Science Festival to Spark a Movement for the Planet

Appreciation for our natural world is something the community can rally around. Turning that into action inspired the 2026 Wilmington Community Science Fest March 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Davis Center, Wilmington Maides Park. Hosted by the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF); Valerie Robertson, Publisher of Cape Fear's Going Green magazine; and Savannah Lytle, NC Environmental Education Certification candidate, this festival channels the passion of anyone in the community to take actionable steps to become community scientists. The NC Aquariums are a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).

Community science activities abound in the local area and this festival is bringing them all together for everyone to explore in one place. Among the activities, NCAFF will showcase FrogWatch USA, a popular community science program that trains volunteers in identifying frog calls and then certifies them to become official FrogWatchers, logging critical information about frogs in the area.

"I've realized the value of community science through leading FrogWatch USA training, and it's not limited to the scientific data collected," said Kristin Holloman-Noe, NCAFF outreach coordinator and FrogWatch USA regional coordinator. "I've made incredible friends with whom I have had so much fun listening to the choruses of frogs and toads that many of us have heard our entire lives, but never quite appreciated."

Festival-goers are invited to explore all the community science opportunities, continue volunteering or join a project for the first time. The concept is a one-stop solution to ensuring those who are passionate about supporting science have easy access to the myriads of opportunities.

"Knowing that researching opportunities requires time and patience, we hatched the idea of creating one event where interested parties could browse projects and instantly move from wanting to participate straight into registering to participate," said Holloman-Noe. "The support and enthusiasm we've witnessed in planning this event has truly warmed my heart," she added.

Other headliners at the event include Science Across NC EcoExplore and Project Explore; NC Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve and NC Wildlife Resources Commission Terrapin Tally; NC Audubon Shorebird Surveys, Creekwatchers with Cape Fear River Watch; and Gardening for Wildlife with Cape Fear Garden Club. Ambassadors for SciStarter, iNaturalist and eBird will guide visitors through tutorials on creating accounts and submitting first entries to these community science apps.

In an exciting announcement at the festival, SciStarter is honoring Community Science Month in April and America 250 by launching 2.5 Million Acts of Science. Representatives will be on hand to encourage everyone to join the ambitious goal during this semiquincentennial year.

"For years I've been a fan of community science to connect people with nature in a way that inspires them to participate in research that makes a difference," said Robertson. "No matter what a person's interest, there is likely a project that will spark their curiosity."

Whether contributing to a global database such as iNaturalist or a local project to document what they notice about North Carolina frogs, or water quality in a local creek, or Painted Buntings along our coast-all of these are available for exploration at the festival.

"Having personally participated in a variety of community science programs over the years, ranging from water quality monitoring to frog and toad surveys, I was excited by the opportunity to support greater local involvement in this work," said Lytle.

The timing of the festival is strategic-the goal is to inspire new community scientists to get started reporting their findings immediately. Community science empowers residents to contribute to scientific research by collecting long-term data, while also offering a fun and meaningful way to connect with the natural world. The inaugural festival is free and open to the public.

About the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is just south of Kure Beach, a short drive from Wilmington on U.S. 421 and less than a mile from the Fort Fisher ferry terminal. The Aquarium is one of three Aquariums and a pier that make up the North Carolina Aquariums, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The mission of the Aquarium is to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments. The Aquarium features a 235-000-gallon sand tiger shark habitat, an albino alligator, a bald eagle, a loggerhead sea turtle habitat and two families of mischievous Asian small-clawed otters.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission: $15 ages 13-61; $13 children ages 3-12; $14 seniors (62 and older) and military with valid identification; NC EBT card holders: $3. Free admission for children 2 and younger and N.C. Aquarium Society members and N.C. Zoo members. *EBT rate is applicable to a maximum of four tickets.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural ResourcesThe N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina - its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. At more than 100 sites across the state, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency. For more information, please visit https://www.dncr.nc.gov.

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