Prairie Ridge plans walks, storytimes, citizen science sessions

Prairie Ridge Ecostation, the outdoor lab for the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, has a slate of events planned for the coming weeks.

Walk through the Seasons, a guided walk with a Prairie Ridge staff member, is 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Jan. 14, Jan. 28, Feb. 11 and Feb. 25. The walks are free, but pre-registration is required. All ages are welcome, but kids must be with a registered adult. Walks fill up quickly so it's best to sign up early. For more information or to register, call Cathy Fergen at 919-707-8878 or email her at cathy.fergen@naturalsciences.org.

Nature storytimes, featuring a nature-themed story and activity, are scheduled every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Programs start at the amphitheater. No pre-registration is required for this one. It's free. All ages are welcome. The program is geared toward preschoolers and their adults. This is a wonderful storytime and I try to get out there with my own preschooler when the schedule allows. For more information, contact Mandy Cuskelly at 919-707-9934 or email her at mandy.cuskelly@naturalsciences.org. 

And Citizen Science Saturdays at Prairie Ridge are 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.., Saturday mornings. The sessions introduce participants to a citizen science project and help collect and enter data. Topics change from week to week. Pre-registration is not required. All ages are welcome, but it's generally recommended for kids ages 8 and up. Kids must be with an adult. For more information, contact Chris Goforth at 919.707.8882 or email her at chris.goforth@naturalsciences.org.

If you go, be sure to check out the site's nature playground.