Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

Party for the Planet series is a more than monthlong celebration of Earth’s biodiversity with the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

The series kicks off on Earth Day Saturday with activities inside the aquarium, continues on Endangered Species Day May 20, and ends on World Ocean Day June 8.

Organizers have planned presentations, up-close animal encounters and nature-based activities focused on the year’s theme, “Spring into Action.”

“Celebrating Party for the Planet is important because it’s an opportunity to show our appreciation for wildlife by learning about conservation issues, and also participating in those efforts,” Aquarium Educator Sarah Wright said in a release.

Throughout the aquarium, there will be education stations on native plants and pollinator gardens, North Carolina sustainable seafood, recycling, and citizen science projects like City Nature Challenge, FrogWatch USA, North Carolina King Tides Project, and Spot A Shark USA.

Admission to Party for the Planet is free with admission or membership. Tickets must be ordered online.

“Our goal for Party for the Planet this year is to introduce different ways aquarium visitors and community members can contribute to local and global conservation. Whether a person chooses to plant a pollinator garden, participate in a habitat restoration, or start recycling at home, every little bit can have a positive impact,” Wright said.

In addition to the on-site events, the aquarium will host the following community-focused events at no charge where anyone can contribute to the preservation and protection of our local ecosystems:

• Teacher Workshop April 30 for third through 12th grade teachers. The free workshop offered by the aquarium aims to help bring climate science understanding to the classroom. Teachers who register for the free event will learn how to introduce students to climate science and how changes to our global environment are impacting our communities. Register online.
• Suds for Sharks 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. May 19 at Crystal Coast Brewing Co. in Atlantic Beach. There will be shark conservation speakers, a silent auction of shark-themed swag, food truck and the brewery will have a specialty brew for the shark-themed fundraising event. Suds for Sharks is a free event, no registration required, and all donations will go to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums conservation program, Saving Animals From Extinction’s shark conservation program.
• Habitat Restoration May 25. Join the aquarium education team and the North Carolina Coastal Federation for a few hours to plant marsh grass that helps restore the shoreline. The event is free and requires advance registration.

For more than 20 years, Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoos and aquariums across the nation have hosted Party for the Planet events. It’s the fifth year for the “Spring into Action” campaign with support from the Disney Conservation Fund. The campaign goal is to provide family-friendly, conservation-based events and volunteer opportunities that improve the health of our planet’s habitats and ecosystems.

For more information on aquarium activities, visit the website.

The Coastal Federation publishes Coastal Review.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

The short documentary, “Freedom Hill” about environmental racism in Princeville, and two short films produced by University of North Carolina Wilmington will be screened in recognition of Earth Day.

Hosted by Working Films’ Wilmington Screening Series, the event will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Cameron Art Museum, 3201 South 17th St., Wilmington.

Directed by Resita Cox, “Freedom Hill” is a short documentary described as “exploring the environmental racism washing away Princeville, North Carolina, a town of under 2,000 and the first town incorporated by freed, formerly enslaved Africans in America.”

The event will feature area leaders and educators focused on environmental justice including Dr. Britt Moore of UNC-Wilmington and Deborah Dicks Maxwell, president of the North Carolina NAACP. 

“Flow ILM” and “Confluence,” produced by UNCW, will be screened as well. The two short films highlight the work of artists and scientists exploring the relationships between organisms, environments, creativity and technology.

This is a community event with a $10 suggested donation, but attendees are encouraged to attend regardless of their ability to pay. Email info@workingfilms.org with questions and to request any special accommodations.

Working Films was founded in 1999 and is a national nonprofit organization based in Wilmington that leverages the power of documentary films to advance social justice and environmental protection. For more information, visit www.workingfilms.org.

From community cleanups to a fundraising gala, the Belhaven Chamber of Commerce has organized a two-day Spring Fling to celebrate Earth Day this weekend.

The “If the Ocean Could Talk” gala starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Spoon River Artworks and Market, a farm-to-fork style restaurant in historic downtown Belhaven.

The gala kicks off the Wilmington-based Plastic Ocean Project’s campaign, Operation 356. Funds raised through the campaign will go to complete the full-length documentary, “If the Ocean Could Talk: A Voice for the North Atlantic.” Tickets are $80 and can be purchased online.

At the gala, attendees will be able to view the short documentary film “356,” which has been accepted into eight film festivals and sets the stage for the full-length documentary, and film producer and director Bonnie Monteleone will share stories about her research, discoveries, the significance of the number 356, and why the North Atlantic needs a voice, organizers said.

Monteleone, who is also executive director for Plastic Ocean Project, is scheduled to speak again at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain’s Belhaven Unit multipurpose building, 225 W Pantego St., and at 1 p.m. at Old City Hall.

Cleanups are scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Friday at Old City Hall, 315 Main St., Belhaven, and again from 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain’s Belhaven Unit. Trash collected at both cleanups will go toward the Tree4Trash cleanup campaign through Plastic Ocean Project. For every 25 pounds of trash collected, a tree will be planted in North Carolina.

Other Earth Day activities include demonstrations and educational exhibits with the Plastic Ocean Project, North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s Inner Banks Wildlife and Secotan First National People and other groups from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Also scheduled are a townwide yard sale, nautical tag sale, merchant surprises, children’s story time at Belhaven Library, Arts on the Pungo children’s activities, raffles, beer garden, jam session, food trucks and a second chance art sale.

Saturday wraps up with at the Refinery and Clark Oil Co. at 6 p.m. with a concert by Chandler James.

For more information on the Earth Day Spring Fling, contact the Belhaven Community Chamber of Commerce at 252-943-3770.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

Celebrate Earth Day by volunteering for a cleanup at Morris Landing Clean Water Preserve in Holly Ridge from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Friday, April 28.

Volunteers will work to remove marine debris from the estuarine shoreline, roadside and oyster shell and help maintain the living shorelines by replacing and adjusting oyster shell bags on the reef.

The North Carolina Coastal Federation is coordinating the cleanup. No special skills or knowledge are required.

Organizers recommend dressing for the weather in clothes that are comfortable and that can get dirty, and bringing a reusable water bottle, hat and sunglasses. Closed-toe shoes are required. Volunteers younger than 18 must have a parent or legal guardian with them.

Gloves, boots, trash pickers and trash bags will all be provided as well as a light lunch and refreshments. A portable toilet and parking will be available on-site. 

The project has been made possible through support from Coastal Federation members, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, North Carolina Land and Water Fund, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris, The Orton Foundation and through state-appropriated funding from state Department of Environmental Quality. 

The Coastal Federation publishes Coastal Review.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

Find out how to keep the sea and stars safe from light pollution during a special Earth Day celebration the evening of April 22 at Town Center Park in Ocean Isle Beach.

“Sea, Stars, and S’mores” is a free Earth Day celebration for families with the Museum of Coastal Carolina, Ingram Planetarium and Ocean Isle Beach.

The Sea Turtles and Light Pollution portion of the program begins at 6 p.m. There will be activities to learn about sea turtles and how to keep them safe by turning lights off on the beach.

Stargazing and Light Pollution follows at 6:30 p.m. Attendees can learn how light pollution affects stargazing and look through a telescope.

The program wraps up at 7 p.m. with s’mores provided by the town.

Activity packets with coupons to the museum and planetarium will be provided to all children who attend.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

Three artists are to give demonstrations en plein air, or outside, during a family-friendly Earth Day celebration set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22 on the grounds of the Bodie Island Lighthouse, 8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse Road, Nags Head.

Outer Banks Forever, the official partner for Outer Banks national parks, Dare Arts On the Outer Banks and the Outer Banks Group of the National Park Service partnered to create the new Artist in Community program being launched at the Earth Day celebration.

During the three, 90-minute artist demonstrations scheduled for 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., artists will have the opportunity to create work that promotes “an understanding of the need to protect and enhance our Outer Banks national parks for future generations” and engage with and inspire the the community and visitors, organizers said.

The artists were selected in March through a call for artists by the three organizations. Artists will not be selling their work at this event. 

Outer Banks Forever donors and grants from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and the Manteo Rotary Club are supporting the event.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

The theme for this year’s Wilmington’s Earth Day Festival is “Invest in Our Planet.”

Hosted by Wilmington Earth Day Alliance, the free festival is scheduled for noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 22, in Long Leaf Park.

There will be environmental information and activities with more than 60 exhibitors, food trucks, activities, and live music from The Delia Stanley Duo, Brett Johnson & Nimara Snyer, Ashby and the Business End, and Tribe of the Infinite.

For children, the Kids’ EcoZone will include a terrarium workshop with Airlie Gardens, a craft with Nature Connect, sea turtle rescue games with the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, and the New Hanover Country Library book giveaway.

Organizers have also coordinate a raffle. One winner will go home with a Hurricane Kayak donated by Great Outdoor Provision Co. or one of the other 20 raffle prizes.

Edward Teach Brewery, Hi-Wire Brewing and Good Hops Brewery will be on-site, and food and beverage for sale by RiCoQui Plant Based Street Food, Webo Catering, Soul BBQ, Smash and Dash, Panacea, Smart Smoothie, and Chocolate and S’more.

There will be recycling and composting stations to help this be a zero-waste event.

Bring a refillable water bottle. T-shirts featuring the 2023 festival logo will be for sale. On-site free parking and trolley shuttles from satellite locations are planned.

To volunteer, email wilmingtonearthday@gmail.com, call 910-798-7130, or complete the form in the “About Us” section of wilmingtonearthday.com.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

Carteret County-based Litter Free Land and Sea organizers are calling on volunteers to join their annual spring litter cleanup 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 22.

The cleanup day provides an opportunity to give back and connect with friends, neighbors, and coworkers as well as the environment in a safe and easy way, organizers said.

Check-in begins at 8:45 a.m. at any one of the following eight cleanup sites:

• Peletier Town Hall, 1603 N.C. 58, Peletier.
• Eastern Park, 450 U.S. 70 E, Smyrna.
• Grayden Paul Park, 718 Front St., Beaufort.
• Fort Macon State Park, 2303 E. Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach.
• Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier, 100 Bogue Inlet Drive, Emerald Isle.
• Train Depot, 1001 Arendell St., Morehead City.
• Fort Benjamin Park, 100 McQueen Ave., Newport.
• Salter Path Beach Access, 1025 Salter Path Road, Salter Path.

Volunteers will be provided free refreshments, gloves, trash bags, safety gear and trash pickup tools while supplies last. Bring water and wear comfortable shoes. The cleanup is rain or shine.

To ensure supplies are available for everyone, individuals and teams are asked to register no later than April 20 at www.litterfreelandandsea.com.

Every volunteer will get a T-shirt and is eligible for prizes and drawings including gift certificates for restaurants, store merchandise and family-centered places. Winners will be announced by a virtual award ceremony.

Litter Free Land and Sea is an initiative by Carteret County Government, Crystal Coast Economic Development, Carteret County Sheriff’s Office, and other partners.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

Sound Rivers conservation group is partnering with Pitt Street Brewing on the Pamlico again this year for an Earth Day cleanup along the Pamlico River.

Volunteers are to meet at 9:30 a.m. April 22 at Havens Gardens in Washington for the cleanup scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon.

Sound Rivers is a nonprofit organization that guards the health of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River Basins.

Cleanup will be along the Pamlico River’s shoreline at Havens Gardens and Jack’s Creek, from the Pamlico to East Fourth Street. Volunteers will head down to Pitt Street Brewing on the Pamlico after the cleanup.

Pickers, bags and gloves will be supplied. Wear weather-appropriate clothing and closed-toe shoes, organizers said.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

A Jacksonville-based environmental organization will feature science stations indoors and outside from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 during its annual Earth Day celebration.

The nonprofit Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center, which operates out of the site of the former Wilson Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant, is hosting the event.

Guests can register for a time slot on the organization’s website. The free tickets are in hourly increments. Attendees can stay as long as they would like, organizers said.

Science stations planned for the celebration include Green City Project, Yoga in Nature, Frog calls, Earth Day handprint, STEM activities, microscopes and Lorax Corner.

County departments and other organizations will have representatives on-site as well. Onslow County Schools will have a booth with science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, projects, the county parks and recreation department will have a scavenger hunt, and at the Onslow County Solid Waste station, visitors can make bird feeders.

Other groups expected include Onslow County Library, Onslow County Museum & Environmental Education Center, Onslow County Tourism, Onslow County Animal Shelter with dog adoptions, Onslow County EMS, Onslow County PEERS Program, Onslow County Beekeepers Association, North Carolina Aquarium Pine Knoll Shores, Wild at Heart Wildlife Sanctuary and more.

‍Food trucks expected to be on the grounds are ‍Kona-Ice, Pelican’s SnoBalls, Tanja’s Hella Fat Food, Smokin’ Deez BBQ, Funnels of Love, and Double Dog Dare Ya! Hotdogs and Catering.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

The Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Civic Association has coordinated an Earth Day Event and Plant Swap from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 at the RWS community building in Rodanthe.

A community group on the Outer Banks, RWS Civic Association will offer plant-related activities for children, raffles, a chance to meet with area beekeepers and representatives from other organizations. Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative representatives will be on hand with and electric vehicle.

To participate in the plant swap, organizers said to bring extra plants such as trees, bushes, flowers and vegetables to share or exchange with others. Extra bulbs, seed packets or live plants from a multi-pack are welcome.

The organization will begin the day with an Adopt-A-Highway meetup 10-11 a.m. April 22. Email rwscivicassociation@gmail.com to volunteer for the event or learn more about the cleanup.

An opportunity to learn more about solar and wind power will take place in Carteret County during the week of Earth Day.

The Renewable Energy Symposium is set for 1 to 6 p.m. April 20 in Joslyn Hall at Carteret Community College. Attendance is free.

College Corporate and Community Education Vice President Perry Harker kicks off the speaker portion of the symposium at 1:30 p.m. and is expected to discuss the importance of the college training for the workforce of tomorrow.

Keynote speaker is Cassie Gavin, policy director for North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association. She will discuss the new Duke Energy Plan and the NC 2030 goals for reducing carbon footprint through further use of solar and wind energy.

Karly Lohan, North Carolina program and outreach manager for the Southeastern Wind Coalition, will speak on the economic benefits and the potential for both onshore and offshore wind in the state and NC Interfaith Power and Light Executive Director Susannah Tuttle will offer “a hope-filled response” to climate change.

A panel discussion is to begin at 3:15 p.m. with representatives from the Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative, Duke Energy, Southern Energy Management in the Triangle, Cape Fear Solar in Wilmington and Saving Sunshine in Morehead City.

From 1-1:30 p.m. and during breaks, attendees may visit information tables in the foyer on the various utilities and solar installers with representatives there to answer questions.

Carteret Community College, the Croatan Group of the NC Sierra Club and NC Interfaith Power and Light are sponsoring the symposium.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

The Coastal Studies Institute is set to celebrate Earth Day and its 10-year anniversary on the East Carolina University Outer Banks Campus.

The institute and co-host ECU’s Integrated Coastal Programs have organized an open house and worked with the Coastal Environmental Educators Network to hold this year’s Earth Fair OBX on the campus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22.

Open house attendees will be able to tour the campus, grounds and facilities and take part in hands-on activities. There will be a chance to learn about current research and education programs and interact with faculty and staff.

During Earth Fair OBX, there will be informational booths from a variety of environmental organizations and family-friendly activities to engage participants of all ages. In past years, the fair was held at Dowdy Park in Nags Head.

The Coastal Studies Institute is a multi-institutional research partnership led by East Carolina University, in association with N.C. State University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, UNC-Wilmington and Elizabeth City State University.

CSI focuses on integrated coastal research and education programming centered on responding to the needs, issues and topics of concern of the residents of eastern North Carolina.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023.

An estuarine shoreline and roadside cleanup is set for 9-11:30 a.m. Friday, April 21, in the Roanoke Island community of Wanchese.

Organized by the North Carolina Coastal Federation Wanchese office to kick off Earth Day weekend, the effort is a part of the nonprofit’s commitment to reducing marine debris in coastal shorelines and waterways.

To join the cleanup, register on the Coastal Federation’s website.

Participants should check in with staff and pick up trash bags, gloves and other materials at Vista Creek event venue at 1789 N.C. 345, Manteo.

Volunteers will divide up and work in small groups during the cleanup.

Bring water, snacks and any necessary medications, organizers said. Dressing for the weather and wearing sturdy shoes for walking in wet areas are also recommended.

The Coastal Federation publishes Coastal Review.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023

Learn about sea turtles, coastal birds, recycling and conservation at this year’s Oak Island Earth Day Festival and Art Show set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 14.

The free, family friendly festival hosted by the town will take place at Middleton Park Complex, 102 SE 47th St., Oak Island.

This year’s festival theme is “We Will Continue To Strive To Save Our Planet.”

There will be food, hands-on activities and a a chance to meet with representatives from conservation groups including Bald Head Island Conservancy, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program, Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter, North Carolina Maritime Museum of Southport, Brunswick County Animal Protective Services, and North Carolina Coastal Federation.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023

A spate of events is set to take place on the coast as part of the 13th annual North Carolina Science Festival, or NCSciFest, in April.

The theme of NCSciFest 2023 is “Full STEAM Ahead,” celebrating the intersection of art and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, organizers said.

NCSciFest has an online calendar featuring the more than 800 events and programs scheduled for April 1-30 in all 100 counties or being held virtually.

“We are thrilled to be moving ahead with a full-scale festival,” said Todd Boyette, co-founder of NCSciFest and director of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, the producing institution. “The number of events this year exceeds what we had in 2019.”

Erik MacIntosh, NCSciFest program manager, said that the “North Carolina Science Festival and our other initiatives are designed to make science fun and engaging and accessible.”

Biogen Foundation is the presenting sponsor for the eighth year. As the charitable arm of Biogen Inc., the foundation supports initiatives like NCSciFest that focus on increasing access to science education.

“We believe that science can be artistic, and art can be scientific,” said MacIntosh. “This year we celebrate the arts to drive creativity, collaboration, and innovative problem solving.”

Event attendance is free unless otherwise noted.

Coastal events

April Fools’ but Science RULES! 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at Craven Community College campus, Havelock. Attendees will use chemistry to make butterflies, physics to make a keychain, paint with biology-based pigments, and more.

Fire Triangle 2 p.m. Saturday at Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. Learn about the three elements of fire and how they depend on each other and why prescribed burns are beneficial to the ecosystem.

How Does Your Garden Grow? 2 p.m. Sunday at Hammocks Beach State Park, 1572 Hammocks Beach Road, Swansboro. The park is to create a new flower garden at the visitor center to become part of the Butterfly Highway program, a statewide conservation restoration initiative that aims to restore native pollinator habitats.

Webb Wednesdays: The History of the Telescope 4 p.m. April 5, April 12, April 19 and April 26, Ingram Planetarium, 7625 High Market St., Sunset Beach. Explore the history of the telescope and evolution of its design.

Family Day at the Museum of Coastal Carolina 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 8, Museum of Coastal Carolina, 21 E. Second St., Ocean Isle Beach. There will be crafts and games inside and outside of the museum, weather permitting, food vendors and community representatives.

Colors in Nature 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 8, Bald Head Island Conservancy, 700 Federal Road, Bald Head Island. Explore the conservancy and learn how to use iNaturalist, a community science app, and make observations that scientists can use in their research.

Plastic Ocean Arts & Sci Fest 11 a.m-1 p.m. April 8, University of North Carolina Wilmington Watson School of Education Building Atrium, 601 S. College Road, Wilmington. For middle and high schoolers, there will be STEM-based activity stations related to plastic pollution and meet marine debris scientists.

Photosynthesis 2 p.m. April 13, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro.

Candy STEM 11 a.m. April 14, Hertford County Public Library, 303 W. Tryon St., Winton. Test your skills at a math guessing game with jellybeans and use gummy bears engineer and build a structure.

Crabby Crustacean Catch 2 p.m. April 15, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro.

Go With the Flow tide program 3:30 p.m. April 16, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro.

Full STEAM Ahead at Carteret Community College 5 p.m. April 18, Bryant Student Center, Morehead City. There will be hands-on, interactive STEM activities. Sign up online.

Core Sound Earth Day April 20-21, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center, 1785 Island Road, Harkers Island. Activities related to marine science, weather, local fisheries, dark skies, wildlife habitat, and more for area school groups grades K-5.

Gills: How Fish Breathe 2 p.m. April 20, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. Learn about this distinct fish characteristic that other animals don’t have and how they can live in water.

Full STEAM Ahead at Pettigrew Library 4-6 p.m. April 20, Pettigrew Regional Library, 201 Third St., Plymouth. Five hands-on science stations.

Full STEAM Ahead: Science Meets Art for All 3:30-7:30 p.m. April 21, UNCW Watson Education Building, 970 Reynolds Drive, Wilmington. STEM faculty and researchers will partner with artists of all mediums to showcase the STEM research taking place in the region. Register online.

Statewide Star Party: Crystal Coast 4-9:30 p.m. April 21-22, Cape Lookout National Seashore Visitor Center, 1800 Island Road, Harkers Island. Schedule includes speakers, stargazing and children’s activities.

Statewide Star Party: Beulaville 5:30-8 p.m. April 21, Beaulaville Elementary School.

Statewide Star Party: OBX 6:30-9:30 p.m. April 21, Dowdy Park, Nags Head. .

Statewide Star Party: College of the Albemarle 7-9 p.m. April 21, College of the Albemarle – Elizabeth City, 1208 North Road St.

Statewide Star Party: Carolina Beach State Park 7-10 p.m. April 21, Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Road, Carolina Beach.

Statewide Star Party: Hammocks Beach State Park 7:30-9:30 p.m. April 21, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro.

Statewide Star Party: Havelock 7:30-9:15 p.m. April 21, Craven Community College Havelock campus.

Earth Day at the Museum 6-8 p.m. April 21, Zing Zumm – Children’s Museum of Jacksonville, 625 New Bridge St., Jacksonville. There will be a film, art activities and area pollinators to discuss creating flower gardens.

Full STEAM Ahead at CMoW 9 a.m.-noon April 22, Children’s Museum of Wilmington, 116 Orange St., Wilmington. Art project, engineering challenge, science activity.

Ultimate Unmanned Vehicle Competition 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 22, Crystal Coast R/C Club, 196 Carl Garner Road, Next to Newport Flea Market. Teams from seven high schools in Craven and Carteret counties will fly their homemade unmanned aerial vehicles.

Earth Day Bear Island Eco-Hike 9:45 a.m. April 22, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. Meet at the Bear Island ferry waiting station. Ferry ticket required to attend program.

Technology of the Past 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 22, Historic Edenton State Historic Site, 108 N. Broad St., Edenton. Learn to make rope and ink, write with quill pens and see how food was prepared and preserved.

Earth Day at the Museum of Coastal Carolina 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 22, Museum of Coastal Carolina, 21 E. Second St., Ocean Isle Beach.

2023 Earth Day Celebration 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 22, Sturgeon City Environmental Education Center, 50 Court St., Jacksonville. Reserve a spot online.

Pollinator Palooza! 1-4 p.m. April 22, North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, 3 Pine Valley Drive, Wilmington. Learn about native pollinator species.

Saturdays of Science 2-4 p.m. April 22, T.S. Cooper Elementary School, Sunbury. The Saunders Science Scholars program is hosting the event in Gates County that will have experiments, crafts, virtual reality and giveaways.

Full STEAM Ahead with Science Alliance 5:30-8:30 p.m. April 22, Willard Outreach Community Center, 9955 N.C. Highway 11, Willard. Digital planetarium, telescopes to view the Pender County sky, examine how agricultural engineering has evolved over time and conduct experiments in bioluminescence, chromatography and the water cycle.

Sea, Stars, and S’more! 6-7:30 p.m. April 22, Town Center Park, 21 E. Second St., Ocean Isle Beach. Activities about sea turtles, stargazing and enjoy s’mores.

Statewide Star Party: Dismal Swamp State Park 6-9 p.m. April 22, Dismal Swamp State Park, 2294 U.S. 17 N., South Mills. Stargazing, hands-on activities and a 2-mile wagon ride through a scale model solar system.

Full STEAM Ahead at Brunswick Community College 9:30 a.m.-noon April 23, Brunswick Community College – Odell Williamson Auditorium, 50 College Road, Bolivia. Explore science concepts launching a rocket, making art with plant pigments and powering a boat with soap.

Oyster Reef Inventory 3:30 p.m. April 23, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro.

Full STEAM Ahead at Craven Community College 6-8 p.m. April 24, Craven Community College – Perdue Building, 800 College Court, New Bern. Explore science concepts launching a rocket, making art with plant pigments and powering a boat with soap.

Smart Science Extravaganza 3 p.m. April 26, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. Hands-on science experiments.

Animal Eggs 2 p.m. April 27, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro.

Welcome to STEAMSCAPE 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 28, Elizabeth City State University, 1704 Weeksville Road, Elizabeth City. For middle and high school students. Registration information will be sent to the area’s local middle and high schools. Teacher recommendations will be required.

N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island Bioblitz 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 28-May 1, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, 374 Airport Road, Manteo. Make an aquarium ticket reservation and find a table with Bioblitz related activities outside and inside to encourage participation in the citizen-science event.

N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher Bioblitz 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 28-May 1, North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, 900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach. Make a reservation and find a table with Bioblitz-related activities inside to encourage participation in this citizen-science event.

Carnival to Combat Climate Change 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 29, North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, 1 Roosevelt Blvd., Pine Knoll Shores.

Butterfly BINGO 2 p.m. April 30, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro.

Discover more coastal celebrations and programs at Earth Day 2023

Colleen Karl of the Edenton-Chowan Environmental Group is set to discuss, when she speaks next month during a “History for Lunch” program at the Museum of the Albemarle, the use of air sensors that capture increases in air particles that may be released from Cyanobacteria algal blooms.

The program on the PurpleAir project is set for noon Wednesday, April 19, at the Elizabeth City museum’s Gaither Auditorium or by Zoom. Register in advance through the museum’s Facebook page or website and receive a link to attend the lecture remotely.

The sensors installed across northeast North Carolina, including at the Museum of the Albemarle, are designed to measure small particles and convert them to a usable index of air quality. The real-time data is continuously updated on a map, according to the museum.

Related: Algal bloom research effort a community collaboration

The project has been made possible by the Community Collaborative Research Grant Program, supported by North Carolina Sea Grant and the state’s Water Resources Research Institute, in partnership with the William R. Kenan Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science based at North Carolina State University.

The virtual program is supported by Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle.

The Museum of the Albemarle at 501 S. Water St., Elizabeth City serves Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties. The museum is the northeast regional history museum of the North Carolina Division of State History Museums within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.