8:48 a.m., Sept. 18, 2009----The University of Delaware's Coast Day, now in its 33rd year, provides educational, fun, and family-friendly activities related to the ocean and coast. For the second year in a row, organizers have stepped up efforts to minimize the event's environmental impact as well.

THIS STORY

E-mail

Print

Twitter

“Coast Day is a really great place for visitors to better understand what they can do to help keep the ocean and coast healthy,” said Nancy Targett, dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment and Delaware Sea Grant director. “We are pleased that we are leading by example to show our guests the importance of being environmentally friendly.”

Whether they're checking out the seafood competitions or reading the event program, visitors at the event, to be held 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4, will be sure to notice the many exciting additions. One example is that plates, cups, napkins, and utensils for the Crab Cake Cook-Off and Chowder Challenge seafood cooking events will be converted to compost for use on campus landscaping.

A special display sponsored by UD Cooperative Extension will show visitors how to compost the items and demonstrate the benefits of using biodegradable materials.

Other measures taken to reduce the event's environmental impact include the sale of environmentally friendly reusable bags, the placement of extra bike racks for guests who chose to pedal to the event instead of driving, and the printing of the event program and other promotional materials using paper from forests managed in an environmentally friendly manner.

Also helping put environmental issues in the spotlight is this year's theme, “Climate Change and Our Coast.” Exhibits will highlight some of the work being done by researchers to ensure a greener future, and a special exhibit centered on this theme will demonstrate how guests can confront climate change in their everyday lives.

The event will be held at the Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes and is sponsored by the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program. Admission and parking are free.

For more information about Coast Day, visit the Web page or call (302) 831-8083. Additionally, the full lineup will be available through the event program, which will be posted on the above Web site.

Photo by Lisa Tossey