Petaluma Wildlife & Natural Science Museum facts for kids

Petaluma Wildlife & Natural Science Museum

Location	Petaluma, California, USA

The Petaluma Wildlife & Natural Science Museum is a special place in Petaluma, California. What makes it unique? It's the biggest museum in the United States that is completely run by students!

Its main goal is to "inspire the next generation through practical environmental education and conservation." This means they want to teach young people about nature and how to protect it. The museum is a non-profit organization, which means it relies on donations to keep running. It's located right on the Petaluma High School campus. Students there can even take classes like "Wildlife Management" and "Museum Management" as electives.

The museum is home to many live animals, including different types of snakes, lizards, and chinchillas. They also have taxidermy exhibits, which are preserved animals. The current teacher helping run the museum is Phil Tacata. He has made sure that tours focus on protecting wildlife and their homes around the world.

History of the Museum

The Petaluma Wildlife Museum started small, as just a classroom. This classroom was taught by a teacher named Ron Head. In 1989, a generous person named Hugh Codding donated his entire museum collection to Mr. Head.

Soon, the collection grew too big for the classroom. So, the Codding family helped again! They bought a new bus garage for the school. This freed up the old bus garage on campus. It was then turned into a huge 9,000 square foot museum. Mr. Head's dream was to help high school students learn important career, leadership, and management skills. He once said, "I saw what kids could do and how a museum could motivate kids."

What Happens on a Tour?

Most tours at the museum are given to younger children, usually elementary school students. These tours are led by high school students called "docents." A docent is like a guide who shares information.

Tours usually last about an hour to an hour and a half. The exact time depends on the age of the group. Docents lead visitors through about seven different rooms. The main focus of every tour is on conservation and preserving nature. Some of the cool topics discussed include:

• camouflage (how animals hide)
• animal adaptations (how animals change to fit their environment)
• fossil history (learning about ancient life)
• invasive species (animals or plants that cause harm)
• natural history (the story of Earth and its life)
• Live animal presentations!

On Saturdays, the museum is open to everyone. Visitors can explore on their own and ask questions. You might even get to see more animals up close!

How the Museum Works

The museum is a non-profit organization. This means it uses donations from the community to pay for its expenses. A group called the board of directors helps guide the museum. They decide on the museum's plans and goals. Casey Brechbill is the board president, and Neal Ramus is the executive director.

Students do most of the work to keep the museum running. They gain volunteer hours and learn a lot. This experience helps them in fields like biology, animal care, and even business.

Students at Petaluma High School can take two special classes:

• Wildlife Management: This class teaches about wildlife topics. Students learn about animal biology, how to care for animals, and important ideas like ecosystems and conservation.
• Museum Maintenance: In this class, students become docents. They get hands-on experience working with animals and leading tours. Kim Arntz teaches both of these interesting classes.

Summer Camp Adventures

The museum also offers a fun summer camp program. It's for children aged 5 to 12. Each camp session lasts for one week. High school docents supervise the campers.

The camp has lots of exciting activities. Kids learn about animal behavior, ecology (how living things interact with their environment), conservation (protecting nature), and general science. Docents and special guest speakers also give presentations.

Amazing Lead Docents

The Petaluma Wildlife Museum is proud of its student leaders. Here are some of the dedicated students who have earned the title of "Lead Docent":

• Kayla Pearson & Sebastian Gonzalez (2018-2020): These two were the very first students to be named "Lead Docents" by Phil Tacata. Sebastian Gonzalez even has the Gonzales Tortoise Garden named after him!
• Devin Bach and Riley Hammack (2019-2020): Phil Tacata personally chose these two for the second group of Lead Docents. They often visited the museum even after they graduated.
• Bailey Moeller and Zoey Hanes (2021-2022): These students were known as some of the best docents to ever work at the museum. They even made it onto Phil Tacata's Whale Wall in Marine Science!
• Bruno Belforte and Cydney Doyle (2022-2023): Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, these two quickly learned and mastered the tours. They met Phil Tacata's high standards for lead docents in their first year.
• Mia Vaughn and Phoebe Hornstein (2023): Phil Tacata added these two to the official lead docent list late in the 2023 school year. They were known for their professionalism and great presentation skills.
• Carles Montijano (2021-2023): Carles earned an honorary lead docent title. He worked incredibly hard and was a fantastic addition to many tours.
• Grason Mentzer, Renée Machado, Yasmin Romo-Macias, Natalie Frances, Molly Smith, Reid Harrison, Lucienne Hight, Charles Scott and Isabella Prandi (2023-present): These nine amazing students are the current Lead Docents. Together, they promise to give some of the most spectacular tours at the Petaluma Wildlife Museum!