Though fall has officially arrived in North America, that doesn't mean there still isn't much to explore or do before winter sets in. If you're a night owl, add bat watching or searching for the ISS as it flies by to your list.
Working on a garden? Learn how to build a rain barrel in your yard to water your plants. Still looking to get your hands dirty? Try your geology skills and dig for your own stones and gems at some of these mines.
We'll be sharing these science tips each week on wildlife, adventurous locations, and tools that can help you interact with your surroundings. What do you want to know more about? Let us know at editorial@discovermagazine.com.
1. How and Where to Watch Bats in North America
(Image Credit: I-ing/Shutterstock)
Bat watching can be as simple as visiting a pond, river, field, or forest edge around sunset. Choose a warm, dry evening and arrive about 20 minutes early. Bats are easiest to follow against an open patch of sky as they make quick turns while hunting insects.
If you want to see bats in larger numbers, consider these locations:
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico: Brazilian free-tailed bats stream from the cavern’s natural entrance each evening. The free ranger-led Bat Flight Program runs from April through October, with the largest flights normally occurring in August and September.
- Congress Avenue Bridge, Texas: As many as 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost beneath this downtown Austin bridge. Visitors can watch from the bridge, a free observation area, or a boat on Lady Bird Lake.
- Yolo Causeway, California: Summer tours take visitors to watch California’s largest urban colony of Mexican free-tailed bats leave the causeway in long streams. Tours run from June through September.
- Canoe Creek State Park, Pennsylvania: The Frank Felbaum Bat Sanctuary holds a nursery colony of little brown bats. On warm summer nights, park programs allow visitors to watch bats leave their roost.
- Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia: Guided Bat Walks introduce visitors to local species and use special detectors to make their ultrasonic calls audible.
Before heading out, check local schedules and weather conditions.
While watching:
- Remain outside caves, tunnels, and fenced roosting areas.
- Keep voices low and pets away from the bats.
- Never use flash photography or shine a light toward a bat.
- Do not touch a bat, even if it is on the ground.
Bring a flashlight for the walk back, but keep it aimed at the trail rather than the bats.
Explore All OptionsRead More: 3 Ways Bats Conquer Cancer, and Why That Could Be Good News for Humans
2. How to Make Your Own Rain Barrel
(Image Credit: Nadezhda Dobrova/Shutterstock)
A rain barrel is one of the easiest ways to make your backyard more water-wise. It collects rainwater from your roof that would otherwise flow into storm drains, giving you a free water supply for gardens, flower beds, and outdoor plants.
To get started, you'll need:
- A barrel with a secure lid, spigot, and overflow outlet
- A sturdy, level base such as concrete blocks
- A downspout diverter or flexible extension
- A fine mesh screen to help keep out leaves, debris, and mosquitoes
- An overflow hose to direct extra water away from your foundation
Place the barrel beside a downspout on firm, level ground. Raising it about one or two feet makes it easier to fit a watering can underneath and can improve water pressure. Then connect the downspout to the barrel using a diverter or extension, making sure excess water has somewhere safe to go when the barrel fills.
Once it's installed, collected rainwater can be useful for:
- Watering plants and flower beds
- Keeping lawns and landscaping hydrated
- Reducing your use of treated tap water
- Slowing stormwater runoff during heavy rain
Because roof runoff can pick up contaminants from roofing materials, bird droppings, and other debris, don't use rain-barrel water for drinking or cooking, and check local guidance before using it on edible crops.
Read More: How to Build Your Own Rain Garden and Why You Should
3. Where to Mine Your Own Gems in North America
(Image Credit: Jackson Stock Photography/Shutterstock)
Gemstones are pretty to look at, and it’s fairly easy to find a store that sells them, but have you ever considered digging for your own? Just like there are sites in North America where you can dig up your own fossils, there are plenty of sites where you can get down in the dirt and find your own gemstones too. Here are the top spots:
- Emerald Hollow Mine in North Carolina — This is one of the only emerald mines open to the public for prospecting, and visitors can find over 60 types of gems and minerals, including emeralds, sapphires, aquamarine, garnet, and topaz.
- Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas — At this park, visitors can search for natural diamonds in their original volcanic source. As of January 2026, visitors have found over 37,000 diamonds, including some as large as 40 carats.
- Amethyst Mine Panorama in Ontario — This mine offers guided and self-guided tours of an open-pit amethyst mine. Visitors can search for the vibrant purple gem and keep what they find for a fee.
- Princess Sodalite Mine in Ontario — Visitors will be able to find lots of this beautiful blue gem at the Princess Sodalite Mine, along with several other minerals and gems.
Tips for Mining Your Own Gems:
Each mine will be different, so check the mine’s website and other local information to stay up to date. Not every mine will provide the tools you need for mining, so you may need to bring your own. These include:
- Gloves
- Shovels
- Buckets
- Spray bottles
Other things you may need to bring or to check:
- Weather and temperature for the day
- Sunscreen and other sun protection
- Bug spray
- Sturdy footwear
- A change of clothes
Read More: Are Lab-Grown Diamonds Forever? Depends on Who You Ask
4. How to Track the ISS as It Passes Overhead
ISS flying by at night
(Image Credit: Julian White/Shutterstock)
You may have looked up at night and seen what looks like a bright star moving across the sky. If it wasn’t blinking or changing direction, there’s a chance you were watching the International Space Station (ISS) pass overhead.
The ISS circles Earth roughly every 90 minutes, but you can only see it from the ground under the right conditions. The station shines thanks to reflecting sunlight, so the best opportunities to see it usually happen around dawn or dusk, when the sky is dark, but the station is still illuminated by the sun.
Luckily, NASA makes finding it fairly easy with its Spot the Station website and app. Enter your location or enable notifications, and it will tell you when the ISS will next be visible, how long you’ll be able to see it, and where in the sky to look.
When it’s time to head outside:
- Skip the telescope: The ISS is bright enough to spot with your eyes.
- Know where to look: Check the direction and height listed for the pass before heading outside.
- Look for movement: The ISS resembles a bright star steadily gliding across the sky rather than an airplane with blinking lights.
- Don’t be late: A visible pass may last only a few minutes.
And if you miss it, don’t worry — another visible pass will eventually give you another chance to catch it.
Read More: The International Space Station May be Too Clean - But These Microbes Could Help
