Calling all astronomers! Join us at CSC on Saturday, January 25th for a full day of astronomical fun for the Beginner & Advanced! The Regional Gathering of Amateur Astronomers aka: BoBfest is a FREE in-person event open to anyone with an interest in astronomy! Share your mutual love for the stars at BoBfest 2025!

The Garden is thrilled to welcome expert birder Hal Broadfoot for our Great Backyard Bird Count – a global initiative to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world! Enjoy a guided birding walk, a children’s bird scavenger hunt, and a variety of bird themed games, crafts, and science stations. You’ll also help our staff notice the birds in the Garden, identify, and count them. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an opportunity to support citizen science and celebrate birds! Schedule: 10am: Guided Bird Hike with Hal Broadfoot11am: Children’s Hike (with bird pictures for scavenger-hunt-style walk) 10am – 12pm Games, Crafts & Science Stations open from 10am-Noon – Make a bird track, match bird calls, get an up-close look at feathers, or build your own nest! Binoculars will be available. Or bring your own. Included with regular admission or membership. You can enjoy the Garden the rest of the day!

Anticipate the opening of Imagine. Design. Play. an exhibit for all ages to foster critical thinking through open-ended play! Opening at the Catawba Science Center on January 25th. Members-only opening January 24th. Not a member? Join today to get exclusive access to this upcoming exhibit!

Join us in celebrating this years theme of North Carolina State Symbols by competing in our art contest. This competition is for all 4th graders in Iredell County. All you have to do is create an original design on an 8.5x11 inch sheet of paper celebrating all or some of our state symbols! Have fun, be creative and support your local park!  Winners will be selected by Park staff and will receive a summer fun pack with boat rentals, swim beach passes, and park goodies. The winning artwork will be displayed in the Visitor Center! Submit your original NC State Symbol artwork and the registration form by mail or by dropping it off at our Visitor Center.  All submissions are due by March 15th, 2025.   

Get ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count in February! Join us in learning about birds and how they build their nests on Saturday, January 25th from 10 AM – 12 PM, in the Naturalist Center. Free event with the purchase of admission.

Fly on over to the park Visitor Center  to take part  in the 2025 NC Bird Count! This community citizen science opportunity is open to all ages and birding skill levels. We will  collect park  bird data for the Great Backyard Bird Count.   Bring your binoculars and dress for the weather!  Photo by McDonald taken at Lake Norman State Park

Kick-start your wellness journey this month with Science Studio: Wellness, part of Discovery Place Science’s adult science series. This after-hours series invites inquisitive minds to learn from experts in the field as we explore popular topics and engage in science-related activities.Join us Thursday, January 23 for mini sessions of wellness practices including yoga, aerial fitness, sound baths, cooking demos and more. Plus, upgrade your experience with a mocktail making class.Other events in the series: Science Studio: Conservation/Climate Science – March 27 Science Studio: Science + Art – April 4 Science Studio: Food/Gastronomy – May 8

Turtles and tortoises face threats from habitat challenges and the international pet trade. You can help these reptiles survive and migrate safely! Play Turtle Migration in a giant board game. Track a hidden turtle using telemetry. See how shell shapes suit different lifestyles and habitats. Design a turtle-friendly housing development. Find out what a loggerhead sea turtle sees as it swims!TURTLE TRAVELS will be on exhibit from Saturday, January 25 through Sunday, May 4, 2025, at the Children’s Museum *& Science Center at the Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.Admission is $6.00 per person and also includes the PPNC Live animal Gallery and Living Marsh exhibits as well as exhibits at the Maria V. Howard Arts Center. 

Join us as we celebrate one of our most precious resources, water, on Earth Day 2025! Participants will engage in interactive water-related activities and learn the importance of water quality protection. From looking at macroinvertebrates to watching a 3-D watershed model demonstration, participants will learn how humans can play a positive role in the watershed. Please register for event by calling the Visitor Center, 704-528-6350.

Bring your warm jacket and join a Ranger out on Park Lake for a winter canoe ride! We will look for wildlife and learn about some of the history of the park. Limit to 8 participants, please call the Visitor Center to register at 704-528-6350.