Santa Cruz City
Museum
of Natural History
Jenifer Lienau Thompson, Director
1305 East Cliff Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Tuesday - Sunday
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Phone: (831) 420-6115 |  |
|
Admission Prices |
| Adults: |
$2.50 |
| Seniors: | $1.50
|
| Youth (18 & under) |
Free |
| Museum Association
Members: | Free |
Museum
exhibits and programs are displayed in the modified 1915 Carnegie Library that
sits on the southern edge of Tyrrell Park, overlooking the Monterey Bay. The Museum
provides interesting exhibits and programs on the diverse cultural and natural
history of the Santa Cruz region. Explore the fossil sand dollar dig, our touch
tidepool and live critters such as our beautiful king snake. To receive more information
on upcoming programs contact the Museum at 420-6115.
You can also
find out what's new on the Museum Association website: www.santacruzmuseums.org.
A MAGIC WEB: The Tropical Forest of Barro Colorado
Island
An Exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution
July 12 - September
9
The Museum of Natural history is proud to host another wonderful traveling
exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution. The tropical forest of Panama’s
Barro Colorado Island is a luxuriant community of plants and animals, pulsating
with life and offering an astonishing view of nature’s myriad processes.
Experience these wonders for yourself through the vivid photography of tropical
ecologist and nature photographer Christian Ziegler. “A Magic Web” was
organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES),
in cooperation with the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute (STRI).
A Magic Web photos for media use
-- credit Christian Ziegler
An
Island of Forest
Ant-eye
view of Orange Fungus
Red-eyed
Tree Frog
Three-toed
Sloth
SUPER SUMMER SATURDAYS
Saturdays, June 28 - July 26,
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Free for children under 18
Adults pay Museum Admission
This
summer our family programs feature live animals and crafts, some with a rainforest
theme to accompany our temporary exhibit, A Magic Web: The Tropical Forest of
Barro Colorado Island. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information
about our summer programs, visit www.santacruzmuseums.org.
This summer’s program will include:
Sensational Snakes:
June 28, drop-in 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Live snakes with Herpetologist Paul Haskins
Beautiful
Bats: July 5, drop-in 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Live bats with the California
Bat Conservation Fund
The Rainforest Sings: July 12,
shows at 11:30 am & 1:00 pm
Live musical performance with ZunZun. Free
for adults and children as part of “July is Parks & Recreation Month
Creepy
Crawlies: July 19, drop-in 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Live insects and spiders
with Classroom Safari.
Spirit of the Rainforest: July
26, shows at 11:30 am & 1:00 pm
Live rainforest animals with Wildlife
Associates
KENNAN & KAREN WARD AT THE RIO Theatre
Saturday,
November 29 – SAVE THE DATE!
Recently returned from a lengthy and
exhilarating summer field season, Santa Cruz's home-town wildlife photo and film
duo team up with the Museum of Natural History to deliver a spellbinding presentation.
Learn about this adventurous couple's close encounters with wild animals in far-flung
places and see wilderness through their privileged eyes. Proceeds benefit exhibits
and programs at the Museum of Natural History.
Saturday, November 29, Time:
TBA
At the Rio Theatre
Details: Call 420-6115 after October 1 or visit
www.santacruzmuseums.org
The following classes
are sponsored by the Santa Cruz Museum Association. Pre-registration is required.
Call the Museum, 420-6115 for more information or register at www.santacruzmuseums.org
NATURE
AND SURVIVAL SKILLS SUMMER CAMP
Standing Tree Nature School
Come explore
and have fun in nature while learning about traditional survival skills and our
local environment. Through games and hands-on activities, campers will learn traditional
survival skills, such as creating fire by friction, building shelters, making
natural tools and more. In addition, they will learn how to track animals and
move silently through the forest. Throughout the week, campers will have fun,
learn new skills, make new friends, and build a closer relationship with the natural
world as they gain self-confidence in the outdoors. Call 420-6113 to enroll, or
visit www.santacruzmuseums.org.
July 21 - July 25, 9:00 am
- 3:00 pm
Youth ages 9 - 12
$225 Museum Members, $250 General
FALL
RAPTOR BIRDING TRIP – MARIN HEADLANDS
Witness the spectacle of hundreds
of raptors in their southbound migration from the premier “hawk watch”
on the entire west coast of North America: the Marin Headlands and Hill 129. An
evening lecture and slide show for registered participants will introduce you
to the key field marks used to identify these and other western birds of prey.
We’ll stop along our way north to observe any unusual raptors along Highway
1 north of Santa Cruz.
Lecture 1: Tuesday, September 16, 7:00
pm at the Museum
Field Trip 1: Saturday, September 20, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Lecture
2: Tuesday, September 30, 7:00 pm at the Museum
Field Trip 2: Sunday, October
5, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Members $25/General $35
WATERFOWL
THAT WHITEN THE SKY
Breathtaking views of flocks of tens of thousands of
Snow Geese, so dense that they literally whiten the sky, bring visions of a California
only our ancestors experienced. The class will spend two days in the field at
various refuges and reserves witnessing this incredible gathering of birds seeking
relief from the freezing temperatures of their Arctic nesting grounds.
An
evening lecture and slide show will prepare participants to fully appreciate the
spectacle they are about to witness.
Lecture for registered
participants: Tuesday, December 2
7:00 pm at the Museum
Trip: Saturday,
December 6 and Sunday, December 7
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Members $80/General
$95
BIRDS OF MORRO BAY AND THE CARRIZO PLAIN
Morro
Bay and the Carrizo Plain are two of the premier birding areas in California.
We'll visit a variety of habitats in an attempt to maximize the species diversification
for the trip. Morro Bay hosts a wide variety of ducks and shorebirds, with Morro
Rock itself being one of the oldest nesting sites of the fastest creature on earth,
the Peregrine Falcon.
An evening lecture and slide show for
registered participants will prepare you for this weekend trip.
Lecture:
Tuesday, January 20, 7:00 pm at the Museum
Trip: Saturday, January 24 and Sunday,
January 25
Members $80/General $95
Docent Training
Museum docents are volunteer
tour guides, trained to interpret the Museum’s exhibits for school children
and other visitors. No previous experience is necessary to become a docent. All
you need is a desire to learn about the natural world, a willingness to share
what you know with others, and some free time during the week to attend training
sessions and conduct tours.
Mondays: September 8 - October 6
PLUS three
observations in October.
Details at training.
10:00 am -1:00 pm
Call
420-6113 to sign up!
Tours
The Museum offers a variety
of tours for children, pre-school through sixth grades. Topics include animal
habitats, pre-European native Ohlone culture and wetland walks at Neary Lagoon
Park. For the month of May only, tours of the Museum’s “Illustrating
Nature” exhibit are available.
Kits
The Museum
loans out a variety of natural history educational materials. These materials
are available to educators and artists for a small fee. Call the Museum for details
and a copy of our current educational services flyer at 420-6115.
To
have a complete brochure of these educational resources mailed to you, please
call 420-6115.
Get the latest news
on Museum events and programs: become a member of the Santa Cruz Museum Association.
Members receive advance notice of upcoming events and exhibit openings, a bimonthly
newsletter, and discounts on classes and gift shop purchases. For more information
about membership, visit www.santacruzmuseums.org. or call 420-6116.
Museum
Association Web Site
Neary Lagoon Wetland Walk
Program Seeking Volunteers!
The Neary Lagoon Wetland Walk consists of
a two-part experience for 3rd and 4th grade students: an in-class, interactive
presentation led by a museum staff member, followed by a docent guided field trip
to Neary Lagoon focused on naturalistic observation. We are seeking volunteers
to lead class visits to Neary Lagoon. If you are interested is becoming a volunteer
for this program, please call 420-6113.
The “thank you”
letters we have received from students show that they are learning a tremendous
amount and having fun doing so!
“Thank you so very much
for showing us Neary Lagoon. I liked walking around, observing nature, and playing
the activities.” – 3rd grader, Gateway School
“We
loved being here! The students needed to connect their knowledge to a local environment,
and they were highly engaged. Thank you for taking us on this tour and teaching
both the students and the adults about the wonders of Neary Lagoon!” –
Teacher, DeLaveaga School
“Thank you for the wonderful
tour of Neary Lagoon. I learned a lot of stuff! One thing is that it’s important
to keep wetlands alive.” – 3rd grader, Del Mar School
Teachers
interested in registering for this interactive classroom experience and wetland
walk can call the museum at 420-6115.
Become a Museum Docent
at the Natural History Museum
We are seeking new volunteer tour guides
(docents) for the Museum's school programs and events. By becoming a docent, you’ll
join a group of dynamic, enthusiastic educators who create the magical moments
that make field trips for schoolchildren so memorable. And it’s a great way
to support the Museum’s educational goals.
Our school
programs focus on Ohlone culture and animal natural history. Programs serve students
in preschool through fourth grade. Docents will work in teams of two and each
docent is responsible for 10-15 children at a time. Tours are 45 minutes long
and involve lots of hands-on activities, use of Museum artifacts and stories to
keep our school kids curious and engaged. The time commitment is 2-4 hours per
month.
Basic training consists of four, 3.5-hour sessions.
Benefits include seeing the smiles on children’s faces, museum membership,
and special docent field trips and enrichment programs. Spread the word to friends,
co-workers and family about this fabulous volunteer opportunity. We look forward
to including you in our docent family!
For more information
or to register, call Shauna Casey at 420-6113 or email shauna@santacruzmuseums.org
Another way to get involved
in the region's unique natural resources is to attend meetings of the many natural
history groups that meet regularly at the Museum. Below you will find a partial
listing of the clubs currently meeting at the Museum. Meeting times may change.
For current information and a list of invited speakers call 420-6115.
Another
way to get involved in the region’s unique natural resources is to attend
meetings of the natural history groups that meet regularly at the Museum. Below
you will find a partial listing of the clubs currently meeting at the Museum.
Meeting times may change. For current information and a list of speakers, call
420-6115.
Fungus Federation Study Group
1st Wednesday of month at 7:00
pm
Santa Cruz Bird Club
4th Thursday of month at 7:30 pm
Click on images below to see 360* panoramas.
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