A minke whale skull rests on a table in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences' mammalogy collection.

NC expert says the number of whale deaths along the East Coast in the past couple of weeks is concerning

March 18, 2024

This minke whale skull is just one of many specimens in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ mammalogy collection. Photo: NCMNS. By Annette Weston-Riggs A minke whale washed up on the Outer Banks last week, one of several dead whales found in the region in recent days. Two humpback whales also washed ashore in… Read More >


Museum visitors looking at the sun through eclipse glasses for a transit of Venus, 2012.

Countdown to the eclipse; what we’ll see in ENC in April and how to see it safely

March 7, 2024

A total solar eclipse will cross North America next month, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Dr. Patrick Treuthardt is the Assistant Head of the Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and he’s pretty excited for the April eclipse. “Everybody in the contiguous United States is… Read More >


A cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtle in the care of Vet staff at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

Three endangered sea turtles now in the care of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences

February 26, 2024

By Rachel Duensing RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Three Kemp’s ridley sea turtles needed a little extra TLC after being cold stunned, which is how they ended up at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Dr. Dan Dombrowski, Director of Veterinary Sciences at the museum explains that when ocean water drops below 55… Read More >


Jonny Behrens looks for aquatic macroinvertebrates with Duke Forest Research Tour participants.

Glowing Waterdogs and Farting Rivers: A Duke Forest Research Tour

February 12, 2024

Jonny Behrens looks for aquatic macroinvertebrates with Duke Forest Research Tour participants. By Sophie Cox We walked down a short trail by the creek, and the tour split into two groups. Our group walked farther along the stream to meet two herpetologists studying the elusive dwarf waterdog. Bryan Stuart, Ph.D., Research Curator of Herpetology at… Read More >


Dr. Denise Young, Director, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, on the 3rd floor bridge overlooking the SECU Daily Planet.

Connecting With Nature: An Interview With Dr. Denise Young

January 29, 2024

The new director of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences approaches the experience at Raleigh’s state-of-the-art institution with an educator’s mind. by Lori D. R. Wiggins | photography by Rob Hammer In June, Dr. Denise Young became the executive director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, including its flagship location downtown and four… Read More >