Join us in person on Saturday, November 12 from 10am to 5pm for a day of science, activities and crafts!
Amazing Aye-Aye Lemurs (Research at NC State University)
Biological Sciences, NC State University
Learn about how researchers at NC State are figuring out what mother and infant aye-aye lemurs do and “say” when hidden in their cocoon-shaped nests!
Amazing Co-evolution! Plants and Pollinators Craft
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Come learn about co-evolution while making 3D dioramas of bees and flowers that you can take home with you!
The Artist’s Fungus
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Is that a real mushroom name? Use your creative side to come up with your own fungus names. Get artistic with mushroom coloring pages.
Baker’s Yeast – The Unique Yeasts in Your Bread!
Heil Lab at NC State University
Just as there are lots of breeds of dogs, there are lots of varieties of yeast, and they contribute different flavors and textures to your bread. Join us to see some baker’s yeast up close, watch yeast ferment dough to make it rise, and vote for your favorite-smelling yeast!
Bats and White-Nose Syndrome
Triangle Troglodytes
Since 2006, White-nose Syndrome has killed millions of bats in North America. Find out about the fungus that causes this disease and what steps humans can take to help bat populations thrive.
Convergent Evolution
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Check out one of the coolest aspects of evolution — convergence. How can two animals separated by thousands of miles and millions of years look almost identical? Find out about Convergent Evolution. There will be live animals!
Coping with Climate Change
Sheth Lab, NC State University
In what ways can living things respond to rapid and accelerating changes in climate? The Sheth Lab studies how plants, who cannot just get up and walk away, respond to changing environmental conditions.
Cultivating Mushrooms
Borrowed Land Farm
Borrowed Land Farm is a mushroom farm that tries to take the mystery out of mushrooms. Come learn about cultivating and using gourmet mushrooms.
Darwin Day Bookmarks
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Make a bookmark to mark your spot in your favorite of Darwin’s volumes, whether “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection” or “The Various Contrivances by Which Orchids are Fertilized by Insects,” or any of his other 23 books!
Darwin and Earthworms
North Carolina Entomological Society
This exhibit will present basic information on earthworm biology and details of the earthworm experiments that were carried out by Darwin. The importance of earthworms in the environment as well as their uses in vermiculture and as fishing bait will be discussed.
Darwin’s Favorite Plants
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Wake County
Extension Master Gardener volunteers are ready to answer all your gardening questions and provide resources to help your garden and lawn all year.
Darwin’s Finches and Their Special Beaks
NC State University Genetics and Genomics Graduate Student Association
Come learn how Darwin developed the theory of evolution! Ever wonder what it would be like to be a bird? Kids and adults will have an opportunity to simulate Darwin’s studies of finches on the Galapagos Islands. Test out different-sized “beaks” to see how adaptation works. Which bird beak do you think will be the best fit for a particular-sized food item? Have fun with our game of survival and adaptation!
Darwin Under the Microscope
Exhibit Hall Programs, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
See the specimens the way Darwin did through his microscope. Visit our Leica compound microscope exhibit.
Digital Darwin
Visual World Investigate Lab, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Experience some of Darwin’s favorite animals in a way he could have never dreamed of: as made by our 3D printers! Visit the VisLab on the third floor of the NRC to learn about science and some of our favorite technologies such as 3D printers, robotics and other maker-style technologies.
The Dimensions of DNA
Osher Lifelong Learning Program at NC State University
Learn how thin but incredibly long the DNA molecule really is. See how it folds into a supercoil in the nucleus of a cell and keeps from tangling up into a gigantic knot.
Distinctive Dimorphism
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
It’s a fancy term for a common phenomenon! Come learn why males and females can look different even when they are the same species! Also see and meet some of these animals and learn how they use these different evolutionary adaptations to survive in the wild.
Exploring the Diversity of Marine Fungi
Gladfelter Lab-UNC-Chapel Hill
Our exhibit will display the diversity of fungi from the marine environment. Visitors will be able to see a beautiful array of species as colonies and as single cells under the microscope!
Face Painting By Paint Savvy
Paint Savvy
Children and adults can become what or who they want at this year’s Darwin Day! Make your day memorable with a unique and beautiful face painting design! There is a fee for this activity.
Exploring Fermented Foods and Fungal Art
Genomics & Microbiology Research Lab, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Learn how fungi and bacteria are involved in fermentation of foods like kombucha and cheese and how we identify these microbes using their DNA. Express your artistic side with our FUN-gi art project with yeast.
Forage Mushrooms Without Dying
Frank Hyman
Mushroom expert Frank Hyman’s table will display fresh mushrooms, dried mushrooms and models of mushrooms. His book, “How to Forage Mushrooms Without Dying,” will be available for sale and signing!
Fungi the Protector Game
NC State University Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
In our game, take on the role of a scientist studying fungi in the lab. Grow the fungus so it can remove harmful pesticides from the storm water.
Geographic Speciation and the Gecko!
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
This activity is designed to illustrate the changes in populations that are split up geographically and have different population pressures. You get to change the evolution of a hypothetical population of geckos!
Hostile Fungal Takeover: Insect Fungal Infections
Middle Georgia State University
Many fungi infect insects but how they do that is a really cool process that involves both physical and chemical principles that we do not normally think of when we hear the word “fungi.” This exhibit will show you how a fungus sticks to and gets into an insect body along with some really cool examples!
An Intimate Evolutionary History of Fungi with Animals, Insects, and Plants
NC State University, Center for Integrated Fungal Research
Fungi are more than just mushrooms and represent a diverse group of organisms that are beneficial and harmful to animals. Come learn about the diversity and evolution of fungi, and their interactions with animals and importance to society. You will be provided with an opportunity to view fungi on video monitors connected to a microscope and to make spore prints.
It’s an Animal! It’s a Fungus! No, It’s a Chytrid Fungus!
NC State University
Fungi and animals are sister Kingdoms and share a common ancestor. Come learn more about an early-diverging lineage of fungi called chytrids, which still have ancestral features (e.g., crawling, swimming) that were lost in other fungi.
Living Conservatory — Open for Darwin Day!
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Don’t miss your chance to visit the Living Conservatory (butterfly room) on the 4th floor. Immerse yourself in a Central American tropical dry forest filled with living plants and animals. Encounter butterflies, turtles, tarantulas, snakes and even a Two-toed Sloth. Discover a vanilla orchid, Pineapple plant, Cashew Tree and more. Explore North Carolina’s connection to the tropics through migration, shared species and products.
Make Your Own Darwin Day Button!
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Show your support for Mr. Darwin and his spot-on theories by coloring your own button! Our volunteers will make your masterpiece into a special badge you can wear today and forevermore!
Mammals of Madagascar
Duke Lemur Center
Madagascar’s lemurs tend to get all of the attention, but the island sometimes known as “the 8th continent” has been home to many unique mammals for millions of years. Stop by the Duke Lemur Center exhibit to learn about the extinct and extant mammals of Madagascar — including lemurs, of course!
Manatees on the Move
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Manatees face many dangers as they navigate the warm waters of the Southern US. Pretend you are a manatee and dodge boat propellers, avoid red tide and seek delicious sea grass. Those who survive get a prize!
Mind-controlling and Other Parasitic Fungi
NC State University, Department of Applied Ecology
Parasitic fungi have been around for millions of years, but how have they survived for so long? Explore the fascinating world of parasitic fungi and the adaptations that have made them so successful. You will also learn about the role of parasitic fungi in conservation and how scientists study them in wild animals.
Mixed Media Painting Demonstration
Stacy Lewis Studio
Stacy will be creating some of her colorful mixed media paintings!
Mold Madness
Clemson University Mycology Lab
Molds are microscopic fungi that can grow just about everywhere. In the spirit of Darwin, their competitiveness is displayed in a game of mold vs. mold. Come see the winner, as well as the importance and beauty of these fantastic fungi.
Myco Metamorphic
Nicole Asselin
Myco Metamorphic is an art exhibit exploring the use of fungi in art and design.
Narwhals: Unicorns of the Sea
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Kids! Come learn about the magnificent narwhal and some of its special arctic adaptations, build your own arctic narwhal scene to take home and see a real narwhal tusk from the Museum’s collection.
North Carolina State Parks
As Autumn leaf colors excite our eyes, North Carolina State Parks is celebrating “Year of the Tree.” Come learn why leaves change colors and other tree facts!
Open Your Eyes to the Wild
Carolina Tiger Rescue
Carolina Tiger Rescue is home about 50 wild animals, mostly wild cats, that have come from a variety of backgrounds including private ownership and exploitation. Come learn about their similarities and differences and check out some awesome biofacts.
Orchids: Their Fungal Dependencies and Much More
Triangle Orchid Society
Come explore the diversity of Orchids! Learn how pollination strategies and fungal seed partnerships make Orchids one of the most fascinating plant families.
Pipus cleanerus vs. Natural Selection
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Kids become fearsome predators in this activity! We have a dark room filled with a rare type of “snake,” the Eastern Pipus cleanerus. Pipus cleanerus is a diverse species with many colors. As more and more “predators” weed out some of the easier-to-spot colors we will get to see natural selection in action over many generations!
The Secret Life of Lichens
Department of Biology, Duke University
Lichens are fungi that live in obligate association with algae or photosynthetic bacteria—inside of which is found a community of other fungi and bacteria called a “microbiome”. Learn about the “secret life” of these special, symbiotic organisms in this hands-on exhibit featuring live specimens, cool demonstrations, puzzles, and more.
The Secret Life of Slime Molds
UNC-Chapel Hill Herbarium
“The Blob,” “Dog Vomit” and “Tree Hair” are just a few of the Slime Molds you can find in the yards and forests of North Carolina. There are over a thousand species of Slime Molds, and 196 have been documented from our state. Sign our petition to have North Carolina adopt an Official Slime Mold!!
Urban Evolution
NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Did you know evolution is happening right under our noses? Lots of plants and animals are changing to adapt to human-influenced landscapes. Learn about some examples of this urban evolution and meet a live animal!
Weaving North Carolina
Jan French, Weaving Artist
Come explore natural fiber sources traditionally grown in various geographic regions of North Carolina throughout history. Participants can touch unprocessed fiber and weave yarns into a fiber tapestry map.
Women and Fungus
Girl Scouts-NC Coastal Pines
The group will be showing pictures and giving information about women who have pushed the science and discovery of fungi in our time.