How to Green Your Baby

Did you know that your baby will use approximately 6,000 diapers before toilet training, and that disposable diapers take 200-500 years to decompose? Consider using cloth diapers or biodegradable diapers. Cloth diapers aren't what they used to be. No more sticking the baby with diaper pins or sagging. bumGenius's all-in-one cloth diapers offer stretchy tabs with hook and loop fasteners. Washing cloth diapers does take water, energy, and chemicals (not to mention time), but you might want to consider the benefits of a laundering service. One study found that home-washing cloth diapers has only 53% of the ecological footprint of disposables, and if you use a diaper laundering service, that impact is halved again.

Biodegradable diapers are made with plant-based plastics, are non-petroleum based, and are compostable. While not degradable under landfill conditions, there are other options to compost them such as using a composting toilet, an earthworm system, or a highly active and properly conditioned composting area. Hybrid diapers, like gDiapers, have removable inserts that can safely biodegrade when flushed.

Camp for Teens!

Need something for your young teen to do this summer? Sign him or her up for summer camp. Summer camp for a teen? Yep! The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher is offering it's first ever camp for teens age 13-14. In Coastal Crusaders, teens participate in fishing, canoeing, and exploring barrier islands, among other adventures. This camp inspires learning more about protecting coastal resources. For camp dates and registration information, click here.

Local Catch

North Carolina harvests some of the finest fish and shellfish available anywhere in the world. Our fish stocks are disappearing because they have been over fished or harvested using damaging fishing practices. To keep our favorite seafood plentiful for us to enjoy and to keep it around for future generations, we must act now.

As a shopper, you have the power to turn the tide. When you purchase seafood that's in season and from fisheries using ocean-friendly methods, you reward their actions and encourage others to act and operate responsibly.

The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, in partnership with NC Seafood and Sea Grant of NC has produced seafood availability cards to provide you with seasonal choices for winter, fall, summer, and spring. Pick up your copy at the Aquarium during your next visit.

Tips for Buying Organic on the Cheap

Do you enjoy the taste of organic food but you’re turned off by the price? Organic food sales hit $10 billion in 2003, up from $178 million in 1980. If you’re willing to do some creative shopping and cooking, you can enjoy the freshness and goodness of organic foods without breaking your food budget.

1. Shop at farmer’s markets. Wilmington’s Riverfront Farmers’ Market is open again.
2. Grow your own. And no fossil fuels are used.
3. Shop sales and house brands. Many grocers now have their own organic lines.
4. Buy in season. This way, you can load up on all your favorite organic fruits and veggies, dirt-cheap!
5. Join a co-op. Wilmington’s Tidal Creek offers discounts to members.

Going Green is the New Black

There's a new trend in fashion, and it's all about going green. By using non-toxic dyes and fabrics produced without the use of pesticides, designers are creating more fashions with the environment in mind. Typically, when you think of organic fashion, you may think of comfy, organic cotton t-shirts. But, trendy jeans designer "7 for all mankind" now makes "organic denim" that sells for $161.

Even shoe designers are becoming socially responsible by using faux leathers, organic cotton, and paper pulp foot forms. Melissa Shoes recycles 99.9% of factory water and waste and overstock styles are recycled into new styles. Greenloop provides eco-friendly and more importantly, eco-chic fashion. Visit their website here.

While a bit more expensive, you can shop "green" and be stylish at the same time.

Underwater Garden

For Mike Suchy, aquarist at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, gardening is a passion. His love for growing things and strong interest in coral reefs spawned a new project: a coral propagation and holding system within the aquarium.

By snipping fragments of existing coral, mounting it on small disks, and submerging it under water with a light source, Suchy has begun to “grow” coral. “It’s much like taking a cutting from a plant and potting it to grow more,” says Suchy. Growth rates vary depending on variety, but tend to be slow, sometimes only a few inches per year. Temperature, pH, and salinity are kept constant. A moving light hangs above the tank. “A moving light source is more natural and light is of paramount importance to corals,” explains Suchy. Reef-building corals contain symbiotic algae within their tissues that convert light energy into a food source, which helps provide sustenance for the coral colony.

Mike Suchy has a degree in biology from University of Nebraska. He has been at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher for 15 years.

Litter, Litter Everywhere...

NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher employees cleaned up Hwy 421 today. The aquarium has adopted part of the highway and cleans it regularly. Cigarette butts were the most common items found (did you know it takes decades for them to degrade?), in addition to beer cans and plastic bottles. But, we also found a huge pile of plastic wrap with a tiny crab trapped inside - another good reason not to litter! How can you help? Organize a clean up, starting with your own neighborhood. Remember to wear bright colored clothing, bug spray, sunscreen, and gloves. Most importantly, dispose of trash and recycling properly, not on the streets!