Please check the docent calendar and sign up for May programs! http://www.santacruzmuseums.org/docents/
The Museum tour schedule is packed this month with our special Art of Nature programs. Experienced docents, if you missed the training and would like to participate in the Art of Nature, you may observe and jump in to leading tours.
Docent trainings
Welcome to our new spring docent trainees! Welcome to Cathy Spears, Sheri Norbosh and Katie Stubblefield who joined our Sandhills training at the Randall Morgan Preserve. We’re excited to have you join us for geology and palentology field program. Alyson Bloom, Gerre Jones & Rebecca Quinn are new trainees of our Art of Nature program. If you see them, introduce yourself, and let them know we’re happy to have them on board! It’s always great to have our experienced docents at training to add to your programs and contribute your knowledge.
NEW summer docent training! – Saturday, June 30, 10am-1pm. We are excited to pilot a new docent program! “On the spot” will engage people walking by with shoreline observations. Whale, otters, sea lions, coastal birds, geology, fossils, our watershed! Docents can check out a spotting scope (we have two!) and resource materials from the front desk to set up on East Cliff across from the Museum. There is so much to see and interpret! Come to the training to learn more and help us develop this program!
Upcoming Docent events
Docent Enrichment – Gurnee taxidermy field trip – Monday, May 21, 10am-1pm. Freeze-dried – not stuffed! We’ll learn about our collections and the special technique of freeze-dried taxonomy that Richard Gurnee has perfected right here in Santa Cruz County. We’ll begin at the Museum and travel to Gurnee’s studio in Watsonville to learn more. Here’s a link to some great info on Mr. Gurnee: http://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/eNewsletters/201204/201204Newsletter_files/RichardGurnee.pdf
Volunteer luncheon – Monday, June 11, 11am-1pm. Mark your calendars for this celebration of all the great work you do through the school year. We’ll provide the food in our outdoor amphitheater, come enjoy the great company beside our beautiful Pilkington Creek! Please RSVP to Jen (jen@santacruzmuseums.org, 420-6115 ext. 15) so we know how much food to plan for!
Program Updates
Art of Nature – Oh the joy of mixed media!! Our updated school tour program is getting going full force this week. A good suggestion from last week: do a quick “gallery walk” tour around the art in the front and middle rooms on the way to seat the kids in the back room for the introduction. Docents may also flip-flop the “observation activities” and the Image Hunt. Try doing the Mixed Media first and the Image Hunt after. Let Deb or Liz know if art supplies are getting low.
Storytime – We’ve decided to keep the weekly program going through the summer months! Thank you docents for making this new program a success. Families love it (and it’s so much fun!) Experienced docents, if you missed the January storytime training, but would like to participate leading “Nat Time”, talk to Deb.
Hosting – As of Monday, we have new critters in the tidepool tank including a purple sea urchin! Gently touch the urchin spines. Notice how they wiggle! Related to sea stars (both are echinoderms, meaning “spiny skin”), urchins also have tube feet to move around. They are nocturnal herbivores; they love to all sorts of seaweeds (greens, reds and browns – yum!)
Neary Lagoon – 21 ducklings in the marsh? How adorable! If you haven’t been out to Neary to see the program, and might be interested for next year, please go observe a tour. The Neary schedule is online: http://www.santacruzmuseums.org/docents/ – Contact Pete to let him know you’ll be there. BTW, did you know that the carp that live in Neary Lagoon can swallow a duckling? Wow!
Sandhills – First field trips of the season are happening this week! The Scotts Valley middle school kids are learning about their own backyard. If you’d like to observe one of the field trips (to participate next fall as the program grows!), upcoming field trips dates are: May 9, 11,18, 21, and 23, 12:30-2:30 at the Morgan Preserve. Contact Zack to confirm (zack@santacruzmuseums.org, 420-6115 ext. 13).
Feel free to post comments on this Whale Spout blog. It’s a great way for us to communicate as a community. Thank you!!!
The key to being a good docent I think is to be flexible and responsive to both the students and the events happening before our eyes. For example, in a recent tour around Neary Lagoon, our new intern (sorry I can’t remember her name) when they spotted a mama Wood Duck with her ducklings, had the children sit down quietly near the edge of the water (the gravel area near the iron bridge) and the ducks swam right up close to them.
Thanks for the tip, Dana. And good job to our intern, Brianna! Use that “teachable moment” when it presents itself.