Roper Mountain Science Center

You’ll love what we’ve got planned for 2025! #GivingTuesday is one week away, and we need your help taking a bite out of the $20,000 needed for a NEW piranha tank in Harrison Hall! All donations up to $10,000 will be matched dollar for dollar. Give here: https://lnkd.in/ei9cTVrA

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Join us in the planetarium for your holiday favorites set to festive laser lights on Dec. 13, 14, 20, and 21 for three magical shows! Tickets are on sale now and do sell out, so don't delay! Not sure where to start? See what fun is in store at each show now: Laser Holiday Magic: Celebrate the season with Laser Holiday Magic. Some of your favorite holiday tunes have been brought to life with vibrant animations and gorgeous abstracts. Bring your family and friends to share the one-of-a-kind Laser Holiday Magic experience! Laser Nutcracker Fantasy: Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is a holiday tradition seen yearly around the country. This program contains some amazing laser animations with beautiful holiday imagery. Come see the holiday classic as you’ve never seen it before! Laser Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas: With over 10 million albums sold, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is a rock band that pushes the boundaries of the progressive rock genre and inspires people to rediscover the complex art form of the rock opera. Join us for the classic rock sounds of TSO accompanied by brilliant laser lights and digital effects! https://lnkd.in/gG4MwFT9

We look forward to giving thanks for our blessings next week during Thanksgiving. As a facility of Greenville County Schools, we will be closed for all public events next week and will look forward to welcoming you back to kick off the holiday season in December!

#GivingTuesday is an international day of giving, and it’s happening on Dec. 3. We are raising money to install a piranha tank in Harrison Hall. Thanks to a generous donor, the first $10,000 in donations will be matched! Donate here: https://lnkd.in/ei9cTVrA #RoperMountain

We've been cooking up a TON of fun for today's Fall on the Farm during Afternoon Explorations! Join us between 1:30 and 5 p.m. down on the Living History Farm for a plethora of hands-on activities and experiences, including: relay races, demonstrations, tastings, crafts, a scavenger hunt, and MUCH more! https://lnkd.in/g8uTzND8

Another obvious change you'll be able to see on the mountain from the effects of Hurricane Helene are all of the fallen trees throughout our forest. These fallen dead trees will slowly decompose, recycling valuable nutrients back into the soil. This slow decomposition feeds a diversity of insects, fungi, and microorganisms. Hurricane Helene also created a lot of brush piles from our cleanup. Brush piles are a very important habitat element for many different kinds of wildlife. They provide cover from predators and places for nests, escape routes, and dens.

Come join us on Friday during Afternoon Explorations for our Fall on the Farm special event. Some of the festivities you can partake in include: - Helping us press apples to make delicious apple cider. Tastings for all! - Furthering your education by visiting our one room schoolhouse and participating in a short lesson. - Watching our pewtersmith make toy pewter soldiers (available for purchase). - Stopping in our kitchen cabin and seeing what’s cooking over the fire – we will be featuring historic recipes focused on the fall harvest. - Visiting our friendly farm animals, including our cows Ruby and Rosy. - Helping grind corn to feed our chickens and ducks. - Strolling through our beautiful vegetable garden and talking with our gardeners. - Dipping a small candle to take home. - Stopping by the gem mining table to find a treasure! Come join us and celebrate the season from 1:30 to 5 p.m.!

Giving Tuesday is coming up on Dec. 3! We have another exciting new addition to our Rainforest in the Harrison Hall of Natural Science that we want to share with you. Mark your calendars and keep an eye out for more information #buyaPiranha

We believe igniting passion for a better tomorrow should start early. Happy International STEM/STEAM Day! #GEVernovaProud #STEMDay #STEAMLearning #FutureOfEnergy Roper Mountain Science Center

Did you know that we have several changes expected in our forest from Hurricane Helene? One of the big changes is an increase in forest openings called gaps. Now light floods into newly created gaps, creating excellent conditions for the growth of subcanopy and shrub species, as well as vines. Taking the place of a large windthrow pine or oak might be seedlings or herbaceous species now getting the light they need. Sometimes gaps develop a dense, almost jungle-like understory due to this higher light intensity. Forest gaps also provide great basking areas for the lizards and snakes on the mountain. Not only do gaps add much to the diversity of our forest tree species, but they also increase the diversity of our wildlife species. Larger forest gaps also create habitat edges that benefit mammals like deer, rabbits, raccoons, and foxes. This edge effect is especially great for bird diversity!