Pronghorn antelope

SNAPSHOT USA: First-ever nationwide mammal survey published

June 9, 2021

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) enjoys the sun in the snowy hills of southern Wyoming, contributed by Jesse Alston, University of Wyoming. [RALEIGH, N.C.] – How are the squirrels doing this year? The bears? The armadillos? How would you know? A new paper published June 8 sets up the framework for answering these questions across the United… Read More >


Brian O'Shea, NCMNS Ornithology Collections Manager, looks at a collection of bird specimen

4 Things You Didn’t Know About the NCMNS Ornithology Collection

June 8, 2021

An interview with Brian O’Shea, PhD, Collections Manager for Ornithology By Will Clayton, NCMNS Marketing Intern and Micah Beasley, PR & Marketing Coordinator Brian O’Shea, NCMNS Ornithology Collections Manager, looks at a collection of bird specimens.   Tucked away in the basement of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences lives a vibrant scientific collection… Read More >


Bobcat on man-made trail.

Museum zoologist Kays co-authors paper showing North American mammals’ response to humans

June 3, 2021

A new study co-authored by Roland Kays, Head of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Biodiversity Lab, investigated how humans on trails affect mammals in wild, suburban or rural areas. The results suggest which species will thrive around humans or human infrastructure, and which ones need our help. The study is published in the journal… Read More >


Black Racer (Coluber constrictor). Photo: Jeff Beane.

Museum herpetologist Jeff Beane contributes to ‘The Kauffeld Letters’

June 2, 2021

Black Racer (Coluber constrictor). Photo: Jeff Beane. Jeff Beane embraces science communication almost as readily as he grasps wild snakes. A recent book authored by his good friend and former Virginia State Park Ranger Gary Williamson allowed Beane’s varied interests to truly take hold. “The Kauffeld Letters” is told through the eyes of a curious… Read More >


Blue Ghost fireflies dance above the ground in a moist area near a stream in Pisgah National Forest in late May.

Nature Now! Ghost Hunting

Blue Ghost Fireflies dance above the ground in a moist area near a stream in Pisgah National Forest in late May. Photo: Jordan Mitchell. By Jerry Reynolds, Head of Outreach Earlier this year Dr. Clyde Sorenson,  a professor at North Carolina State University, contacted me to help recruit people for a ghost hunt. (Who you… Read More >