A possum in a tree.

Nature Now! Awesome Opossum, Part 2

August 20, 2020

The only interaction that most people have with the Virginia Opossum is on the road! Sadly, that is not usually a good interaction for the opossum. The opossum is not well-suited for crossing heavily traveled roads. They are slow and apt to freeze when danger approaches — not a good formula for crossing roads. Some… Read More >


Nature Now! Awesome Opossum, Part 1

August 12, 2020

The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is very common in North Carolina and widely distributed in North America, but most people don’t give the opossum much thought. Most know that it is a marsupial, making it a distant cousin to kangaroos. The Virginia Opossum was even designated as North Carolina’s official state marsupial in 2013. Of… Read More >


Seismic zones in region of Sparta earthquake.

Earthquake: Sparta, NC, 5.1M, 3.1km depth

August 10, 2020

Epicenter map courtesy United States Geological Survey. Anyone out of bed on this Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. probably felt an earthquake. It was located in the mountains, near Sparta, NC. It was fairly shallow, about 2.3 miles down. You can help out the United States Geological Survey with their Did You Feel It? program…. Read More >


Two galls sit on a dead leaf.

Nature Now! Such Gall!

August 4, 2020

As I was scanning the forest trail to avoid tripping over roots and rocks while walking the dogs, I spotted something that looked like a reddish-pink cotton ball. I quickly snapped a picture of it and noticed that the ball of fluff was attached to an oak sapling. It was late March, and there were… Read More >


Gold Classroom Studio

New Gold Classroom Studio launches with online programs

July 31, 2020

This month, Museum staff from Facilities, Digital Media and Education converted the Gold Classroom on the third floor of the Nature Exploration Center into a virtual learning studio. The classroom got a new coat of paint, a TV studio’s-worth of AV equipment and a lineup of staff and live animals eager to connect with audiences… Read More >