Coast: Carnivorous Plant Hike

Carolina Beach State Park offers its Carnivorous Plant Hike frequently, but when are you going to find a better weekend to finally take it? Forecast: High of 60 under sunny skies, the perfect weather for stalking carnivorous plants. Join a park ranger Sunday morning and learn about the native species to the area. You’ll have an opportunity to see the plants that truly do bite back: pitcher plants, the Venus flytrap, butterworts, and a few more..

Sunday forecast: 60 degrees and sunny at the beginning of the hike.

Vital Stats: Carolina Beach State Park, Sunday April 17, 11am, Nature Trail Lane Parking area. Contact 910.458.7770 or carolina.beach@ncparks.gov. More info here.

Looking ahead: Paddle for the Border, 7.5-mile journey between Dismal Swamp State Park and North River park in Chesapeake, Va., where participants will cross the state line. Registration fills quickly! Dismal Swamp State Park, April 30. More information here.

Piedmont: Sustainability Salon: “Hope for Animals and Their World”

The Carolina Raptor Center tonight hosts Thane Maynard, who, among his other accomplishments, co-authored a book with Jane Goodall, to come discuss what we’ve done to support animal conservation. He will also talk about the small steps we can take each day, such as riding your bike to work, to save the earth’s resources. There will be a book signing at the end of the event, and a cash bar from 7:30-9 p.m.

Tonight’s forecast: Starting out at 63 degrees, and getting down to about 55 by the end of the event. Projected to be partly cloudy with light winds.

Vital Stats: Presented by Carolina Raptor Center, Sunday,, 7-9:30 p.m, Mint Museum, Charlotte. $15 for CRC members, $20 non-members, $10 students. More information here.

Bonus Piedmont event: Where there’s Smoke…

What Smoky the Bear doesn’t tell you, is that forest fires aren’t always a bad thing. Come to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area in Hillsborough Sunday and take a 1-mile hike along a trail where there was a recent prescribed burn. You’ll learn about fire ecology and why fires are sometimes lit in North Carolina forests on purpose. (Good hiking shoes are a must.) More information here.

Sunday forecast: High of 61 degrees, low of 41 and mostly sunny.

Vital Stats: Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, Hillsborough, Sunday, 10:30 a.m, meet in the Occoneechee parking lot. Contact 919.383.1686 or eno.river@ncparks.gov for more information.

Looking ahead: Occoneechee Geology Hike, learn about the mountain’s geologic wonders with a real geologist. Limited to 25 participants, Saturday April 23, 2pm. More info here.

Mountains: Astronomy for Everyone

Lake James State Park co-hosts a night of star gazing Saturday with the Catawba Valley Astronomy Club. Join them for an educational night of star gazing, where you can learn astronomy tips and create your own star chart. Telescopes and binoculars provided, but feel free to bring your own, as well as a chair for relaxing. Meet in the upper parking lot of the Paddy’s Creek Area at 8 p.m.

Saturday evening forecast: 60 degrees at the start of the event, a low of 47 that night.

Vital Stats: Register by calling the park office at 828.584.7728, Lake James State Park, Nebo, Saturday, 8 p.m.

Looking ahead: 2016 Annual Wildflower Walks at Grandfather Mountain State Park. Join a ranger on a variety of different paths to enjoy the wildflower display, which changes from week to week. Next hike: Sunday, May 1, 9 a.m. More info here.

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