Love is in Bloom

Love is in the Air........

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and time is ticking away to purchase a gift for that special someone. Candy, jewelry, and cards are always a safe option, but this year, think outside the box. Sending a bouquet of flowers every Valentine’s Day gets stale. Flowers are quite the gesture, but there are other options than spending an absorbent amount of money for flowers that will just die in a few days. Bet you didn’t know that “when you inhale the sweet smell of a store-bought flower, you are also inhaling up to 127 different types of chemicals used on commercially-grown flowers, many of which are banned in the United States” according to the Organic Consumers Association.

Consider an alternative approach to show your sweetie how much you care by purchasing flowers that you both can plant together. Nothing says “I love you” like something that will live on long past Valentine’s Day! If you’re really industrious you can start these flowers from seeds yourself. Otherwise, consider purchasing bulbs or flowers from your local nursery or farmer’s market. Like the flowers, your love will blossom and continually grow through the seasons.

(Image: Victor Love Flowers)

World Wetlands Day

Today we celebrate not only Groundhog’s Day, but it is also World Wetlands Day. Declared in 1971, countries around the world gathered to sign the Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty and the first eco focused convention. Since then, on February 2nd activists all over the world unite and proclaim the benefits of wetlands around the world.

What are wetlands?

Many consider wetlands to lie in the surrounding coastal areas, however a wetland is any area of land where water covers a solid area that can range in various size, and can last years or just a few months. The embodying water can be still, flowing, fresh or salty. In North Carolina, wetlands are home to many plants and animals that rely on each other for food and shelter. Overall ,wetlands are the most valuable and productive ecosystems on the earth that provide food, shelter, and are areas for nurseries or buffer zones for animals breeding.

How to protect wetlands in North Carolina?

Pollution, urban encroachment and, partial drainage has strained the degradation of our wetlands. To help protect these valuable sources on our coast is a difficult task, however there are programs across the state that protect and support wetlands and the wildlife that you can participate in. Volunteer with the many watershed or conservation groups across the state, or work with a community group that take on a wetland to preserve. Plant native plants in your yard and limit the use of fertilizers and pesticides that pollute our neighboring waterways to the lakes and oceans.

Image from www.airheadscuba.com

Recycle & Reuse Unwanted clothes

Spring is slowly starting to make a presence, as is the time for spring cleaning. Beyond scrubbing the house from top to bottom what can you do about all those unwanted clothes that seem to have acquired permanent residence in your overstuffed closet and drawers? Recycle them! It may seem a little strange, but you recycle cans, newspapers, water bottles, and now clothing has become another item.

Do your part to be green and consider a few of these options:

A) Host a clothing swap- Invite your friends over, and ask that everyone brings items in good condition that they no longer want or have grown out of, by the end of the evening, you and all of your friends will have new items to add to your evolving wardrobe. Leftover items can be donated to a specific charity.

B) Consignment shops: Earn extra money to purchase some of spring’s latest fashions by taking unwanted clothing to local consignment shops in your town.

C) Textile art: If it seems you can’t part with that blouse because it has such a fantastic pattern or color, but the blouse has parted with you, there are a few options. Cut the sleeves off and take the body portion of the blouse to make a pillow. Visit a local craft store to purchase embellishments such as fringe, lace, ribbon, to enhance your newest home décor. If you have several pieces that you cannot part with, consider cutting patches of the clothing to make a blanket, or quilt. This is perfect for moms and or grand moms who want to save their children/grandchildren’s clothing through the years but simply do not have the space for the budding size change. Think creatively!

D) Consider the item: There are several items in your closet that can find a new home with some simple internet research. There are a variety of programs across the country that takes items to be reused or reshaped in another way. Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe takes older sneakers in any condition then uses the rubber from the soles to make athletic playground surfaces such as interlocking gym floor tile and track surfaces.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection agency, “Reusing items or making them with less material decreases waste dramatically. Ultimately, fewer materials will need to be recycled, combusted for energy, or landfills.” So while sorting through your large collection of clothing, consider the options. You never know what items can have a new creative twist in your wardrobe collection.

Image from kitchenmagic.com

Aquarium Honors Volunteers

In 2010, 370 volunteers donated their time, talents and energy to the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, contributing over 27,000 hours. On January 27th, the Aquarium honored its outstanding volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation and Awards dinner. Volunteers who donate their time in a variety of departments were honored and Dan Bennett, of Wilmington, NC was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award.

Bennett, who works for Ellerbe Phone Company, often spends his vacation days at the Aquarium volunteering his time wherever and whenever needed. From educating visitors about touch tank animals to setting up tables and chairs for an event to dressing up as a sea turtle for a holiday parade float, Bennett ensures every Aquarium visitor, employee and fellow volunteer’s experiences are unforgettable. Volunteer Coordinator Suzanne Holtzclaw says, “Dan Bennett truly exemplifies what the Aquarium stands for and many lives have been enriched by his joy, kindness, and compassion.”

2010 Departmental Volunteer of the Year recipients:

• Special Events Volunteer of the Year: Donna Budd
• Operations Volunteer of the Year: Jerry Mayer
• Horticulture Volunteer of the Year: Elizabeth Tomason
• Aquariology Volunteer of the Year: Judy Larrick
• Dive Volunteer of the Year: Harold Wilson
• Education Volunteer of the Year: Kendyll Goeman
• Junior Volunteer of the Year: Jacob Rose
• Volunteer with the Most Hours: Echo Woodsford (500 hours)

*Photo: Volunteer Coordinator Suzanne Holtzclaw with 2010 Volunteer of the Year Dan Bennett

Save Money, Plant a Tree!

Rent textbooks and save money, all while putting a smile on Mother Nature’s face! On Chegg.com students can sell and rent textbooks for cheaper as well as help restore the environment. For every book you rent, Chegg.com will plant a tree in your honor. Currently over four million trees have been planted. The website allows you to search for the books you need, sell books you no longer use, and save hundreds of dollars; which in most college student’s eyes is a huge bonus! For more information about the website or to rent a textbook and help keep nature beautiful visit www.chegg.com.

Swapping Nature for Nature

Need a reason to get outside? Participate in the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s Nature Swap by first exploring together outside. Do you find objects in nature, such as interesting shells, bones, egg cases, rocks, pine cones and other treasures? If you enjoy exploring natural areas such as beaches and forests, and collecting found treasures, come to the Aquarium to share and swap.

Nature Swap showcases natural objects, such as shark teeth, skulls, and shells. You can learn more about natural objects from Aquarium staff by examining their collection, and by bringing in your own finds. And, you can acquire points for your treasures to use in trade for another item of equal or lesser value. If something rare catches your eye you can accumulate points by bringing different items until the value you cache equals the item of interest.

Nature Swap provides a great reason to explore outdoors however, you are encouraged to do no damage while collecting treasures, and to follow a few guidelines established by the Aquarium:

Earn points for each item you bring, for a maximum of 3 items per day.
Earn extra points for doing some of your own research on the item you found.
Your item must be cleaned and in good condition.

Acceptable items to bring to the Nature Swap include: clean bones, antlers, teeth, claws, skulls, snake sheds and eggs (found in nature), sand, interesting rocks, fossils, invertebrate molts, eggs cases, shells, casts of animal footprints, preserved plant parts, and pine cones.

Items that the Aquarium will not accept for the Nature Swap program include: objects from the Aquarium grounds, bird parts, feathers, eggs, nests, alligator parts or mounts, live plants, sea turtle parts, or marine mammal parts.

Look for Nature Swap table across from the Touch Tank. Aquarium members can participate in Nature Swap again and again with free Aquarium admission. Non-members must pay admission to access Nature Swap for each trade.

Walk Down the Aisle, Leaving No Footprint Behind

Make your wedding day even more special by putting a smile on Mother Nature’s face while celebrating your big day! Creating a green wedding is simple, fun, rewarding, and will allow you to take your first steps as a married couple without leaving a large footprint on the Earth. Below are a few tips on how to make your wedding more environmentally friendly:

~ Flowers: Flowers are transported long distances or flown in for weddings. To reduce the amount of fossil fuels used to create the perfect bouquet, try using flowers and greeneryfrom family and friend’s gardens. Using flowers from a relative or friend’s garden will not only keep the cost of your flowers down and give your flowers a special meaning; it will also help reduce the environmental impact of your special day.

~ The Vehicle: Limousines can guzzle gas by the minute, opting to use an older car that has been converted to diesel fuel is an excellent idea to spice up your wedding day and help fight gas emissions. Try renting a vintage car, such as a Mercedes or Bentley, which will keep you looking luxurious but minimize your effect on the planet.

~ Invitations: Invitations are a necessity, but why waste paper when you can create your own personalized website for people to learn all about your impending nuptials? Another idea to help save on paper involves using recycled paper and using the back of the invitation as the envelope. Websites such as recycledpaper.com offer several options for recycled paper. Also, use soy and vegetable oil based ink instead of regular ink to help reduce the amount of petroleum used in your wedding planning.

~ Food and drinks: Purchase organic, locally sourced foods whenever possible for your big day. Buying local will not only help the small businesses in your area, it will also cut the cost of food transportation. Choose catering options that buy local produce and serve organic products in order to make your event more eco-friendly. Using organically produced foods uses 15% less energy. Serve local beer and wine at the reception, research wineries and breweries in your area and use their products for your special occasion.

~ Dress: The dress is the most important and stressful parts of wedding planning for the bride. Instead of purchasing a new dress, purchase a vintage dress or wear a dress that has been passed down from your family. If you are set on buying a new dress, find companies who use organic fabrics and “peace silk”, which is made from silkworms that live out their life cycle.

~ Gifts: Most couples already have all the household items they need, so many are opting to have guests donate money to their favorite environmental charity. Couples can set up an online account with most charities allowing guests of the wedding to make donations to a chosen organization.

~ Honeymoon: Taking the perfect honeymoon can become expensive and stressful when trying to do research where to go, book flights, hotels, and take vacation time at work; instead of traveling out of the country, research exciting places around the United States that are within driving distance or a short flight from where you live. The United States has amazing and beautiful scenery waiting to be seen on your honeymoon. If you do fly, plant a tree upon your return to offset your fossil fuel use!

~ Ring: The perfect ring does not always have to be new, purchasing a vintage ring or a family heirloom can be just as beautiful and environmentally friendly as well. If you are going to purchase a new ring, make sure to research conflict free diamonds.

~ Confetti: Confetti contains dyes and bleaches which can have harmful environmental effects, try instead throwing linseed or sunflower seeds. As an added bonus, you can send you guests home with seeds they can plant themselves!

By using these environmental wedding tips, you and Mother Nature will be smiling brightly on your wedding day!