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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AFTERNOON EXPLORATIONS-
Returns September 14th!
While Summer Adventure may be over, the fun and learning continue this Fall with Afternoon Explorations, featuring new hours and expanded opportunities for guests for 2023-2024 school year. Beginning September 14th, Afternoon Explorations will be held on Thursdays and Fridays from 1:30-5:00 pm. During those times, visitors will have access to the Environmental Science and Sustainability Center, the Rain Forest Room, Marine Lab and Ecology Lab in Harrison Hall of Natural Science as well as the Living History Farm when weather permits.
This new format will allow more consistent access to some of the most popular spaces on The Mountain. And of course, the Dinosaur Adventure Trail, Butterfly Garden and the Pirates of the Carolinas playground will be open during those times as well. So save up those items for Nature Exchange and we’ll see you back at Roper Mountain real soon.
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Friday Starry Nights
Take Flight
August 11th, 18th, 25th
4:30 p.m.
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Friday Starry Nights
Invaders of Mars!
August 11th, 18th, 25th
6 p.m.
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Friday Starry Nights
Solar Superstorms
August 11th, 18th, 25th
7:30 p.m.
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COW NAMING CONTEST WINNER
Congratulations to the winner of our Cow Naming Contest, Bailey Stripling! Out of 640 total entries, Bailey was the winner with the name Ruby for our new Red Devon cow. Bailey attended Roper Mountain recently as part of our Science PLUS teacher professional development program. She is a 5th grade teacher at Frances Mack Intermediate School in Lexington County. Congratulations, Bailey!
Thank you to our Cow Naming contest sponsor, Piedmont Natural Gas, for their support of Roper Mountain. We appreciate all you do for our community.
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Harrison Hall of Science welcomes its newest residents to our rainforest lab- a pair of juvenile Axolotls (ak·suh·laa·tl), affectionately named Mario and Luigi. Axolotls, Spanish for water dogs, are Mexican salamanders that are truly remarkable as they possess the ability to regenerate lost body parts including limbs and parts of their brain. As you observe them you’ll notice their distinctive features such as their feathery external gills and charming smiles.
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These features and regenerative abilities have helped axolotls to make their way into pop culture video games. In various games, the axolotls showcase their real-life superpowers which makes them intriguing characters and sidekicks. Their inclusion in video games certainly has helped raise awareness about their conservation needs. Axolotls are only found in the ancient and tranquil waters of Lake Xochimilco near Mexico City. This ecosystem teems with lush vegetation and the aztec floating gardens built throughout the lake provide a safe haven for a species that is critically endangered in the wild. We hope you will have an opportunity to visit these incredible animals in the Harrison Hall of Natural Sciences Thursday and Friday's during Afternoon Explorations. |
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Did you know that we have a family of red foxes that live on Roper Mountain? Mostly staff have observed this family at dawn or dusk. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) look different than the gray foxes we have with their pale orange to cherry red fur and longer muzzle. Another distinguishing feature to look for is their tail tipped in white. These foxes favor open areas mixed with small woodlots and are more carnivorous, feeding on rabbits, mice, birds, and insects. They are opportunistic feeders, preying upon anything small or slow enough to eat. Just recently, I saw a dead squirrel that they had either eaten or caught near where they are seen.
Red foxes den underground and store food in small pockets inside their dens called caches. Inside the den, a litter size of 4-8 young pups are born after breeding between December and February. Dens are also used for escape and resting. Unlike the gray fox, red foxes are not native to South Carolina but were introduced by houndsmen during the late 1600s from New England and Europe. Coyotes over time compete for habitat and have reduced red fox populations.
As you walk the trails at Roper, maybe you too can catch a glimpse of our red foxes, but more than likely you might just find their scats along our trails.
By Tim Taylor, Roper Mountain Life Science Specialist
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The Greater Greenville Master Gardener Association (GGMGA) continues to make a tremendous impact at Roper Mountain Science Center by donating time and expertise to care for our beautiful Heritage, Herb, and Butterfly gardens, and the Arboretum. Every week, you can find these devoted volunteer educators sharing their research based horticultural information as they help maintain and transform these spaces on our campus. Thank you GGMGA volunteers for helping RMSC grow into an amazing facility!
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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!
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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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Spread The Word About Roper Mountain
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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 County Litter Prevention
Greenville Water
The Late Ernest and Betty Lathem
Lockheed Martin Corporation
MetroConnects
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
Miliken
Audacy
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Adventurer:
AFL Global
AT&T Foundation
Bank of Travelers Rest
Contec, Inc.
ScanSource Charitable Foundation
Hal and Minor Shaw
Innovator:
John R. and M. Margrite Davis Foundation
DC Blox
Greenville FCU
Greenville Master Gardeners
Rob and Katie Howell
Piedmont Natural Gas
Publix Super Market Charities
Ron and Tommie Reece
Barbara Stone Foundation
ZF North America
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We welcome your feedback. Email Roper Mountain to share your thoughts.
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