Lowes Foods

• Veteran’s Park behind Murray Middle School

• Castle Hayne beside Hardee’s

• County Landfill on Hwy 421

Residents with curbside recycling can place their paper in their recycling bins.

Getting There Greener

While the idea of "green" vacations has attracted recent attention, most information focuses on what to do when you get to your destination, not on how to get there. No definitive source has been available to guide travelers toward the transportation option—train, plane, automobile, or motor coach (a.k.a. bus)—that will produce the least global warming pollution during a particular vacation. Until now.

In Getting There Greener, the Union of Concerned Scientists presents the first comprehensive analysis—peer-reviewed by experts—of the highest-carbon and lowest-carbon options for vacation travel.

This analysis shows that three key factors determine the environmental impact of your travel:

1. the type of vehicle you are taking;
2. the distance you are traveling; and
3. the number of people traveling with you.

Based on these factors, this guide can tell you how environmentally sound (or perhaps unsound) your travel plans are.

Download the report here.

Give the Gift...of an Experience!

Tired of shaking a Christmas present to hear what’s inside, only to find another ugly sweater? Well, long gone are the days of Christmas presents that will stay in the back of the closet for the whole year. This year give your family and friends a gift that they will be talking about for years to come.

What better gift than that of experience? The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher offers many different programs that are unique and educational. This season we are offering gift certificates to many of our different special activity programs including: Aquarist Apprentice, Behind the Scenes Tours, Mommy and Me, Children’s Discovery Time and many more. Get a sneak peak at what goes on behind the scenes, assist in some of our aquarists daily routines, or bring your children for a tale-telling, critter-creating adventure.

Call the registrar at 910-458-7468 or e-mail at ncaff.registrar@ncmail.net to purchase your gift certificate today. Gift certificates to Summer Camp 2009 are also available, reserve space for your child early!

Our Gift to You!

To thank the community for all its support in 2008, the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher is giving you a gift. Visit the Aquarium for our special holiday weekend on December 13 and 14 at the child’s rate...all adults admitted for only $6 each!

Scuba Santa will make an appearance in the Big Tank at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm each day. Kids of all ages can enjoy a special puppet show entitled, “Polar Opposites,” and make crafty ornaments in the Aquarium’s classrooms. What holiday would be complete without Dr. Seuss’ animated timeless tale of the mean-spirited Grinch? Stick around to watch the original feature “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on the big screen, and take advantage of commemorative photo specials with Santa himself.

Schedule for Saturday, Dec. 14 & Sunday, Dec. 15

10am, 12:30 pm and 3:30pm: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

10:30 am and 2:30 pm: "Scuba Santa" in Big Tank

11:30 am and 1:30 pm: "Polar Opposites" puppet show

All Day: Santa Photos , Holiday crafts and ornaments and candy guessing game

Green Your Holiday!

By reducing waste and “going green,” you may be able to save some green in the process. Studies show holiday preparations, including gift-giving, holiday decorations and food preparation, increase the nation’s trash by an extra one million tons per week during the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Some environmentally-friendly and cost-saving ideas include:

• Give home-baked goodies in reusable containers like baskets, tins or jars.
• Give non-materialistic “green” gifts that do not require wrapping, such as gift certificates for massages, to restaurants, cooking classes, sailing lessons, etc.
• Give a gift of time or talent. Take someone to a play, concert or movie. Make gift certificates for a special dinner, pet-sitting or house cleaning. Offer your talents at gardening, photography or financial planning — or better yet, teach someone a skill you possess such as knitting, woodworking or playing an instrument.
• Send holiday e-cards instead of paper greeting cards or make sure the ones you buy have recycled content material.
• When shipping, reuse foam peanuts or other packaging materials.
• If you have several events or parties in a short amount of time, buy food items in bulk. You will save a trip to the grocery and use less packaging.
• Shop at thrift stores for unique gift items or holiday decorations.
• Save all gift-wrapping and decorations to reuse later or wrap gifts in old maps, posters, sheet music, fabric or wallpaper scraps.

Other environmentally-friendly ideas include:

• Give a compost bin, can crusher, water timer, programmable thermostat, rain barrel, house plant, bird feeder, light timers or bat house.
• Use reusable grocery and shopping bags and make sure to recycle the non-reusable ones.
• Try not to use disposable plates, cups, napkins and silverware. If you do buy disposable products look for ones with recycled content.
• If a tree is part of your celebration, buy one that can be replanted in your yard. If you can’t replant your tree, compost it after the holidays.

* From DENR