July 2020
Your monthly news & updates
Our Mission
To ignite the natural curiosity of all learners to explore and shape their world
MOUNTAIN UPDATES
As a facility of Greenville County Schools, we are following current guidelines provided by SC DHEC and are closed for all public programming through at least July 19. Please check our website or social media for details on when we will re-open to the public for all activities.
Membership
All current memberships have been extended for three months to account for the closure of our facility. We appreciate your support of Roper Mountain during these unprecedented times and are grateful for the support you have provided. We continue to welcome any additional donations you may be able to make. Visit our donation page to make a gift today
Summer Exploration Camps
It is our sincere hope that Greenville County will see a significant change in the number of COVID-19 cases so we can continue with the camps scheduled for the latter part of the summer. We will be keeping these camps on the schedule but suspending additional registration until we have a clearer idea if we will be able to continue. Visit our 2020 Summer Explorations Camps page for full details. 
DEPARTMENT UPDATES
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY BUILDING UPDATE
We are really looking forward to reaching the finish line on the new facility. Over the past month, construction has worked on installing the elevator, skylight, cabinetry and polished concrete. Outside grading is being finalized and landscaping has begun! 
MOUNTAIN HIGHLIGH T - LIVING HISTORY FARM
Our Living History Farm gardener, Mary Stark Kendrick, has been busy keeping plants alive and healthy in the Heritage Garden where there’s a wagon load of inspiration for all levels of gardeners.

Some interesting and perhaps unusual plants to consider for your garden are various types of thistle. We grow several on the farm, one of which was unintentional; it’s a thorny, spikey weed —too bad our livestock don’t like to eat it. 

The thistles we grow on purpose are teasel, artichokes and cardoons.   
The dried seed heads of fuller’s teasel (Dipsacus sativus) have historically been used to raise the nap on woolen fabric while the ripened seeds are devoured by goldfinches and other small birds.
How about trying to grow an artichoke plant? While one would typically harvest the artichoke when the flower is immature, allowing the flowers to fully open on the plant results in quite the floral showstopper!  
Another thistle found in our garden and a look-alike for the artichoke plant is the cardoon. The stems and leaf ribs of the cardoon are consumed instead of the flower bracts, as with the artichoke. In addition, the cardoon’s flower is a source of rennet, a necessary ingredient in cheesemaking. Rennet (such as animal, microbial or vegetable) is an enzyme used in cheesemaking that causes the milk to coagulate, or separate into solid curds and liquid whey. Vegetable rennet can be obtained from various plants, including the stamens of the cardoon.  
Let your neighbors grow their tomatoes, okra, and squash. Branch out and plant something unusual! You’ll be the talk of the neighborhood, and hopefully receive some excess normal vegetables…because we can all use some normal about now!
OTHER PROGRAM UPDATES
In order to make live science programming available to all venues in a safe way, we have created several new virtual Science on Wheels programs that are wonderful for summer camps, daycare groups, libraries and more. Find more information HERE .
DID YOU KNOW?
that the Giant Ground Sloth display in our Harrison Hall of Natural Science Building that was erected in the late 1980's inspired Dr. Brandis Hartsell to create more "giants" during her time here as Curator of Earth and Marine Sciences?
The hallway now has a theme of Giants of Land and Sea , and features megafauna from the past and present. The next time you walk in the hallway, search for and discover our giants: the Blue Whale, Woolly Mammoth, Giant Squid, Giant Sea Turtle, Giant Sea Scorpion and Giant Manta Ray. You'll also see a giant T. Rex skull and Megalodon jaw.
SUPPORT THE MOUNTAIN
Spread The Word About Roper Mountain
Please consider visiting our Facebook page, TripAdvisor page, Google listing and / or Yelp page to leave a review and help us spread the word about all that we have to offer.
Give Back To Roper Mountain:
Have you considered making Roper Mountain one of the charities you support? Without donations, we wouldn’t be able to invest in the hands-on, story-based lessons children come to know and love when here for school field trips; we wouldn’t be able to be the “place of yes” for visitors who attend our public programs; and we wouldn’t be able to invest in our current and future workforce in the community. Please consider making a gift to Roper Mountain today.
AmazonSmile
You can now support Roper Mountain in the Amazon Shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations. 1. Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device 2. Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into 'Settings' 3. Tap 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. We appreciate your continued support of Roper Mountain, now more than ever. Thank you for allowing us to be a pinnacle of innovative learning, an engine for community engagement, and a national leader in science education.
THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS!
Visionary:
ABB
Duke Energy Foundation
Fluor Foundation
Greater Greenville Sanitation
Greenville Water
John I. Smith Charities
The Jolley Foundation
Ernest and Betty Lathem
Lockheed Martin
Michelin Charity Golf Tournament
Piedm ont Arthritis Clinic, PA
ScanSource
Symmes Foundation
 
Explorer:
Community Foundation of Greenville
GE
Greenville Evening Rotary Charities, Inc.
Bill and Jean Schmidt

Voyager:
BMW Manufacturing
South Carolina Charities, Inc.
Wells Fargo Foundation
 
Adventurer:
Aeronix, Inc.
Chick Fil-A of Pelham Road
Milliken
Nexeo Plastics
Ron and Tommie Reece

Innovator:
Fluor
State Farm Insurance
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
We welcome feedback on what you like to read about or see more of when you visit Roper Mountain. Email Amanda Lenar to share your thoughts.
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