Aquarium’s First 5K a Success

Kure Beach, NC – The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher proved you can host a sustainable 5K race and fun family-oriented event. Over 170 runners turned out for the Aquarium’s Race for the Planet Seahorse Sprint on Sunday, April 19.

Inspired to set an example for the racing community, the Aquarium’s Green Team co-sponsored the Aquarium’s first 5K race along with Pepsi, Land Management Group, TrySports Wilmington and Connie Parker. Lowes Foods donated reusable cloth bags for the race information packets. Organic cotton shirts were given to all race participants. Banana peels and apple cores were collected at the post-race party for compost. Recycling containers for plastic water and sports drink bottles were provided.

The Casserole entertained the runners while waiting for race results. Top male and female overall winners were:

Female overall:

1st Erin Hogston with a time of 19:54

2nd Ann Rasmussen with a time of 19:58

3rd Tere Chipman with a time of 22:24

Male overall:

1st Shawn McKee with a time of 18:06

2nd Carl Hixon with a time of 18:18

3rd Rick Edwards with a time of 18:38

Race times for all runners and winners by age group can be found at: http://ecrun.org/results_detail.php?id=82

NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is located just south of Kure Beach, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River, on U.S. 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: http://www.ncaquariums.com/.

*Photo available online at: http://www.ncaquariums.com/aquarium%E2%80%99s-first-5k-a-success

You see the Movie, they Plant a Tree!

In association with Earth Week, Walt Disney Company has promised to plant a tree for every ticket sold to its new movie “Earth” on its opening week. The movie premieres nationwide on April 22, Earth Day.

Disney’s goal for the environmental promotion is to ensure that trees are planted in areas that conservationists have identified as important places for biodiversity. One major area Disney plans to plant the trees is the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This rain forest is considered the most endangered in the world.

“Earth” is a breathtaking new documentary created by BBC that tells the story of three animal families and their voyages across our planet. The movie follows polar bears in the arctic, elephants in the Kalahari, and a humpback whale, throughout all four seasons. The movie, which follows in the wake of the phenomenal Planet Earth series, is an effort to awaken people’s eyes to the changes happening around the world.

So take this amazing opportunity to enjoy Earth Week, a movie, and help save our environment by going to see “Earth”.

To view a preview of "Earth" visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLz_1LNAuAQ

Don’t Feed that Alligator!

Summer is fast approaching and with the warm weather arriving, so are alligators! When the temperature rises, so does the likelihood of seeing an alligator in an area near people, such as lakes and apartment complexes. Although they may be fun to gaze at from a distance, feeding them is a dangerously different story.

Feeding alligators can cause them to relate humans as food. When alligators are fed by humans they lose their fear of them, which can lead them to possibly attack. They become accustomed to people giving them food, causing them to believe that every human has food.

Hap Fatzinger, NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s Curator says “Don’t do it, it’s against the law. Problems arise when animals, such as alligators become conditioned or associate humans with food.”

One way to safely view alligators is to visit the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Husbandry and design teams are working to complete the next portion of the newest exhibit featuring our rare albino alligator. They have recently started working on the observation deck where visitors will be able to safely view the pure white beauty up close.

*Photo was taken at NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher

Green Vocabulary for a Green Life

Being GREEN is becoming a contagious lifestyle! Each day more people make the decision to become environmental friendly, yet this transition can be difficult due to the vocabulary that comes with the lifestyle change. , To help decipher these new terms, here are a few important terms to remember.

Green: A generic term used to describe something that has a moderate effect on the environment.

Biodegradable: A substance that has been scientifically proven to break down entirely and return to nature.

Biodiesel: An alternative fuel made from vegetable oil made from renewable resources, and is nontoxic.

Free range: Labels identify cattle that had continuous and unconfined access to pasture throughout their life cycle, and to swine that had continuous access to pasture for at least 80% of their production cycle.

Fuel efficient: Automobiles that reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide, producing less air pollution and global warming emissions per mile driven.

GMO free: Products that do not contain or were not genetically mutated.

Hybrid: Cars that combine a gasoline engine with an electric motor, producing below average emissions and get above average gas mileage.

Organic: Food and fiber grown or produced in accordance with the National Organic Standards Act. They contain no toxic pesticides and fertilizers, synthetic hormones, antibiotics, sewage sludge, GMOs or radiation.

Recyclable: A product that after its useful life can be remanufactured into another useful material or product, keeping it out of the waste stream.

Recycled: Materials that have been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream.

Solar Powered: Solar cells covert the sun’s energy into electricity, allowing the energy to be stored in a battery that runs the unit.

Information from the GO GREEN magazine in Wilmington, NC

Albino Alligator Countdown

As you may have heard, the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher has a new treasure in its collection. A female albino alligator, currently in Aquarium quarantine, awaits completion of her new home in the Cape Fear Conservatory. Aquarium staff has been working hard to create the exhibit that will house this rare jewel.

This week, the in-house design team has been working to complete the observation deck where visitors will be able to admire the alligator. On Wednesday, April 25, concrete foundations for the deck were poured, and on Thursday, April 26, the wooden posts for the framing of the deck are being inserted. The next step will be to set in the glass viewing panel in April.

The Albino Alligator will be on exhibit May 29th, so make plans to see our breath-taking new animal!

Photo: 3D artist rendering of new albino alligator exhibit created by Exhibits Technician Chad Goodson

Lights Out

For one hour Saturday (March 28) people around the world will turn off their lights to make a statement about their commitment to finding solutions to the problems of climate change. It's called Earth Hour, and from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. individuals, businesses, governments and organizations will go dark in support of the World Wildlife Fund's project to raise concerns about global warming. You can too. Just turn off your lights or make your participation public by signing up at the Earth Hour Web site.

Follow the Earth Hour project on Twitter: @earthhourus. Or search for other people's posts relating to Earth Hour by searching #earthhour at http://search.twitter.com.

There's even an Earth Hour app for the iPhone: "Its rigorous program of puzzles will prepare your mind and body for the important task ahead: Switching off that light."

From Star-News

Don't feed the dolphins!

Did you know feeding wild dolphins is illegal, and can be harmful to both dolphins and humans?

Dolphins are hunters in the wild. When fed by humans they may replace natural hunting behavior with begging for food. Dolphins are intelligent animals and, like most humans, might find accepting a free handout easier than working for a meal. This has occurred with wild dolphins in several areas with a history of providing free handouts from humans.

Aside from dangers to dolphins associated with behavioral changes, brought on by begging, there are nutritional concerns. Humans tend to offer whatever is available on their boat, including everything from hot dogs and potato chips to rotten fish left out in the sun. Wild dolphins cannot survive without a proper diet.

Feeding dolphins is dangerous for humans because it can cause dolphins to become aggressive. Dolphins have bitten, and in one case killed, when they were teased with food.

Illegal dolphin feeding is a routine problem in the Southeast, even though the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1993 prohibits feeding wild marine.

If you love dolphins, observe them from a distance and respect them!

To view a recent public service announcement about dolphin feeding go to http://www.dontfeedwilddolphins.org/