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6/8 Nature Journal Studio

Nature journaling can help us view the natural world with new perspectives, learn about our surroundings, and see the extraordinary in the ordinary.

During monthly Nature Journal Studio sessions inside the Museum, Melinda Nakagawa will guide you through a topic as we practice skills in a group setting and share our learning with others. We will develop observation skills and awareness of nature, improve sketching skills, and practice strategies to bring the 3-dimensional world onto the page. Rather than an art class, nature journaling is about observation, curiosity, wonder, and honing these abilities.

While Nature Journal Studio is located in a primarily in indoor setting, focused on skills building and community, there are other opportunities for field experiences through Spark in Nature.

Wednesday, June 8 | 6:30-8 p.m.

Location: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Free with Admission*

Register

Sign-up for other Nature Journal Studio events.
*Free for Members and Youth under 18 | $4 General | $2 Students and Seniors

Accessibility and COVID protocol

  • All experience levels are welcome. Youth under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
  • You can attend one session or come each month.
  • Follow the latest guidelines for covid safety. Masks are required at all times.
  • Basic materials are provided, but feel free to bring your favorite nature journal tools.

About Melinda Nakagawa

Melinda Nakagawa is a biologist, naturalist, and educator with a passion and skill for connecting people to nature. She founded Spark in Nature to guide participants to cultivate a deeper relationship with the natural world, slowing down to nature’s pace and seeing rather than just looking at the world.

With an approach that bridges nature, art, and heart, she welcomes all people regardless of their skill level or background. Through her gentle guidance, hundreds of participants have awakened their spark of curiosity, sense of wonder, and connection to the natural world.

Melinda has partnered with local institutions such as the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium and Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History to lead educator trainings on nature journaling. She leads the Monterey Bay Nature Journal Club’s free online Sunday sessions.

She has an M.S. degree in Marine Science, and has also worked as a naturalist guide, floral designer, and wildlife rehabilitator. For the past two decades Melinda has kept nature journals and continues to learn more from nature with each journal she fills.

Nature journal examples by Melinda Nakagawa.

6/4 Family Fun with Sun Prints!

As we get closer to the summer solstice, the sun becomes higher in the sky for longer each day, making it the perfect time to play with sun prints! We’ll try out several sun print techniques using cyanotypes, shadows, and construction paper, and we’ll also play with other types of nature prints. Materials will be provided and all are welcome! Swing by Tyrrell Park outside the Museum anytime between 1-4 p.m. to make prints with our Education staff.

Saturday, June 4, 2022
1-4 p.m. (drop by anytime!)

Free | Donations appreciated

Location: Outside the Museum in Tyrrell Park
1305 E. Cliff Dr. Santa Cruz, CA

Resources

Natalie Wollman: Communication Coordinator

In Germany, Bavaria, Natalie grew up with the beautiful Alps mountain range in her backyard, and her parents took her hiking and exploring nature from an early age. Having the forest and river close by were her favorite playgrounds, and she says, “I am grateful that my parents taught me at an early age the love for nature and an appreciation that we live on a beautiful planet in an amazingly diverse space that we call home.”

Exploring is in Natalie’s soul. She chose a career that allowed her to travel and see the world—becoming a colorist working for the media industry on three continents in thirteen different countries fulfilled that wish. It allowed her to create TV commercials all over Europe, living and working in Poland, Ukraine, India, Mumbai, Africa, Cape Town, and the Middle East. Once she stepped out of the studio, she had the opportunity to explore the foreign countries’ various environments.

The rapid transformation in the advertising and film industry into the digital space inspired Natalie, by the age of 36, to work with the new marketing medium and support small businesses and non-profits to reach their digital marketing goals. Before moving to Santa Cruz, she worked on campaigns for the SOS Children Village, which provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children in need and protects their interests and rights worldwide.

In 2017, Natalie moved from Germany to Santa Cruz, where she fell in love with Redwoods of Henry Cowell, Big Sur, and the fantastic diversity of Santa Cruz nature. Today, she is fond of hiking is the Pinnacle National Park southeast of Santa Cruz, home of the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) one of the most endangered birds in the world. “It is fascinating to me, that we managed, thanks to science and efforts in the 1980ies, to rewrite history and bring this species back to life,” says Natalie. 

Joining the museum combines her passion for protecting the environment, education, and support for young people to discover a new perspective. Supporting the museum’s mission to engage more people and inspire them to become stewards of our earth by understanding and enjoying the beauty and wonders of this beautiful place we call home is a calling and a dream come true. 

Field Biology and Art: Snakes, Frogs, and Psychedelic Bioscapes with Kevin Wiseman

Science and art have a very old and interesting relationship, with each informing and inspiring the other. In this talk, Kevin Wiseman, featured artist in 2022’s The Art of Nature exhibit, will share his early inspirations, decades-long studies on snakes and frogs, scientific illustrations, and how a meeting with a Shuar shaman inspired a deep reflection on fossil fuels and climate change.

This program is part of our series in support of the 34th annual science illustration exhibit, The Art of Nature.

Resources

About the Artist

Kevin Wiseman is a professional herpetologist and artist and grew up in the Bay Area. He worked as a scientific illustrator at the Essig Museum of Entomology at U.C. Berkeley, where he got his undergraduate degree in Integrative Biology with the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. He worked for many years at the Department of Herpetology at the California Academy of Sciences where he is currently a Field Associate. Mr. Wiseman has spent over 20 years conducting research on Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs (Rana boylii), California Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula californiae), and Sierra Gartersnakes (Thamnophis couchii). Mr. Wiseman leads a 4-day field workshop, Reptiles and Amphibians of the Sierra Nevada, at the Sierra Nevada Field Campus for SF State University.

Website: kevinwisemanart.com
Instagram: @wiseman_art

3/22 VIP Walk-Through: The Art of Nature

The Art of Nature makes its grand return for the Museum’s 35th year, exclusively celebrating science illustration in our region by showcasing the exquisite work of 45 local artists. This VIP-only event offers a unique opportunity to join us for a behind-the-scenes walk-through with the exhibit curators and poster artist, followed by our Member opening reception that starts at 6 p.m.

Friday, March 22, 2024
5:00-6:00 p.m.
Invitation only Reception
Use the link below to RSVP or contact us at info@santacruzmuseum.org

Register

About the Exhibit

Scientific illustration brings to life the wonders of nature, from minute zooplankton to extinct megafauna. Explore the beauty and fine details of the world around us in the special exhibit featuring works from 44 local artists in a variety of mediums, all sure to inspire curiosity and deepen connections with science and nature. The Museum has been exhibiting science illustration since 1989 and this beloved annual show is guaranteed to appeal to lovers of both science and art. On view March 23 – May 26, 2024.

The Art of Nature is supported by

Leopard Shark

Scientific: Triakis semifasciata
Spanish: Tiburón leopardo

Diet: Small fish, fish eggs, clams, crabs and worms
Habitat: Shallow ocean waters, kelp forests
Status: Least Concern

Gentle Predators
These small sharks swim along the coast from Oregon to Mexico. They are harmless to humans, but every year Californian fishermen catch up to 140 tons of leopard sharks for food and for the aquarium trade. 

Why do you think their mouths are positioned pointing downwards?

Marine

← Shoreline to Summit

Marbled Murrelet

Scientific: Brachyramphus marmoratus
Spanish: Mérgulo jaspeado

Diet: Fish, cephalopods
Habitat: Nearshore waters, and coastal coniferous forests
Status: Endangered

A Seabird In the Trees
Murrelets are seabirds, but they depend upon moist forests near the coast for breeding. They build their nests high up on lichen and moss-covered branches. Logging and development in California has dramatically reduced their population, making them a threatened species.

Marine

← Shoreline to Summit

Striped Skunk

Scientific: Mephitis mephitis
Spanish: Mofeta rayada
Awaswas: Yawi

Diet: Insects, small mammals and birds, eggs, crabs, berries, and nuts
Habitat: Widespread throughout North America, especially mixed woodlands and suburban greenspaces
California Status: Least Concern

Skunks are famous for the powerful, smelly spray that they use to deter predators, but they give warning before spraying and are typically docile. We can thank them for eating insects and rodent pests.

Woodlands

← Shoreline to Summit

California Sea Lion

Scientific: Zalophus californianus
Spanish: León marino de California
Awaswas: Sullan (seal)

Diet: Fish, cephalopods
Habitat: Nearshore, hauling out on rocks and pylons
Status: Least Concern

These social creatures can often be seen congregating near harbors and wharves where they vocalize via “barking.” California sea lions are year-round residents of the Monterey Bay and can be distinguished from the seasonal Steller’s sea lion who are larger, lighter-colored, and whose males lack a bony crest on their skulls.

Pinnipeds
Seals, sea lions and walruses are all pinnipeds which means “fin-footed.” Sea lions are not considered ‘true seals’ because they have external ear flaps and front flippers that allow them greater dexterity on land than other seals. Here in the Monterey Bay you can see the following pinnipeds throughout the year:

  • California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus)
  • Steller’s Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
  • Pacific Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)
  • Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris)
  • Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus)

Marine

← Shoreline to Summit

Grey Whale

Scientific: Eschrichtius robustus
Spanish: Ballena gris
Awaswas: Chimme

Diet: Crustaceans, fish
Habitat: Open ocean, nearshore
Status: Least Concern

Grey Whales can be spotted in the Monterey Bay in the winter as they migrate south to Baja and in the late spring when they migrate back north with their calves. Whale lice and barnacles cause the distinctive white patches on the backs of these whales.

Cetaceans
Whales, dolphins and porpoises are all cetaceans and are some of the largest mammals in the oceans. Here in the Monterey Bay you can see the following cetaceans throughout the year:

  • Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) | May – October
  • Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) | April – December
  • Grey Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) | December – May
  • Orca (Orcinus orca) | Year-round transients
  • Northern Right Whale Dolphin (Lissodelphis borealis) | Year-round
  • Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) |Year-round
  • Common Dolphin (Delphinus sp.) | July – December
  • Pacific White-sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) |Year-round
  • Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops sp.) |Year-round
  • Dall’s Porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) |Year-round

Visit a life-size replica of a female grey whale outside the Museum in Tyrrell Park.

Marine

← Shoreline to Summit