Citizen Science Association
CitSci2019 Field Trips
Our local hosts in Raleigh are ready to show us around North Carolina – don’t miss this chance to spend some time with the people and places of the state. See landmarks, learn about the history of the environmental justice movement, peek into Museum collections and more. From the mountains to the coast to the communities… be welcomed in North Carolina.
Wednesday, 13 March 2019
The Highs and Lows of Pilot Mountain
Join naturalists from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and Pilot Mountain State Park as we spend the day exploring one of North Carolina’s iconic Piedmont mountains, Pilot Mountain, which served as a major landmark for Native Americans and early settlers. We’ll spend the morning canoeing the Yadkin River as it runs past the base of the mountain, searching for fluffy white eaglets in their nests and enjoying one of the most scenic stretches of the river. In the afternoon, we’ll explore the geology and ecology of the mountain, examining how the resistant quartzite rock has created a haven for species that are typically found in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Transportation to and from the Convention Center and bag lunch are included.
- Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 7:00am-5:30pm
- $65/person
- Minimum = 8, Maximum = 10
- Conference attendees and their families welcome; children must be 12+ and accompanied by a registered adult
- Activity level: Moderately strenuous, outdoors. Participants will canoe on moving water for about 3 hours and hike 1-2 miles on a trail with stairs and elevation change.
- Leader: Melissa Dowland, NCMNS
Exploring Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers through Nature Journaling
March is a wonderful time to explore signs of spring in the NC piedmont. Join naturalists from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences on an exploration of various piedmont habitats as we search for the elusive first wildflowers (and amphibians!) of the year. We’ll practice documenting our discoveries through a variety of journaling techniques including sketching, poetry, and reflective writing. Our field studies will focus on honing our observation skills and using nature journaling as a strategy for enhancing science learning and understanding connections in the natural world. Don’t think you’re an artist? No problem! All skill levels are invited — and encouraged — to register. This will be a safe and welcoming space for everyone. Participants will receive a small journal to sketch objects observed while on the trip and to continue their practice at home. Transportation to and from the Convention Center and bag lunch are included.
- Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 9:00am-5:00pm
- $65/person
- Minimum = 8, Maximum = 10
- Conference attendees and their families welcome; children must be 10+ and accompanied by a registered adult
- Activity level: Moderate, outdoors. Participants will hike about one mile over uneven trails.
- Leader: Megan Davis, NCMNS
Carnivorous Plants and More
Coastal North Carolina is a hotspot for carnivorous plant diversity. Pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts, and the Venus flytrap can be found in the unique plant communities of the coastal plain. Join biologists from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission as we explore the longleaf pine savanna and pocosin habitats of the 64,000-acre Holly Shelter Game Land in our search for carnivorous plants. Learn about the other plants and wildlife found in these natural areas. We might even see alligators if it’s a warm sunny day! After our carnivorous plant foray, we will have lunch in a sound side park on nearby Topsail Island, a barrier island of the Atlantic coast. We will have time after lunch to explore the beach of Topsail Island before heading back to Raleigh. Transportation to and from the Convention Center and a bag lunch are included.
- Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 8:00am-5:30pm
- $65/person
- Minimum = 8, Maximum = 20
- Conference attendees and their families welcome; children must be 14+ and accompanied by a registered adult
- Activity level: Moderate, outdoors. Participants will walk up to a mile over uneven trails and through wet sites. Rubber boots are recommended due to the possibility of mud and high grasses.
- Leader: Jerry Reynolds, NCMNS
Behind the Scenes at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Join collections staff at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Musuem’s research collections holdings! Explore up to four collections, including the Living Collections, with expert guidance from Museum Research and Living Collections staff. With millions of specimens housed at the Museum and enough live animals to be classified as a mid-sized zoo, there will be plenty to see! At the end of the tour, you’ll also have an optional opportunity to help us make our new citizen science exhibit as great as possible by visiting and critiquing the new space with Exhibits staff.
- Wednesday, March 13, 2:00-4:00pm
- $15
- Minumum = none, Maximum = 30
- Conference attendees and their families welcome; children must be 10+ and accompanied by a registered adult
- Activity level: Easy, indoors. Participants will tour collections at the museum, all indoors, flat, and climate controlled.
- Leaders: A variety of Museum collections and exhibit staff – Gabriela Hogue is the contact.
Exploring Environmental Justice
North Carolina is the birthplace of the environmental justice movement in Warren County, NC. We are excited to offer a trip to Mebane, North Carolina to explore important environmental justice sites led by Omega and Brenda Wilson, co-founders of the West End Revitalization Association (WERA). Just 60-minutes from the CitSci2019 Conference site in Raleigh, with handouts as a guide, the Wilsons will interpret a van tour of environmental justice hazard sites: Stops will include an expanding industrial park development, a mega-distribution construction site anchored by Walmart and Lidl, and an interstate highway construction corridor for heavy trucks that bisects two historic African America and Native American heritage communities. Learn how these new mega built-environment projects and a legacy toxic chemical site impacts safe drinking water, sewer connections, soil, diesel emissions and air quality, and human exposures. WERA continues a 25-year effort for civil rights and public health justice for several post-slavery areas in Alamance County and Orange County. Transportation to and from the Raleigh Convention Center and lunch are provided for this half day venture. Come join us!
- Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 9:00am-2:00pm
- $45/person
- Minimum = 10, maximum = 12
- Conference attendees only
- Activity level: Easy. Participants will spend a majority of their time on a charter bus with occasional stops at sites of interest that involve getting off the bus.
- Leaders: Omega and Brenda Wilson, WERA (Driver will be Jan Weems, NCMNS)
Sunday, 17 March 2019
Cypress-Gum Swamp Paddle at Robertson Millpond Preserve
8 am – 12 pm, Sunday, March 17, 2019
Join naturalists from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences for a morning paddle at Robertson Millpond Preserve. The millpond, which is just east of Raleigh, is an example of a blackwater cypress-gum swamp. In kayaks, we’ll wind our way along a ~1.5-mile paddle trail through towering baldcypress and water tupelo trees, as well as many other species that are typically more common in the coastal plain. We’ll keep an eye out for early-returning migrant songbirds and basking turtles. The dark tannin-stained water provides a beautiful surface for reflections of the surrounding trees. We hope you’ll take a few hours to join us for this relaxing exploration of a peaceful natural area before returning to your everyday life. Transportation to and from the Convention Center and a rental kayak are provided.
- Sunday, March 17, 2019, 8:00am-12:00pm
- $60/person
- Minimum = 8, Maximum = 15
- Conference attendees and their families welcome; children must be 12+ and accompanied by a registered adult
- Activity level: Moderate. Participants will paddle two hours over still water in individual kayaks.
- Leader: Melissa Dowland, NCMNS
Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Walk
March is a wonderful time to explore signs of spring in the NC piedmont! Join naturalists from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences on an exploration of various piedmont habitats as we search for the elusive first wildflowers (and amphibians!) of the year. North Carolina has some amazing spring ephemeral wildflowers, so you won’t want to miss your chance to see them! Transportation to and from the Convention Center and bag lunch are included.
- Sunday, March 17, 2019, 9:00am-12:00pm
- $30/person
- Minimum = 8, Maximum = 13
- Conference attendees and their families welcome; children must be 10+ and accompanied by a registered adult
- Activity level: Moderate. Hiking about one mile over uneven trails.
- Leader: Megan Davis, NCMNS