If you are not a Museum member and would like to continue receiving this quarterly publication in printed form, please subscribe below.
Connect With Nature Adventures | In the Know | Don’t Miss! | Bring the Kids | On the Big Screen | Food for Thought
Connect With Nature Adventures
Travel with expert Museum guides to spectacular locations! This year, discover the majesty of waterfall country, explore desert ecology and landscapes of southern Arizona, go to bed to the hootin’ and hollerin’ of barred owls and wake to sunrise through the cypress trees, observe a total solar eclipse in the path of totality in Chile. Take the trip of a lifetime! Exclusively for Museum members.
Waterfall Adventure
April 15-17, 2020
North Carolina is rich in beautiful waterfalls — some with a subtle beauty and inviting pools to swim in during the warmer months and others that spectacularly plunge off a rock face showing the sheer power of water. Visit waterfalls in Pisgah National Forest, Dupont State Forest and Gorges State Park. Look for early spring wildflowers and keep your eyes out for wildlife that might cross your path or fly overhead.
Southwest United States
August 8-15, 2020
Explore the ecology of southern Arizona, including the Sonoran Desert and the Chiricahua Mountains. Blacklight for insects, search for reptiles and amphibians, see iconic desert plants and landscapes, including Saguaro National Park, and visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Swamp Sojourn: Canoe-camping the Lower Roanoke River
November 14-15, 2020
Explore North Carolina’s bottomland hardwood forest and experience a night in a remote swamp. Camp on the Roanoke River Partner’s platforms in the homes of beaver and barred owls. Experience a true North Carolina wilderness on this special women’s-only trip.
Chilean Total Solar Eclipse
December 8-15, 2020
Discover the many wonders of Chile, from diverse urban experiences, cultures and gastronomy to breathtaking natural wonders and adventures. See all the stars and constellations only visible from the Southern Hemisphere and experience the rare opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse.
In the Know
City Nature Challenge
From April 24 through 27, 2020, cities around the world will once again take part in the City Nature Challenge, an international effort for people to find and document (via iNaturalist) plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. It’s a bioblitz-style competition where cities compete against each other to see who can make the most observations of nature, who can find the most species, and who can engage the most people.
30 Great Adventures
Several Museum staffers have contributed chapters for a new book. Keep an eye out for “Thirty Great North Carolina Science Adventures,” to be released by UNC Press in April 2020, and stay tuned for a book release event at the Museum!
Don’t Miss!
Members only: Geology Collection Tour
Saturday, February 1
Free. Current membership and registration required.
Go behind the scenes with Research Curator, Chris Tacker. You’ll get a close-up look at our extensive geology collections that predate the Museum, including gemstones, minerals and ore samples found in the state of North Carolina. Hear about the fascinating history and geochemical make-up of some of the Curator’s favorite and newest specimens.
- Member Tours: Geology Collection: 1pm Session
- Member Tours: Geology Collection: 2pm Session
- Member Tours: Geology Collection: 3pm Session
Adult Night: Wild Love
Friday, February 14, 7-10pm
Fee: $20 ($15 for Members). Must be 21 to attend.
Grab your BAE or your BFFs and join us for a Valentine’s Day to remember as we explore the science of courtship, reproduction and parental care in the natural world. Discover how animals flirt, flaunt and impress potential mates. Learn about femme fatales, baby daddies, monogamous mates, and the original Cupid’s Arrow.
Buy Tickets
Reptile & Amphibian Day
Saturday, March 14, 9am-5pm
Free. [Member VIP Experience + free T-shirt with membership purchase/renewal.]
Members only: Astronomy & Astrophysics Lab Tour With Solar Observing
Saturday, April 4
Free. Current membership and registration required.
Weather permitting, solar observing will begin at 11:30am.
- Member Tours: Astronomy & Astrophysics Lab: 11am Session
- Member Tours: Astronomy & Astrophysics Lab: 11:30am Session
- Member Tours: Astronomy & Astrophysics Lab: noon Session
Triangle SciTech Expo
Saturday, April 25, 9am-5pm
Free. [Member VIP Experience]
Bring the Kids
Groundhog Day
Sunday, February 2, noon–5pm
Free.
Home Tweet Home
Saturday, February 29, 1–3pm
Registration required.
Fee: Adult with 1 child aged 8 or above (includes building materials) – $30 ($20 for Members)
Additional participant – $10 ($5 for Members)
Additional birdhouse materials – $10
Book & Tour: A Sick Day for Amos McGee
Saturday, March 21, 10–11:30am & 2–3:30pm
Summer Camps
All family levels of membership enjoy advance registration and discount. (Membership must be active for the dates covered by Summer Camps.)
Registration:
Feb. 4–5: Opens to Museum members at the Family + 1 level and above.
Feb. 6–15: Expands to Family level members.
Feb. 18: Opens to the public.
Science for Your Year-round Student
At NCMNS we offer monthly classes related to scientific research that reinforce your student’s K–12 curriculum goals while covering exciting topics. These weekday classes are ideal for students during their track-out breaks. More information can be found by visiting naturalsciences.org/learn/homeschools.
On the Big Screen
Finally Friday: Crocodile Dundee
Friday, March 20, 5:30–9pm
Finally Friday: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Friday, April 10, 5:30–9pm
3D Movies
New in March …
Volcanoes 3D: The Fires of Creation
“Volcanoes” follows intrepid explorer Carsten Peter as he dodges boulders at the edge of an active volcano in Indonesia, descends to a boiling lava lake in Vanuatu and visits incredible acid ponds, geysers and mineral deposit fields in Ethiopia. Travel across the globe to see the archeological ghost town of Pompeii, hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean and witness the devastating effects of the 2018 Kilauea eruption in Hawaii.
Dinosaurs of Antarctica 3D
The first original large-format dinosaur film in over a decade, “Dinosaurs of Antarctica” will introduce audiences to the amazing and bizarre prehistoric creatures that inhabited Antarctic forests and swamps hundreds of millions of years ago. The film follows a team of paleoecologists on a quest to understand the southern continent’s profound transformation, from a warm and biodiverse Mesozoic to the frozen desert we know today.
Food for Thought
Science Trivia!
First Thursdays: February 6, March 6, April 3; 7–8:15pm
Science Cafes
All other Thursdays: 7–8:15pm (unless noted otherwise)
The weekly Science Café program series brings contemporary science and scientists to the public in the relaxed and informal setting of our Daily Planet Café (where members receive 10% off ). The presenters speak for about 20–25 minutes about a particular topic and then spend the rest of the program answering questions and conversing with the audience. Café programs cover a broad range of topics that are in the news and/or are about science related issues relevant to everyday life. Free.
