Teen+Science+Cafe

Teen Science Cafe is a monthly event that takes place at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. The Teen Science Cafe teaches local teens about pressing environmental issues in our area. The October edition was presented by two NC State PhD students that are studying butterflies. They presented information about a local endangered butterfly, the St. Francis Satyr. It was once abundant in the South East, but due to European settlement its habitat has been destroyed and its population has declined greatly. The students are working with a group of conservationists who have found a population of St. Francis Satyrs in Ft. Bragg, the only population in NC.

This experience taught me that there are many more endangered species in the world than only the large mammals like the panda, rhino, or tiger. There are also many smaller, less popular species that are just as important to the environment. This relates to environmental science because endangered species are largely due to the effects of deforestation and other activities of humans.