NEWS

By Chris Goforth, Head of Citizen Science, and Jess Wackes, PR & Marketing Coordinator It’s that time in nature when the flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) are blooming!  These beauties will pop up more and more as summer approaches, though flowering dogwoods are lovely any time of the year. Petals, but not really… The flowering dogwood… Read More >

By Amanda Hapeman, Assistant Curator of Reptiles, Amphibians, and Ambassador Animals It’s finally springtime! The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing … and the snakes are slithering. The last one may not seem to fit the scene, but snakes and other reptiles are starting to emerge from their winter slumber… Read More >

By Dr. Julie Horvath, Head of the Genomics & Microbiology Research Lab and jointly appointed at North Carolina Central University Lesson 1: Find your passion! Hold up your right hand with your palm facing toward you. Now touch the middle of your palm. This is where I grew up in Michigan – right in the… Read More >

If you walked out your door right now, how many species do you think you could observe? 5? 10? 20? It’s likely far more than you’d expect — and we have a great opportunity that can help you find out! The City Nature Challenge is an international, biodiversity-focused citizen science event that runs April 30… Read More >

A White Oak sapling and sprouting acorn. Photo: Dr. Bronwyn Williams. Contributed by Naturalist Center intern Sam Coley Imagine you’re an acorn that just dropped from the branch of a huge White Oak tree (Quercus alba). Your first question might be, “What am I? What even is an acorn?” If you’re having an existential crisis… Read More >