March–May 2013

Thanks to a generous grant from the Walmart Foundation, all Educator Trek costs will be reduced for 2012-13. Costs listed below reflect this reduction.

Coastal Awakening

Duke Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC
Friday, March 22 - Sunday, March 24, 2013     **Please note date change!
Cost: $80 (includes transportation from Raleigh, lodging, most meals)
Explore the beautiful coast of North Carolina as we learn about coastal resources and ecology. Travel to Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve to learn about salt marshes and perhaps catch a glimpse of the wild horses that call the island complex home. We'll also visit nearby longleaf pine savannas as well as Fort Macon and Hammocks Beach State Parks.

Secrets of the Swamp - FULL

Roanoke River near Jamesville, NC
Date: Saturday, April 6 (morning departure)-Sunday, April 7
Cost: $50 (includes canoe rental, three meals, basic camping gear, camping platform fee)
Canoe and camp in a North Carolina swamp forest along the majestic Roanoke River. Spend the night on a camping platform listening to a cacophony of Barred Owls and other creatures of the darkness. During the day we will explore a bottomland hardwood swamp ecosystem, a critical habitat for fish, neotropical migratory birds, and other wildlife from river otters to black bears.

Butterfly Pinning and Backyard Bug Collecting — Spring

Nature Research Center, Raleigh, NC
Monday, April 15, 2013 DATE CHANGED TO APRIL 1, 2013
4–6 pm
Cost: $25 (includes insect resource manual, pinning board, butterfly display box, numerous exotic butterfly specimens)
Prepare, pin and mount a variety of spectacular tropical butterflies. Learn the various techniques used to catch, preserve and mount these and other fascinating arthropods. Explore the possibilities of insect collecting in your backyard.

South Carolina Low Country Adventure* - FULL

Francis Beidler Forest, Francis Marion National Forest and Huntington Beach State Park, SC
Friday, April 19 (depart Raleigh at 3:45 pm)-Sunday, April 21, 2013
Cost: $50 (includes entrance fee, one meal, transportation to and from Raleigh. Participant pays for lodging and remainder of meals)
Join us as we savor the magic of spring in some of South Carolina’s most unique coastal natural areas. Our first day will be spent exploring Francis Beidler Forest [2], an Audubon sanctuary containing the largest remaining old-growth cypress-tupelo swamp forest in the world. This is excellent habitat for a variety of birds such as Prothonotary Warblers and Barred Owls as well as a host of other wildlife. We then explore Francis Marion National Forest [3], a lush landscape of longleaf pine stands and wildlife-filled swamps and marshes. The Forest spans nearly 259,000 acres and is home to a variety of wildlife, including the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker. We’ll finish the weekend at one of the best birding sites along the East Coast, Huntington Beach State Park [4]. The park’s freshwater lagoon, salt marsh, maritime forest and beach are outstanding examples of the state’s natural coastal environment.

*Offered as an outing for educators and the general public. Minimum age of 18.

Evolution 2013: Engaging Students with Evolutionary Science - Applications due April 30!

This program will be offered June 17-19, 2013. Please see full listing on Summer Treks page [5].
Registration for this program is through NESCent. Applications are due by April 30 and can be found online at: www.nescent.org/courses/2013/evolution2013.php [6]. For questions, please contact Jory Weintraub (jory@nescent.org [7]).

Spring in the Mountains

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haywood County, NC
Friday, May 3 (depart Raleigh at 3:45 pm)–Sunday, May 5, 2013
Cost: $50** (includes lodging, some meals and transportation to and from Raleigh)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is world-renowned for its diversity of wildflowers and salamanders. Explore cove forests and stream-side habitats for salamanders as well as the blooms of spring such as trillium, foamflower, mayapple and violets. Learn techniques for studying salamanders and explore the fascinating life histories of the mountain’s spring wildflowers, from pollination to seed dispersal. Moderately strenuous hiking is likely.
**The cost of this Trek is reduced due to a generous gift through the Friends of the Smokies. Due to this reduction of costs, Friends of the Museum discounts are unavailable.

Educator Trek Registration Form [8] (PDF)