This week: N.C. Science Festival lines up 'icky' fun; tower building challenge, Earth Day pledge

The N.C. Science Festival continues this week with lots of free and inexpensive science activities for all ages.

6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, April 10, at Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Chapel Hill. Author Jessica Garrett be there with her book, "Oh Ick!," which encourages budding scientists to perform real science with ick-speriments; build or craft something with ick-tivities; and investigate nature and the wilds of their home with ick-splorations. Garrett will read from her book, sign the book and share some demonstrations.

2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, April 13, Kidzu Children's Museum, 201 S. Estes Dr., Chapel Hill. Join Kidzu for the second tower building contest. Discover the secret art and design behind structure building and build a tower taller than Kidzu.

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 13, Piedmont Wildlife Center, Leigh Farm Park, 364 Leigh Farm Rd., Durham. Get up close and personal with owls, hawks, snakes, turtles, an opossum and more. Gather a checklist and see how many wild species you can find and learn all about their native habitats and how you can help them. You can then make a pledge for Earth Day that will help animals and our environment.