(Raleigh)—Nature never sleeps, so the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will open its new wing, the Nature Research Center (NRC), with a 24-hour grand opening beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 20. This celebration is expected to attract 50,000 visitors and capture global imagination, national recognition and local attention, while maintaining a commitment to environmental sustainability. The 80,000-square-foot expansion includes several green features including LED lights from CREE, a green roof to reduce runoff, water collection in cisterns and photovoltaic panels. Invitees include Governor Beverly Perdue, Legislative leaders, NRC supporters, visionaries in sustainability, and “rock stars” in science like Mark Moffett, Jane Goodall and Paul Rose. To prepare for the grand opening of the new wing, the Museum will be closed Sunday, April 8 through 5 p.m. April 20.

A dazzling display of lights, roving street performers, musicians and internationally known scientists will greet visitors as we publicly throw the doors open to the Nature Research Center unlocking “how we know what we know” to the public, who will discover science in a whole new dimension.

Education will play a starring role in all activities – from global town halls in the SECU Daily Planet on diverse topics such as health, sustainability and forestry – to programming about leading edge research before visitors enter. Of course, once inside, visitors will be immersed in interactive science and technology exhibits and have the opportunity to perform science activities in our investigate labs and explore research collections in our high-tech Naturalist Center with interactive touch tables. They will even experience what it feels like to ride inside a submersible 2,000 feet below the ocean’s surface and predict the weather in the WRAL Storm Central exhibit.

4 p.m. Pre-show and Procession

Friday, April 20

Visitors can listen to the smooth sounds of the Shaw University Jazz Band directed by Charles Brown beginning at 4 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., a procession from the Governor’s mansion begins with dancers from the African-American Dance Ensemble, the Paperhand Puppets and International Focus of Raleigh, 25 local international groups dressed in native costumes, led by Sir Walter Raleigh.

5 p.m. Opening Ceremony

Actor Ira David Wood III and Chuck Davis, founder of the African-American Dance Ensemble, will officiate the opening ceremony. Waters collected from rivers, oceans and lakes around the world will be brought to the stage to symbolize the global nature of the Nature Research Center and acknowledge the life-giving waters of planet Earth. Specially commissioned vessels created by Seagrove clay artists and a single large pottery font created by Mark Hewitt will be used to connect culture with nature during the ceremony.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the doors of the Nature Research Center will open with the cutting of a native plant and flower bower across the doors of the new wing. Following the opening ceremony the Nature Research Center will be open for tours around the clock. Walk-throughs will continue through the evening, overnight hours and into the next day until 4 pm on Saturday, April 21. The entrance will be through the main doors on Jones Street with visitors exiting over the skyway bridge that crosses Salisbury Street into the main Museum building. Exhibit areas will be open and staffed to provide an interactive experience and an array of activities to enjoy. The 24-hour celebration concludes at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 21 with a citizen science charge led by Dr. “Canopy” Meg Lowman, Director of the Nature Research Center inviting visitors to personally engage with science by connecting to one of a myriad of citizen science opportunities.

NRC Highlights

SECU Daily Planet

The SECU Daily Planet is a three-story multimedia program area that employs unique audio and visual technologies. Visitors can view images of the natural world from 40 by 40 foot screen from all three stories. They can also listen to presentations from researchers as they talk about their current research.

Exploring the Deep Sea

Visitors can get inside a model submersible and take a virtual tour 2,000 feet below the ocean’s surface and hear about scientists talk about their research on deep-water corals.

Window on Animal Health

Visitors can watch and interact with scientists, veterinarians and pre-veterinary students conducting animal handling, animal checkups and minor surgeries. There will be an audio and visual component to this lab which gives the public opportunities to ask questions, meet the veterinary services staff and learn about veterinary medicine. An example of this is a recent exploratory surgery to remove a mass from a Gecko.

Investigate Labs

There will be three Investigate Labs (Biodiversity, Science Modeling, Micro-world) where visitors can work alongside scientists in hands-on research.

Meet the Scientist

Visitors will also have the opportunity to talk to researchers in special areas around the NRC as these scientists conduct research on climate change, population movements around the globe, meteorites or looking into deep space.

Citizen Science Center

Visitors can learn how to become a citizen scientist on a number of very interesting projects like bird-banding, observing chimpanzee behavior, or the “School of Ants” project that identifies thousands of unknown ant species in and around North Carolina.

Daily Planet Café

Visitors can eat, relax and engage in conversation at the NRC’s street-side café and talk to scientists in an informal setting about their area of research. In many ways this café will be like a sports bar for science.

WRAL Researching Weather Platform

This exhibit uses real artifacts, instruments and data to research and predict weather. An interactive area will let visitors see how rockets, weather balloons, thermometers and wind/water gauges to provide a glimpse of what real-time weather is like in several different locations throughout the western hemisphere as well as access to these locations via a webcam.

WRAL Storm Central

Visitors can track a hurricane or predict tomorrow’s weather and compare their prediction to WRAL Meteorologist, Greg Fishel’s based on information from the National Weather Service, maps, and Doppler radar technology. They can even determine how cloudy it will be, if the wind will be blowing, or whether there will be any precipitation.

Prairie Ridge

There will be activities at the Museum’s field station, Prairie Ridge Ecostation, during the 24-hour grand opening of the NRC. Family-friendly outdoor citizen science projects will be held on the hour on Friday, April 20 from 8 to 11 p.m. (frog calls and moths) and on Saturday, April 21 from 7 to 10 a.m. (bird banding) and noon to 3 p.m. (reptiles & amphibians and bird nests). Prairie Ridge Ecostation is located at 4301 Reedy Creek Road in Raleigh.

Partners

Burt’s Bees—April 20 is also Earth Day, so once again, the Museum has partnered with Burt’s Bees to present Planet Earth Celebration in conjunction with our 24-hour opening. This is the fourth year that the Museum has joined forces with Burt’s Bees to put on this earth-friendly celebration and provide awareness and education to the public about more sustainable living. The Burt’s Bees Tent sale will also be on site at the 24-hour opening providing 70 percent off many of their all natural health and beauty products.

NASA—Visitors can hear from retired astronaut, Dr. John Grunsfeld at the opening ceremony. Grunsfeld logged over 58 days in space on five shuttle missions, including 58 hours and 30 minutes of spacewalk time. He also visited Hubble three times, performing a total of eight spacewalks to service and upgrade the observatory. Currently, Dr. Grunsfeld is the Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. He now oversees all planetary missions as well as the Hubble and (future) Webb telescopes. The Museum is pleased to pleased to partner with NASA for the 24-hour grand opening continuing a more than decade long relationship.

North Carolina Science Festival—The grand opening of the Nature Research Center is a signature event of the North Carolina Science Festival. The annual Triangle Science and Engineering Expo features hands-on activities and demonstrations for the science enthusiast. On April 20 from 4 to 11 p.m. at the new wing’s grand opening, you can celebrate science with more than 30 Expo exhibitors, including Triangle STEM organizations, universities and local scientists. To find more events near you, visit www.ncsciencefestival.org.

Volunteers Still Needed

Two thousand volunteers are needed to help make the Museum’s 24-hour celebration a success. To volunteer go to www.naturalsciences.org/form/NRCopening or contact Tullie Johnson at tullie.johnson@ncdenr.gov or 919.733.7450, ext. 605. For more information, contact Emelia.Cowans@ncdenr.gov or call 919-733-7450, ext. 305 or Jonathan.Pishney@ncdenr.gov or 919-733-7450, ext. 304. For a full schedule of events visit www.naturalsciences.org/programs-events/events/schedule

From prweb.com:

“Raleigh’s New World” highlights 24 Days of Deals and a Trip to the Amazon in celebration of the opening of The Nature Research Center, an innovative 80,000-square-foot wing of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. This new museum will bring research scientists and their work into the public eye. The 24-hour opening celebration begins at 5:00 p.m. on April 20, 2012.

Read the full article

The purpose of the award

The award serves to promote the study of unexplored aspects of natural history of insect pests. Due to their success in the competition with humans, these insect groups are often condemned as harmful, while their remarkable qualities and peculiarities remain unnoticed. The “Teddy Bear” ambrosia beetle, whose discovery by our team and name auctioning in 2010 by the TREE foundation made this award possible, is a prime example. These wood boring Ambrosia beetles are becoming synonymous with tree death and destruction. Yet the vast majority of the 7,500 species are not pests; instead, they are fascinating organisms, ranging from cute to bizarre, living extraordinary lifestyles, and barely known to humans. The same discrepancy holds for many other insect groups. The main purpose of the award is to foster communication between fundamental and applied young entomologists, and increase their appreciation for each other’s study organisms and research methods.

The award

$500 awarded annually to a single recipient

Who is eligible

University students regardless of their geographic location (must be in student status at the time of submission of the competing manuscript)

Due date

Beginning in 2012, applications are due each year by October 1st

Selection criteria and conditions

The selection committee will award $500 to the student who in the given year publishes the most interesting and inspiring research paper on insects which are usually regarded as pests. There are three conditions for consideration:

1) the work may address any aspect of insect pest systematics, diversity, ecology, and other areas, but its main focus must not be consequences of such species to humans or pest management.
2) the study must be at least “in press” in a peer-reviewed journal by the annual deadline of the award,

3) the awardee must be a student at the time of the application submission.

The award is supported by the TREE foundation in Sarasota, FL, and conferred by the Ambrosia Symbiosis Research Group (Jiri Hulcr, Rob R. Dunn, and Andrea Lucky at North Carolina State University, and Anthony I. Cognato at Michigan State University).

Send inquiries and applications to jhulcr@ncsu.edu

TREE Foundation is thrilled to announce that 2 new species of mites have been named after 2 thoughtful conservation donors, so now our new-naming fund totals $15,000! These new mites will have gorgeous illustrations forthcoming, along with their names — but for now, the specimens are residing in Russia where the world’s foremost mite expert is drawing/writing/analyzing their place in the Tree of Life! These rudimentary illustrations are just the beginning of their taxonomic pathway to the official naming process in the world of mites! Our team of scientists have many new species to describe — please contact TREE Foundation if you are interested in purchasing the name of a new species to save the forests of Ethiopia.

Become a citizen scientist! In the Summer of 2012 you can join CanopyMeg in the Amazon, uncovering the secrets of the forest canopy. Itinerary includes 8 days in the Amazon and an optional 4 days in Maccu Picchu. For more information, contact Dr. Frances Gatz (logistics coordinator) at frances@ee-link.net

PROGRAM FEATURES
“This is a non-stop workshop full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

Unique, active, and fun! This expedition is an eye-opening introduction to the environmental and cultural aspects of the Amazon Rainforest and river system in the Amazon basin of Northern Peru. The program is safe, comfortable, and accessible, offering the opportunity for many intercultural interactions, plus science and service field experiences:

• Work side-by-side with scientists on research in of one of the most biologically diverse environments on the planet.
• Ascend over 115 feet on a 1/4-mile Rainforest Canopy Walkway, one of the few of its kind in the New World.
• Interact with indigenous people and see how they use the forest for medicine, food, and shelter.
• Contribute to a Community Service Project to benefit people who live in a village along the Amazon River.
• Use hand lenses, binoculars, maps, taxonomic keys for identification, and simple field equipment with the help of our experienced Naturalist Guides to learn about:

• Insect Camouflage & Mimicry
• Neotropical Butterflies
• Rainforest Canopy Research
• Reptiles and Amphibians
• Medicinal Plants
• Orchids & Bromeliads
• Amazon River System
• Neotropical Birds & Migration

Name me! Starting at a bid of $10,000, TREE is auctioning off the naming rights for this bark beetle! These funds will go directly toward saving the last remaining fragments of forest in Ethiopia, which have an estimated 5-10 years before extinction. Join TREE Foundation in conserving global forests, starting now! Present the unique holiday gift — a forever-legacy of naming an insect after your loved one or company! And there will be more to come, as we uncover new species in the church forests of Ethiopia and elsewhere.

UPDATE 12/28/2011: The naming opportunity for our new species of bark beetle (Cyclorhipidion “Your Name Here”) was “sold” for a five-figure sum to a couple who believe strongly in global forest conversation efforts.

Thanks to them, the remaining forests of Ethiopia will gain new expanses of stone walls to safeguard all the ecosystem services derived from these forests: native seed sources, honey medicines, freshwater springs, shade, soil conservation, biodiversity, spiritual sanctuary for millions of Christian Orthodox or Coptic followers in Ethiopia.

Stay tuned, as TREE Foundation works with entomologists around the world to process our collections, earmark the new species, and “auction” the naming rights in exchange for saving critical habitat.

A big TREE-hug to: Betsy Cole for drawing the beetle, Jiri Hulcr for his classification efforts, and Andrea Lucky for finding it!

UPDATE 2/10/2012: New image of the Bark Beetle below (click for larger image):

TREE partner Young Voices for the Planet is launching their video in Raleigh NC on October13. YVP is headed up by famous children’s environmental author. TREE’s executive director, Meg Lowman, serves on the YVP board of directors.

Press Release:

Eco-Author Lynne Cherry Launches Young Voices for the Planet DVD at NAAEE Conference in Raleigh, NC Oct. 12-15

Lynne Cherry, best-selling author and illustrator of such children’s classics as The Great Kapok Tree and A River Ran Wild, has produced and directed eight short documentary films which show that kids have the power to bring about change. Cherry is releasing a DVD of the films, Young Voices for the Planet, at the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) conference in Raleigh, NC, October 12-15, 2011. Films showcase the power of youth speaking out, creating solutions, leading the change.

Read the full press release

Go to http://www.churchforest.com to find out how you can help get this film made.

A portion of all money raised for this film will be used for stone walls around the forests, local labor, hygiene installations to insure that the church biodiversity has appropriate stewardship, gates, and a truly sustainable approach.

DESCRIPTION:
The Ethiopia of ancient times was verdant, flourishing country, frequented by the Egyptians and Romans for its natural resources and for the knowledge of its inhabitants. Ethiopia was also one of the earliest countries to adopt Christianity as its national religion, and in 500 AD Coptic churches sprouted up among the woodland.

Modern-day Ethiopia has been largely deforested for agricultural needs and to harvest building materials. When looking at Ethiopia from an aerial vantage point, however, one can make out thousands of tiny, wooded sanctuaries amidst the sprawling, arid farmlands – vestiges of the ancient Ethiopian forest. In the center of each one of these green oases lies a church.

These Ethiopian Othodox Christian churches take it as one of their fundamental tenets to preserve these ‘church forests,’ and the parishioners consider them to be reconstructions of the Garden of Eden. Some of these churches, and likewise the sacred forests that surround them, are 1500 years old. These sites are of enormous cultural and historical significance and also play a key role in the ecology of Ethiopia – as food sources, water cycling sources, seed banks, and sole habitats for the majority of the entire region’s biodiversity. However, these church forests are rapidly disappearing, with some estimates predicting that they will vanish entirely within 5 years.

Enter Meg Lowman, affectionately called the mother of canopy research as one of the first scientists to explore this “eighth continent.” For 30 years, she has designed hot-air balloons and walkways for treetop exploration to solve the mysteries of the world’s forests. She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and her first book, “Life in the Treetops,” received a cover review in the New York Times Sunday Book Review.

This January, Meg will lead a team of researchers and conservationists to Ethiopia on a mission to work hand in hand with the local priests and parishioners to create and enact simple sustainable measures to forever preserve these sacred cultural and environmental havens. We will document the places, the people who live there, and the visitors who have come to help. This film will raise awareness about the church forests, the plight they are in, as well as highlight an unlikely story of collaboration between scientific and religious communities.

PROGRAM FEATURES
“This is a non-stop workshop full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

Unique, active, and fun! This expedition is an eye-opening introduction to the environmental and cultural aspects of the Amazon Rainforest and river system in the Amazon basin of Northern Peru. The program is safe, comfortable, and accessible, offering the opportunity for many intercultural interactions, plus science and service field experiences:

• Work side-by-side with scientists on research in of one of the most biologically diverse environments on the planet.
• Ascend over 115 feet on a 1/4-mile Rainforest Canopy Walkway, one of the few of its kind in the New World.
• Interact with indigenous people and see how they use the forest for medicine, food, and shelter.
• Contribute to a Community Service Project to benefit people who live in a village along the Amazon River.
• Use hand lenses, binoculars, maps, taxonomic keys for identification, and simple field equipment with the help of our experienced Naturalist Guides to learn about:
  • Insect Camouflage & Mimicry
  • Neotropical Butterflies
  • Rainforest Canopy Research
  • Reptiles and Amphibians
  • Medicinal Plants
  • Orchids & Bromeliads
  • Amazon River System
  • Neotropical Birds & Migration

About Worku Mulat

Worku Mulat has been an associate professor of applied ecology at Jimma University in Ethiopia and currently lives in Dallas, TX. He holds a PhD from University College Cork in Ireland, an MSc from Gent University in Belgium, and a BSc from Asmara University in Eritrea. Worku has co-edited a book on Water Resources Management in Ethiopia: implications for the Nile basin and has written a book chapter on water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia. He also published articles in the Malaria Journal, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Ecological Indicators, and Bioresource Technology. He also initiated a partnership between Gent University and Jimma University to study the impacts of the Gilgel Gibe I Hydroelectric Dam in Ethiopia.