Press Releases

The Division of Parks and Recreation will be hosting a Wildland Fire Engine Academy, March 3-9, 2024, at Haw River State Park.The academy is a joint effort with the Florida Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the North Carolina Forest Service, North Carolina State University, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the U.S. Forest Service.

The historic contributions made by women will be celebrated at venues of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources throughout March.Women's History Month honors the remarkable achievements of women throughout history and in contemporary society. As we embark on this annual observance, DNCR is recognizing the legacy women have left in North Carolina, from science and politics to arts and literature.Join us as we celebrate the diverse narratives, resilience and leadership of women who have shaped our past and continue to inspire our future.

 Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site soon will commemorate the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville with a day of historic demonstrations, activities, and informative presentations.The event, “Always on Duty,” Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., will highlight the experiences of medical providers during the Civil War, including surgeons, stewards, and nurses. Visitors can learn more about the battle and what life was like for soldiers and civilians during the Civil War. The event is free.

The CSS Neuse Museum is pleased to announce an upcoming free admission day scheduled for Saturday, March 2, 2024. The event is expected to start at 10 a.m. and will continue until 3 p.m. The museum offers visitors a chance to explore a range of exhibits and engage with interpreters who will provide valuable information on different aspects of the Civil War. The topics that will be covered include the life of sailors, the contributions of African Americans and women, the Battle of Bentonville, and more.

Education has always been a core mission of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR). For over 50 years, the department has inspired a lifelong love of learning at more than 100 sites across the state, including museums, parks, historic sites, aquariums, libraries, archives, and the zoo.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh announces the completion of a globally unique visitor experience — Dueling Dinosaurs — opening to the public Saturday, April 27. This combination of high-tech research lab and dynamic exhibit space is the first physical expansion of the Museum in more than a decade. Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the Age of Dinosaurs, become familiar with the tools and techniques used by today’s paleontologists, and engage with the scientific team actively researching the iconic tyrannosaur and Triceratops.

The North Carolina State Capitol has launched a new website, “From Naming to Knowing: Uncovering Slavery at the North Carolina State Capitol.” This website names over 130 enslaved workers who built, maintained, and worked in the Capitol building in the 1800s. Most of the men worked on the Capitol’s construction in the 1830s, either as laborers at the construction site or as quarry hands at the nearby State Quarry. The Capitol is dedicated to researching and naming these individuals and telling their stories through this new publicly accessible forum.

The men who built our state’s most iconic building, although they were enslaved, left a legacy for all North Carolinians. Their contribution to the construction of the State Capitol during the 1830s has been researched by a team of historians who will present their initial findings during an upcoming virtual Lunch & Learn program hosted by the State Archives.In this program, State Capitol staff also will discuss the launch of “From Naming to Knowing,” the project’s website. They also will provide genealogy tips for researching the lives of the enslaved.

The North Carolina Zoo expanded its lands for local wildlife conservation by adding 139 acres to Ridges Mountain Nature Preserve, increasing it to 423 acres. This addition was a gift from The Conservation Fund made possible by the North Carolina Land and Water Fund and private donors Fred, Alice, Brad and Shelli Stanback.

A program on Feb. 24 at Fort Dobbs State Historic Site will offer a glimpse of the harrowing days of the Anglo-Cherokee War.The Cherokee and British had been allies when the French and Indian War started, but tensions quickly spiraled into hostilities. The fort was engaged by up to 70 Cherokee warriors in a confusing night-time skirmish on Feb. 27, 1760.