Making the ECO-nnection at the fair

During the 10-day Delaware State Fair, DNREC is again in the middle of the action with its ECO-nnection campaign.

ECO-nnection features a wide variety of exhibits and displays of how folks can become more environmentally friendly, while saving some dollars at the same time.

DNREC is showing off their exhibits in a newly refurbished Energy House this year.

New to the environmentally-friendly programs and ideas is a new interactive watershed display demonstrating how water flows and wetlands hold water.  The display includes a 3-D map of how stormwater runoff flows from suburban yard to Delaware's wetlands, rivers, streams, bay and ocean.

Karen Myer with Delaware State Parks explains that there are things for everyone to learn.

"Things you can do in your backyard, things you can do out in the environment, things you can do to help the environment, help yourself, to educate people."

Exhibits on recycling included a display of how much recycling a typical family of four can produce in a single year.

Along with saving the environment, you could be saving yourself some green.  A Large section was dedicated to money-saving ideas, including more efficient lighting and insulation and unplugging digital devices when not in use to save on your electric bill, to capturing rain water to help with polluted runoff and saving on your water bill.

Overall, officials and educators say the hundreds who come through everyday come away with lessons learned while having a fun time.

"They love what we have displayed out here and they love the events that we have here, especially the animals and critters," said Myer.

DNREC's exhibits will be open throughout the State Fair with unique events in the back every day.

Today's event was Bringing the Zoo to You, an interactive show of interesting residents of the Brandywine Zoo.

Fairgoers got to meet some interesting residents of the zoo, including an African Millipede and a Blood Python.

Hannah Pretz with the Brandywine Zoo says this is a chance for people to look at species, whether locally or nationally, that are in trouble and what they can do to help.

"Usually they are saying that I'm brave, that I hold a snake, that I hold a tarantula, and you can see that their interests is there and that they want to know more, and that they want to come back.  So I think that what I see is a growing interest and some of their fears melting away."

Events to come this week includes live horseshoe crabs, reptiles and amphibians on kids day, and creating power through resources on military appreciation day.

For more information on events check out dnrec's website, dnrec.delaware.gov.