Cape Fear's Going Green • Summer/Fall 2022

Letter from the Editor

For years we have published articles on gardening with native plants to support pollinators and other wildlife. The public’s increasing interest in native plants was evident at this year’s Native Plant Festival—the best ever—with eleven grow ers of native plants selling plants at five area locations.

As we attend festivals and other events, we hear an increasing number of you readers requesting information not only about native plants, but instruction on how to grow your own food. We have invited organic farmer Kyle Stenersen, owner of Humble Roots Farm, to share some fundamentals. In this issue, in the first article of a series, he gives us some back ground on how he got started farming and then sharing his expertise with others. Look for more articles in future issues

as he teaches us concepts about producing one’s own edibles.

As a complement to Kyle’s articles, this issue also includes articles on clean water, soil testing and composting...including a composting song written by students at Friends School of Wilmington!

Our thoughts are with the citizens of Ukraine.

— Valerie L. Robertson Editor

Contents

Grow Your Own Food: Introduction to the Four Pillars

Organic Gardening

Soil Testing Science Guides Improving Soil to Encourage Plant Health

Pollinator or Pest? Meet the Five-Spotted Hawk Moth

Accessing Clean Water in the Age of GenX

Repurposing the Scraps: Composting Options for Your Everyday Life

Compose “The Compost Song”

Inside the Planning of a Sustainable Wedding

Fireworks Are Cause for Celebration

Cape Fear Stewardship Development Awards

Your Ecological House™ War, Anti-War and Climate Action

Cape Fear River Watch Hosts First State of the River Forum

Green Events

Crossword

City Nature Challenge Results for 2022

Kids Korner

❧ ❧ ❧

Cape Fear’s Going Green is a quarterly publication promoting eco-friend ly resources and lifestyles in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin.

& Editor in Chief: Valerie Robertson

Contributing Editors: Shelby Diehl, Ally Zimmerman

Contributing Editor: Mary Robertson

Summer Intern: Caitlyn Andrews

Where to Find Cape Fear’s Going Green

Read It Online

Read the most recent issues on issuu.com/capefearsgoinggreen. In the Community

Pick up a free copy at one of the locations listed below or at in-person meetings of environmental groups as they return to meeting live.

Arboretum/New Hanover County Extension Service, Aunt Kerry’s Pet Stop, Lovey’s Market, Old Books on Front Street, Pomegranate Books, Tidal Creek Co-op, UNCW, Shelton Herb Farm and many area Food Lion and Harris Teeter locations. See https://arcg. is/1WWi0y for a map.

Subscribe

For the price of postage and packaging, you can receive the next four issues in your own mailbox. Mail a check payable to “Going Green Publications” in the amount of $24 to P. O. Box 3164, Wilmington, NC 28406.

Back issues of Cape Fear’s Going Green are available by calling (910) 547-4390.

Sign up for our email list to be alerted when each new issue becomes available. Write us at publisher@goinggreenpublications.com.

& Editorial Contributors: Alan Cradick, Cameron Francisco, Morgan Freese, Morgan Greene, Vaughn Hagerty, Dylan Linehan, Karen Linehan, Sally Smits Matsen, Casey Nelson, Kat Pohlman, Shannon Bradburn Pragosa, Kyle Stenersen, D.J. Struntz, John Sutton, Philip S. Wenz, Kiley Woods and iNaturalist contributors Kai Joaquin and tomatoshepherdess.

2010 YWCA Women of Achievement Award for the Environment

Sister City: Eugene, Oregon (Voted “Greenest City” 2006 by The Green Guide)

Cape Fear’s Going Green Going Green Publications

P. O. Box 3164 • Wilmington, NC 28406 (910) 547-4390 publisher@goinggreenpublications.com www.goinggreenpublications.com

Editorial: If you have story ideas or calendar items to suggest, email us at editor@goinggreenpublications.com, or call (910) 547-4390. Advertising information: Email ads@goinggreenpublications.com. Cape Fear’s Going Green is distributed free throughout Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender counties. A partial map of locations appears at https://arcg.is/1WWi0y. If you have a business and would like to receive multiple copies for the public, please contact us. The views and opinions expressed in articles in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of this publication.

Fear’s Going Green

Front Cover: D’avignon French breakfast radishes grown by Kyle Stenersen of Humble Roots Farm. See story on page 3. Photo © D.J. Struntz

photo by Shelby Diehl Publisher Valerie Robertson enjoys the lush vegetation in the Native Plant Demonstration Garden at the New Hanover County Arboretum.

Grow Your Own Food: Part 1— Introduction to the Four Pillars of Organic Gardening

ing food for other people? In my mind, because vegetables looked and tasted so different from one another, they must have wildly different growing needs. This was my foundational misunderstanding of growing food.

I started my post-college farm work twelve years ago and have been trying to unravel the mysteries of growing a wide variety of vegetables ever since. After trying various strategies, taking courses and talking to farming friends, I have finally discovered the foundational principle that I was missing on the beginning of my gardening journey.

by Kyle Stenersen

This is the first in a series of articles to help you learn how to grow your own food. In coming issues, farmer Kyle Stenersen, owner of Humble Roots Farm, will share some gardening fundamentals that can be used by home gardeners. In this first article, he gives us some background on how he got started farming and how he learned to share his expertise with others.

The first time I ever experienced real work was picking English peas at 6 a.m. one summer in New Hampshire. My mother had sent me there as a 14 year old because of my “allergy” to attending sum mer camp. I remember feeling like a bona fide hard worker because of the chapped insides of my index fingers from the hours of plucking little pods from the neatly

trellised rows of peas. My role on Owens Truck Farm was limited to harvesting a few types of vegetables and I have many fond memories there. However, I also remember the bewilderment of seeing so many different crops, all seemingly so different, and wondering how someone would even begin to know everything there is to know about growing vegetables.

I did not grow up on a farm. In fact, I never set foot on a farm (besides my sum mer excursion) until after I graduated from college. My vegetable-growing journey began fresh out of NC State University on a small farm in Burlington, North Carolina. This time, I was involved in planting, cultivating, harvesting, packing and sell ing. After about a year of being front and center, watching vegetables go from seed to market, I was hooked, and I knew this was the life for me. My enthusiasm was met with some reservation though as that same bewildered feeling I had had in New Hampshire came flooding back to me as an adult on this new farm. How was I going to learn all I needed to know about grow

Let me be clear on one thing: I am a farmer, which means I grow food for other people. My farming methods, however, are more akin to the backyard garden than the average farm you see on the side of the road. I mostly use hand tools and small equipment, all the soil amendments I use can be purchased at retail garden centers, I grow in 50’ long beds and I harvest everything by hand. Because of this, over the years I’ve been able to relate to and advise my farmers market customers on their home gardens. I was getting so many questions that I decided to host some inperson workshops on growing vegetables at home. These workshops were value packed, but extremely exhausting for me because I had so much I wanted to teach in such little time. Eventually I decided to put everything I was teaching in these workshops into an online curriculum and video course, which can now be found at growyourownfood.academy.

The foundational principle that has allowed me to be so successful in my own gardens and that has helped others grow their own food is simple: every plant has the same basic needs. Our job as garden ers is to create a standardized template that we can plant anything we want into, and have a successful result. This is best understood by seeing vegetable garden ing through the lens of what I call the Four Pillars:

photo © D.J. Struntz, https://www.djstruntzphoto.com/index

Farmer Kyle Stenersen shows us a 72-cell plug tray of Dino Kale at about three weeks old.

gardening

Soil Testing Science Guides Improving Soil To Encourage Plant Health

by Kiley Woods

When spring comes, so do beautiful flowering plants and new green growth, but how can we make sure the soil is of quality to support this plant life? The answer: soil testing. Soil is made up of min eral particles, organic materials, decaying fragments of other plants, air, water and living things constantly mingling beneath our feet. Soil testing is the answer to find ing a balance in the dirt.

5.5 because they prefer high acidification levels. As a result of testing your soil, you can learn what your soil needs to make that patch of yard the best environment that azalea could have. Testing your soil ensures the best environment for suc cessful plant growth and is a good way to understand what kind of plants will do the best in your soil.

photo by Valerie Robertson

Soil samples are submitted in this standardized box, available at any NC Cooperative Extension office. Gardener’s tip: it’s much easier to write on the box while it is still flat, before you fold it into a box.

Soil tests are a useful and effective way to understand the health of the soil in your backyard as well as understanding what kind of plants may be successful in that soil. Any problems that may be affecting the plants can be diagnosed with soil test ing and solved by adding something to the soil to improve the balance of the soil.

For example, if you have a bush of azaleas that’s not doing well, it’s possible that your soil is too acidic or not acidic enough. Azaleas flourish in a pH of 5.0 to

Grow Your Own Food (continued from page 3)

1. Soil Health and Nutrition,

2. Irrigation,

3. Seeds and Plants, and

4. Protection.

These pillars rest on a foundation, which is the garden plan.

I have developed this way of looking at gardening because with the 40 different crops I grow on a yearly basis, it’s impracti cal to try to know every little thing about every plant. Instead, I had to come up with some efficient way of growing my crops that is repeatable and understandable.

A valid question you may be asking is, does this apply to home gardening? Of course it does! My goal as a farmer is to grow as much food as possible in a small space for minimal cost. Most of the ques tions I’ve gotten over the years are very general and without much context, but knowing the four pillars allows me to come up with solutions to these problems by asking the right questions of the situation.

Let me give you an example: Let’s say you planted your ten tomato plants after the last frost and all was going well for the first month. All of a sudden you notice some yellowing on the leaves. How do you know what’s going on? Let’s first consider whether or not you are noticing this yellowing on all of your plants or just one. If the yellowing is happening to all of them then you are probably dealing with a soil nutrition issue, if just one, then you are probably dealing with a pest and disease issue.

From there you can dive into whittling down the layers of mystery, such as: Has the soil been tested,? Do you see any holes or rotten places on the leaves or stems? How much fertilizer did you use? This is just one example where a foundational and general understanding of what plants need to thrive will give you the mental tools to solve any garden problem and accomplish any garden goal you may have. This approach applies to all growing

Soil tests are used to predict the prob ability of successful growth for a specific plant. These tests can be used to help understand what may need to be added to the soil to establish a healthy environ ment for future planting. They can detect specific elements such as phosphorus (P), potassium (K), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe). Knowing the elements in your soil is an effective way to understand the health of the soil in your backyard as well as understand what kind of plants may be successful in that soil.

(continued on page 5)

environments, everywhere from Maine to Arizona and beyond, though the timing of when to plant may vary!

Learning how to garden can be a rewarding way to spend your free time, but it oftentimes is a source of frustration and confusion. This is why I developed the Four Pillars, for myself and for others who want to enjoy gardening and not be constantly frustrated and confused, with no gardening compass to guide them. Ultimately, I see plants as having the same basic needs as children: food, water, shelter (soil) and a loving parent (gardener) to protect and lead them until we accomplish our purpose of seeing them bear the fruit of maturity.

Kyle Stenersen Is the creator of the online “Grow Your Own Food Academy.” He and his wife Katelyn are co-owners of Humble Roots Farm in Scotts Hill, North Carolina. You can find him at the Farmers Market at Tidal Creek, or visit www.humblerootsfarm.com.

gardening

Soil Testing (continued from page 4)

Soil testing also measures the soil’s pH—how basic or acidic the soil is. North Carolina’s soil can range from 3.5 (acidic) to 8.0 (basic). Most common plants grow the best in soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Soil testing assists you in determining how to fix your pH for the plants by telling you the solution to raise or lower the pH. For example, it’s too low, you can add lime to raise the pH levels; soil testing will tell you just how much to add.

If you need to add nutrients to your soil, that can be done naturally or through inorganic fertilizers that can be purchased at your local gardening store. Other ma terials such as mulch, peat moss, manure, grass or wheat straw can serve as natural remedies. Soil tests will not, however, detect the possibility of diseased soil or poor drainage that can be causing plant growth issues.

Collecting samples in your own back yard only takes a few minutes and knowl edge gained from the results can decrease the costs of maintaining your lawn, saving you some landscaping expenses. To gather your samples, visit different areas in your yard. These sections may include a veg etable garden, flower bed, back lawn, front lawn or at the base of vegetation. Collect your samples from each section with a stainless steel shovel by digging about six inches deep into the soil. Gather about a cup and a half of soil overall. Sample spe cific areas separately where plants appear to not be flourishing as well.

Samples can be submitted at any time of year, but should be submitted several

Cape Fear Area Cooperative Extension Offices

Brunswick County Cooperative Extension 25 Referendum Drive, Bolivia, NC brunswick.ces.ncsu.edu

(910) 253-2610

New Hanover County Cooperative Extension 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC newhanover.ces.ncsu.edu

(910) 798-7660

Pender County Cooperative Extension 801 So. Walker Street, Burgaw, NC pender.ces.ncsu.edu

(910) 259-1235

weeks before you begin planting. Results are typically made available online within a few weeks. According to the Agronomic Services Division, it currently takes two weeks to process soil samples and two days to process plant samples.

Boxes and forms for sample submission can be found at any Cooperative Extension office in any North Carolina county. You can learn of additional locations for sample boxes from any of these offices, listed in the box on this page.

Completed samples should be mailed to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s soil testing lab in Raleigh. You may also drop them off at your local Cooperative Extension office and they will send them to Raleigh for you. Samples submitted between April 1 and the end of November are free. During peak testing season, December 1 through March 31, there is a $4 charge for each sample submitted. North Carolina is one of the only states that does not charge for soil sample analysis during certain months of the year.

When the results are available online, you will receive an email notification. Look out for a message from AGRONOMIC LIMS. For more assistance with soil testing information, help finding testing kits or assistance reading soil test results, contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

Seedlings will be off to a much better start if you take the time to test your soil and amend it based on the needs of the kind of plants you choose.

Once you understand the make-up of your own soil, you will be able to assess what soil amendments will give your plants the greatest chance for success.

Sources: union.ces.ncsu.edu/soil-testing-kits/ ncagr.gov/agronomi/pals/ newhanover.ces.ncsu.edu/ ncagr.gov/agronomi/documents/2016HOME OWNERSOILSAMPLESUBMISSIONSHEETAD15c hw2.pdf ncagr.gov/agronomi/pdffiles/HomeApr2014.pdf

Kiley Woods is a student at Eckerd College in Florida studying marine biology and creative writing. She attended UNCW for two years and is a contributing writer for Going Green.

Adobe stock photo

Pollinator or Pest? Meet the Five-Spotted Hawk Moth beneficial insects

by Morgan Greene

Summer is upon us, and so are the sphinx moths. Also known as hawk moths or hummingbird moths, these occasionally diurnal insects are a common sight in New Hanover County from late spring to early fall.¹ From the mottled browns and grays of the Rustic Sphinx to the geometrically striped wings of the Banded Sphinx, these large moths come in a variety of colors ranging from humble to mesmerizing and sport patterns that provide excellent camouflage or dazzle passersby.

Unfortunately, not all sphinx moths in the Wilmington area garner praise. Tomato hornworms, larvae of the Five-Spotted Hawk Moth, and the similar tobacco horn worms are notorious pests of tomatoes and other nightshade plants. These large green caterpillars are voracious eaters that typically consume the leaves of their host plants, often beginning at the top of the plant and working their way down.² Spotting dark droppings on your tomato leaves is a tell-tale sign you’ve got tomato hornworms on your hands.

If you do spot these hungry caterpil lars in your garden, fear not—these pesky larvae aren’t as terrible as they may appear and can actually benefit your garden community! Beneficial insects like green lacewings prey on tomato hornworms, and the caterpillars sometimes fall victim to

The Five-spotted Hawk Moth (Manduca quinquemaculatus) is an important nighttime pollinator. Observation © Kai Joaquin, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/111739053. No changes made.

parasitic wasps that lay their eggs on the caterpillars’ backs. Adult hawk moths, on the other hand, are food for animals like bats and lizards.²

Five-Spotted Hawk Moths are also important nighttime pollinators that drink the nectar of honeysuckle, phlox, petunias and other flowering plants.³ If you still decide you’d rather not have tomato hornworms in your garden, the caterpillars are harmless and can easily be relocated by hand, so there’s no need to use poten tially harmful pesticides. Plants like dill and basil have also been shown to deter Five-Spotted Hawk Moths from laying their eggs nearby.²

them difficult to find amongst the trees. In flight, these moths can easily be mistaken for hummingbirds thanks to their size, shape, agility and hovering ability.⁵

Whether you regard them as beautiful pollinators or tomato-munching pests, one thing is for certain: just as spring is for the butterflies, in New Hanover County, sum mer nights belong to the sphinx moths.

Sources

1 Moths of North Carolina (ncparks.gov) bit.ly/3OY2lIL

2 Tomato Hornworms: How to Get Rid of Tomato Hornworms | The Old Farmer’s Almanac bit.ly/3R7VpKX

Five-spotted Hawk Moth (Manduca quin quemaculatus) caterpillars are easy to relocate by hand if you would rather not have them in your garden. Observation © tomatoshepherdess, www.inaturalist.org/observations/115567277. No changes made.

Even though tomato and tobacco hornworms can be a nuisance, most sphinx moths and their offspring are much more beneficial than harmful to gardens and other local ecosystems.⁴ To spot a FiveSpotted Hawk Moth in action, your best bet is to search at dusk when the moths are most active. The moths have a row of five or six orange spots on either side of their abdomen and can have wingspans over five inches long, but their mottled light brown and white coloration makes

3 Five-spotted Hawk Moth (insectidentifica tion.org) bit.ly/3Icd0NA

4 Sphinx Moths (Hawk Moths | Missouri Department of Conservation) bit.ly/3yGJRXG

5 Tomato hornworm, Manduca quinquemacu lata (Haworth) (ufl.edu) bit.ly/3uqLN4b

Morgan Greene is a senior at UNCW major ing in biology with a concentration in fresh water and terrestrial conservation. She enjoys sharing fun facts about insects and other tiny animals on her blog, The ArthroBlogger, found at thearthroblogger.com.

quality

Accessing Clean Water in the Age of GenX

by Shelby Diehl

When it comes to the lower Cape Fear River, clean water isn’t exactly its strong suit—and Chemours is partly to blame for that. In 2017, the chemical company was outed by Wilmington Star-News for releas ing a toxic chemical called GenX into the drinking water supply of approximately 250,000 people from its Fayetteville Works site. The company has since announced they would halt discharging GenX into the Cape Fear River, but if it’s “safe,” as com pany officials assured, then why stop?1

GenX was just a small portion of a whole class of chemicals being discharged from the facility as PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances). PFAS can be found in a number of familiar items such as Teflon pans, food packaging, Scotchgard and dental floss. These common, persis tent chemicals are toxic. And yet, they’re everywhere.1

PFAS aren’t limited to the plant run-off seeping into the groundwater and into the creeks surrounding the plant. PFAS are in the air. The chemicals were being released through air stacks while further contami nating the groundwater for hundreds of water wells surrounding the plant. The

worst part? The water utility confirmed they didn’t have the ability to filter these chemicals from our drinking water for all those years.1

While the systems didn’t exist for the forty years GenX was being dumped into the Cape Fear River, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) has made efforts in recent years to change the narrative. These efforts involve the installment of granular activated carbon (GAC) filters and reverse osmosis systems in the Sweeney and Richardson Water Treatment Plants.

The Sweeney Water Treatment Plant draws water from the Cape Fear River and provides drinking water to about 80 percent of CFPUA’s customers. These customers fall within the limits of the City of Wilmington, parts of Ogden, Monkey Junction, King’s Grant and the Flemington/321 Corridor. 2

Sweeney is actively installing eight new GAC filters with the completion antici pated for summer 2022. The GAC filters are deemed the best option to reduce GenX and other PFAS compounds in the river. Until these new filters are finished, CFPUA has altered existing filters at Sweeney but,

while reductions have been observed, the fix isn’t suitable for the long term. 2

“The new GAC filters cost $43 million to build and will cost millions more every year to operate,” says Vaughn Hagerty, CFPUA’s Director of Communications. “Those funds, along with millions of dollars more, have been and will be spent for one reason: Chemours and DuPont put PFAS in our community’s drinking water … . We believe Chemours, not our customers, should be paying those costs. After all, they caused this problem.”

Meanwhile, the Richardson Water Treatment Plant draws water from the Castle Hayne and Pee Dee Aquifers and distributes it to northern New Hanover County including Murrayville, Wrightsboro, Porters Neck and parts of Castle Hayne and Ogden. This plant has state-of-the-art reverse osmosis membrane technology recognized to be one of the best available technologies for removing organic mate rial in the water and effective in reducing the formation of disinfection byproducts. 2

What about southern New Hanover County? CFPUA operates a smaller groundwater system called the Monterey Heights system that distributes water from the Castle Hayne and surficial aquifers to Monterey Heights, Woodlake, Laurel Ridge, South Myrtle Grove, Sentry Oaks, Deer Crossing, Lord’s Creek and Veteran’s Park.

“Of the dozens of PFAS compounds for which Monterey Heights’ drinking water was tested in 2021, just four were found in amounts from non-detect to less than one part per trillion (ppt) in samples through out the year,” says Hagerty. “That means customers in the Monterey Heights system are already receiving water with extremely low PFAS levels or no PFAS at all.”

And still, what’s pouring from the tap isn’t the purest source of H2O. This lack of chemical-free water has led many to the store to purchase single-use bottles and gallons of water, but this isn’t the only way to get clean water. Instead, consumers can purchase bulk reverse osmosis water or purchase their own reverse osmosis system.

Photo courtesy of Vaughn Hagerty Drone photograph shows construction on the new filter facility for Sweeney Water Treatment Plant.

composting

Repurposing the Scraps: Composting Options for Your Everyday Life

by Shelby Diehl

In 2018, the EPA estimated that 63.1 million tons of food waste was generated across the commercial, institutional and residential sectors, and with the human population ever-growing, that statistic will only continue to rise. With all this food waste, there’s a lack of nutrients being returned to the earth and instead rotting in a landfill. That’s where composting comes in.

Composting is a natural recycling process for any kind of biodegradable matter. While a timely process taking anywhere from a couple of days to over a year, composting rewards more than just the microorganisms weaving through underground systems, but humans too.

“Composting is a positive closed loop of creation between these parts of soil, food and people,” says Riley Alber, founder of Wilmington Compost Company. “Also, as something is beneficial to the soil indirectly it is beneficial to people as people source

on page 9)

Accessing Clean Water (continued)

In reverse osmosis, a membrane under pressure separates relatively pure water from a less pure solution. Water passes through a semipermeable membrane toward the more concentrated solution because of osmotic pressure. When

enough counter pressure is applied to the concentrated solution to overcome the pressure, the flow of water reverses. 3

Reverse osmosis water can be pur chased from a number of retailers around New Hanover County. Local retailers in clude Whole Foods, Tidal Creek, Southern Water Conditioning and Lovey’s.

Alternatively, if you’re a homeowner, you can install your own reverse osmosis system. Some local options include Whole Water Solutions and Kinetico.

Whole Water Solutions, located in Wilmington, offers customers two system installment options: the first is a 5-stage reverse osmosis system with install; the second is a 5-stage reverse osmosis system with install and an additional remineraliza tion filter. In addition, the company offers fridge hook-ups, annual maintenance and a remineralization filter add-on. Learn more at wholewatersolutions.com.

water purification, disinfection systems or one of their special systems. Learn more at kineticoadvancedwatersystems.com.

As great as these systems are, they aren’t affordable for everyone with the prices being anywhere in the hundreds. And while refillable jugs are a great oppor tunity, if you don’t have a car, how can you get your refillable jugs from your home to the store and back? There’s still a long way to go in the lower Cape Fear area to make clean water accessible for everyone and to resolve the environmental justice issue plaguing our waterways.

photo by Valerie Robertson

Customers at Tidal Creek Co-op can fill their own water jugs from the store’s self-serve water processing unit. The per-gallon price depends on whether they choose to fill using the reverse osmo sis, di-ionized or high pH water tap.

Kinetico, located in Hampstead, offers a free water analysis service in which a Kinetico expert will determine the cause of your water concerns and provide a personalized solution for your needs and budget. These solutions may include water filtration systems, ion exchange systems, reverse osmosis systems, whole home

Shelby Diehl is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington studying environmental science with a concentration in conservation and creative writing with a certificate in publishing. She is a Going Green contributing editor and plans to pursue a career in environmental writing that will allow her to advocate for environmental causes worldwide.

photo by Wilmington Compost Company Wilmington Compost Company founder Riley Alber works on a com post pile at Piney Run Farms.

composting

Repurposing the Scraps

their food from the soil … . Reducing food waste by composting it, helps the soil; the healthy soil helps people grow healthy food; that food feeds the people in return, benefiting the people’s bodies, minds and communities.”

But what can be composted? According to Wilmington Compost Company, you can compost meat; seafood; vegetables and fruit (remove stickers); tea bags; coffee grounds and filters; bread; rice; egg shells; freezer-burned fruit, veggies and meat; spices/herbs; dairy; grains; candy, cookies and other baked goods; cooked foods; bamboo and palm utensils and plates; and pet food, paper towels, paper towel rolls and used paper food packaging if the items are labeled BPI Certified Compostable.

What’s great about the lower Cape Fear is that you’re not limited in the op tions you have to compost. Whether you live in a home with a garden or an apart ment, there’s a way that you can produce compost—it’s just a matter of how it’s done. With that being said, let’s explore the different ways you can compost regardless of your living situation.

In the ground

When it comes to composting in the ground, there are a couple of reliable tech niques, including the dig and drop method and the trench method. Not only are these easy ways you can compost in your back yard, but you’ll balance soil density and pH, enrich your soil and possibly suppress certain pests, diseases and weeds.

Dig and drop composting is a great so lution for gardeners who are busy because you don’t have to worry about harvesting your compost. This technique is a simpler, smaller-scale version of trench composting. There are three simple steps to the dig and drop method. First, dig a hole—approxi mately 10 to 12 inches deep—as wide as you want or need it to be. Second, drop your food scraps and/or any organic matter into the hole. Third, replace the soil and you’re done!

Trench composting is more demanding of space, but it works great in garden beds when you’re able to carefully dig trenches between rows of crops or when the season has ended. To perform the trench method,

dig a hole 10–20 inches deep so that at least 6 inches of dirt ends up on top of your matter. Next, craft a long trench. Then, place your scraps in it and cover it with the dirt you dug out, or do a bunch at once. Lastly, let the soil’s organisms do their job.

Bins and barrels

If you want to compost your own scraps, but can’t or don’t want to do it in your yard, composting in a bin or repurposing an old rain barrel is a great solution. With the ability to roll your whole bin to turn your compost rather than needing a pitchfork, composting is made convenient. Too, the bin or barrel will retain moisture better than the ground will and you’ll have a neat, clean bin that minimizes odor and is pest free.

When crafting your composting bin or barrel, it’s important to make sure that there’s no holes or places for water to leak out. This way, your soil stays inside and moisture is retained. Silicone sealant is a great option for any spots of worry. It’s beneficial to have a lid as well, so if you opt to roll your bin to turn the compost, the soil doesn’t go flying out.

When it comes to composting in your bin or barrel, you have two options. The first is you can replicate the dig and drop method previously mentioned. Simply fill the object with soil, repeat the steps of burying the scraps in the barrel and cover ing the scraps, and you’re done! The second option is layering your biodegradable waste with soil as you have scraps, making sure there’s plenty of soil for the compost ing process to do its thing.

Collection service

However, while composting in a raised source seems like an easy fix for people who can’t compost in-ground, there are still limits to how many can do that. So, for those who don’t have access to a yard or the space for a barrel or raised bed, Wilmington Compost Company (WCC) is the way to go.

Wilmington Compost Company was founded by University of North Carolina Wilmington Alumnus Riley Alber. The company, based out of Piney Run Farms in Rocky Point, collects compostable waste material from residential and commercial

partners while embracing the mindset of responsible composting. This company has become the local “go-to” composting service in the lower Cape Fear area.

“Composting services offer a unique way for folks to compost who may not be able to compost in-ground or through methods such as trench composting,” says Alber. “In our urban societies, living space, HOA restrictions, time and land availability can make in-ground or trench composting difficult for your standard homeowner. Services eliminate the hard work of the action of composting and make it conve nient and easy so those scraps can still be diverted from the landfill.”

There are four steps to the company’s residential service. First, inquire with WCC to sign up for a monthly fee of $30. Second, you’ll receive a labeled compost container that you can fill with food scraps and other compostable materials. Third, the company will pick up your container weekly and leave a new, clean container along with a new Biobag liner. Fourth, all the materials will be diverted from the landfill to produce a local compost source that is redistrib uted to local farmers, gardeners and soil enthusiasts.

Besides their residential and commer cial composting services, the company of fers a catalog of products from BioBag USA and EcoProducts from which customers can purchase from for their event or business. This catalog has plant-based items such as

photo by Wilmington Compost Company Food scraps being placed into a Wilmington Compost Company composting bucket lined with a Biobag.

(continued

composting

Fifth-Graders Compose “The Compost Song”

What goes in the compost bin, and what does not? Can this go in the recycling bin, or must it go to the landfill? Knowing what goes where is an ongoing problem, but fifth-graders have found an answer.

Children attending Friends School of Wilmington (FSOW) take their own lunch to school. This past year teacher Corrie Slays restarted a composting program to accommodate lunchtime food scraps.

Every classroom was issued a silver compost bucket for food scraps, and every week Ms. Slays’ fifth-grade class collects the buckets, empties them into the school’s composters, cleans the buckets, and returns them to the classroom.

While emptying the buckets, the fifth-graders noticed that it was apparently hard for the younger children in particular to learn what does and does not belong in the compost bin. FSOW has a long tradition of using song as a teaching tool, so the fifth-graders decided they could write a song to help the younger students remember what goes where.

Already familiar with “The Pumpkin Song,” which had been composed by Karen Linehan, the school’s environmental education coordinator, the children chose to use its tune as their starting point. The whole class participated, first as a large

Repurposing the Scraps (continued) plates, bowls, utensils, cups, trash can liners, sandwich bags, to-go containers and more.

To learn more about Wilmington Compost Company, visit wilmingtoncom postcompany.com.

So, the next time you have leftover food, consider utilizing one of these methods to recycle the scraps. In doing so, you never know who or what you might be benefitting whether that be a person, an animal, a microorganism or a plant. However, don’t forget one of the most important things about the process:

“Keep composting simple,” says Alber. “Always remember it will help: soil health,

group and then in smaller groups, to create the rhymes and structure to explain the composting process.

The result is “The Composting Song” that appears on page 11. Most of the phrases repeat, which makes it easy and fun for children to learn the song. The older students sing the first phrase, and the younger students parrot the phrase back. The older students sing the second phrase, the younger students repeat it, and so on.

This style of music is called “call-and-

response,” a form of music in which one person sings a statement and the other sings a reply. A “phrase” of music serves as the “call,” and is “answered” by a different phrase of music.

While this usually continues until the end of the song, sometimes only a few lines in a verse are done this way. Call-and-response has its roots in traditional African music, and was usually vocal.

water quality, annual waste and the health of you and your loved ones.”

Sources:

www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-aboutmaterials-waste-and-recyclingfood-materialspecific-data

www.compostingcouncil.org/page/ PlantGrowthBenefits

www.thespruce.com/easy-composting-digand-drop-method-2539477 www.instructables.com/Trench-compost/ www.interiorfrugalista.com/2020/05/diy-ecofriendly-rain-barrel-and-compost.html

Shelby Diehl is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington studying environmental science with a concentration

The finished compost is used in the school’s garden beds. Students learning to garden are also learning about the food they eat and where it comes from.

If you would like to hear the song, the children recorded a video of themselves singing “The Compost Song,” which you can watch (and of course sing along with) on YouTube at bit.ly/3MARC5s. Thank you to Cameron Francisco for creating the video, and to Dylan and Karen Linehan for creating the song in sheet music form.

Learn more about FSOW at fsow.org.

in conservation and creative writing with a certificate in publishing. She is a Going Green contributing editor and plans to pur sue a career in environmental writing [that will allow her to advocate for environmental causes worldwide].

Coastal Composting Council

Want to get involved in communal composting? The Coastal Composting Council (CCC) is an education and advocacy group supporting diversion of organic residues for the production of compost. To be invited to the next monthly meeting, email a request to coastalcompostingcouncil@gmail.com.

contributed photo Students at Friends School of Wilmington empty compost buckets into the school’s composters.

Here is the trash (repeat)

The recycling (repeat)

The compost bin (repeat)

You put stuff in (repeat)

When you’re sorting your food (repeat)

What can you do? (altogether…)

make sure you choose the very best foods and follow the rules.

Don’t compost meat (repeat)

Or stinky cheese (repeat)

chicken or ham (repeat)

pizza, please (repeat)

rinds (repeat)

Won’t decay on time (altogether...)

bones

be

Banana peels, (repeat)

Carrots and bread, (repeat)

A few paper towels (repeat)

(not too wet) (repeat)

Strawberries and grapes (repeat)

But not wild apes (altogether...)

Our garden will grow the seeds we sow when we compost.

Here is the trash (repeat)

The recycling (repeat)

The compost bin (repeat)

You put stuff in (repeat)

When you’re sorting your food (repeat)

What can you do? (altogether…)

To make sure you choose the very best foods and follow the rules. (repeat)

Fifth-graders Aliyah (left) and Vivian collect a filled compost bucket from one of the pre-K rooms. The fifth-graders pick up the buckets from the elemen tary school classrooms weekly and pour the con tents into the school’s composter. They clean the buckets and return them to the classrooms.

contributed photo

celebration

Inside the Planning of a Sustainable Wedding

by Kat Pohlman

Everyone knew my wedding would be different. After all, these past five years it seems I’ve focused more energy on promoting sustainability than on my husband (which I promised to change, in my wedding vows). And still, he loves me. My wedding planner saw the extent of this while arranging the wedding details because any time she asked me what I wanted, I didn’t have an opinion. But, when she asked me what kind of plates I wanted, I blurted out, “Compostable!”

Our wedding had a couple of key factors that needed to be met. First, it had to be low-impact and support busi nesses that align with our values. Second,

my groom is a chef and I worked in the restaurant industry for many years, so our expectations for the food and drinks were unusually high. Somehow, we found a balance between these priorities and the other sitcom-like pressures that come with wedding planning.

It started with “save the dates” and invitations. I used Greenvelope, an afford able but impressive website for virtual cards for any occasion, which reduced the amount of paper used and emissions generated by mailing them. The ability to personalize the cards, attach our wedding website for more information and have a way to collect a count of those attend ing easily sold me. I will admit, our more traditional family members were confused by the concept, but they caught on with time.

Moving on to decorations, I bought votive candles and signs from a friend who married last year. These items can commonly be found for resale in stores and online which is more eco-friendly than buying new. After viewing the venue, The Atrium, it was clear we didn’t need much more. The Atrium is a secret garden tucked away at 2nd and Market Streets in down town Wilmington. I have seen pictures where there are lovely decorations in the space, but for me, the ivy, trees and water feature were enough.

We did have some small, simple vases with flowers and herbs. The florist for the event was After the Bloom, a local artist specializing in dried arrangements—a more sustainable option due to their longevity. I have had a small bouquet from them in my home for years and it has never lost its beauty. We will be able to use the arrangements forever or repurpose them as gifts. Visit afterthebloom.com to learn more about their mission to support the trans and gender-expansive community.

Carolina. I was lucky enough to find a dress that required minimal alterations, so I will be able to sell or donate it for someone else to enjoy. Although the dress was con ventional, I incorporated my hippie vibes by going barefoot and wearing my hair in a beautiful side braid styled by a friend. I did buy a vintage “dancing dress” for the later part of the night from Second Skin.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a celebration without a feast. So, we chose SpoonFed because of the incredible philanthropy they did in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Our excitement for their locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, support for my wishes to compost scraps and do nate leftovers and outstanding customer service was only surpassed the day of the wedding when multiple guests said it was the best wedding meal they’d ever had! We were grateful to Wilmington Compost Company and the Good Shepherd Center for collaborating to mindfully divert leftovers.

Our guests were offered a coupon for a coffee from our favorite coffee shop, Grinders Caffè, as favors. For our exit, when given a limited list of options, we choose bubbles over glow sticks or rose petals as it was the least impactful option. And, for memory, we had a live painting from Jobana Impressions—and we plan to send handwritten thank you cards from various local artists with prints of the painting as holiday gifts.

While there was still single-use plastic waste in a couple of areas, our wedding was as sustainable as we were able to make it. It’s important that we all be mind ful of our planet in everything we do— even weddings. So, at your next celebra tion, consider some of these sustainable practices. You never know what animal or ecosystem you may be sparing in the process.

The bride opted for beautiful dried floral ar rangements for her wedding, which she can keep indefinitely as momentos of the event.

There are several options for sustain able wedding dresses: vintage dresses (which are generally too small for my tall figure), renting or reusing. I chose to purchase my dress off the rack at The Little White Dress in Myrtle Beach, South

Kat Pohlman is Assistant Director of Environmental Management and Sustainability at Cape Fear Public Utility Authority. She was previously the Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

photo by Valerie Robertson

Quiet Fireworks Are Cause for Celebration

celebrations by Kiley Woods

While many are celebrating holidays like Fourth of July or Labor Day with booming fireworks, others are inside comforting pets and children terrified of the roaring sounds beyond the walls. Not only are fireworks major contributors to noise pollution, but they can result in light pollution and possible hearing damage among other side effects. However, there is a quieter solution to this problem: “silent” fireworks.

Silent fireworks are not a new invention; they have been used in routine firework displays in Europe, but often go unnoticed because of the noise going on around them. In fact, quiet fireworks are most com mon in Europe with countries such as Great Britain and Italy passing laws requiring their use. For example, Great Britain requires that silent fireworks be used in residential areas and around livestock. In Collecchio, Italy, a law was passed in 2015 that states that all firework displays must be silent.

Unfortunately, there have been no mea sures taken in the United States—including the lower Cape Fear area—to encourage or mandate the use of silent fireworks. This leaves veterans with PTSD, survivors of gun violence, children on the spectrum, pets, wildlife, and farm animals to routinely suffer on major holidays. Furthermore, there are extremely few vendors in the country who sell silent fireworks despite the benefits of the product.

The quieter “silent” fireworks—often called “noiseless” or “quiet” fireworks—help to decrease anxiety in children and pets. The thunderous booms of regular fireworks can cause sensory overload resulting in anxiety, fear and panic attacks. The hushed noises of quiet fireworks can avoid this

Where to Buy Silent Fireworks

Party at Trav’s

Greendale, Indiana

www.lawrenceburgfireworks.com/ (812) 539-2264 www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iYxY3Xtp6w

Phantom Fireworks

Multiple U.S. locations (including Myrtle Beach and Charlotte, NC) plus online store fireworks.com/blog/noiseless-fireworks (800) 777-1699

from happening in the first place. Although not completely silent, they produce signifi cantly less noise than their more traditional counterparts.

The noise produced by fireworks harms many animals. The loud explosions can incite flight responses and disorientation in birds. The booming sounds can cause loss of hearing and tinnitus, and in worst case scenarios, irreversible hearing damage for countless species. The gasses and pollutants exploding in the air can pollute waterways, poisoning marine life. And this is just a por tion of the harm done.

The impact on marine life is one of the many reasons that beaches have begun outlawing fireworks. Their main impacts on the environment are sound pollution and the debris from fireworks that pollutes the water. Many species of marine life use sound to communicate so extra noise pollution can disorient them. For example, in Dare County, Duck, Southern Shores, Nags Head, Manteo and Hatteras Island all fireworks are illegal. For the rest of North Carolina’s coast, “safe and sane” fireworks are legal. Examples of “safe and sane” fireworks include caps, snakes and glow worms, smoke devices, trick noise makers and sparklers.

Silent fireworks are more colorful than regular fireworks that emit noises up to 120 decibels. The colors in a firework are packed in pellets, sometimes called “stars.” When certain chemical mixtures are heated up, they can emit certain colors that aid in removing excess energy. When heated, barium releases green, strontium releases red and copper releases blue. When the firework is set off, its pellets ignite, burn and release color into the atmosphere.

Until silent fireworks become more widespread in the United States, what can you do to help your children and pets get through the holidays? Proven methods include closing windows and curtains to muffle the fireworks, running a fan to create “white noise,” creating a “safe place,” com forting your children and/or pets through out the evening, and avoiding appearing frantic to keep them calm. Prior to holidays, you can desensitize them by running the

sound of fireworks softly in the background over time.

Even with the growing knowledge of silent fireworks, it will take time to see them dominating the night skies. So, this Fourth of July, expect the regular booming sounds of celebration many of us are used to as silent fireworks slowly become a possible option to celebrate with brighter colors and less noise.

References:

“ ‘Quiet Fireworks’ Promise Relief for Children and Animals,” The New York Times. nyti. ms/3AlWs45

“How Do July 4 Celebrations Affect Wildlife?,” Illinois News Bureau. bit.ly/3RlwYtN

Dare County Fireworks. bit.ly/3y7KmZm

“Town in Italy Switches to Silent Fireworks to Reduce Anxiety in Animals,” Dogtime.com. bit.ly/3yi1trt

Kiley Woods is a student at Eckerd College in Florida studying marine biology and creative writing. She attended UNCW for two years and is a contributing writer for Going Green.

ild ird W B

G & arden

Sat., May 22: Painted Bunting Workshop

9:15-10:30 a.m. Native Plant Sale 2:30–4:30

Imagine the Possibilities in Your Backyard

Sat., May 22: Painted Bunting Workshop

Wild Bird & Garden Hanover Center

9:15-10:30 a.m. Native Plant Sale 2:30–4:30

3501 Oleander Drive Wilmington NC 28403 910-343-6001 www.wildbirdgardeninc.com

Imagine the Possibilities in Your Backyard

Wild Bird Garden

Wild Bird & Garden

Hanover Center

3501 Oleander Drive Wilmington NC 28403 910-343-6001 www.wildbirdgardeninc.com

Wild Bird Garden

local seasonal food

Recipes

BBQ Mushroom Tacos

Servings: 6 tacos • Prep time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 corn tortillas, warmed (warming is optional)

• 2 avocados, sliced

• 1 cup coleslaw (see recipe on follow ing page)

• 1 small lime or lemon, for juice

• Cilantro or scallion greens for garnish

Ingredients—Mushroom Filling

• 6 cups shredded king oyster

mushrooms (Wholesome Greens, Wilmington, NC)

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 tsp. smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

• 1 small scallion, finely sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (Annie’s Organic BBQ sauce, Woodstock Organic BBQ sauce)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel and cut off the caps. Slice the caps thinly; score

Walnut Raisin Coleslaw

Servings: 6 • Prep time: 25 minutes

the stems with a fork and pull strips with your fingers.

Place the shredded mushrooms on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Coat evenly with 1 tablespoon of oil, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, giving a toss halfway through.

Transfer shredded mushrooms to a skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add in garlic, scallion and BBQ sauce and stir until crisp—about 10 minutes.

Assemble tacos with BBQ mushroom, avocado and coleslaw. Squeeze lime or lemon juice on top. Garnish with cilantro or scallion and serve.

Ingredients

• 4 cups green cabbage, shredded (Red Beard Farm, Willard, NC)

• 2 cups red cabbage, shredded

• 1 cup carrots, julienned (Black River Organic Farm, Ivanhoe, NC)

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Follow Your Heart Soy-Free Vegenaise)

• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp. dijon mustard

• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

• 1/4 cup cilantro (Shelton Herb Farm, Leland, NC) or other greens for garnish (scallion greens or parsley)

Instructions

Add the shredded green and red cabbage and julienned carrots to a large bowl. Mix in the raisins and walnuts.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayon naise, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup and salt for the dressing. Add the dressing to the coleslaw and mix well. Garnish with cilantro leaves. (Scallion greens or parsley may be used as garnish in lieu of cilantro.)

Chill and serve.

Welcome to Going Green’s recipe page, where we bring you new ideas for how to enjoy local and seasonal foods. For the purpose of this page, “local” includes North and South Carolina.

Fear’s Going Green

local seasonal food

green walls

Recipes

Mediterranean Rainbow Chard Salad

Servings: 4 • Prep time: 40 minutes

Ingredients—Salad

• 6 cups chard leaves and chard stems, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (Farmage, Castle Hayne, NC)

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas

• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped (Black River Organic Farm, Ivanhoe, NC)

• 1 cucumber, sliced (Black River Organic Farm)

• 1 tomato, quartered (Farmage)

• 1/4 cup kalamata olives

• 1 red beard scallion, sliced, reserving the green for garnish (Black River Organic Farm)

space. One of the tenants will be the Wilmington-based software company Untappd, creator of the popular beer app.

It’s Mott’s hope that, through the success of this green wall, they will grow in popularity in our area. And that way, more building occupants will enjoy the health and aesthetic benefits of systems like these in the near future.

Although Steve Mott has once again proclaimed himself to be retired, you may be able to reach him through his website, www. mottlandscaping.com.

Each plant in the wall lives in its original pot, which is placed directly in its tray. The plants will grow towards the light, so maintenance of the wall will include a monthly task of removing each pot by hand, turning it 180 degrees, and putting it back in place.

• 1/2 avocado, pitted

• 1/4 cup hummus

• 1/4 cup roasted or raw pepitas (pump kin seeds)

Ingredients—Dressing

• 2 cups fresh lemon juice

from the City of Wilmington Tree Commission for Outstanding Function Design at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Betty Cameron Women’s and Children’s Center (a rooftop garden that can be visited by patients and their families).

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

What was it about this project that pulled Mott out of retire ment for what was obviously going to involve a lot of time and effort?

• 1 tsp. dried oregano

• 3/4 tsp. sea salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

After washing and drying the chard, remove the leaves from the stems and cut them into small pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Chop the stems into 1/4-inch pieces and set aside.

For one thing, the sheer complexity of the project was entic ing. It was new and different and challenging. “I had to learn an awful lot. I mean I’d done this kind of work forever, but still this is a new system I haven’t used... Also just the logistics of it, you know. Building something inside here is like building a ship in a bottle. It was complex enough to be interesting.”

Instructions

Prepare the dressing. First whisk together all the ingredients except the olive oil. Then slowly add in the olive oil to the other ingredients as you continue whisking.

Drizzle 1/4 cup of the dressing over the chard and massage with hands to make tender.

Add the chickpeas, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, scallions and chard stems on top of the massaged chard in the salad

Even more important, though, this project was an opportu nity for him to prove that such a complicated project could be very successful. And he was concerned that if a green wall were attempted but were not a success, that might be the end of using green wall technology in Wilmington. But he was confident he could make it work. “If it’s successful and it gets some of the notoriety I think it’s going to get, you’ll see a lot of them, maybe not this big. This is a major undertaking in anybody’s book.” He believes that the success of his green wall will encourage others.

Mott plans to put together information on the newly com pleted green wall, enough so that people will have documenta tion on how it was created. What he’d really like is to put together a class to teach what he’s learned to people who are eager to

Who will get to visit the wall every day? As floors of the building are finished, the building will be rented out as office

bowl. Place half an avocado in the center of the salad and fill with hummus. Sprinkle the pepitas and scallion greens onto the salad. Pour the remaining dress ing evenly over the salad. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Original recipes and photos courtesy of Casey Nelson. She is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach special izing in women’s health. Connect at caseynel sonwellness@gmail.com.

A scissor lift was used to allow placement of the plants. The lift only reached 22 feet, so Mott had to place a ladder on top of the platform shown at the top of this photo, in order to reach the last several feet of wall.

photo by Valerie Robertson

photo by Valerie Robertson

Green Wall – continued

sustainability awards

Seeds for a Better Tomorrow

UNCW Researcher Receives Grant to Produce Alternative Cement

UNCW Research Professor Catharina Alves-de-Souza has been awarded a $1 million grant to explore an alternative method to produce cement using microalgae. The funding is a part of a more than $3 million grant awarded to the University of Colorado Boulder from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy.

of what a garden is and how to maintain it. We have all seen the wayward raised beds surrounded by lumber. That is not foodscaping that is really just frustra tion waiting to happen.

Foodscaping is taking the space you already have and utilizing it. Let’s say you have some shrubs in your front yard with mulch in between. If you remove that unnecessary mulch space and instead plant a nice ground-covering edible—such as strawberries you are not only saving money on mulch, you are adding a very pretty ground cover with a nice flower to your yard. Oh, and let’s not forget the yummy strawberries that you will now have.

plants, using less chemical repellents, and providing food for you and your family and neighbors.

Dr. Alves-de-Souza is a member of a CU Boulder-led research team that has figured out a way to make cement production carbon neutral—and even carbon negative—by pulling carbon dioxide out of the air with the help of microalgae. This project represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to generate basic

knowledge that could be applied to minimize global warming, one of the main threats to the planet.

“This neutral-CO2 cement would be used to replace normal cement in concrete structures, which would contribute signifi cantly to reducing the carbon footprint of the cement industry,” said Dr. Alves-de-Souza, director of the Algal Resources Collection at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science.

Learn more from our source, UNCW’s article at bit.ly/3EaDD5L.

City of Wilmington Receives SolSmart Bronze

Brie Arthur discusses the practicality of utilizing space. She expxlains that the most underutilized space in any yard or garden is the edge. This is your ideal place to help with pest management and contribute to reducing your carbon foot print. Edge plants include garlic, arugula, potatoes, and much more. You can plant these in the space between a walkway and grass no more edging or weed control for your walkway. You can plant these beside your house, garage, or where your garden meets the lawn space. Not only are edge plants easy to grow, they also are deterrents for deer, rabbits, moles, and voles. You will be protecting your other

Foodscaping not only offers you a way to reduce the transport cost of food, it also provides you with an easy way to teach children about gardening. We, as a society, have reached a point where gardening is no longer a task that is passed down from generation to generation. Most children do not know where their food comes from. Actually, most college students do not know where their food comes from. Nor do they know the first thing about planting. If edible plants are integrated into areas where children and others have readily available access like public parks, schools, churches, government buildings it would be very hard for the next generation not to soak up a little bit of knowledge about growing their own food. But this will only become a reality if we as the general gardening public make foodscaping a social norm.

of Wilmington Clean Energy Advisory Committee

The City of Wilmington has received the SolSmart Bronze designation and is working toward Silver. SolSmart is a national program that encourages cities to adopt more solar in govern ment operations and become more solar-friendly to businesses through permitting and zoning actions. There are 19 other cities in North Carolina with SolSmart designations.

The Clean Energy Advisory Committee provides essential ad vice to City staff through committee actions on best practices and strategies to achieve the 2035 and 2050 Clean Energy goals. The committee is interested in prioritizing energy efficient projects in city facilities to reduce energy demand from the grid. Another priority is adopting a ZEV/hybrid vehicle policy for the city’s fleet.

SolSmart recognizes cities, counties and regional organiza tions for making it faster, easier and more affordable to go solar. Its national team of experts provides no-cost technical assistance to help communities become “open for solar business.” In recog nition of their achievements, communities receive designations of SolSmart Gold, Silver and Bronze. Learn more at solsmart.org.

Learn more about Brie Arthur at www. briegrows.com.

Volunteer of the Year

Shannon Bradburn is a senior at UNCW who loves to hike, study plants, and play outside.

Wrightsville Beach Bird Steward Kathy Hannah has been award ed Audubon North Carolina’s Volunteer of the Year Award for her outstanding effort in support of the state office, staff, local chapters and Audubon’s shared conservation goals. The award was an nounced at Audubon North Carolina’s Annual Summit in Charlotte

Cruise

greenspots

Society

sustainability awards

Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Awards

In April 2022, select regional projects were recognized for their unique approach to design and construction at the 2022 Annual Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Awards Luncheon. Civic leaders, development professionals, plan ners and community members gathered at the DREAMS Center for Arts Education in Wilmington to honor award recipients.

The Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Award Program honors residential, commercial and public devel opment projects in Brunswick, Pender and New Hanover Counties that demonstrate outstanding environmental stewardship through the protection, conservation, im provement and awareness of the region’s natural resources.

The following winners were honored with the Outstanding Recognition Award, the highest level award for single projects:

St. James Plantation Property Owners’ Association Neighborhood Pond Preservation Program received an award for developing and implementing a fully sustainable community program for stormwater pond maintenance.

Mansfield Sales & Service, Inc. received an award for taking steps to be “energy neutral” by installing solar panels, high energy-efficient mini-split HVAC units and LED lighting, and for installing public EV charging stations at their busi

ness. Additionally, Mansfield incorporated stormwater runoff through an under ground infiltration basin and permeable pavement. The company has plans to further their sustainability by replacing their gas fleet with EV vans.

Greenlands Farm received an award for being a sustainable farm that captures rainwater for plants and drinking water for farm animals. Furthermore, Greenlands installed a large stormwater BMP system with swales, infiltration areas, a pond with native plants and a weir system to control the flow during large rain events.

The Hub at UNC Wilmington received an award for the installation of natural lighting, waste reduction, sustainability outreach and collecting and infiltrating stormwater from the roof down rain chains into underground infiltration. This process directs the water into the adjacent lawn and common area.

NC Cooperative Extension & New Hanover County Arboretum received an award for installing rain gardens, swales, rainwater cisterns and vegetative infiltra tion at the Arboretum. The award also recognizes their use of native plants and educational signage.

In addition to the Outstanding Recognition Awards, a Stewardship Champion Award recognizes an excep tional individual or organization that exemplifies extraordinary vision, innova tion, leadership and action for the environ ment in the Cape Fear region. The City of Wilmington Stormwater Services Heal Our Waterways Program (HOW) received the Stewardship Champion Award for its community-wide efforts to implement the Bradley & Hewletts Creeks Watershed Restoration Plan.

contributed photo Abundant natural lighting the Hub at the University of North Carolina Wilmington is one of the features leading to it receiving an Outstanding Recognition Award by the Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Coali tion in 2022.

The HOW Program encourages residents and businesses to implement stormwater solutions on their properties to reduce the amount of pollution entering Bradley Creek and Hewletts Creek. The HOW Program has also installed numerous stormwater solutions on City-owned prop erties and participated in several federally funded grant projects to help protect both creeks.

contributed photo

This resident pond buffer at St. James Planta tion is a component of the Property Owners’ Association Neighborhood Pond Preservation Program. The vegetative buffer is designed to reduce erosion of the pond banks and to re duce the nutrient load entering the pond, thus reducing the chance of algal blooms.

“We are excited to showcase this year’s winners,” said Dylan McDonnell, New Hanover County Long Range Planner and chair of the Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Coalition. “Our goal remains to create inspiration for future stewardship projects in the Lower Cape Fear region by demonstrating the unique and outstand ing work by our award winners. We believe that green building and eco-friendly site planning can be incorporated into almost every development project to some degree.”

The Lower Cape Fear Stewardship Development Coalition is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that encourages and recognizes outstanding development that protects, conserves, improves and pro vides awareness of our natural resources in the Lower Cape Fear region.

To learn more about the program or to apply for an award in a future year, visit stewardshipdev.org.

WHOLE WATER SOLUTIONS

green events

Nature by Design Benefit—Save Land!

Big Sky Design will host a benefit for NC Coastal Land Trust with featured artist, Janette K. Hopper, on Thursday, October 6, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Live music from the Jay Killman Jazz Trio and wine and light snacks will be pro vided at this event. Big Sky Design’s retail space, Big Sky Shop + Studio, will highlight paintings by Janette K. Hopper in beautiful nature-inspired vignettes designed by Big Sky’s design team and Creative Director, Rileigh Wilkins.

A portion of the proceeds for the en tire month of October will go to NC Coastal Land Trust to help in the effort to conserve more lands in the Cape Fear Region.

Janette K. Hopper is a Wilmingtonbased painter, printmaker and perfor mance artist.

As a recipient of two prestigious Fulbright Scholarships, one from Denmark and one from the United States, she spent a year teaching and painting in Denmark

and exhibiting in European one-person shows. Since receiving her MFA from the University of Oregon, she has taught in Denmark, Italy, Germany and in the United States. Her art has been shown in over 250 solo, invitational and group shows and also collected extensively in over 60 public art museums, colleges and universities and in many private collections nationally and internationally, principally in Germany, France, The Netherlands, Canada, Bulgaria, Italy, Denmark, Mexico, Spain and the U.S. Additionally, she served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Maria la Baja Colombia, SA.

Get more information and RSVP at forms.gle/mB1MaMMSRMxAB2Ts8.If you are unable to attend, Hopper’s artwork will be exhibited at Big Sky Shop + Studio throughout the month of October. The address is 5815 Oleander Drive, Suite 140, Wilmington, North Carolina. You may also learn more and see samples of Hopper’s art at www.janettekhopper.com.

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War, Anti-war and Climate Action

“Experienced Americans” are the fastest growing part of the population: 10,000 people a day pass the sixty-year mark.

— Bill McKibben

Wars have aftermaths. These can be negative, as when geo political miscalculations after WWI led directly to WWII. Or, they can be positive, such as the formation of the United Nations and the implementation of the Marshall Plan after WWII.

Similarly, the fallout from the current war in Ukraine—assum ing that fallout is not radioactive, denoting the end of civiliza tion—can be largely negative, resulting in deep global recession, widespread famine, political instability and the failure to address the climate crisis. Or, the war’s consequences can be largely positive, leading to a healthier international order that ensures meaningful cooperation on climate change.

Which direction will things take? That’s up to us.

By “us,” I mean humanity as a whole, of course, but I also mean specific segments of society, namely its youth and its grow ing ranks of retirees.

I’ve written before about what I call Gen–R—today’s youth, ages five to 25, who will be tasked with the R-estoration of the planet when they take over the reins of power in the 2040s and ‘50s. My assumption, based on the recent pace of climate-miti gation efforts and on population/consumption trends, was that far too little would be done to address the global environmental crisis in the next couple of decades, and Gen–R would be stuck with trying to restore a largely degraded biosphere.

Two recent developments, however, might change this gloomy projection. One was the initiation by climate activist Bill McKibben and social-change organizer Akaya Winwood of a proj ect called “Third Act.” The other, counterintuitively, is the war in Ukraine. Combined, these events could represent a tipping point in the global struggle to save the planet in the nick of time.

Third Act (see thirdact.org) aims to involve people of the “Boomer” generation in the climate movement in the same way that young people in 19-year-old Greta’s Thunberg’s generation are involved—as activists. Although today’s youngsters often disparage the Boomers as sold-out consumers who are more concerned with their creature comforts than the fate of the planet—and therefore a big part of the problem—the 1960s generation’s “first act” was protesting for civil rights and against the Vietnam war.

That generation went on to become the wealthiest and most influential in the country’s history—its “second act.” Even today, Boomers run much of the country; witness the leadership of Congress and many of today’s influential billionaires.

But now it’s quite possible to leverage the mostly retired Boomers’ independence from the workaday world and enlist them as highly effective climate activists who influence politi cians, exert financial pressure, gather and publish accurate

information about environmental issues and brainstorm creative solutions.

Where does the Ukrainian war enter the picture? Russia’s ac tion has exposed the relationship between fossil-fuel-dominated and -dependent economies and war. Any post-war push for a new international order could be based on the rejection of fossil fuels, both because of their political and climate effects.

A good sign is Western Europe’s sudden acceleration of its program to decarbonize its energy sector. This process that will take a few years to complete, of course, but the fact that it is now Europe’s most urgent project—other than directly helping Ukraine fight Russia—means that it is finally being given the prior ity that all fossil-economy divestments require.

If the youth movement and the Boomers can combine their efforts and produce not only protests against but solutions for the climate crisis, they will become a powerful political force indeed. Perhaps, as part of their third act, the Boomers can pass along a song from their youth to today’s youth—The times they are a’changin’ at our ecological house.

© Philip S. Wenz, 2022 Philip S. Wenz is an environmental researcher and writer living in Monmouth, Oregon. Visit his blog at firebirdjournal.com.

pomegranate books

“A good little bookstore… is a laboratory for our coming together.” Ross Gay

love walking into a bookstore. It's like all my friends are sitting on shelves, waving their pages at me.”

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Cape Fear River Watch Hosts First State of the River Forum

by Shelby Diehl

The Cape Fear River is facing multiple crises from rising water levels to habitat destruction to chemicals in the waterway. Cape Fear River Watch (CFRW) understands this. So, to spread awareness throughout the community, CFRW hosted their first ever State of the River. The forum, hosted on June 1, 2022, brought together over one hundred attendees.

The forum opened with a pre-recorded speech from Attorney General Josh Stein. In his video, Stein touched on Cape Fear River Watch’s work and acknowledged the state of the Cape Fear River, especially con cerns over GenX contamination. He closed with the environmental work that his team is doing in order to help the river.

After the video, President of the NC NAACP Deborah Dix-Maxwell gave remarks highlighting the importance of preserving the river.

“We have to protect and preserve what is left of the quality of not only the river, but all of our ecosystem within this beauti ful place we call New Hanover County in North Carolina,” said Dix-Maxwell. “We can flop here all we want to, but if we do not preserve the sanctity and the fragility of the river, of the ocean, of the land, we’re just gonna be another Rehoboth Beach¹.”

Dix-Maxwell was followed by Cape Fear Riverkeeper Kemp Burdette who

illuminated the Cape Fear River Watch mis sion and recognized the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. This act—which enacted strict regulations on pollution and quality controls for water ways across the nation—became a law on October 18, 1972.

Roger Shew, CFRW Board Member and University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Senior Lecturer, was the first presenter of the morning. His presenta tion titled, “Lower Cape Fear River Estuary Current Status and Future Projections” dove into the natural areas, history and problems threatening the Cape Fear’s estuary.

The estuary, spanning 30 miles in width, is a critical habitat, and the chang in wetlands happening due to rising water levels is threatening natural ecosystem services including fisheries, heritage and flood protection, among others. Shew further touched on the dredging of the Cape Fear River, highlighting the planned five-foot excavation that will bring the river down to 47 feet in depth, which will cost approximately $884 million.

Dawn York, Cape Fear River Partnership Coordinator and Coastal Scientist, followed Shew with a presentation titled “Returning Fish to Historical Spawning Grounds.” The presentation educated attendees about the Lock and Dams #1, #2 and #3 of the Cape Fear River and how the dams impact

fish passages. Specifically, York focused on Lock and Dam #1, a dam with the first fish passage of its kind on the East Coast.

With the re mainder of her time, York highlighted the Cape Fear River partnerships that helped improve Lock and Dam #1, and she discussed the ongoing fish passage monitoring occurring in spring

2022. She closed the presentation with the next steps for Lock and Dams #2 and #3 and the federal funding opportunities that may assist in improving these systems.

Later, Dana Sargent, CFRW Executive Director, took to the podium for her pre sentation “PFAS Contamination.” Her early slides set a foundation for understanding PFAS² (per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances) and provided graphics listing the health impacts of PFAS for humans and animals. Then, Sargent presented a timeline of PFAS contamination in the Cape Fear River beginning in the 1950s and detailing each major event to date, including CFRW and their partners suing the EPA for failing to protect people from pollution.

Sargent provided more detail on PFAS and the progress under the 2019 consent order between Chemours, CRFW (repre sented by the Southern Environmental Law Center) and the NC Department of Environmental Quality. At the end of her presentation, Sargent listed options for the public of what they can do to help fight PFAS pollution in the Cape Fear River. These include showing support for House Bill 1095³, being a smart consumer, voting and joining CFRW’s email list. She also rec ommended contacting EPA Administrator Micheal S. Regan about the need to fund health studies in the area and the need for a class approach to (and regulation of) PFAS.

Riverkeeper Kemp Burdette gave the last presentation of the forum titled, “Contamination from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.” In his lecture, he laid out the negative impacts of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) begin ning with the environmental impacts on the counties with the highest concentra tions: Duplin and Sampson counties. His graphics walked attendees through these facilities, highlighting the harmful waste lagoons seeping into the river.

Burdette shifted his focus to legislative and cultural issues when he discussed the rural economies suffering from these operations. He attributed a lack of change

(continued on page 22)

photo by Alan Cradick Attendees chat prior to the State of the River forum in Cape Fear Community College’s Windell Daniels Hall. From left, Shelby Diehl, Maiya Baum, Jake Bergen and Casey Barnard.

state of the river

River forum (continued)

in these areas to pro-agriculture laws and policies on top of the industry ignoring ex isting weak legislation. Burdette concluded by recognizing that there is no easy fix to CAFOs contamination, but that people can opt to support local sustainable farms.

Following lunch and networking, four panelists took time to answer audi ence questions. The panel featured Sherri White-Williamson (Environmental Justice Policy Director at NC Conservation Network), Kerri Allen (Coastal Advocate

and Senior Manager at NC Coastal Federation), Jean Zhuang (Staff Attorney at Southern Environmental Law Center) and Dr. Detlef Knappe (Distinguished Professor at NC State University).

The panelists answered questions clarifying aspects of earlier presentations, especially pertaining to legislation, ineq uities in Duplin and Sampson counties, Chemours, stormwater monitoring pro grams and how to destroy PFAS waste.

La’Meshia Wettington, the NC Black Alliance/Democracy Green’s Deputy Director, presented the forum’s closing remarks. Her passionate call to action had the room clinging to her every word. The speech resulted in a standing ovation from the audience and quite the memorable end to the first of many State of the River forums.

“We are tasked to be stewards of the earth and that of each other because polluted air doesn’t stop flowing,” said Wettington. “Once it reaches the black neighborhoods, contaminated water doesn’t stop flowing because it reaches a Hispanic neighborhood . . . . But the pathway to victory, resilience and survival runs through our blood. Same as the river runs through our communities, [providing] sustenance for the fight that lies ahead. And everyone here, we must protect our food.”

Footnotes

1 Since 1998, the city of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware has been under a judge’s order to stop dumping wastewater from the Rehoboth Beach Wastewater Treatment Facility into the canal and Rehoboth Bay. It caused heavy nutrient pollution—phos phorus and nitrogen created by human and animal excrement. To learn more, read “In scenic Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, a pro posed sewer outfall causes nasty fallout” by The Washington Post at wapo.st/3Hx0ZC6.

2: See “Accessing Clean Water in the Age of GenX” on page 5 to learn more about PFAS.

3: House Bill 1095, “PFAS Pollution and Polluter Liability,” would force Chemours, the Fayetteville chemical plant responsible for contaminating the river, to pay installa tion and operation costs of water treatment technology. It also would tighten penalties on the PFAS polluters. To learn more, read “Proposed legislation could force Chemours to pay” by Port City Daily at bit.ly/3tHTJxA.

Shelby Diehl is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington studying environmental science with a concentration in conservation and creative writing with a certificate in publishing. She is a Going Green contributing editor and plans to pursue a career in environmental writing that will allow her to advocate for environmental causes worldwide.

photo by Alan Cradick La’Meshia Wettington presented the forum’s clos ing remarks.

green events

Veg-Out Festival Returns in October

The second annual Veg-Out Festival will take place on October 22, 2022 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Riverfront Park in downtown Wilmington. This fun and free community event is sponsored by the City of Wilmington. Veg-Out is a one-of-a-kind celebration bringing together traditional and alternative health care, vegan and vegetarian food, green living, fitness, yoga and meditation, all in one place.

“We are thrilled and feel fortunate to be entering our second year with the Veg-Out Festival. Last year’s attendance was excellent, and we look forward to growing this event each year,“ said James Christopher, co-owner of festival organizer Cool Wilmington.

“Now more than ever we feel it is imperative to present the wealth of healthy living lifestyle choices available to Wilmington. We will host some of Wilmington’s best health care practitio ners, exercise and fitness options, vegan and vegetarian food, mental wellness, yoga, green living and much more. Professionals will be on site and avail able to answer your questions and offer guidance.”

Audubon Outings

Käaren Schultz is the new Outings Coordinator for Cape Fear Audubon. While Schultz is new to Wilmington, she’s no stranger to birding! She is a semi-retired teacher administrator and currently loves working as a nanny during the week for a family she followed here from Charlotte last July. Along her migration she has led scouting outings, taught birding to children of all ages and even owned her own independent wild bird store. She is enjoying getting to know the area through photography, hiking and birding with her shepherd Raina and fiancé Jason. Volunteering as Outings Coordinator for the CFA will allow her to combine her pas sions for people, nature and photography with her keen organizational insight and management experience.

For information on upcoming birding events, visit the online calendar page of capefearaudubon.org.

“Above all else, we want Veg-Out to be fun for individuals and families! This event encourages new insights, experiences and values in line with a healthy lifestyle and a greener planet. Our goal is to have every visitor leave the event more informed than when they arrived.”

Tri-Mindfulness—a fun 5K morning walk or run followed by a guided yoga session and ending with a meditation session—will kick off the festival at 10 a.m. Tri-Mindfulness is a separate fundraising event held in conjunction with the Veg-

Out Festival. All proceeds will benefit Yoga Village, a non-profit organization provid ing evidence-based yoga and practices to our most vulnerable neighbors.

The event organizers are currently ac cepting applications for vendors, practitio ners and guest speakers. For more informa tion on the festival, visit veg-out.org.

Veg-Out is a Cool Wilmington festival. See coolwilmington.com for a listing of Cool Wilmington events throughout the year, including American Craftwalk, Really Cool Stuff and Rims on the River.

North Carolina Offshore Wind and Wildlife Solutions Summit

The North Carolina Offshore Wind and Wildlife Solutions Summit was held on July 19, 2022 at The Terraces on Sir Tyler.

The summit brought together lead ing resource experts from across North Carolina and the country to better un derstand solutions and best practices to guide regulators, wind developers and other stakeholders to a shared pathway for responsible offshore wind development. Explanation of the steps and safeguards necessary to reduce and mitigate impacts of offshore wind projects on wildlife was included. The transition to clean energy, including offshore wind, is essential to fight the harmful effects of our changing climate on local communities and wildlife habitats.

Sponsors of the summit were North Carolina Coastal Federation, Southern Environmental Law Center, Audubon North

Carolina and the North Carolina Chapter of Sierra Club.

Sessions focused on offshore wind impacts and solutions related to:

• Birds and bats

• Marine mammals and turtles

• Fish and benthic habitats

• Infrastructure including transmission, ports and transportation corridors

North Carolina is well positioned to establish itself as a national leader for addressing climate change and for re sponsible offshore wind that also protects our rich coastal biodiversity and natural heritage. However, it will take all of us to make that happen.

For more information, contact Kerri Allen, Coastal Advocate and Southeast Regional Manager, at kerria@nccoast.org or (910) 509-2838, ext. 203.

All the words in the crossword can be found somewhere in the pages of this issue.

answer key appears on page 30.

Crossword

Across

A company not driven by profit but by dedication to a given cause that is the target of all income beyond what it takes to run the organization.

A method to help pets and children cope with booming fireworks.

Artificial application of water to the soil through various systems of tubes, pumps, and sprays.

The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.

The first ingredient needed to cook BBQ mushroom tacos.

A city overseas that a law passed a silent firework law

A lined earthen basin used to treat raw organic waste, and store treated solids and liquids.

A place where fish are reared for commercial purposes.

Down

An element that can be detected in soil tests.

A national program that encourages cities to adopt more solar in government operations.

Acronym for per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances.

An affordable website for virtual cards.

7. Five-Spotted Hawk Moths drink nectar from this plant.

8. Surname of the current Cape Fear River Watch Riverkeeper

10. Water that originates from precipitation (storm), including heavy rain and meltwater from hail and snow.

12. A method of composting where rows are dug in a garden bed and scraps are buried.

green news Job Change

Kevin Blackburn has accepted a new position as Executive Director of Kids Making It. See kidsmakingit.org.

The Plant Outpost Moves to Cargo District

The Plant Outpost, which features houseplants for sale, has outgrown its original shipping container location and relocated to a bricks and mortar shop in Wilmington’s Cargo District. Visit their new website at theplantoutpost.com.

The Garden Shop

Rebecca Patman of Wild Magnolia Designs has opened a plant shop at the edge of the Cargo District, featuring annuals, perennials and native plants to attract pollinators. The shop is currently open 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday at 1942 Moss Street in Wilmington. Shop hours will be expanded as the store grows. Visit wildmagnoliadesigns.com or call Patman at (910) 690-0452.

Introducing Going Green’s New Intern

Caitlyn Andrews is the newest intern for Going Green Publications. She is a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington majoring in environmental sci ence with a concentration in conservation. With a minor in nonprofit management and leadership, Caitlyn plans to pursue a career in the environmental nonprofit sector after graduation.

She is an excited learner, ready to explore the world of environmental writ ing and publishing. Caitlyn is also a part of school campus organizations such as Plastic Ocean Project and Make A Change. She spends her free time with her dog, at home with her family or at the beach with friends.

Do you have a new environmental job? Let us know!

E-mail us at editor@goinggreen publications.com.

contributed photo Caitlyn Andrews is Going Green’s newest intern.

science

City Nature Challenge Results for 2022

by Morgan Freese

The annual City Nature Challenge is a world-wide citizen science event that allows participants to record and celebrate the biodiversity of their region. Every spring, participants use iNaturalist.org to record wildlife they see. North Carolina is divided into five regions for the sake of the Challenge; most of the counties east of I-95 fall within the “Coastal N.C.” region.

Coastal N.C. made a splash in the City Nature Challenge 2022! In the region’s third year joining the global competition, 352 nature enthusiasts from Brunswick County to the northern Outer Banks banded together to raise awareness of lo cal biodiversity by taking pictures of plants and animals for scientific records.

Altogether, participants from the Coastal N.C. group documented over 1,130 species in a span of four days using the iNaturalist identification app. In New Hanover County, that included 71 spe cies that had not been documented in the county through iNaturalist until the Challenge. Sightings also included at least 59 species of conservation interest that are threatened, endangered or considered to be significantly rare or of special concern in North Carolina. Some highlights included:

• An endangered leatherback sea turtle in shallow surf off Oak Island

• Wild Venus flytraps, including one snacking on a spider

• Special Concern designated birds like the least tern, tricolored heron and painted bunting

Some participants ventured to farflung wildlife preserves and state parks, hoping to spy rare species in unique habitats, but one of the best outcomes for

many participants is the joy of discovering overlooked treasures close to home. The City Nature Challenge prompts me every year to look more closely at my surround ings. I find myself uncovering amazing, technicolor bugs under the leaves of my potted plants, stopping to admire moths by the apartment complex door, and finally growing more curious about the persistent green neighbors rooting and blossoming by the sidewalk.

This year, the Coastal N.C. region had 30% more participants out exploring and observing than last year. Download the iNaturalist app today to start making backyard discoveries of your own and to prepare to make the City Nature Challenge 2023 an even bigger celebration of the region’s wonderful, wild nature neighbors!

Morgan Freese was the coordinator of the 2022 City Nature Challenge—Coastal N.C. Region. Learn more about this annual event at nccitynaturechallenge.com.

kids korner

Carolina Anoles

Our Little Green Friends

Carolina Anoles (Anolis carolinensis) are native to Wilmington, North Carolina. In fact, these little crea tures range from Virginia all the way down to Florida. These lizards are reptiles. All reptiles rely on the sun to warm their bodies. No wonder the Carolina Anoles love the warm Southern East Coast!

Did You Know?

When you think of Carolina Anoles, you typically visualize a little green lizard. But Anoles have a superpower! They are able to change from green to brown depending on their mood. These lizards turn brown when they are frightened or stressed. A happy Anole will be green.

Anoles are not very picky eaters. They will eat spiders, ants, butterflies, small beetles and other small bugs. Even though they eat a lot of different bugs, they will only eat prey that is moving. Talk about fast food!

.

Circle the Correct Answer

Which of the following animals is a reptile?

Salamander Frog Alligator

Anoles live in places with high humidity levels. Humidity is how much moisture is in the air at a given time. An example of high humidity would be what the air feels like outside before a rainstorm. Anoles like high humidity because they get most of their water from the dew off of plants. Since Wilmington is a coastal community, it is a wonderful place for Anoles to live.

Photo © John Sutton

The pink section under this Carolina Anole’s throat is a thin flap of skin that hangs down below its throat. It is referred to as a throat fan or dewlap, and the male anole uses it for two primary purposes: to protect his territory and attract a mate.

True or False?

Deserts have high humidity.

What Can You Do to Help Anoles?

Anoles can wander into human areas. They like to bask in the sun, so you might find them on fence posts and houses. But remember these are wild animals. One of the best ways to help Anoles is to admire these wonderful lizards from a distance.

Anoles eat moving bugs. During the summer when hu mans put out sticky fly traps, Anoles can find themselves caught when going after the struggling flies. The chemicals used on fly tap cause the lizards to get stuck and starve. Natural insect repellents like lemon grass or mint plants are safer alternatives for both the bugs and the Anoles.

CircletheAnswer—Alligator.

TrueorFalse?—False:desertshaveverylowhumidity.

AnswerKey

Kid’s Korner is brought to you by Shannon Bradburn Pragosa.

Photo by Valerie Robertson Carolina Anoles are plentiful in southeast North Carolina.

Photo by Valerie Robertson

These Anole eggs were found at the base of a tree stump.