Have you ever seen a Turtle Run?  Well, everyone had a chance to see one last Sunday afternoon, April 25th, when the First Annual Turtle Run, as a wrap-up to Earth Week, got underway at the Bray Hollow Conservancy.  This first-ever event was put on by Love A Sea Turtle and A Time for Science with additional Sponsors being Joe Van Gogh Coffee, Oceana, Rum Runners Dive Shop, Nooherooka Natural, and Drs. Davila & Velazques.  Also, a special thanks to Domino’s Pizza for some pizza!

Though somewhat threatening, the weather in southern Pitt County cooperated and a wonderful crowd assembled to visit the Nature and Science Center’s new facilities, to tour the Conservancy lands, to learn about local agricultural products and “green” activities.  Most importantly, however, was to participate in a 5-K run and/or a Nature Walk – on the nature trails (where the deer run) throughout the Conservancy.   The event  took place  in order to raise money for the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island.

Pictorial highlights from the day are presented which demonstrate that runners and observers alike had a great time.  Thanks to all our volunteers and congratulations to all the winners:

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Earth Week Turtle Run 2010

Another small but enthusiastic group (some from as far away as Pennsylvania) met Dr. David Chalcraft at the Visitor/Education Center for the first ever A Time for Science Frog Walk on April 21 as part of our Earth Week Activities.  Unfortunately, though normally quite boisterous, most of the “guests of honor” failed to return their RSVP and decided to boycott their own party.  Although the call of only a few frogs were heard later in the evening and only a couple presented themselves for viewing.  Dr Chalcraft, ever the knowledgeable and talented ecologist, immediately went into “Plan B” mode.  An excellent, engaging, and informative program with a very “hands-on” examination of the macro invertebrates inhabiting the ponds at Bray Hollow Conservancy was presented.  A variety of larvae, nymphs, and other creatures were captured, described, displayed, to the attendees then returned to their residences that they might swim/crawl/fly another day.  Check out the pictures below of the night’s events.

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Earth Week Frog Walk 2010

Success can be measured in many different ways.  Though small in number, an enthusiastic group was lead by Melissa Myers (Environmental Education Coordinator at Cool Springs Environmental Education Center) during the A Time for Science Earth Week Bird Walk on April 19.  On a nearly perfect spring morning the group grabbed glimpses of and listened to a pileated woodpecker, a Great blue heron, an egret, a clutch of newly hatched Canada goslings, Cardinals, a Vireo, a variety of sparrows and many others.  In addition to birding, the group had an opportunity to view a number of other sights of wildlife such as animal tracks, a beaver dam which had been “restored’ from a breaching only the day before, wild flowers, berries, and trees newly leafed trees of all types.  A few pictures of our walk are below.

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Earth Week Bird Walk 2010

It’s amazing what a difference 40 short years can make.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

from
A Time for Science
with
A  few  images from Bray Hollow Nature Conservancy

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Earth Day 2010

Our dear Executive Director John Bray took some photos of Venus and Mercury on April 9th, 2010.  Below you can see a bright Venus in the upper left and slightly dimmer Mercury to it’s bottom right as they set on the horizon right after sunset, around 7:40 pm.  The last picture shows them low on the horizon, you can see the reflection of both planets in the pond below (Eli ’s Pond).  Note: Click a picture to expand and play the slide-show.  If you move the mouse cursor off the picture, the “controls” will disappear.

Venus and Mercury

Toot! Toot!

On February 28th in our posting here, we congratulated all of the winners at the District 1 and 2 North Carolina Student Academy of Science and at the Northeast Regional North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair.  They did an excellent job!  However, now that look back on those winners, we realized that all but one of the various winners from Districts 1 and 2 were either advised by or mentored by A Time for Science.

Of course we are proud of the students, but we are also excited that we could be a small part of their success and we look forward to future science fairs.