Your Monthly News & Updates | |
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Our Mission
To ignite the natural curiosity of all learners to explore and shape their world
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Join us for Afternoon Explorations each Thursday and Friday
from 1:30-5PM!
• New this year, the popular Harrison Hall of Natural Science and Living History Farm are open EVERY Thursday and Friday in addition to the Environmental Science and Sustainability Building.
• Bring items to our popular Nature Exchange
• Search for life-size models of both young and adult dinosaurs along our outdoor Dinosaur Adventure Trail.
• Enjoy a stroll through our beautiful Butterfly Garden
• Sail the high seas while playing at the Pirate and Castle playground
• Engage in creative outdoor play in Wildwood
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Fall on the Farm at
Afternoon Explorations
Check out this month’s Special Themed Day, Fall on the Farm! On November 17th between 1:30PM and 5PM we will have blacksmithing, apple cider making, gem mining, and more! Both the kitchen and the Cole cabin will be open for this special event.
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Special Laser Show
Join us for a special laser show presentation on November 10th at 9PM featuring Laser Seattle Sound! In the glory days of `90 alternative grunge, the greatest bands in music came from one place - Seattle. Laser Fantasy’s Seattle Sound features the best of the best of Seattle music with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Sound Garden and Alice in Chains.
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STEM Specialist, Erin EuDaly, and STEM teacher, Joe Blizzard, presented at the Association of Science and Technology Centers Conference! Presentations included a poster session on “You CAN Touch this: Designing Engaging Hands-On Field Trip Experiences” and a lightning session called “Game On! Strategies for Audience Engagement during Large Group Programs” Visitors to these sessions wanted to know more about how we continue to do great things at Roper Mountain. | |
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Roper Mountain Director, Michael Weeks, presented in partnership with Greenville County Schools at the LearningSCAPES conference. His presentation, “Go Tell it on the Mountain: A Story of Innovation and Community Partnerships in South Carolina’s Largest School District” discussed how Roper Mountain has seen success with school, community, and facility partnerships.
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SC STEM EXPLORERS
Roper Mountain is starring on SC STEM Explorers on Saturday November 4th at 7:30AM! You can find it on the CW. Aren't able to watch or record? Check out each episode on their website: www.FrameofMinds.org
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LIVE DEMO ON FOX CAROLINA
Tune in on Tuesday, November 14th between 10AM and 11AM to see Tim Taylor from Roper Mountain conducting a live demo on skulls and scat!
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 |  | Have you noticed something new crawling around the Transpiration Tree on the first floor of the Environmental Science building? Look closely during your next visit and you'll see some important organisms that live amongst trees and aid in the transpiration process. As we are in the midst of this spooky season, it's only fitting to introduce you to some of the environments greatest, creepiest, and most underrated organisms- soil organisms. These include fungi, bacteria, earthworms, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, termites, and ants. Giving most people the heebie jeebies, these organisms are often labeled as creepy, crawly, or gross. But to a tree, they are heroes. Soil health and nutrient levels are vital to a tree's success. During the transpiration process, trees will soak up water and nutrients from the soil, distribute it to the rest of the tree, and evaporate water through its leaves into the atmosphere. The soil health is directly related to the organisms that live there. When these organisms eat, they decompose dead plants and animals into vital nutrients for plants to use to grow. During your next visit to the Environmental science building, make sure to stop by and thank the millipedes, bess beetles, and darkling beetles for giving us healthy soil and plants because we really are all connected. Every organism, no matter how "creepy", plays a vital role in the health of our ecosystem.
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Did you know that Roper Mountain is a key stopover habitat for migrating birds? Surrounded by urban sprawl, our little forested mountain of 62 acres provides an important green space stopover for wildlife, especially migrating birds. Our mountain is so important for migratory birds that Audubon South Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has recently installed a Motus Tower at the top of Roper Mountain to monitor migrating birds and wildlife.
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How do these towers work? Transmitters temporarily attached to birds send out a signal a few times every minute that can be picked up by a receiver along the way, specifically a Motus Tower. These towers have antennas that can pick up the signal from a tagged individual if they fly within a few kilometers of the tower. These towers connect to the internet and download tag ID numbers as they are detected in real-time, giving the researchers who deployed these tags the whereabouts of the bird as it migrates. Staging these towers as check-points along migration routes, creates a virtual net to capture the animals’ information.
Stopover urban green space habitats like Roper Mountain allow migrating birds to find food and shelter and most importantly to rest, recover and refuel. Other habitats on Roper Mountain like our gardens and ponds provide a stopover for migrating monarchs and waterfowl. Learn more about our habitats of Roper Mountain on a visit during our Afternoon Explorations.
By Tim Taylor, Roper Mountain Life Science Specialist
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Lockheed Martin has been Community Partner for many years. Recently, members of the Roper Mountain staff were on hand during the Lockheed Family Day event held at their facility in Greenville. We provided hands-on activities for kids of all ages, assisted by some wonderful Lockheed employees! For the past five years, Lockheed has supported our Science on Wheels program by providing scholarships for high poverty schools and community organizations to receive free programs. Since 2018, their investment has provided over 21,000 students and adults with free Science on Wheels programs. Thank you, Lockheed Martin, for helping us fulfill our mission to ignite the natural curiosity of all learners to explore and shape their world!
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Duke Energy, another long-time Community Partner, generously supported the beautiful Sustainability Garden located in front of our Environmental Science Building. The garden, designed by Clemson landscape architecture students, features native plants such as the American Beautyberry and Pink Muhly grass now on full display. Thanks to partners such as Duke Energy, we are able to create beautiful landscapes that help all learners explore and shape their world.
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Members, please be aware that as of January 4, 2024 membership rates will increase. Renew at the present rate to extend your membership an additional year. Memberships purchased now will be renewed one year from the current expiration date. Don't miss this opportunity, renew today!
RMSC Membership Renewal
Members receive 10% off all t-shirt and hat purchases. Mention that you are a member to receive your discount.
PLUS earn an additional 25 points each time you wear your t-shirt to Nature Exchange!
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Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is right around the corner on November 28th. This year, we will be focusing on ways you can support our animals. Whether it be purchasing a new Coral Cat shark for the popular touch tank in the Marine Lab, or butterflies for our new butterfly experience, we have many opportunities for you to partner with us. Mark your calendars and keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks.
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Pi Day Party - Save the Date!
Pi Day Party – March 14, 2024, 6 – 8 pm,
at the Environmental Science Building
Join us for an evening of fun, hands-on STEM demonstrations, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and pie (of course!) at our second annual Pi Day Party, hosted by Roper Mountain Science Center Association (RMSCA). Are you or your business interested in sponsoring Pi Day Party? Contact Phyllis Henderson, pjhenderson@greenville.k12.sc.us, for information.
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Buy a Brick
Leave your legacy at Roper Mountain. Purchase a personalized brick that will go along the front entrance path to the Environmental Science Building, and have your name on the mountain for years to come!
More Information
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Give Back to Roper Mountain
We appreciate your consideration in making a donation to support our mission to help lay the foundation for future successes for school and public programming.
Make a gift to Roper Mountain today.
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THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS | | |
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Visionary:
Bosch Community Fund
Community Foundation of Greenville
The Daniel-Mickel Foundation
Dodge Industrial, Inc.
Duke Energy Foundation
Fluor Golf For Greenville
Greenville Water
John I Smith Charities
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Piedmont Arthritis Clinic, PA
ReWa
South Carolina Farm Bureau
Explorer:
BMW Manufacturing
Fluor Foundation
GE
SEW Eurodrive
Voyager:
Tom and Linda Hamilton
South Carolina Charities
Milliken, Inc.
Audacy Communications
Spartanburg Community Foundation
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Adventurer:
AFL Global
AT&T Foundation
Bank of Travelers Rest
Contec, Inc.
Greenville FCU
John R. and M. Margrite Davis Foundation
ScanSource Charitable Foundation
Hal and Minor Shaw
Ryobi Power Tools
TD Charitable Foundation
Innovator:
DC Blox
Greenville Master Gardeners
Les and Kay Knight
Piedmont Natural Gas
Publix Super Market Charities
Ron and Tommie Reece
South Carolina Humanities
Barbara Stone Foundation
ZF North America
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We welcome your feedback. Email Roper Mountain to share your thoughts. | | | | |
