[2]Nov. 15, 2010 — Approximately 100 people attended the Topping Out ceremony for the Nature Research Center, the new 80,000-square-foot wing of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ dedicated to bringing scientific research into the public eye. The ceremony culminated in the placing of a live eastern red cedar tree on top of the building’s highest point — a traditional symbol of growth and good luck. After 24 hours atop the building it will be planted at Prairie Ridge Ecostation in west Raleigh.

Attendees heard short remarks from: Museum Director Betsy Bennett, NRC Director Meg Lowman, and NCDENR Secretary Dee Freeman, as well as John Atkins, Chairman and CEO of O’Brien/Atkins Associates and Scott Cutler, Vice President of Clancy & Theys.

Links

Flickr photo set:
www.flickr.com/photos/naturalsciences/sets/72157625394303844/ [3]

Raleigh News & Observer article:
www.newsobserver.com/2010/11/16/805807/green-building-gets-a-topper.html [4]

WRAL video of the ceremony:
www.wral.com/news/video/8626067/#/vid8626067 [5]