By Laura Turner Seydel

In honor of the very first Captain Planet and the Planeteers episode, in which Captain Planet saved a fragile coastline from an oil spill, Captain Planet appropriately dedicates his 20th birthday to help the current oil spill catastrophe in the Gulf Coast with his new Gulf Fund.

This initiative will raise money for environmental improvement projects, including edible gardens, which will benefit the youth of the devastated Gulf Coast region.

To raise awareness and lay the foundation for the Gulf Fund, Captain Planet travels to the Gulf Coast on Sept. 4-5 to join water advocate Alexandra Cousteau and her Expedition Blue Planet project (www.alexandracousteau.com). This 138-day interactive expedition will take her team across North America to investigate global water issues, while living, working and exploring critical water stories.

While on the Gulf Coast, Captain Planet will join the team’s efforts to access the region, meet the children affected and participate in water cleanup efforts.
With their powers combined, Captain Planet and Expedition Blue Planet will continue to explore critical water issues here in Atlanta by joining forces with Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to host activities on Sept. 18-19. There you can meet Captain Planet, Alexandra Cousteau and her team, joining cleanup efforts on the river and support the Gulf Fund.

On Sept. 7 Councilman Kwanza Hall will declare Sept. 15, the date the first Captain Planet episode aired, to be Captain Planet Day here in Atlanta. To mark this occasion, Captain Planet is asking each of his Planeteers to participate in one green activity, whether it’s heading to the Chattahoochee Nature Center (chattnaturecenter.org) to watch an episode of Captain Planet and the Planeteers on the big screen or donate $20 to the Gulf Fund (make your donation at www.captainplanetfdn.org).