A Long Look Back and a Quick Look Forward
The Executive Director’s Overview of 2011 and Projections for 2012

So many “firsts” as well as “continuations” and so many successes made 2011 an extremely exciting year for A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center.  Looking back over our second full year of operation we find so many things to note, so many accomplishments to celebrate (I’ve listed a number  in no particular order) that with the continued committed efforts of our volunteers we are looking forward to 2012 being another “banner” year for ATFS.

To start with, Second Saturday Family Fun Days (SSFFD) comes to mind.  On trial as an activity in 2010, SSFFD seemed to establish itself as a regular monthly feature for the Center.  Following a pattern of an exploration of Nature appropriate to the season followed by a related craft or art project it offers a chance for families to share some time connecting to the natural world as well as having some fun time together. Our growing association and relationship with regional Scouting got off to a great start early in the year with the Girl Scouts of Troop 274 setting the precedent with the first ever “indoor campout” held at the Nature and Science Learning Center.  It was the “best of both possible worlds” since the Center’s location “out in the country” and unique offering of a variety of natural habitats offered the girls the chance to get outside and explore Nature and to earn merit badges, which are often times limited to camping activities, while allowing them to pitch their sleeping bags in the Center’s “Great Room,” just upstairs from full kitchen and bath facilities, and even the chance to order pizza delivery if they so desired.  Other such fun-filled afternoon and overnighters for several Girl Scout troops followed.  Boy Scouts from Troop 218 sponsored by the Bear Grass Ruritans were the first to utilize an area in the Conservancy lands for a weekend of more primitive, tent camping and after a great camp fire dinner were provided, thanks to a spectacularly clear night, with a guided tour of the night sky.  Most recently the first Eagle Scout project – wood duck boxes on several of the Conservancy ponds – was completed by Jack Kittrell of Troop 452 at Greenville First Presbyterian Church

Continuing our partnership with Pitt Community College, assisted in presenting two more in PCC’s series of day-long telescope making workshops.  The workshops proper were followed in the evening by exposure of the newly minted telescopes to the dark skies over the Conservancy and their first starlight (“First Light”) where they were appropriately adjusted for focus and alignment.  This was also in association with ATFS continuing to serve throughout the year as the observational site for PCC’s observational astronomy classes.

Speaking of Astronomy, the Carolina Skies Astronomy Club made it official this year by partnering with ATFS to make it their primary observational site for both club and public star gazing events.  CSAC joined with us to put on, in conjunction with International Astronomy Day, the First Annual Billy All Memorial Space/Astronomy Day to honor the Club’s long-time leader.  Though attendance was somewhat small it is considered a great first effort and the date will definitely be changed from ECU’s graduation weekend.  The tradition of public star gazing events on the Equinoxes and the Solstices was continued and an additional event in conjunction with International Observe the Moon Night was offered.  A couple of these events were, unfortunately, scrubbed because of bad weather conditions but with the new facilities to come we will be able to offer “Plan B” activities in the future.  More on that later.  Throughout the year ATFS continued to promulgate and promote to schools Scouts, organizations and home schools information on the Night Sky Network and the Citizen Scientist activities associated with the Globe at Night and its research into global light pollution.

Working feverishly, A Time for Science was able to get our 5-K trail run duly certified by USA Track and Field Association in time for the Second Annual Love A Sea Turtle Trail Run.  With triple the entrants over the first year’s event, money was raised to help fund, in conjunction with other monetary awards earned by L.A.S.T.’s founder Casey Sokolovic, two summer science camps for children from the Ayden Boys and Girls Club.

And oh what a success these camps were!  Working jointly, L.A.S.T. and ATFS planned and presented two week-long camps to two groups of Boys and Girls Club members from Ayden under the title “The Upstream Downstream Connection.”  Hands-on, experiential field and laboratory activities presented in an inquiry mode allowed the participants to focus on water, and various scientific, environmental and social aspects of water and water resources: how they occur and what they contain (from upstream fresh water to the ocean’s sea water), how important they are to all living creatures, and ways that they can both enjoy as well as help preserve these vital resources.  What transpired those two weeks proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, not only for the young camp participants but also for our youthful student volunteers as well as for the volunteer adult supervisors, the validity of the ATFS motto: Namely, that folks of all ages can truly learn by “Experiencing Nature,” by actually “Doing Science” and by “Having Fun” all the while.

Working with the North Carolina Center for Biodiversity at East Carolina University as sponsor, ATFS was honored to participate with a number of other organizations in Earth Day activities that brought none other than our founders’ hero, Richard Louv (Last Child in the Woods; Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder — see the “Case for Support” on the ATFS website), to Greenville for both an exciting lecture on his writings about the “strained” relationship between Nature and modern society, especially our youth, and a Saturday morning filled with activities designed to counteract this recognized problem.  This same weekend saw us celebrating the awarding by the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Center of their Outstanding 9-16 Educator Award in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education to Susan Purser, an outstanding member of our excellent board of advisors and a former teacher at D. H. Conley High School.

Working with Pitt County Schools and the More at Four Teachers as well as with the Pitt Martin/Pitt Partnership for Children, Inc. and their Smart Start program, A Time for Science developed and presented a workshop to a group of “More At Four” Teachers and one to a group of interested parents entitled “Lookiting.”  All of the activities in these workshops are designed to assist teachers and parents and in generating curiosity, in developing observational skills and in building vocabulary in pre-school aged children – all of which are not just helpful for child development and good learning but are especially beneficial in the learning and understanding of science.

The Second Annual “Pioneering Technology Day” in November (the festival that celebrates both past and recent technologies that have brought us to the 21st Century) saw an increase in the number of exhibits, vendors and participating volunteers.  Again this year it was, overall, a successful event even though attendance was a bit lighter than anticipated since more than a half a dozen other competing festivals and major events took place throughout the Pitt Greenville area that day.

ATFS’s continuing support for local science, nature, civic and community activities was further evident again this year through a wide variety of co-operative participations including:

• Our support and participation in the Blue Heron Bowl held at ECU;
• Our work with several schools, including DH Conley High School, and several home school groups in providing assistance and support for science fairs;
• Co-directing, with Heather Vance-Chalcraft of ECU Biology and assisting various groups in their participation with District One’s  North Carolina Student Academy of Science competitions;
• Hosting of Envirothon training again this year;
• Our continued support and work with the Ayden Boys and Girls Club garden project;
• Our support and work with the Pitt County Community Garden;
• Our support and hosting of a 4-H group’s entomology (bug collection) project;
• Hosting the environmental science activities for Pitt County School’s Project Focus Camp;
• Hosting and supporting several environmentally related biology class and graduate research projects (including a doctoral thesis) on conservancy lands;
• Cooperation with a variety of investigators at ECU (Biology, Nutrition, Geology) in the submission of grant applications supporting research as well as the development of academic programs and activities for undergraduate, high school and elementary school students;
• Hosting of the Ulster Project youth from Ireland and American;
• Becoming members of the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce;
• Partnering with Ayden Arts and Recreation for after school science learning programs;
• Attending the annual conference of NC Association of Environmental Education Centers.

Although Hurricane Irene wreaked its share of damage on A Time for Science in the form of a downed tree on the roof of our Center facilities and another one across the demonstration organic garden that nearly destroyed it, and more than a dozen downed trees that blocked a variety paths, trails, and facilities, we are fortunate that the total damage was relatively minor.  The “good news” in all of this is that it brought out several crews of committed volunteers from Metrics, Inc., from ECU Department of Biology graduate students and from a number of other “friends of ATFS” who did a fantastic job in clearing brush, cutting tree trunks and moving it all to create what we call “small critter habitats” — refuges and living spaces for birds and small animals.  Unfortunately, Irene did eliminate the dinner fund-raiser planned for that weekend that was to raise continuing support for additional summer science camps for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Pitt County for the 2012 season.

A major effort was initiated this past year to get the message of A Time for Science and its mission and accomplishments out to potential supporters of all types.  Presentations and appeals were made to a number of community and civic organizations, such as garden clubs, Rotary, etc., to corporate organizations and to granting agencies to raise not only awareness of our activities but also to raise funds of various kinds in support of these activities.  In this endeavor over a dozen presentations were made and over a dozen grant applications, totaling more than a quarter million dollars in requests, were submitted to a variety of foundations.  We are happy to report that Pitt County Government got the ball rolling with their contribution of a double-wide, mobile office unit which, when installation and renovation is complete in the very near future, will serve as an office/classroom building supplementing the space provided by our “little house.”  This generous gift by the County has created a cascade of interest and with assistance from our sponsoring organization, the Greater Greenville Community Foundation; responses to our grant applications and requests for corporate sponsors and partners have produced over $120,000 for the installation of infrastructure and renovation expenses.

Although we are unable to list all our supporters, major “investors” to both capital project needs as well as event and program support to date include:

• The James J. and Mamie Richardson Perkins Trust
• The Mildred Sheffield Wells Charitable Trust
• West Memorial Fund
• Pitt County Government
• Grady White Boats
• Metrics, Inc.
• North Carolina Biotechnology Center
• NC Farm Bureau Federation
• Kohl’s
• And Several Anonymous Investors

The work on the office/classroom, under the direction of Stocks and Taylor Construction, Inc., is proceeding nicely and we will be providing much more background and information about this great leap forward as we progress toward our “Grand Opening,” which is expected in a couple of months.

Of major significance to the future of A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center, a great deal of work has transpired throughout 2011 in our move to become independent of The Greater Greenville Community Foundation.  The growth of ATFS as an organization is rapidly surpassing GGCF’s ability to manage our operation among all of the organizations and funds that they administer.   Consequently ATFS is working toward obtaining independent status as a non-profit organization.  Legal and business efforts have been underway throughout the year for the establishment of the two foundations that have been determined necessary for us to leave the GGCF nest.  On a parallel path, legal, business, and environmental efforts culminated just a few weeks ago in the finalization of a second addition of 130 acres to the conservation easement on the Center’s conservancy lands.  Of equal note is the culmination of the acquisition of yet another 130 acre tract of land which will ultimately constitute the third addition of conservancy lands to the Center.  At the completion of this transaction, hopefully in 2012, ATFS Nature and Science Learning Center together with Pitt County’s Environmental Education will provide over 400 acres of natural habitats for exploration, learning, study and enjoyment.

Looking ahead into the coming year I have included a tentative calendar of events for the first half of 2012.  As is evident, ATFS hopes to not only to continue but also to expand its offerings of group activities and programs in nature and science learning.  The addition of the office/classroom facilities will provide work space for the addition of staff, as we exit the GGCF nest and fly off on our own, as well the expansion of activity and learning space to accommodate additional activities, programs, workshops and meetings.  Such facilities will be of particular value as a place for the conduct of “Plan B” or alternative, back-up activities when the weather does not cooperate with original outdoor plans.

We are looking forward to participation in the coming North Carolina Science Festival and to expanding our associations and partnerships with other area organizations and institutions.  It is anticipated that the installation of our new office/classroom and its temporary occupancy will be completed within the first few months of 2012 and that completion of the more extensive renovations and upgrades will follow soon thereafter.  We hope to have independent non-profit status by the end of the year and that the Phase III conservation easement with North Carolina Land Trust will also be finalized by then as well.  But most of all we look forward to increased opportunities to allow groups, families and participants of all ages to make a time for science in their lives and to become engaged in experiencing nature, in doing science and in having fun in the process.

Happy New Year!

John T. Bray, Ph.D.
Executive Director
A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center

The A Time for Science website is ringing in a new year with a new design.  We are still working out a few details and the new calendar system should start seeing some new events popping up soon.  Should you find errors on the site, please let me know (webmaster.atfs@atimeforscience.org) and I’ll get get to it soon.

Happy New Year!!!

Shawn R. Wyatt
Webmaster
A Time for Science

Saturday Family Fun Day
December 10th
9:00 am to 11:00 am
Cost – $5.00 adult $3.00 child

Enjoy a guided Winter Walk through a portion of the nature conservancy and find nature objects to make Christmas decorations.  A very special visitor will also be on hand to listen to Christmas wish lists.  A Time for Science is located in Contentnea Creek Estates at 5345 Contentnea Ln, Grifton, NC 28530. Directions and map can be found here.  Please register on-line (below), by phone 252-746-4470 or by email atfs@atimeforscience.org, by Friday December 9.  To see more information about our Saturday Family Fun Days, see our page here.

Pre-registration is currently: CLOSED

“Not Quite the Solstice” Star Gazing Party

Sunset (5:00 pm) till ?? — No Charge

The Carolina Skies Astronomy Club, in conjunction with A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center, offers the public an opportunity to view the winter sky through a variety of telescopes.  A Time for Science is located in Contentnea Creek Estates at 5345 Contentnea Ln, Grifton, NC 28530. Directions and map can be found here.  Check this posting immediately prior to the event to determine if weather conditions are appropriate for viewing.  Please pre-register to give us an idea of the number of guests that will view the night sky with us.

Pre-registration is: CLOSED

Director’s Preliminary Look at Pioneering Technology Day

A Time for Science was greeted early Saturday morning Nov. 12 with a frosty covering on the ground and a spectacular sunrise that rapidly warmed the day.  Vendors and volunteers started arriving around 8:00 am and by 10:00 the festival was underway.  We had a great variety of exhibits and vendors (see a few of the accompanying pictures below) that provided unique, interesting and fun-filled experience for all in attendance.  Expressions of delight were heard everywhere.  Although numerous activities and events took place all over Pitt County that day, the Second Annual Pioneering Technology Day attracted a crowd of several hundred rendering it a qualified success.  There are still pictures and film clips that are coming in from other contributors and we hope to put together an even bigger collection of images in the next week or so.

As the follow-up work for the festival continues to wind down, we take this opportunity to thank all who contributed in any way to this year’s success: a host of high school, college and independent volunteers who helped prepare, organize, supervise and/or present ATFS exhibits; numerous contributors of items for display; independent exhibitors and vendors.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  We hope to make contact again soon in preparation for next year’s festival.  Many good ideas for improvement have been offered and we would like to feature science and technologies of the Civil War era.

Regards,

John T. Bray, Ph.D.
Executive Director
A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center

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