I’m a little embarrassed to confess that virtually everything I know about lemurs has come from my niece Kaitlin and my nephew Jack – seven-year-old twins. In my defense, they are authorities on the subject of lemurs, so I’m kept well informed.
In fact, Kaitlin and Jack are authorities on a lot of subjects, reminding me of things I probably knew at one time, but in my rush to adulthood, I incorrectly deemed those things not important enough to remember.
A trip to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham gave the twins a chance to re-educate me, while also testing my knowledge with a range of probing questions. On a warm spring morning, we set our step counters to zero and headed out for some low-impact exercise.
If you’ve never been to the Museum of Life and Science before, here’s a little of what you might see – and learn.
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- Jack: “Did that rocket fly to the moon?” No, it’s actually a replica of the one that carried the first astronauts into space.
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- Yes, it would be awfully loud if you were that close to a rocket launch. But that would be the least of your problems.
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- The window at the museum gift shop offers sage advice: “Play outside.” A half-second after this photo was taken, Kaitlin and Jack dutifully sprinted through the doors.
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- Jack: “Some people get to ride a train every day to go to work. I hope I do when I grow up.” For now, the next best thing is a ride on the museum’s Ellerbe Creek Railway.
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- There is plenty to see along the train’s route, including a series of art installations.
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- Although they live in New York State, Jack and Kaitlin enthusiastically demonstrated the Durham bull hand sign when they spotted the Good Luck Bull.
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- Kaitlin: “Where do turtles go in the winter?” Me: “Florida.” Kaitlin: “Florida?!” No, not really. They go under the mud at the bottom of the pond.
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- Kaitlin: “That bird is skinny. He probably wants something to eat.” Indeed. We watched this great blue heron come up empty-handed – empty-beaked? – in his attempt to grab some lunch.
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- Jack: “What is he dreaming about?” If this red wolf dozing by a tree under the warm sun is anything like my dogs, he’s probably dreaming about dozing by a tree under the warm sun.
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- Jack: “The lemurs pick the bugs off each other.” Kaitlin: “And then they eat the bugs!” Well, that seems like the polite thing to do.
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- Adorable.
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- Parents and grandparents – and aunts and uncles – seemed to enjoy watching the kids run wild in Hideaway Woods almost as much as the kids enjoyed running wild.
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- I watched this white-breasted nuthatch bring a few beakfuls of pine straw into this birdhouse, perhaps getting it ready for the season’s eggs.
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- With the kids being safely supervised by Mom, Dad takes a few minutes to consider weighty issues like where to get some barbecue for lunch.
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- Our visit ended with this view from the hammocks in Hideaway Woods. Walking through the museum grounds, we covered about 1.5 miles.
Jack and Kaitlin: “Can we go back again?”
Yes, we’ll go back again. Meanwhile, I’ll study up on lemurs.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield is a proud supporter of the Museum of Life and Science, sponsoring new trails in Hideaway Woods and the Walk of the Week, a walking program that leads visitors on educational scavenger hunts through the museum’s 84-acre woodlands. Learn more about the Walk of the Week program here.
And remember: Play outside.
About Chris Privett
Chris Privett is a communications specialist at BCBSNC, assisting the company’s leaders with speeches and presentations. Chris has a particular interest in sharing stories about BCBSNC’s role as a committed partner in North Carolina’s communities. His communications career began in 1990 in television news, later transitioning to public relations roles in nonprofits.
