Videos and Livestreams - Lunchtime Lecture Series
The Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs hosts a guest lecture series called the Lunchtime Discovery Series. Professionals from a wide range of environmental backgrounds come and give presentations about their work and offer an opportunity for attendees to learn about a variety of subjects during the lunch hour. Topics range from spider diversity in North Carolina to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to how to incorporate music in environmental education programming.
The are several taped presentations on a wide variety of environmental topics that can be used in the classroom to supplement existng lessons on ecosystems, natural resources, and North Carolina history.
You can sign up for weekly email notifications about upcoming lectures! Contact an office staff member if you have trouble subscribing.
Living in the World's Wood Basket
Dr. Elizabeth Nichols, Dr. Rachel Cook and Dr. Zakiya Leggett, North Carolina State University
SECU Daily Planet Theater, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Research Center
Wednesday, February 20, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
It’s time to talk trees! On Wednesday we welcome three professors from NC State University’s forestry program. We’ll hear from Dr. Elizabeth Nichols, Dr. Rachel Cook, and Dr. Zakiya Leggett about sustainable forestry and North Carolina’s forestry industry. We’ll also hear an interesting story about using trees to treat wastewater...Join us at noon at the Daily Planet Theater to hear from this knowledgeable tree-o of scientists.
NC Space Grant - Developing the Next Generation of Explorers
Did you ever have a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut? Or maybe you still do... Join us on Wednesday to learn about the future of North Carolina’s aerospace workforce. Sandy Canfield, Assistant Director of NC Space Grant, will tell us about Space Grant’s work to support aeronautics and space-related education in North Carolina.
Least Brook Lamprey - One of the Least Known of Our Native Fishes in My Backyard and Maybe Yours!
Join Jerry Reynolds on a grand safari to his backyard and learn about the Least Brook Lamprey. The Least Brook Lamprey is certainly one of our least known native fishes with a very interesting lifestyle. This will truly be an immersive experience as Jerry goes to great depth to show you their energetic spawning behavior.
Urban Beekeeping
Ben Dictus, Lead Beekeeper for Bee Downtown, a business in Durham that installs and maintains beehives to build healthy bee populations, will join us Wednesday to talk about urban beekeeping - its history and challenges. Ben will tell us more about what Bee Downtown does with urban beekeeping and will compare urban beekeeping to other types of beekeeping.
Appalachian High: breeding birds of the NC Southern Appalachian Mountains
John Gerwin
Research Curator, Ornithology, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
SECU Daily Planet Theater, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Research Center
Wednesday, January 16, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
A sizeable number of wildlife species (not just birds) reach the southern limit of their breeding range in the higher mountains of North Carolina. John Gerwin, Research Curator of Ornithology, will “high”-light results from several breeding-bird projects conducted in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. In addition, John will showcase the natural histories of a handful of other species that breed only at the higher elevations in NC.
Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas
Dr. Paul Hosier, University of North Carolina Wilmington
SECU Daily Planet Theater, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Research Center
Wednesday, January 9, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Dr. Paul Hosier, coastal plant ecologist and author of Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas – A New Guide for Plant Identification and Use in the Coastal Landscape will join us this Wednesday to explore the amazing plant life that thrives along the North Carolina coast. He will highlight our diverse coastal plant community including the five major plants that cover most of North Carolina’s dunes, and the trees, shrubs, and marsh plants that characterize the major ecological zones along the shore. Dr. Hosier will discuss some of the “all too successful” invasive plants along the coast and some of the more interesting and useful plants such as figs and mistletoe. Join us and find out more about the benefits of conserving and landscaping with native plants.
A Look at Carolina Bays in Southeastern North Carolina
Dr. Lee Phillips, Director of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity Office at UNC Greensboro, discusses the distribution, timing and origins of Carolina Bays and his research at Jones Lake State Park. This was student-driven research Dr. Phillips cooridnated while on faculty at UNC Pembroke, supported in part by NC Space Grant. Presented on December 19, 2018.
There's No Place Like Home - Photographing the Incredible Biodiversity of the Tarheel State
Todd Pusser
Todd Pusser Photography
SECU Daily Planet Theater, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Research Center
Wednesday, December 13th, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
A native of the North Carolina Sandhills, photographer Todd Pusser has traveled the globe in search of wildlife. His photographs have earned awards in prestigious international wildlife photo competitions and are published in books, calendars, and magazines around the world.
Though Todd photographs everything from blue whales to penguins, he has a soft spot for the wildlife of North Carolina. In his talk on December 12, he will discuss a wide range of topics from 20 years of exploring his home state’s biodiversity including his adventures photographing sharks off the NC coast, snorkeling with hellbenders in mountain streams, and photographing fox squirrels near his childhood home. To see more of his work please visit www.ToddPusser.com.
Tales from an Insect Diagnostician – The Good, the Bad and the Wacky
Dr. Matt Bertone, North Carolina State University
SECU Daily Planet Theater, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Research Center
Wednesday, December 5th, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
What’s a workday like for a “pest detective?” Join Dr. Matt Bertone, entomologist with N.C. State University’s Plant Disease and Insect Clinic, as he shares some of the intriguing and entertaining questions and cases he’s fielded while helping farmers, gardeners and homeowners with their arthropod mysteries.
The Oyster Reef Chorus – Using Estuarine Soundscapes to Assess Habitat Health of NC Oyster Reefs
Fins, Flukes and Photos - Using Photo Identification on Cetaceans
There are over 80 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises around the world and with those species come many scientific questions. Photo identification is one way that these animals are studied in a non-invasive manner. When these marine mammals come up to breath we take photos of their dorsal fins and flukes to identify them. That information can then be used to answer questions about population counts, habitat associations, group associations, and much more.
More than A Green Space - The Camden Street Learning Garden Story
Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Parasites that Create Zombies
Looking Again – Discovering Natural History in the N.C. Museum of History’s “Look Again” Photo Exhibit
Barred, Barn, Great Horned and Screech (and sometimes Snowy) - Owls of North Carolina
Owls are known as symbols of wisdom and magic. Gain some wisdom about our local owl species, and discover the magic behind their unique adaptations and natural histories. Did you know that great-horned owls prey on other owls? Which North Carolina owl species is declining in northern states? Get the answers to these questions and many more!
Backyard Composting
Have a compost bin that not's doing what you expected? Want to start composting but don't know how? Learn how to successfully compost food scraps, yard debris, and 100 more items. Rhonda Sherman’s areas of expertise are vermicomposting, composting, recycling and waste reduction. She gives about 40 presentations annually and has authored over 65 publications on these topics. Considered a leading authority on vermicomposting, Rhonda has received inquiries from people in 110 countries and taught composting and vermicomposting in Guyana, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Chile, and throughout the United States.
Trinidad and Tobago - Adventures in Tropical Herping
Creating a "Community of Compost" with CompostNow
and builds healthy soil with local collection service, CompostNow!
Not at All That Far-Fetched - The Amazing Dogs of Allison Woods
Not at All That Far-Fetched - The Amazing Dogs of Allison Woods
Paige Jackson, Education Director, Allison Woods Outdoor Learning Center
SECU Daily Planet Theater, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences’ Nature Research Center
Wednesday, August 22, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Learn more about Allison Woods Outdoor Learning Center and see a demonstration of one of their amazing dogs in action! The “Turtle Dogs” of Allison Woods Outdoor Learning Center work with instructors to educate students about North Carolina’s official state reptile, the Eastern Box Turtle. These dogs are specifically bred and trained to aid in research and field studies of turtles (endangered and threatened species) and to retrieve them, bringing them to their handlers unharmed for documentation. The dogs are used in both research and field trip programs and are recognized nationwide by conservationists and preservationists alike. Seen on Animal Planet’s Dogs 101, PBS, UNC-TV and numerous magazines including an upcoming issue of Field and Family, they are a one of a kind program that students and adults love!
The Milky Way - Our Home Galaxy
The Milky Way - Our Home Galaxy
August 8, 2018, SECU Daily Planet Theater, NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Dr. Patrick Treuthardt briefly discusses the history of how we "discovered" the Milky Way and our place in it. He explores our galaxy's structure, supermassive black hole, dark matter halo, origin, and eventual fate.
A Garden for Life, Patrick McMillan, South Carolina Botanical Garden
A Garden for Life, Patrick McMillan, South Carolina Botanical Garden
NC Museum of Natural Sciences Nature Research Center, July 31, 2018
As director of the South Carolina Botanical Garden, Emmy-Award-winning television host and naturalist Patrick McMillan sees the role of public garden as a place to encourage people to maintain their own beautiful spaces in a sustainable way. Patrick shares how the modern garden is being transformed into habitats for pollinators and wildlife, and provides lessons on increasing the diversity of life in your own garden.
Environmental Justice - Dismantling Inequity and Enabling Sustainability Where We Live, Work and Play
SECU Daily Planet Theater, N.C. Museum of Natural Resources’ Nature Research Center
Wednesday, July 25, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Hop, Slither and Crawl into Action! The Role of Citizen Science in Conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians
Hop, Slither and Crawl into Action! The Role of Citizen Science in Conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians
July 18, 2018. SECU Daily Planet Theater
Jeff Hall, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Biologist, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
Citizen science projects have taken the opportunity to capitalize on the popularity of social media and have become important tools for collecting species data. Although citizen science is more common within the birding community with projects such as the Christmas Bird Count and e-Bird, fewer projects have focused on amphibians and reptiles. Recently, however, there has been an increase in herp-related citizen science projects, such as HerpMapper, iNaturalist, and the Terrapin Tally. Join us Wednesday at noon as we discuss these projects and explore the data obtained through them. We will also examine the value of some longer-running citizen science projects such as the Carolina Herp Atlas and the North Carolina Calling Amphibian Survey Program.
Sea Turtles Dig the Dark - The Use of Drones to Monitor Light Pollution on NC Beaches
Sea Turtles Dig the Dark - The Use of Drones to Monitor Light Pollution on NC Beaches
Anna Windle explains what her research has discovered about light pollution and the nesting behavior of sea turtles! Artificial nighttime light has detrimental impacts on nesting sea turtles and sea turtle hatchlings. Nesting sea turtles appear to avoid brightly lit beaches and can turn back to sea prematurely when exposed to artificial light. Sea turtle hatchlings often travel towards bright artificial lights instead of reaching the ocean. Light pollution has been quantified using a variety of methods; however, it has proven challenging to make accurate measurements of ambient light at fine scales and on smaller nesting beaches. Using an autonomous terrestrial rover, high-resolution light measurements were collected from a sea turtle’s perspective and analysis showed significantly different nesting densities in different areas of the beaches from varying light levels.
Afrofuturism, Black Panther and Environmental Science
Afrofuturism, Black Panther and Environmental Science
The movement and aesthetic of Afrofuturism has been defined by many and operates around science-fictional identity and visioning. We will journey into some of its realms in music, film, literature, visual art and environmental science. Starting with film and the now popular cinematic "Black Panther," this informative lecture will leave you in awe. Darrell Stover, North Carolina State University.
North Carolina's Estuarine Sharks: Habitat and Movement Ecology of Top Predators in the Sounds
North Carolina's Estuarine Sharks: Habitat and Movement Ecology of Top Predators in the Sounds
Lunchtime Discovery Series, March 21, 2018
Sharks are often thought of as creatures of the open ocean or the coast, but many species regularly visit or spend a large portion of their lives in estuaries. Hosting the second-largest estuarine ecosystem in the continental United States, North Carolina provides ample habitat for a variety of shark species. However, dependence on estuarine habitats also puts sharks in close proximity to humans. Dr. Charles Bangley introduces us to the shark community of North Carolina’s sounds and shows how scientific surveys and tagging technology might help us coexist with these important predators.
NC Aquariums: Collective Action for Sea Turtle Conservation
NC Aquariums: Collective Action for Sea Turtle Conservation
Lunchtime Discovery Series, March 14, 2018
The North Carolina Aquariums, with support from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have a long history of sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, release and conservation education. Hap Fatzinger, Director of the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores highlights how sea turtles are being saved from extinction through collaborations with their conservation partners.
The Rise and Fall of the Industrial Oyster, Dr. Matthew Booker, NCSU
The Rise and Fall of the Industrial Oyster, Dr. Matthew Booker, NCSU
Lunchtime Discovery Series, January 24, 2018
Dr. Matthew Booker uses the intertwined histories of humans and shellfish to explore changes in American eating habits, urbanization, and a shift towards industrial agriculture that’s been going on since the mid-19th century. Most people encountered modern life through their food and drink, both of which became the focus of consumer fear and governmental regulation. This talk will use a forgotten urban staple, oysters, to explore the risks of industrialization and the profound consequences of environmental protections in the early twentieth century.
Following Sharks, Chris Fischer, OCEARCH
Following Sharks, Chris Fischer, OCEARCH
NC Museum of Natural Sciences' Science Cafe, January 26, 2017
What kind of sharks live along the North Carolina coast? Where and when do these sharks travel near our state? Join us to learn about the research being conducted by OCEARCH, an organization generating critical scientific data related to tracking (telemetry) and biological studies of keystone marine species such as great white and tiger sharks. Our speaker will introduce us to the Global Shark Tracker, which allows the public to track and learn about sharks in near real time for free. This science cafe is brought to us through a partnership with the Department of Environmental Quality and the NC Aquariums.
Meanders Through Time - Rivers in Art and History
Meanders Through Time - Rivers in Art and History
Steve Bevington, Division of Land and Water Stewardship, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
The Amazon River? The Deep? The Eno or the Colorado or the Yangtze? Perhaps the Yukon, Limpopo or the Seine? Which rivers have wound their way into your heart? Steve Bevington will explore rivers as they meander out of ancient hills through our shared experiences and into the sea.
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences' Videos
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has a wealth of videos of their Science Cafes, LIVE feeds, and special events can be used to enhance your curriculum. These are archived on their Facebook page.
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