Spending only a brief time on land, sea turtles are quite different from most other turtles we know. From hatchling to adult, a lifetime at sea is no small task for these reptiles that grow so big. Join Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster on World...
Many museum artifacts provide tasty treats for a variety of insects, animals, and fungi. A big part of museum conservation is preventing damage to our artifacts, which means knowing what’s eating your collection. Join museum Conservator Michelle Crepeau in this lecture about identifying common museum...
Did Santa prefer a green suit before he started wearing his now iconic red? What is Mrs. Claus’s first name? We may not know everything about the mysterious and jolly figure; but during this family-friendly presentation, Associate Education Curator Christine Brin will try to answer...
North Carolina’s privateers and letters of marque vessels took the war to sea against British shipping in North American, Caribbean, and European waters. Join Maritime History Curator David Bennett to learn the difference between privateer and letter of marque vessels, who owned them, what life...
Clues from the remains of ships help us learn more about the lives of sailors in the 17th and 18th centuries. Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin for a look at what seafarers were eating, how they were preparing and storing their food, and what...
North Carolina has many species of whales that travel near our shores and sometimes strand on our beaches. This makes it ideal for biologists to study and promote the conservation and understanding of these endangered marine mammals. Join Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster to learn...
Legends and stories of sea monsters are almost culturally universal, with even landlocked groups of people telling tales of fantastic sea or water creatures. Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin for a look at some of the most popular sea monsters and some of the...
Join Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster for an informal discussion about “Echo” (the museum’s 33.5-foot sperm whale skeleton) and his heart. When the adolescent male whale came ashore at Cape Lookout in 2004, his bones and heart were preserved for study and display. Keith will...
From arsenic to uranium, humans have long had the pesky tendency of using poisons, caustics, carcinogens, and even explosives in our art, our clothing, our entertainment, and as part of our everyday lives. Sometimes these items even make their way into museums, often in odd...
From 1776 to 1779, North Carolina established and maintained a small state navy. It also partnered with Virginia to finance and man two galleys to protect Ocracoke Inlet from British privateers. Join Maritime History Curator David Bennett to learn about how these projects started, what...