Astrobiology Symposium: ECU Research and Creative Achievement Week

Date: Thursday, April 8th
Time: 4:00-7:00  pm
Location: East Carolina Univeristy
Building: Mendenhall, Room 244
See a Google Map here, otherwise check out the ECU Campus map here (Building 55)

For addition information, please contact Matt Schrenk, schrenkm@ecu.edu

4:00-5:00 pm: Keynote Speaker

Dr. George Cody, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, D.C.
“Mineral Catalysis and the Origins of Life”

5:00-5:20 pm: Dr. John Rummel, ECU-ICSP
“What is Astrobiology?”

5:20-5:40 pm: Dr. Matt Schrenk, ECU-Biology
“Astrobiology at ECU”

5:40-6:00 pm: Lauren P. Polli, ECU
“Astrobiology and the Undergraduate Biology Major”

6:00-7:00 pm: Poster Session
Astrobiology Research, Education and Outreach

*light refreshments provided

See the flyer here.

Sponsored by Sigma Xi and NASA

All of us at A Time for Science pass on our congratulations to the many winners at both the State science competitions this weekend.  Fifteen of our District I NC Student Academy of Science winners of last month went on to win awards at the NCSAS competitions in Durham this past Friday (3/26/2010).  Fourteen of our Northeast Region NC Science and Engineering Fair winners of last month went on to take prizes at the NCSEF competition in Raleigh the next day.  We invite you to look over the impressive rosters of awards, prizes and honors and then let’s give all of our budding scientists and engineers a “thumbs-up,” a “high-five,” and a “yeah baby!”  We are all so proud of your accomplishments.  The entire list can be viewed here.

John T. Bray, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Love A Sea Turtle and A Time for Science want to create awareness for the ocean and its creatures.  Our actions on land create reactions in the ocean.  Monies raise  during this 5K Run or Nature Walk will be donated to The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Island.  This event will be the Grand Finale for Earth Week Celebration!

Date:  Sunday, April 25th
Time: Registration at Noon, 5K starts at 2 pm
Race Type: Trail Running
Location: A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center, see our directions.

Check out some of the pictures here to see the area.

Click here for the flyer to register.  Pre-register by April 15 to be entered for a special prize!

Return forms with check to:

ECO
105 Bishop Dr.
Winterville, NC  28590

Noon-5 pm: Farmers Market, Science and Nature Exhibits and Activities

(Added, 4/28/2010) We had a great time at this event. 
See our report on this activity here.

Starting small, A Time for Science will be offering the following summer science camp for middle grades, grades 6 to 8, youth this summer.  We are able to accept only 12 applicants into these first offerings so acceptance will be based on a first-come-first-serve basis, see our registration form here.  Once the cams is full, it will be noted below.  This posting will be updated as needed.  A few details:

Biodiversity – My Favorite Place

July 12 – July 16
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Grades 6 – 8 ( Limit of 12 participants)
$235 ($215 for additional siblings)
Registration Form
Information Flyer

A one-week, full-day camp for middle-school students combining the fun of observing nature in its vast diversity with the fun of digital photography.  After an orientation on what to look for and after choosing his/her “Favorite Place” among the many habitats on the Bray Hollow Nature Conservancy, the participant will visit that location every morning to look for, identify, describe, and record – through digital photography and/or other artistic media – the varied plant and animal life they encounter at their “Favorite Place.”  Afternoons will be spent in learning to electronically manipulate the images captured in each morning’s walk and to prepare various artistic renderings of the biodiversity observed at the Nature Center.  On completion of the camp, a special showing of the participants’ work will follow at the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge then the young Scientist-Artist’s work will be available for take-home.

News Notes from the Director

It’s about time to update folks on what’s been happening.  We apologize for not getting to this earlier but to say that the last five weeks have been a whirlwind of activity would not be an exaggeration at all.  The following offers some insight into these many activities and we hope it will inspire you to join in the efforts of our many existing volunteers and supporters by also signing on as supporters and volunteers.  Thanks to all.

John T. Bray, Ph.D.
Executive Director

San Diego AAAS Meetings
Congratulations again to last year’s local North Carolina Student Academy of Science winners.  Here are a few pictures from their recent trip to San Diego (February 16 -21) to attend the annual meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the premier scientific organizations in the nation.

Mini -Summit on Tourism
After the Valentines weekend things started happening.  On Tuesday, February 16 ATFS attended the Second Annual Mini-Summit on Tourism put on by North Carolina Eastern Region Development Agency.  It brought together development and tourism interests from around the thirteen-county Eastern Region to focus on eco- and sustainable tourism.  Many good contacts were made.

Art of Collaboration
On Thursday, February 18 we met at the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge with Director Holly Garriott and a committee of educators to begin work on developing a project/program intended to bring together art teachers and science teachers in a collaborative environment to present to students a single project involving art and science.  We look forward to participating in this exciting endeavor and to working with all of the creative art and science teachers involved.

Sierra Club Outing
On Sunday February 21 the North Carolina Chapter, Cypress Group, of the Sierra Club spent a sunny afternoon touring the Bray Hollow Conservation Easement and the A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center.  Nancy Bray kept the participants “trucking on” for nearly four hours “experiencing” the natural beauty of the area while Tom Fink (ECU Biology) provided the “learning” component as he showed the participants how to identify trees and shrubs in their winter mode, without the benefit of leaf identifiers.  See the report and pictures here.

Home Pride Garden Club
On Thursday evening February 25 we met with the members of the Home Pride Garden Club at the home of Mrs. Betty Yancy in Brook Valley.  These wonderful women were very interested in what was taking place at the Nature and Science Learning and with our work at the Boys and Girls Club of Ayden and we thank them for their interest and support.

Envirothon Training Session
Under the direction of Bryan Evans, Director Pitt County Soil and Water Conservation District, middle school teams from the area conducted their Envirothon training sessions on a cold and blustery February 26 at the A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center.  Check out the pictures here.  A variety of environmental topics for which the teams will be challenged in competitions were covered by volunteers from various environmentally associated groups.  We wish them all good luck in their challenges.

Science Fair and Student Academy of Science
Saturday February 27 was a red-letter-day for student scientists in the area as both the Region 1 Science Fair and the Districts 1 and 2 North Carolina Student Academy of Sciences held their competitions on the campus of East Carolina University.  Dr. Heather Vance-Chalcraft (ECU Biology) and Nancy Bray co-directed the NCSAS competitions in the afternoon.  Best of luck to all the regional and district winners as they move on to the State competitions Friday March 26 for NC Student Academy of Sciences and Saturday March 27 for NC Science and Engineering Fair.

Additional Acreage
On Wednesday March 3 Bray Hollow, LLC closed on an additional 133 +/- acres which is slated to become another conservation easement and to be added to the total nature reserve.  This portion is to be entitled the “Margaret and Jack Glaser Conservation Easement” in honor of Nancy Bray’s mother and father.  Note in the aerial image that black outlines the Pitt County Environmental Education Center, red outlines the Bray Hollow Conservation Easement, and yellow outlines the newly acquired acreage.  Together the total acreage serving the A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center is over 250 acres.

NC Association of Environmental Education Centers
On Thursday and Friday March 4 and 5 A Time for Science attended the Spring membership meeting of the North Carolina Association of Environmental Education Centers (NCAEEC) at the Agape Center for Environmental Education in Fuquay-Varina. In addition to the fun of a traditional campfire activity there were several excellent workshop sessions from which we brought home a wealth of excellent information and activities to incorporate into the A Time for Science Visitor and Learning Center.  See our pictures of this event here.

Carolina Skies Astronomy Club
On Monday March 8 A Time for Science met with the membership of the Carolina Skies Astronomy Club and formalized a working relationship and agreement to partner with each other in order to achieve our respective goals of furthering the experience of nature and the learning of science in our community.

Pitt Golden K Club
Thanks to an invitation from Dr. Paul Tschetter, on Wednesday March 10 A Time for Science presented at the Pitt Golden K Club meeting at the Brook Valley Country Club.  Again we received a lot of interest and expressions of support, which spurs all of us at A Time for Science to continue our efforts.

Mini-Mini Summit on Tourism

As a follow-up to the Mini-Summit on Tourism held at the Hilton Hotel and organized by Wanda Yuhas, Executive Director of the Pitt County Development Commission, a Mini-Mini Summit was held at the A Time for Science visitor, meeting and learning facilities.  This meeting brought together representatives of economic development and tourism interests from Pitt, Lenoir, and Greene Counties, as well as representatives from North Carolina’s Eastern Region, NC Department of Commerce, East Carolina University and others.  It gave an excellent opportunity for folks to meet and communicate on a more intimate, less formal, and more personal basis.

The Oakwood School Family Science Night
On Thursday evening March 18 A Time for Science was able to set up a display of science related activity at the annual Oakwood School Family Science Night.  While introducing visitors to A Time for Science and debuting the marketing of our Summer Science Camp offerings, the theme of our science activities was “The Science of Old-Time Hand-Made Toys.”   See our pictures here.  After viewing and handling them, visitors to the booth were challenged to explain the science behind such old fashioned toys as a “Cartesian Diver,” a mountain “Whammydiddle,” a tightrope balancing toy, a “Climbing Critter” and others.  The take-home trinket for each was their very own “Humdinger,” complete with an ATFS logo.  It was obvious that the children (and parents) were giving the challenge a lot of thought as well as having considerable fun making things work.  Consequently, we feel we were successful in meeting our goal of “Doing Science and Having Fun.”

Equinox Party
A perfect spring Saturday evening March 20 saw the first “Spring Equinox Party” at the A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center.  Attendees were greeted with the public’s first chance to see the newly opened visitor, meeting and learning facilities.  Here they were able to register their name to be placed on an electronic chip which will be aboard the next Mars mission to be launched next year.  After a short walk to the star viewing area, down one of the many trails, the over 100 participants were able to choose from a dozen telescopes provided by the Carolina Skies Astronomy Club and other friends of ATFS to see the glories of the night sky.  We saw Venus setting, Saturn rising, Mars overhead, the Crescent Moon with a spectacular “Earthshine” as it passed in front of several of the stars in the Pleiades, as well as several nebulae and galaxies.  An unexpected spectacle was a fabulous view of the International Space Station as it traversed the sky just after sunset.  Thanks to the students of D. H. Conley High School who generously volunteered their time to supervise and direct both auto and foot traffic so that everyone could get to where they wanted in a safe and efficient manner.  You can find a few pictures of night here.  We also got some News coverage from this event, check out the Greenville Channel 9 (CBS) website here.

Citizen Scientist and Outreach Activities
All during these weeks several training sessions for the “Globe at Night” light pollution study for NASA were presented at a couple schools and at the Center and observations were conducted between March 3 – 16.  Check out the data gathered in our region at the Globe at Night 2010 website.  Finally, work on the “Edible Landscape” community garden project (“Growing Food for and by Growing Bodies”) being initiated with the children at the Boys and Girls Club of Ayden continued to progress.  Final approval was given by the Town of Ayden last Thursday and our group of volunteer Master Gardeners and Educators are ready to jump into action.

Future Happenings

Earth Week
Keep an eye out for a week of activities immediately surrounding Earth Week April 18 – 25.  So far and evening “Frog Walk” is planned for Wednesday April 21 to be conducted by Dr. David Chalcraft (ECU Biology) who is an amphibian specialist.  The “vision and voices” of the many frogs present around the Nature Conservancy will be highlighted.  We are still attempting to arrange a morning “Bird Walk” sometime that week.  Earth Week activities will be capped-off on Sunday April 25 with a 5-K Run and Nature Walk to raise money for L.A.S.T. (Love A Sea Turtle) will take place.  The money will be donated to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation on Topsail Island.  See the accompanying flyer for more details.  Additional information on these events will be posted on our website at later dates.