Hey Docents, This is a busy time of the year with new programs beginning, so we’re sending out another Whale Spout this week. Here’s the news:

Ohlone room

We have some new additions to our Ohlone cabinet!

Docent Greg Kolar has made some hand drills with chert arrow tips. These were spun between the palms, like the fire-making drills. The pump-drills we have (with the suspended handle, flywheel and metal bit that kids LOVE to master) were introduced by the Spanish in the late 1700’s. The new, more efficient pump-drills then replaced the older hand-drills.

We now have an atlatl and spear! The atlatl, or spear thrower, was used by native people before the bow and arrow and was effective against large animals (such as mammoths and mastodons). As these animals died out with the last ice age, hunters had to seek smaller game (elk, deer and antelope) and the spears were replaced by the bow and arrow. The long spear shaft is located in Docent Cabinet #1, and the foreshaft and atlatl are on the over-sized item shelf in Docent Cabinet #2.

Honeybee Hive Update

As some of you may have noticed, our bees have once again left for the winter. In the winter the queen stops laying brood so the population normally gets smaller, but the rest have either died or moved on from our hive. We hope to get a new colony and a new hive (so it’s easier to see the queen!) later in the winter/early spring. So be sure to encourage kids to come back and check on our progress a little later in the year.

Hosting
Our hosting artifact cart has arrived! Here’s what it looks like. And we have modernized our “log” so it is electronic (saving paper, daily!) Hosts, at the end of your shift, log your shift information on the laptop at the front desk. Click the Hosting log icon on the desktop and fill out the e-form. Ask Mary at the front desk on Saturdays if you have any questions.

Nat Time

Storytime logs are now electronic too! Liz will point you to the Nat Time icon on the laptop to fill in what books and songs you did that week. Information will automatically be entered into a spreadsheet where we can see week to week programs!

Docent event @ the Seymour Center

March 1, 5:30-9pm. Here’s our invitation from the Seymour Center “An opportunity has opened up to have a screening of Otter 501, a new movie by Sea Studios.   The Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab and Save Our Shores would like to take this opportunity to invite the staff and volunteers of other environmental and science education entities in the Santa Cruz area to come spend the evening at the Seymour Center to watch the screening of Otter 501.  Additionally, we hope to provide a forum for each institution to share their work and the basics of what we all do, with our collective staff and volunteers.  We all work hard for similar goals and often do not have the time and resources to connect with each other, collaborate, or even learn the specifics of each others’ programs.  In the interest of working together as a community, it may help to take this opportunity to share the highlights of what we all do, and what resources we offer our community.

Please let Deb know by February 17 if you plan to attend so we can give them an estimate of how many people to expect. Thanks!

Ohlone News
Where is the arrow shaft? It has just returned to the Museum after needed repairs. Norm Kidder, our Ohlone artifact specialist, replaced the fletch (feathers), and made two new tips for the shaft. Gunnela pointed out that the bird blunt tip and the wooden pointed tip were missing. If you notice any other artifacts that need repairs, please let Deborah know!

Hosting Program
Thank you to the wonderful group of trainees who attended last Monday’s hosting training. We are very excited to start this program. Please go to the docent calendar and see which Saturday shifts are available, and call Liz (420-6115) to sign up. The 11-1pm shifts will overlap slightly with our Connect with Nature series in February, so we’ll have a great group in the Museum to start hosting practice!

Animal Tours
New Animal tour trainees! Coordinate observations with Liz (420-6115) and get your fingerprinting in. We’re excited to have you join our team! For those of you who were recently fingerprinted, thank you for your patience as Jen gets your results and reimbursements to you.

“Nat Time” Storytime
Our Groundhog Day kick-off for Nat Time was a huge success! Those who attended the training, look at the docent calendar, partner up and sign on. Remember, Liz and Deb are available if you have any questions about themes and flow. Come observe on Thursday afternoons. And tell a friend about this great new program!

Neary Lagoon Program
Field season resumes on February 10. Take a look at the Neary docent calendar and call or email Pete to sign up. Look for new additions to the schedule as teachers sign up. We’re looking forward to an awesome winter and spring 2012!

Sandhills Exploration
Mark your calendar for the Sandhills Springtime Training on Monday, April 2. We will be revisiting the Randall Morgan Preserve after a fallow winter—checking out changes to the landscape, meeting the new land steward, and preparing ourselves for the Spring season of field trips!

Migration Festival Outreach Opportunity
The 26th annual Migration Festival will be held Saturday, February 11th from 11am – 4pm at Natural Bridges State Park. The Museum will host an educational booth and we are looking for qualified volunteers to help us staff the booth. This year, we’ve been asked to highlight a specific migratory creature. We will display artifacts of the Ohlone people and their seasonal migrations in pursuit of various food sources. All volunteers get a free lunch coupon. Please email Jen@santacruzmuseums.org if you’re interested.

Docent Enrichment
Our trip to visit the elephant seals at Ano Nuevo State Park is coming up, February 13th. Space is limited so you MUST let Deborah know if you would like to go. We will meet at the Museum at 2:15pm to carpool up the coast. We will most likely return after sunset. Call 420-1168 or email Deborah@santacruzmuseums.org ASAP!

New date for the calendar! The evening of March 1^st, 5:30-9pm, we have been invited to join docents from Save our Shores, the Museum of Art and History, and the Seymour Center, for an evening mixer, and discussion of the film Otter 501. Let’s have a great showing from our docent program! Please let Deb (deborah@santacruzmuseums.org) know by Friday, February 17 if you can go, since they will need the numbers to plan for the event.

Thank You Notes
Don’t forget to look at the students’ thank you letters by the docent key-chain cabinet. Hilary and Vicki have cute cards waiting for them.

Joining the Buzz
We want to encourage families to stay connected to Museum after they attend our programs. We have a sign-up at the front desk (and at our field trips) for adults/chaperons to write down their email addresses and we’ll connect them to the Weekly Buzz blog.

Thank you docent volunteers! If you have any ideas, there is an old wooden box in the offices labeled “Docent suggestions” – or talk to us. We love having your input!