Friday, October 30, 2009

New Loggerheads Come to Town


As most head for the open ocean when they emerge from their sandy nests, some sea turtle hatchlings are detoured to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher for health concerns. On Wednesday, October 21, the Aquarium released three loggerhead sea turtles that were rescued last summer right before tropical storm Hanna swept through the coast. The hatchlings were obtained from a Carolina Beach nest.

The loggerheads have been part of an interactive exhibit, Let’s Talk Turtle, which features a loggerhead hatchling and a replica of a nest with newly hatched turtles starting their run to the ocean.


Due to human pressures and other factors, all sea turtles that frequent North Carolina waters are listed as threatened or endangered. The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher annually cares for many hatchlings suffering from injury, weakness or cold weather. The Aquarium releases all sea turtles that recover at the facility, most as soon as they are strong enough to face life in the wild. A few stay a little longer on exhibit as part of the Aquarium’s educational efforts.

Let’s Talk Turtle is a learning station that puts visitors face to face with a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle, and gives them a chance to ask questions.

“Assigning a ‘turtle talker’ really adds value,” said Education Curator Peggy Sloan, who helps train volunteers and staffers for duty in the booth. “Loggerheads are a threatened species,” explained Sloan, “and by helping people understand them we’re increasing their odds for survival.”

The loggerheads are rotated at the exhibit daily. Their diet is adjusted and modified consistently to ensure proper bone and shell growth. Weekly length and weight measurements help track growth. Quarterly blood tests performed by veterinarians from NC State University and daily sunbathing ensure calcium is properly absorbed and the turtles are healthy.

The three new hatchlings at the Aquarium were obtained by a nest in Carolina Beach. Out of the 137 turtles in the nest, 125 hatched and seven were left in the nest when it was excavated. The Aquarium received three of the seven post hatchlings.

The Aquarium works closely with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, who manages sea turtle permitting, monitoring and rescue efforts on the state’s beaches.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Go Green for Halloween


Black and orange may be the designated colors for Halloween, but adding a little green to the mix can go a long way. Make this Halloween a treat to Mother Nature by following these easy tips to have a green Halloween.

1. Trick-or-treat with a reusable bag- Cloth or canvas bags are a much better alternative to plastic bags. Pillowcases are also a great way to tote your candy the environmental way. Americans use more than 380 million plastic bags every year, which hurts the environment as well as animals that may digest them.

2. Make do-it-yourself costumes- Making costumes from old clothes or other items you have around will help cut costs on Halloween expenses, as well as make use of old items lying around. After Halloween, you can trade your costume with other people or donate the clothing to a thrift store.

3. Give environmental friendly treats- In an effort to reduce waste, buy candy that uses less or no packaging. Buying candy locally is another excellent option to handing out eco-friendly treats. Buying locally helps support the local economy, as well as reduces the amount of fossil fuels used to transport the candy.

4. Walk instead of drive- This tip is a simple way to reduce your ecological footprint. Instead of driving to diverse neighborhoods, stick close to home and walk.

5. Compost your pumpkins- After carving and decorating your Halloween pumpkin, instead of throwing it away, try creating a compost and putting it in there. Composting is a wonderful way to create soil for your garden.

6. Finally, keep it going after Halloween! Becoming environmental friendly is a lifestyle change that requires work all year long. Taking these techniques and applying them to daily life is an excellent way to make every day a green day!

A Tiny Life

NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher Aquarist Technician April Zilg is responsible for some of the smallest animals at the Aquarium: seahorses. Behind the scenes is home to a “nursery”, where April monitors their birthing process.

A female seahorse deposits her eggs into the pouch of her male partner who then fertilizes and carries the eggs until they hatch in 11-21 days. At the Aquarium, when a male is carrying young, he is moved into a special nursery area. Sometimes the birth process lasts up to three days and the male gives birth to hundreds of babies! Only about 15-30 babies survive, depending on how large they are when born.

Baby seahorses, called “fry”, are about 8 millimeters when born and eat constantly. They only accept live food, and within 2-3 weeks double in size. Last year, April was in the process of rearing her first group of seahorses. But, one in particular had her worried. Born on October 14, this seahorse wasn’t eating as much as he should and as he grew, his stomach was sunken in. April gave him an antiparasitic medication called metronidazole in his food, but she didn't see any improvement for a long time. Under her watchful eye and care, the seahorse she affectionately dubbed “Skinny” seemed to slowly get better by himself. On October 14, 2009, “Skinny” celebrated his first birthday. He is in a holding tank with about 20 other seahorses, and growing more and more.

For April, seahorses are fascinating and she enjoys sharing her knowledge and a conservation message with others, “I can't tell you how many people don't even know seahorses are real, or have never seen one. Being able to display seahorses brings more understanding, and hopefully they like them enough that they may do a beach sweep or join an oceanic conservation association... or just more conscious of their impacts on our ocean.”

Some seahorses stay at the Aquarium on display. Others go to other aquariums, either as part of the breeding program or for exhibit. Breeding and raising display animals eliminates the need to collect from the wild. April says, “I like our seahorse propagation program because it reduces the impact on wild populations. Breeding seahorses and sending them to other aquariums makes me pretty happy because each one I send is one not caught from the wild.”

Monday, October 26, 2009

Trick or Treat...At the Aquarium

Celebrate Halloween early with the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s Trick or Treat Under the Sea. The aquarium welcomes trick-or-treaters of all ages on two frightful nights this year: Wednesday, October 28 or Thursday, October 29 from 5:00 to 8:30 pm.

Dress up in costume (no masks for adults, please), rake in the candy and play games with prizes. Enjoy face painting, story-telling, and haunted gardens. Look for our spooky divers in the big tank! At 6:40 pm on both nights, a magic show entitled “Pirates Have Problems” by No Sleeves Magic Camp will be held in the Auditorium.

Admission is $6 per person. Children 2 and under are free. Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Only umbrella strollers will be allowed in the building for this event. Be green and bring your favorite trick or treat bag!

Pre-sale tickets are available now and are selling fast! Tickets will be sold on the day of the event from 5 to 8 p.m. Please call 910-458-8257 for tickets and more information.


NOTE: The Aquarium will close at 2:30 pm on October 38 and 29 to decorate and will reopen for Trick or Treat Under the Sea at 5:00 pm.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

1% Goes a Long Ways


When two successful businessmen met while mountain climbing in 2001, the brainstorming began and a plan to create a program that would encourage businesses to donate 1% of their sales to environmental groups was formed. Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia and Craig Mathews, the owner of Blue Ribbon Flies believed it was their responsibility to protect the natural resources that kept them in business. With this notion in mind, “1% For the Planet” was conceptualized and began its journey to create a healthy planet through business alliances.

1% strives to connect businesses, consumers, and nonprofits through philanthropy. The program shows businesses that industry and ecology are inherently related, and that the sustainability of one could not survive without the sustainability of the other. 1% For the Planet has successfully inspired hundreds of businesses to donate 1% of their sales to environmental groups around the world. Jack Johnson, a famous singer/songwriter, is one of 700 members of this rapidly growing effort. In 2007 the group estimated that more than one new member company joins the effort each day.

Donations have reached an astonishing $30 million dollars. Currently, over 1,500 nonprofits have been researched and approved to receive donations from member companies. Each group has been thoroughly checked to ensure that they are indeed environmental groups that have clear objectives and an awesome track record of effective environmental initiatives. The groups range from local, regional, national, and international levels. Groups include Surfrider organizations from around the world and World Land Trust.

This amazing effort continues to grow and gain support from businesses around the world. To learn more about 1% For The Planet visit http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/.

Monday, October 12, 2009

A Day with Nature


For Take a Child Outside Week, the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher branched out to the community. Renee Weeks, special activities coordinator, participated in a day full of outdoor activities when she visited the Sampson County Cooperative Extension for the Home Runners 4-H Club. The group, which is recognized as the 4-H group of the year in Sampson County, had their day filled with interactive activities that focused on the environment.

One of the activities that the children completed was called “listen and feel”. The activity involved the children going outside and closing their eyes to listen to the sounds of nature. They also retrieved items from the environment to touch and feel the texture. The activity is used to help children become more in tune with nature.

Another activity the children completed was a bug juice demonstration. The children got to watch Renee create the bug juice, which was a mixture of molasses and bananas. Then each child dipped a paint brush into the creation and lathered a tree with the mixture. The children were extremely excited that they were feeding bugs in the environment.

After completing all the exciting activities the kids learned about pollution and why they should recycle. The outdoor fun day turned out to be great success!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

NC Aquarium Offers Facebook Contest for Tickets


CONTEST TIME! To win two tickets to NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher's Trick or Treat Under the Sea event on October 28 or 29 from 5-8:30 pm, post your BEST and MOST CREATIVE Halloween costume (past or present) on the fan photos section of our Facebook page. Log into http://www.facebook.com/ and type in ‘NC Aquarium’. Or use this link: http://tinyurl.com/ncaff1986. Become and fan and post away! Rules: Costumes must be appropriate in nature. Inappropriate photos will be deleted and not considered. Contest closes Oct. 21. Tickets are for use at the Fort Fisher Aquarium only.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Trick or Treat Aquarium Style


Celebrate Halloween early with the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s Trick or Treat Under the Sea. The aquarium welcomes trick-or-treaters of all ages on two frightful nights this year: Wednesday, October 28 or Thursday, October 29 from 5:00 to 8:30 pm.


Dress up in costume (no masks for adults, please), rake in the candy and play games with prizes. Enjoy face painting, story-telling, and haunted gardens. Look for our spooky divers in the big tank! At 6:40 pm on both nights, a magic show entitled “Pirates Have Problems” by No Sleeves Magic Camp will be held in the Auditorium.


Admission is $6 per person. Children 2 and under are free. Children 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Only umbrella strollers will be allowed in the building for this event. Be green and bring your favorite trick or treat bag!


Pre-sale tickets are available now and are selling fast! Tickets will be sold on the day of the event from 5 to 8 p.m. Please call 910-458-8257 for tickets and more information.