8:38 a.m., Sept. 23, 2010----It's a beloved Delaware tradition that provides educational, fun, and family-friendly activities related to the ocean and coast. And once again, Coast Day is being organized to have minimal environmental effects.

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A free event now in its 34th year, Coast Day will be held Sunday, Oct. 3, rain or shine, at the University of Delaware's Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes. It is sponsored by the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program.

“Coast Day emphasizes the value of our coastal and marine resources and highlights how the research done in our college benefits those resources,” said Nancy Targett, dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment and Delaware Sea Grant director. “Making the event environmentally friendly is a great way to support those efforts and to lead by example.”

The newest and perhaps most exciting way that Coast Day has gone green is that the energy used to power campus buildings and outside activities will be provided by UD's new 2-megawatt wind turbine. Guests will be able to visit multiple exhibits focused on the turbine, which was installed this spring and provides energy for the campus year-round.

As in previous years, the 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 availability of bike racks for guests who want to leave their cars at home, and the printing of the event program and other promotional materials using paper from forests managed in an environmentally friendly manner.

Coast Day is supported by Gamesa Corp., Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, OSG Ship Management Inc., PNC Bank, UTEC Survey Inc., and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For more information, visit the Coast Day website or call (302) 831-8083. Additionally, the full lineup is available through the event program, which is posted on website.

For more about CEOE and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, visit the websites.

Shuttle bus service from Newark campus

University of Delaware students, employees, and members of their immediate families can sign up for free shuttle service to Coast Day. Buses will depart from the Robinson Hall parking lot at the Newark campus at 9:30 a.m. and will depart from Lewes at 4:30 p.m. Reservations are necessary to secure a spot and must be made by 4 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30, by calling the Marine Public Education Office at (302) 831-8083.