Carnivorous Venus, Pink Pitcher, Lovebug and Monkey Cups…pretty little eaters at McMillan Greenhouse, Charlotte free fun things to see

My daughter and I had great time visiting the McMillan Greenhouse inside Charlotte Botanical Gardens (located on the east side of the university’s campus). We spent couple hours browsing, touching, smelling, gasping and laughing at the weirdest, funniest and most bizarre plants from around the world. The greenhouse has several rooms: Carnivorous, Orchids, Cactus, Dinosaurs (yeah that’s right!), and Tropical. Admission is free and the greenhouse is open daily 10AM-3PM (1-4PM on Sunday).

This post features the “ferocious” carnivorous plants: Venus flytrap, Pink pitcher, Lovebug Sarracenia Hybrid and the Monkey Cups.

My daughter pleaded for a Venus flytrap ($8 for sale).

Our little flytrap: Dionaea Muscipula...sounds fierce!

Interesting facts:
• Venus flytrap lives only on the coast of North and South Carolina

• Venus Flytrap feeds on insects, yet big plants can catch and digest small frogs. It uses its bright red pigmentation to attract prey.

• The trap shuts in 0.3 seconds (one of the fastest plant movements in the world!) To avoid energy waste the trap snaps only after the trigger hairs have been stimulated twice within few seconds.

• It takes several days for the plant to completely digest an insect, and reopen its trap. Smaller insects sometimes escape despite a highly evolved grid of teeth that interlock when the trap closes.

• A trap is only good for 4 to 6 catches. After that, the trap withers, turns brown, and falls off. Read more and see a frog capturing video here.

When we got home we transferred the plant into a bigger pot (thanks to the wonderful staff we got free peat moss soil, which is best for Venus flytrap) with a large saucer and set it on the outdoor table in full sun. Within days she got to work, and caught three insects! All we had to do is give it water every day.

Few days later, she caught a large mosquito and a couple of flies. Bravo!

The pitcher plants lure insects inside their specially designed leaves with pretty colors and sweet scents. The inner walls are slippery trapping most of the intruders for good. As victims accumulate in the depths of the pitcher, digestive juices are secreted that liquify the prey for absorption.

Pretty in pink, yet lethal

Monkey Cups is a tropical pitcher plant that lives in South China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Madagascar, Seychelles and Australia. As the name suggests monkeys use them as drink fountains.

The monkey cups plant gets many visitors, some just looking for an easy meal inside the pitcher.

What love got to do with it?

Interested to start your own bog garden? The McMillan Greenhouse has all you need: plants, knowledge and friendly staff on hand.

Cute as a bog garden? Pretty little eaters...

Don’t forget McMillan’s biggest plant sale of the year will take place April 20 and 21st, 2012 8AM-3PM at the greenhouse.

Crazy, cool science experiments at Discovery Place, Charlotte fun things to do with kids

On a bed of nails she makes me wait…

Some wacky, educational, yet always cool stuff at Discovery Place downtown Charlotte. I love this place! Admission is $12 adults, $10 seniors and $9 children 2-13.

Amazing frogs! Discovery Place Charlotte where natural science is always fun

The Fantastic Frogs exhibit at Discovery Place science museum in Charlotte features exotic live frogs from all over the world with striking survival capabilities. Here you can immerse in the wild, colorful world of amphibians and see how frogs use disgusing techinques to attract mates, deceive predators and survive.

Playing the frog lifecycle game

There are several interactive stations kids can play at, scientific videos and of course plenty of frogs. Free with museum admission ($12 adults, $10 seniors, $9 children (2-12))

The Marine Cane, Bufo Marinus, can survive almost anywhere in the southern hemisphere.

The toad that conquered most of Australia

Also known as the Cane Toad, it was brought from Hawaii to Australia in a failed attempt to control sugar cane beetle population.

With no natural enemies the toad has flourished and destroyed much of the habitat it was meant to protect.

It is now considered one of the world’s worst invasive species.

The Pacman Frog, Ceratrophys Ornata, can puff up to considerable size and has a large mouth (half as big as the body) with sharp teeth lining the bottowm jaw which deliver a powerful killler bite.

Dont mess with the Pacman Frog!

The Mighty Poison Dart Frogs
• The Dying Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates Tinctorious, according to legend was used by Amerindians from Guyana and Amazon to change the green color of a young parrot’s feathers by plucking the desired area bald and then rubbing with the living frog. When new feathers grew in they will be magically dyed bright yellow and red.

• The Blue Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates Azureus,

The most fierce dart frogs females will defend territory and mating rights to their death

is considered one of the most territorial frogs, with females fiercely defending against other trespassing females.

During the breeding season, a victorious females wins the mating rights with the male of choice.

Two weeks after laying her eggs she must transfer them to separate pools as the growing tadpoles are cannibalistic.

• The Black-Legged Poison Dart Frog, Phyllobates Bicolor, is one of the three frog species whose toxin was used to poison the spears of Columbian Choco Indians hunters.

• The Green and Black Poison Dart Frog, Dendrobates Auratus, possesses a natural compound called epibatidine that has powerful pain-killing properties. It is 200 times stronger than morphine and is non-addictive.

It packs a pain killing toxin that is 200 times stornger than morphine

• The Golden Poison Dart Frog, Phyllobates Terribilis, is the world’s most poisonous frog, 4 times as toxic as the Blue Poison Dart Frog and 40 times more toxic than the Black-Legged Poison Dart Frog.

More incredible frog trivia:
• The Hairy Toad, Trichobatrachus Robustus, has bony protrusions that shoot out from the toe pads like claws to scare away predators; it’s not yet clear if they can also retract.

• Frog freeze! The Wood Frog turns its flesh from flexible to frozen during winter. The “popsicle” frog remains in a frigid state until the temperature rises, when it thaws back to life.

• The gliding-ator, Polypedates Dennysi, takes a leap of faith through the rainforest canopy to escape predators and to find mates.

• The tomato frog produces a sticky slime that is 25 times stronger than cement.

Visit Discovery Place to enjoy and learn about world’s most interesting creatures.

Think it up at Discovery Place! The best kids things to do in Charlotte

Everyone is an artist at Think It Up, the arts and crafts exhibit at Discovery Place museum downtown Charlotte. I wrote about Cool Stuff science and World Alive nature exhibits.

Admission to Discovery Place is $12 adults, $10 seniors and $9 children 2-13 (plus $7 to park in the garage unless you’re lucky to find a spot on the street).

The museum is open daily, 9-4 Monday to Friday, 10-6 Saturday and 1-5 Sunday.

This post is about being smart and creative. You start with foil sculpting…

Then you move on to make your own fancy shoes and trendy leather accessories.

Explore the grace of moving air. Create your own air symphony using wind sockets!

See how far can paper objects fly. Build your own UFO and let the wind turbine do the rest.

Finish up with a well deserved break on the dance floor.

Are you ready for some fun?

Cowpens National Battlefield – Monuments, stories, quotes and artifacts

“Just hold up your heads, boys, three fires and you are free…when you return to your homes, how the old folks will bless you, and the girls will kiss you, for your gallant conduct.”

The Cowpens National Battlefield park near Greenville-Spartanburg area is home to one of the most critical battles of the American Revolution. On this field, on January 17, 1781 General Daniel Morgan led his army to a brilliant victory over Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s British forces, which helped turn the tide in our favor.

Admission is free and the park is open daily from dawn to dusk. There is plenty for kids to enjoy. Below are some of the stories, quotes and artifacts I found most interesting (historical data, quotes and illustrations are from the museum exhibits).

General Daniel Morgan, a tough man and a military genius

The Old Wagoner, General Daniel Morgan, a military genious and self-made man

Morgan’s military genius was revealed when he deployed the double envelopment, a military strategy unique during Revolution and one of the few in world’s history.

Morgan chose Cowpens for its tactical advantages: a river to the rear to discourage the ranks from breaking, a rising ground on which to post his regulars, an open forest and marsh on one side to thwart flanking maneuvers.

The battle lasted less than an hour and the British losses were staggering: 110 killed, 229 wounded and 600 captured or missing.

Morgan later told a friend that he had given “Bloody” Tarleton and the British a “devil of a whipping”…

“…Our success was complete…Our loss was inconsiderable, not having more than twelve killed and sixty wounded… General Morgan to General Greene, January 19, 1781.

Great generals are scarce – there are few Morgans to be found” General Nathaniel Greene 1781.

The British were dumbfounded…the unthinkable happened!

Monument at the entrance to Cowpens National Battlefield museum

“The fire on both sides produced much slaughter…”
Lt. Col Banastre Tarleton

The Edinburgh Advertiser reports on April 3, 1781 the unfathomed defeat of the British at the Battle of Cowpens:

“Of the action between Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton and their General Morgan, on the 17th…they have gone so far as to assert, that the former was totally defeated.”

“The disaster of the 17th of January cannot be imputed to any defect in my conduct, as the detachment was certainly superior to the force against which it was sent…”
Lord Cornwallis

Battle of Cowpens artifacts
Inside the museum you can admire the 1760 British Dragoons officer’s sword with an iron semi-basket kilt, and a bluish blade engraved and gilded with Scottish emblems. Dragoons were the “eyes of the army”, their mission was to prevent surprise attacks. Also on display is a Scottish 71st Fraser’s Highlanders officer’s broad sword.

Tools of the trade...exquisite Dragoon sabers

The Mighty Moo and The Herd
In theater you can see models of the USS Cowpens CVL-25 and CG-63 ships, both nicknamed “Mighty Moo”. The USS Cowpens, CG-63, is a a state-of-the-art guided missile cruiser commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1991 in Charleston. On March 20, 2003, she fired the first Tomahawk missile into Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Mighty Moo cruiser was commissioned in 1991 in Charleston

The museum also displays a replica of the two cannons used by the British at the Battle of Cowpens. The guns were light enough to be carried on horseback. When mounted on long shafts they could be moved by soldiers. The cannons were nicknamed “grasshoppers” because they hoped when fired!

Replica of the British grasshopper captured at Cowpens

The capture of the “Grasshoppers”
Near the end of the battle, as the Americans swept forward, two Continental officers sought to capture the enemy’s “grasshopper” canons. Captain Anderson of Maryland won the race when he used his spontoon to vault forward onto one of the grasshoppers. Captain Kirkwood of Delaware captured the other.

Capt. Anderson of Maryland jumps to capture the Grasshopper cannon

The clash of swords and ultimate loyalty…
American horsemen led by Lt. Col. William Washington (George Washington’s second cousin) clashed with retreating British officers of the 17th Light Dragoons.

Young servant risks his life to save that of his master

Washington quickly outpaced his troops, and then broke his weapon at the hilt when he got into a sword fight with a British officer.

According to legend, Washington’s young servant rode up just in time saving his life by shooting the attacking British officer.

This account inspired artist William Ranney to paint this vivid battle scene in 1845.

The Washington Light Infantry of Charleston, South Carolina erected this monument in 1856 to commemorate this important American victory.

Monument erected in 1856 to honor the victory at Cowpens

For more inspiring stories from the Battle of Cowpens visit the park’s official website.

You can read details about the battle, what happened soon thereafter, how the families coped during the war and the important role played by women and African American slaves.

Speaking of women, here is a brief summary of famous South Carolina daughters and their heroic acts of patriotism during Independence War.

Mark your calendar!
January 15 and 16, 2011 is the Anniversary Celebration of the Battle of Cowpens. There will be an encampment, lantern tours, live firing demonstrations, and author lectures. For more details call (864) 461-2828.

Be proud at Cowpens National Battlefield in beautiful South Carolina!

Wild about animals at Discovery Place, Charlotte fun kids things to do

I strongly believe the completely redesigned Discovery Place downtown Charlotte is the coolest science museum in the Southeast! Discovery Place is open daily 9AM to 4PM (6PM Saturday, noon to 5PM Sunday). Admission is $12 adults, $10 seniors, $9 children 2-13 and free for those under 2.
This post is about the “Rainforest” and “World Alive” exhibits, filled with North Carolina native as well as exotic animals from around the world.

Its so smooth!

It’s a jungle out here! Look out for python, dart frogs, macaws, sloth and cheerful birds. Make sure to attend the A World Apart free live show (daily at 3PM, free admission)

Walking a tight rope in Charlotte...

At “Touch a Tank” children can pet horse and hermit crabs, star fish, and sea urchins. How cool is that?

Hello Patrick!

The aquarium consists of 15 tanks featuring diverse ecosystems: Indo-Pacific coral reef, North Carolina coastal habitat, and a seafloor reef with small sharks, stingrays, jellyfish and more.

Salt marsh habitat in North Carolina

We spent the most time in the science lab. Lana was trilled to look at all sorts of objecs under the fancy microscope and to manipulate the images on the computer.

Your keys look huge mommy!

Yes, it’s real! Come enjoy an assortment of fresh wild animal poop, courtesy of black bears, bobcats, deer, raccoons and more…It stinks in here!

Yuk, smelly bear poop!

Dare to flex your bear muscles?

Arrrr...they look fierce!

I was drawn to the carnivorous plants…good think they were behind the glass.

Tough as nails...watch out she will bite you!

A trip back in time. It’s a small world really…

Whos your daddy?

Be forever childish at Discovery Place in Charlotte!

Trout hatchery tour, free things to do in beautiful Pisgah National Forest

One fish two fish red fish blue fish…

Western North Carolina, the land of the waterfalls, is truly breathtaking in the fall.

Fun free wild things to do inside Blue Ridge Parkway

Recently, we spend a weekend hiking between Hendersonville and Brevard.

We had fun visiting the Bobby N. Setzer Fish Hatchery and Raceway Exhibit housed at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education.

This is the largest hatchery in the state, which stocks about half million brook, rainbow and brown trout a year and feeds over 80 streams and lakes in 15 counties.

The center is located inside the Pigah National Forest of off Hwy 276 and about 20 minutes drive from scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.

Self guided tour at the Fish Hatchery, Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education

The raceway exhibit is open Monday to Saturday, 8AM to 5PM and admission is free.

Here you can watch and feed brook, rainbow and brown trout.

The fingerlings grow in a series of 54 outdoor raceways, which are elongated, concrete fish-rearing ponds with a constant flow of fresh water.

In fact the raceways channel 3,500 gallons per minute of cold mountain water from nearby Davidson River and Grogan Creek!

About the trout… (data from the “Raising Trout for North Carolina Waters” brochure)

Beautiful specled trout at Bobby Setzer Hatchery

The brook trout, is North Carolina’s only native trout, nicknamed “speckle” because of the blue-bordered, red spots on its flanks. The back has green worm-like markings and the lower fins are red with a black stripe and white leading edge.

The rainbow trout was brought from the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800s. It has many dark spots, a greenish back that fades into silvery white on its belly and a red stripe along its flanks (hence the name). Rainbow trout can tolerate warmer waters than brook trout.

The brown trout was brought from Europe, also in the late 1800s. It is brownish yellow with many black and few bright-red spots along its flanks. Currently, it thrives in the North Caolina streams and can tolerate warm and turbid waters.

Once done with the hatchery tour, you can take the easy interpretive trail through the beautifully restored wildlife garden and hardwood forest habitat. Inside the auditorium you can get up close to colorful fish, frogs, salamanders and snakes.

If you plan to stick around for a few days, take advantage of the high quality outdoor classes for all age and skill levels: fly tying and fishing, hunter education, outdoor cooking, waterfall photography and more. Details online or by phone at (828) 877-4423.

Nearby Looking Glass Falls right off Hwy 276

For ever enchanted in beautiful Western North Carolina!

Cool stuff kids! Discovery Place in Charlotte blows your mind

The wait is finally over! The Discovery Place science museum downtown Charlotte made it to the 21st century! Recently we spent over 4 hours exploring the newly renovated museum. Admission is $12 adults, $9 children 2-13, and free for those under 2.

Our favorite exhibit was “Cool Stuff”, an action-packed gallery dedicated to fun scientific experiments. Here is a virtual tour:

Kids pull all the ropes at Discovery Place

Wanna get a lift? Hop on the air chair! Kids get to see how a small difference in air pressure can have a pretty big, and in this case, cool impact. It’s the same principle when you drink water with a straw…

Up in the air!

Get in line for a tug of war! See what’s all the fuss about giant levers, fulcrum, mechanical forces, and momentum.

Who do you think will win?

Sleeping beauty? Dare to lay down on the bed of nails (metal spikes)! It actually felt quite comfortable…

On a bed nails she makes me wait...

Snap circuits, create your own robots, mechanical arm and catapult. Design a computer program and see your robot go! Indeed, this is fun science learning at its best!

I robot...

This was by far the most popular station. Kids push, pull, shove, lift, and spin all sorts of mechanical contraptions just to move some sand around!

A construction boom in Charlotte?!

Feel the weird power of spinning motion with the gravity defying Gyro Briefcase! Rocket ships, bicycles, frisbees and yo-yos all take advantage of the strange gyroscopic motion.

It doesn't even budge mom!

Get higher and higher…kids use their muscle power to lift themselves up in the air. Experience first hand the properties of friction, pulleys, and levers.

Learn about friction and resistance

Ready, set, aim! Blast air at various targets or at your parents (if they’re standing in the way)! See a mini-tornado in action and learn about the power of a vortex.

Vortex power

Want more? There is also:

• Laser spy
• Lariat chain
• Dancing trees
• Sail racing
• Fiber optic illusions
• Hydraulic contests

Are you a wild thing? Then, spend some time at the Word Alive exhibit on the first floor. There are live exotic animals in the rainforest and the aquarium, and even a petting zoo!

Little ones have fun too inside the Kids Science exhibit, featuring a water table, race track, wind tubes, drums station and a protected area for infants and toddlers.

Be smart, have fun at Discovery Place in Charlotte NC!

New at Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia wild fun thing to do!

I haven’t been to Riverbanks since the “Lights Before Christmas” event. Last Saturday my daughter and I braved the crowds and the heat to see what’s new at the zoo.

Newest exhibit: Kangaroo Walkabout
Although is hard to replace the feisty sea lions (remember Big Boy?) the kangaroos and wallabies held their own on the fun factor. Kids love to get close (really close!) to the strange looking creatures. The are two staff guides that monitor the animals and are happy to answer questions.

Red Necked Wallabies – Wallabies are the smaller cousins of the kangaroos.

Happy to sit next to young wallabies

The red-necked wallaby is the largest of all the wallabies.

Like kangaroos, wallabies get around by hopping and raise young in a pouch in the female’s belly. They spend the dawn and dusk hours eating grasses and other plants, and rest during broad daylight.

Red-Necked Wallabies have been killed for their fur and because they eat same grass as sheep.

Red Kangaroos – Males are called “boomers”, females “flyers” and the young are called “joeys”. Kangaroos can live up to 20 years of age.

Is fun watching the kangaroos only feet away

In the wild, males live lot less than females (5-10 years vs. 10-15 years) due to constant fighting with other males and their mostly solitary life.

An adult male red kangaroo can weigh 200 pounds and grow to be 5 feet tall, truly remarkable considering at birth he is as big as a jelly bean!

Kangaroos are mostly nocturnal. During the day they cope with the heat by licking their wrists.

They can hop over 6 feet tall fences, leap over 25 feet and reach speeds of 30 mph! When threatened, kangaroos stomp the ground with their hind legs and thump with their tales. They can deliver a powerful kick if necessary!

The Gorilla exhibit is still a family favorite. There is renewed interest after the short yet exciting escapade last year and the sad departure of Kimya, the youngest male, this year.

The one gorilla who did not get away...

2010 Price and Food Updates:

Admission is now $11.75 adults, $9.25 children (under 3 get in FREE), $10.75 military and seniors. There is a new $28.75 (per person) Combo Pass that includes admission and unlimited rides.

The Meerkat Manor of Columbia!

There are 2 new “Explorer” membership options, $99 individual and $149 family, which provide unlimited rides and attractions on top of the usual benefits.

See all the details here.

You can get a $20 Day Pass for unlimited rides and feedings. The price for each individual attraction has not changed ($5 pony ride, $2 train ride, $2 3D Theater, $1 carousel, and $1 giraffe and lorikeet feeding).

Best place to eat is still the Kenya cafe, which is open year around and offers indoor A/C seating. All grill meals include french fries and cost around $4. Choose from burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, chicken and BBQ sandwiches. There are grab-and-go salads, deli sandwiches, yogurt, fruits and more.

Stay wild, be cool at the Riverbanks Zoo!

At Seagrove magic pottery wheels keep on turning…

Love pottery crafts? Looking for exquisite Christmas gifts? Then drive to Seagrove, NC the pottery capital of the world!

Join the 28th Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival on November 21 and 22 at Seagrove Elementary School.

Native Americans, the First Potters(data from NC Pottery Center exhibits)

Native Americans in the Carolina have been making utilitarian and ceremonial vessels for more than 4,500 years. The first pots were carved from soapstone. About 3,000 years ago indigenous tribes across the Southeast started to transform the clay into fired pottery.

• Women were the primary potters, digging the clay, mixing it with sand, crushed rocks or mussel shells to give the vessel strength and firing it in simple pits.

Pinching, coiling and hand-working techniques were passed from generation to generation.

• The fire pit model on display at the NC Pottery Center contains vessels with surfaces textured by beating with carved paddles, impressing textiles or burnishing with a polishing stone. Vessels were warmed around the edges then gently rolled into the coals to continue hardening.

• Native Americans did not use a wheel to make pottery. Instead they created wares by a process called coiling. Pots were built from a pinched base by stacking coils one on the other, or the reverse upside-down from a large coil on the rim to the pointed bottom. The smoke created black patterns as seen on the ones in the exhibit.

The European Influence

• At the time of European settlement, the most prominent tribes were the Tuscarora in the coastal plains, the Siouan in Eastern Piedmont, the Catawba in Western Piedmont and the Cherokees in the mountains. The Cherokees and the Catawba tribes are still active potters today.

• The earliest European wheel-turned and chambered fired pottery was found at the Santa Elena archaeological site on Parris Island, a Spanish fort established in the 16th century.

• During the 1700s potters of English and German descend emigrated to North Carolina where they set up shops which produced lead-glazed earthenware.

• In 1800s they transitioned to higher fired stoneware and alkaline and salt glazes.

A taste of local flavor…

The 19th century shop on display at the Pottery Center (including the tools and glaze mill), are an exact replica of the one used by Harvey Rienhardt and Burlon Craig in Henry, NC.

• Potters referred to themselves as “turners”

• Wheels are “lathes” (pronounced “lays”)

• Kilns (pronounced “kills”) are “burned”, not fired.

The NC Pottery Center, located downtown Seagrove, is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10AM to 4PM. Admission is $2 adults, free for kids 12 and under and for NCPC members. Every Saturday come enjoy Free pottery making demos with a local artist.

Just half an hour away is the NC Zoo, one of the best zoological parks in the country.