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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Recently released prison records may offer clues for a project that will memorialize incarcerated laborers who died building the Mountain Division of the Western N.C. Railroad from Old Fort to Ridgecrest.These records, housed in the N.C. State Archives, have provided additional information about those working, and at times dying, under dangerous conditions.An upcoming virtual Lunch & Learn program hosted by the State Archives, “The RAIL Project: New Discoveries in the State Archives,” will present some of the early findings.
Throughout February, the North Carolina State Capitol will be commemorating Black History Month by hosting “We've Always Been Out There," a series of walking tours highlighting the protest and civil rights history of downtown Raleigh.These short (0.5 mile) walking tours around downtown will discuss the lengthy history of protest and civil rights demonstrations in Raleigh. Topics range in time from the early 19th century to the 1980s and include an extended focus on the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and 70s.
An annual nationwide tradition continues on Jan. 1, 2024, as North Carolina joins other states in offering First Day Hikes at state parks, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced.Fresh off celebrating the Year of the Trail, North Carolina state parks will host more than 50 staff-led hikes to showcase the wonders of the Great Trails State. Visitors can choose from easy and short strolls on relatively flat trails to long excursions across mountainous landscapes.
By December of 1756, Fort Dobbs was complete. Its garrison of North Carolina soldiers prepared to spend the first of many winters in the building as they guarded the western edge of settlement in the British colony during the French and Indian War.