NEWS

The new director of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences approaches the experience at Raleigh’s state-of-the-art institution with an educator’s mind. by Lori D. R. Wiggins | photography by Rob Hammer In June, Dr. Denise Young became the executive director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, including its flagship location downtown and four… Read More >

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Fields at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation in Raleigh were on fire Thursday, but for good reason. “It’s used as a management technique to take what’s above the ground, burn it back,” explains Emma Blackford, head of the Ecostation. “It exposes seeds and it adds nutrients to the soil through the ash… Read More >

[RALEIGH, N.C.] — It’s time for lift off when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosts Astronomy Days, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3–4, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Go on a celestial adventure that explores the wonders of the universe through technology, telescopes, engaging talks and plenty of hands-on activities. This year the Museum highlights asteroids… Read More >

  Dr. Adrian Smith, head of the Museum’s Evolutionary Biology & Behavior Research Lab, says of his latest video: I finally found and filmed a Stenus beetle! These rove beetles are famous for hunting springtails by using a projectile mouthpart (a modified labium) with sticky pads at the end. I collected the individual in this… Read More >

The cool of the forest is a welcome escape on a hot day. This is especially true for mammals in North America’s hottest regions, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study indicates that, as the climate warms, preserving forest cover will be increasingly important for wildlife conservation. The study, published… Read More >