We are currently looking for any nature-loving individuals to volunteer with the ecoEXPLORE program. Ideally, you will be comfortable working with young, budding naturalists, helping with species identification and iNaturalist, and encouraging an appreciation for Carolina wildlife through constructive feedback. If you are interested in volunteering, you can fill out an interest form here: https://forms.gle/zgJVkcNWT45rQg7d9. Feel free to share this opportunity with others or share the ecoEXPLORE program with any young folk who might be looking for something to do during this pandemic! Cheers! 🐢💕

Welcome to ecoEXPLORE, a family-oriented citizen science initiative for children ages 5-12 and their families. Participants register for free at www.ecoexplore.net and learn how to earn ecology-focused badges. As a part of each badge ecoEXPLORERS upload six images from a particular organism group to the ecoEXPLORE website. Our team of reviewers award each photo observation between 1-5 points that children can trade for field tools like binoculars, insect nets and wildlife cameras. High quality photos are posted to this iNaturalist project to aid scientists in monitoring wildlife.

ecoEXPLORE is an initiative of The North Carolina Arboretum, an affiliate of the University of North Carolina System in partnership with the Greensboro Science Center, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education. The program is funded by grants and private donations including from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation.

Have a question about ecoEXPLORE? Contact us at ecoexplore@ncarboretum.org

ecoEXPLORE hopes to serve the residents of the State of North Carolina with purposeful and safe opportunities for families to spend time outdoors together. That may mean observations might occur inside your residence, in your yard, or in a window box. We have created a new badge, the BioBlitz Bonus Badge, that can be earned by completing weekly nature challenges as a family- and adults will get to earn their own North Carolina BioBlitz patch! Activities are designed to be done at or near home, and will culminate in the City Nature Challenge; a worldwide BioBlitz, on April 24-27.

For more details, and to register, visit ecoEXPLORE.net. Happy exploring!

Calling all ecoEXPLORERS: March through May is Botany Season for ecoEXPLORE. Participants earn one bonus point for every plant photo observation they submit to ecoexplore.net. The best photos of plants or other organisms will be added to this iNaturalist project. Help us expand our understanding of biodiversity in North Carolina and beyond!

New to ecoEXPLORE? Residents of North Carolina can register for free at www.ecoexplore.net. Be sure to check out guided programs near you at one of our regional hubs, North Carolina State Parks, or at our many ecoEXPLORE HotSpots. We are on track to engage students in all 100 North Carolina counties by 2023!

ecoEXPLORE is an initiative of The North Carolina Arboretum, an affiliate of the University of North Carolina System. In addition to serving as the lead organization of ecoEXPLORE, The North Carolina Arboretum is the Mountain Regional Hub for ecoEXPLORE. The Greensboro Science Center serves as the Northern Piedmont Regional Hub, and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education is the Northern Coastal Regional Hub. We are excited to bring the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Prairie Ridge on board as our Central Hub in spring 2020.

Calling all ecoEXPLORERS: December through February is Ornithology Season for ecoEXPLORE. Participants earn one bonus point for every bird photo observation they submit to ecoexplore.net. The best photos of bird or other organisms will be added to this iNaturalist project. Help us expand our understanding of biodiversity in North Carolina and beyond!

New to ecoEXPLORE? Residents of North Carolina can register for free at www.ecoexplore.net. Be sure to check out guided programs near you at one of our regional hubs, North Carolina State Parks, or at our many ecoEXPLORE HotSpots. We are on track to engage students in all 100 North Carolina counties by 2023!

ecoEXPLORE is an initiative of The North Carolina Arboretum, an affiliate of the University of North Carolina System. In addition to serving as the lead organization of ecoEXPLORE, The North Carolina Arboretum is the Mountain Regional Hub for ecoEXPLORE. The Greensboro Science Center serves as the Northern Piedmont Regional Hub, and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education is the Northern Coastal Regional Hub. We are excited to bring the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Prairie Ridge on board as our Central Hub in spring 2020.

ecoEXPLORE is an initiaitive of The North Carolina Arboretum that enables citizen scientists in grades 3-8 to have their observations of plants and animals submitted to iNaturalist.

Our initiative seeks to engage children in Western North Carolina in experiences that encourage them to become active participants of our citizen science community- and participate in hands-on, real world field experiences. Students earn patches, prizes and free passes to the Arboretum to meet scientists and conduct field work when they submit their observations. Organisms can be viewed at one of twelve "EcoEXPLORE" Hotspots located at each Buncombe County Library branch, at the Arboretum, or even in their own backyard!

Visit www.ecoexplore.net to learn more about ecoEXPLORE and to register- then get outside and EXPLORE!