The NC Science Trail is officially seven months old and we’ve been reflecting on our achievements as well as the significance of this initiative as a whole. How do North Carolina’s residents and visitors view the NC Science Trail? Are we meeting their needs? The initial goals were perfectly articulated in an article written earlier…
Jockey’s Ridge State Park is a gem of a state park on our coast. We’ve talked about the science that make Jockey’s Ridge such an incredible place to visit (see this blog post), but now there’s even more for you to learn when you arrive at this great park. We recently talked to Austin Paul,…
As a scientist, I love a good ecological mystery. If you’ve never encountered an ecological mystery, let me share with you the joy of this unique who-done-it concept. Weird things in nature are often caused, ultimately, by invasive human activity; but not always. Nature is spectacularly strange, and that is something to celebrate. These types…
The Curious Minds Inquire Series is in partnership with Discovery Place Science. If you’re looking for additional fun at-home activities, check out our other Curious Minds Inquire posts. DIY Weather Impact Activity We love the beach in the early fall but it’s also a time when we worry about hurricanes–it’s the season! Hurricanes are strong…
The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is inspiring students to be conservation minded by bringing conservation programs into the classroom. This is one of those programs that helps us wear a permanent smile on the North Carolina Science Trail! Efforts that help students to understand how they can make a difference in the world…
For those of you who have been following this blog series over the past eight weeks, Ken Brandt from the Robeson Planetarium and Science Center in Lumberton has been sharing insight about solar eclipse viewing, safety, and event planning. For many of us in North Carolina, the cloud cover obscured the partial eclipse, but Ken…
Contributed by Lawson Osteen, Park Ranger, Eno River State Park Visit Eno River State Park and check out the new Visitor Center! Located at the Fews Ford Access, the new Visitor Center (6131 Cole Mill Road, Durham, NC, 27712) hosted a ribbon cutting in August to help the park celebrate its 50th anniversary. The new…
Welcome to the last installment of our Solar Eclipse Viewing blog series, written by Ken Brandt of the Robeson Planetarium. In this blog post, Ken is talking primarily to science educators who are planning eclipse events by providing a last minute checklist for success, but this should also be awareness for those of you looking…
Written by Andrea Leslie, NC Wildlife Resources Commission The Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail kicked off this summer! People can now experience the underwater world of rivers and streams at 10 publicly accessible sites across Western North Carolina. Each site is identified with an informational sign that provides guidance on how to snorkel and what fish,…
Contributed by Daniel Sapp, Year of the Trail Communications Manager North Carolina is home to many natural wonders and rich historical legacies. From the majesty of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the mesmerizing tranquility of the Outer Banks, the state offers a diverse landscape that begs to be explored by young and old alike. And…