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Island Blue Pages |
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| By The Numbers |
In 2006, 1.5 million barrels of oil were used to make the 26 billion liters of bottled water sold in the US. This is enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year (EPI, 2006).
Three out of four plastic bottles are still not recycled (WRAP 2007).
Plastic bottles take up to 450 years to decompose in a landfill.
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| LBI Scenes |
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Contributors
John Petralia, Contributor
Nancy Petralia, Contributor
Chris Cooper, Design |
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Welcome
This month we're focusing on the most precious of LBI resources, our waters. We look closely at the condition of the Bay, tell you why to drink tap rather than bottled water, and encourage you to take a (therapeutic!) dip in the ocean. |
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Bay-Friendly Events
PASSPORT TO A GREENER COMMUNITY
When: Sunday, June 7, 2009, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or Shine
Where: Waterfront Location! Wanamaker Complex in Island Heights
Take a fun-filled journey that will help you better understand what it takes to protect and preserve Barnegat Bay. Come to the 12th annual Barnegat Bay Festival! This day-long celebration will be held waterfront-at the beautiful Wanamaker Complex in Island Heights. Barnegat Bay will provide the perfect backdrop to this annual celebration of our Bay and its watershed. The event is sponsored by our partners - the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program, with support from Ocean County College and the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
BAYSCAPING FOR BARNEGAT BAY When: Wed. June 3rd 10:00 a.m. and Sat. June 20th 10:00 a.m. Where: Maris Stella Retreat and Conference Center Harvey Cedars Cost: FREE
Pre-registration is required by May 29th. Space is limited. E-mail helen@littoralsociety.org, or call 732.575.5701 to preregister.
Join Littoral Society, Atlantic Coast Project Manager, Helen Henderson for a presentation about the current threats to Barnegat Bay. Learn actions you can take in your own backyards to help improve our water quality.
Tour the "Bayscape for Barnegat Bay Coastal Native Plant Demonstration Garden," located on the grounds of Maris Stella, with garden designer Judy DeFiglio of Garden Guidance. Learn what plants are most appropriate for your yard.
WORLD OCEAN DAY
When: Sunday, June 7 All day for all ages
Where: Jenkinson's Aquarium
300 Ocean Ave., Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
732.892.0600
Water, water everywhere...makes you stop and think! Join us for this worldwide celebration of the ocean, and explore what you can do every day to help conserve our oceans and keep our waterways clean. www.jenkinsons.com/aquariumFee: General Admission 17TH ANNUAL BAYMEN'S SEAFOOD & MUSIC FESTIVALWhen: Saturday, June 20, 11am to 5pm Enjoy fresh, delicious Jersey clams, crabs, scallops, and shrimp from the finest local seafood purveyors. Speak with commercial fishermen to learn about occupations on the Bay. Take a clam shucking class. Enjoy crafters, vendors, music, food, refreshments, family activities, demonstrations, and boat rides. Bring the family and spend the day. Listed as one of the "Top 50 Ways to Celebrate the Coming of Spring" in Midwest, the in-flight magazine of Midwest Airlines, and picked as one of the "Top 10 NJ Outdoor Festivals" by NJ Countryside magazine. General Admission: Adults--$8, Seniors--$6, Children 6-12--$3, Children 5 and under--Free. Members--Free. Tuckerton Seaport, 120 West Main St., Tuckerton, NJ 609-296-8868 or www.TuckertonSeaport.org
SCIENCE SATURDAY
continues at the LBIF through May 14th. Come early and eat lunch at the Arts Café beginning at noon. The lecture starts at 1:30. ( www.lbifscience.org)
MATES PRESENTS THE LBIF GREEN AUDIT
When: Sunday, June 14 Science SUNDAY at 1:30
Join the MATES environmental science teams A.W.A.R.E. and Green Machine as they present their recommendations on how to make the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences greener. Each team will present its findings, and you will get a chance to choose the best presentation.
MATES, the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science, is a comprehensive high school that focuses on math and science, integrating both marine science and environmental science across its curriculum. Students representing high school districts across Ocean County are selected on a competitive basis. Besides being a part of the MATES environmental science class, students presenting at LBIF are also enrolled in the Ocean County College environmental science course. |
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Understanding the Challenges
THE BAY IS IN TROUBLE
Degradation of Barnegat Bay water quality is primarily caused by nonpoint sources of pollution. Nonpoint sources of pollution are mostly caused by land development along the coastal watershed. Specific problem include septic systems, lawn and garden maintenance, golf course maintenance, automobile use, and agriculture. The result is high levels of phytoplankton growth, high turbidity, and increased macroalgal growth. These eutrophic (high nutrient) conditions tend to shift plant production from eelgrass to phytoplankton and seaweed-dominated species. Loss of eelgrass beds is associated with elimination of such beneficial species as oysters and clams. |
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Do You Know?
OUR TAP WATER IS FINE The annual drinking water quality report from Stafford Township shows that our water is of very high quality. As we explain in the "Island Blue Pages," our water was deposited here from a melted glacier. It's really difficult to get better water than that. PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE NOT The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch reports that certain plastics can leach a toxin called Bisphenol A (BPA) into your water. The CDC says that Bisphenol A (BPA) can have a hormone-like effect on the human reproductive system as well as other negative health effects. Even worse, more than 90 percent of Americans have been exposed to toxic Bisphenol A (BPA) through the use of water in plastic water bottles. |
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What You Can Do
TO GET YOUR LANDSCAPE READY FOR SUMMER
What we do every day impacts the habitat around us. Whether you're tackling spring planting or installing a new rain garden, here are a few things you can do to make your home more Bay-friendly.
Luxurious landscapes without pollution
Steps to maintaining a landscape without using too much fertilizer or water include:
1. Proper soil preparation: Proper soil preparation is the foundation of a successful low-maintenance landscape. Evaluate your soil. Add organic matter such as compost based on the results of the evaluation.
2. Minimal watering: Water lawns and plants only when needed. (Plants need about an inch of water per week.) Don't waste water or irrigate unnecessarily.
3. Mulching: Applying mulch annually--around trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds--conserves water and reduces weeds.
4. Proper pruning: Pruning-- removing dead, diseased, damaged, and/or insect-infested plant parts--helps them maintain healthy growth.
5. Water lawns and gardens when it's dark. This avoids excessive evaporation. (On average, about 35 percent of household water goes to tending yards.)
6. Replant your yard with native wildflowers, shrubs, grasses, and groundcovers. Native plants need less water, especially in arid climates.
7. Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly and carefully. Residential use of pesticides accounts for about 8 percent of all pesticide applications. Urban runoff accounts for about 14 percent of common water pollution, and a little more than half of that is from residential use of fertilizers.
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A VIEW FROM ABROAD
BENEFITS OF OCEAN BATHING
The Greeks had a name for it - talassotherapy (thalassa means sea in Old Greek). According to ads in Europe's finest magazines, sea bathing increases circulation, assists in rejuvenating cells, beautifies skin, and relaxes the body. According to aficionados, sea salt bath therapy works by activating the body's own healing mechanisms. Researchers have found improvement in the immune system after sea salt bath therapy.
Despite the financial crisis in Europe, talassotherpy is all the rage. At resorts such as Ischia, off the coast of Napoli, you can expect to pay $1000 per day to bathe in waters rich in sea salts. So, what are you waiting for? Get over to one of the great LBI beaches where you can get in on some FREE talassotherapy.
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