Educational Exhibits

Traveling Exhibits

Bring the wonder of native plants and animals to your town or organization with one of our traveling exhibits! These colorful, engaging exhibits are easy to set up on their retractable, double-sided banner stands.

Beehold the Humble Pollinator

Created with funding from the Burt’s Bees Greater Good Foundation, this traveling exhibit features ten panels on five stands that explore the diversity and ecology of bees, the pollination services they provide, the threats they face, and ways the public can support them.

This exhibit is appropriate for all ages, with lots of photos and an interactive case of bee specimens incased in resin for visitors to examine. Younger children may need help from their parents to read and understand some of the scientific concepts in the exhibit.

Saving Our Wildflowers

Created with funding from the North Carolina Science Museums Grant Program, this traveling exhibit features eight panels on four double-sided stands. It covers the basics of wildflowers: what they are, the relationships they have with native wildlife, the threats they face, and how members of the public can support native wildflowers with sustainable gardening practices.

This exhibit is appropriate for all ages. It focuses specifically on native plants and habitats in North Carolina, so it’s most appropriate for sites in North Carolina.

Coming Soon: Saving Our Savannas

Available beginning in November 2024, this exhibit explores the important role longleaf pines have played in the natural world and in human cultures over time. Panels delve into longleaf pines’ relationship with fire, the rare plants and animals that live in longleaf pine ecosystems, historical and current Indigenous connections with longleaf pines, the history of African Americans’ relationship to the lumber and turpentine industries, and more.

Ready to learn more?

We loan our traveling exhibits out at no charge, though borrowing organizations are responsible for the cost of transportation or shipping to and from their site and for providing insurance to cover the exhibit during the loan period.

Contact the communications & exhibits coordinator, Emily Oglesby, at eoglesby@unc.edu or 919-962-2233 for more information about borrowing one of our traveling exhibits.

In the Pegg Exhibit Hall

The Pegg Exhibit Hall, located in the central building in our Allen Education Center complex, features rotating educational exhibits as well as some ongoing highlights. Around the exhibit hall are the Burke and Judy Davis Garden Shop, DeBerry Gallery for Botanical Art & Illustration, and Sara Fore Gaines Library. Learn more about these spaces in our Allen Education Center pages.

Up now: Saving Our Savannas

What makes the longleaf pine so special? How have humans used and lived with this resilient and important tree over time? This exhibit explores the natural and cultural history of North Carolina’s state tree.

Past exhibits have included Saving Our Birds, Saving Our Wildflowers, Saving Our Pollinators, Winter Spectacle, Plant This, Not That, and more.

Birds’ Nests

We’re grateful to the New Hope Audubon Society for sharing this birds’ nest display with us, featuring the nests of a Carolina wren, blue-gray gnatcatcher, American robin, white-eyed vireo, and more. Each nest is accompanied by an educational paragraph.

Note: Collecting birds’ nests, eggs, feathers, or any other parts requires a government permit.

Shagbark Hickory Tree Cookie

This Carolina shagbark hickory was once a National Champion Tree. It grew at Mason Farm Biological Reserve for 245 years until it fell in 1996 during Hurricane Fran. Get up close to see the growth rings and see if you can figure out which times were especially good for growth!

Pine Cones of the Southeastern U.S.

The Southeast is home to a number of native pine species: compare and contrast their cones in this display!

Specimens courtesy of Scott G. Ward.