Upcoming Events

5/31 Micro May: Oil Painting in Miniature

Explore the tiny side of Tyrrell Park and learn to paint in oils!

In celebration of Spring, learn how to capture the beauty of nature’s miniature marvels using oil paints. From pint-sized pollinators to delicate florals, this workshop will train your eye to find, and appreciate, the artful beauty hidden under your nose.

This open-air art workshop will teach the techniques necessary to capture environmental perspectives through the creative use of negative space, layering, various stroke techniques, and more. Paint a vibrant, local seascape while minimizing waste and avoiding harmful chemicals, while getting the depth, richness and quality for which oil paints are renowned.

No prior experience required. Participants will have a completed art piece to take home at the conclusion of the workshop. Open to ages 16+/all experience levels. All supplies included.

FYI: This class takes place outside; dress weather-appropriate for the outdoors. Supplies may get messy, so casual attire is recommended.

📆 Saturday, May 31st

⏱️ Noon – 3 p.m.

📍 Tyrrell Park

1305 East Cliff DR, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Register

Instructor: Victoria Galitzine

Materials: All supplies are included in class fee.

Class Fee: $45 – Museum Members receive a special discounted price applied at checkout.

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events

5/30 Micro May: Cigarette Surfboard Popup in the Park

For one night only, join the artists, designers, and conservationists behind The Cigarette Surfboard for a special popup exhibit in Tyrrell Park!

For the first time, see all 10 beautifully decorated cigarette surfboards on display in one place, meet the masterminds behind this gnarly approach to tackling marine microplastics, and enjoy beverages and light bites while taking in a Seabright Beach sunset.

More about The Cigarette Surfboard: After a young designer realizes that a surfboard – which he crafted from thousands of littered cigarette butts picked up off California beaches – could captivate the eyes of millions across the globe, he decides to use it as the impetus to do something more. The Cigarette Surfboards have become a platform to spark ocean stewardship and the symbol of a campaign to hold Big Tobacco accountable for their toxic, plastic waste. Surfing is the medium, but the message is universal.

📆 Friday, May 30th

⏱️ 5:30 – 8 p.m.

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1305 East Cliff DR, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Register

Instructor: Taylor Lane, Ciggy Board creator  

Materials: Light refreshments will be served prior to the start of the program.

Class Fee: $38 – Museum Members receive a special discounted price applied at checkout.

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events

5/29 Micro May Naturalist Night: The Hidden Life of Hummingbirds

What’s the buzz with hummingbirds? You may have seen them in your backyard, but how much do you really know about the secretive world of the world’s smallest bird?

There is a lot to unpack in these minuscule aviators and here is an opportunity to learn about their incredible flight abilities, diet, size, and social behaviors. Dive into the hidden lives of hummingbirds with a conservation biologist who conducts fieldwork with this amazing avifauna.

📆 Thursday, May 29th

⏱️ 6 – 8 p.m.

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1305 East Cliff DR, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Register

Instructor: Stephen Winsor, Conservation biologist 

Materials: Light refreshments will be served prior to the start of the program. After the lecture, there will be an audience engagement game.

Class Fee: $12 – Museum Members receive a special discounted price applied at checkout.

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events

5/25 Micro May: Biota & Biomes in Macrophotography

Learn to appreciate the diminutive flora and fauna of Santa Cruz through a camera lens. Magnify your photography skills by applying special micro and macro tips, tricks, and techniques to capture and shed light on the micro world around you.     

Guided by an expert nature photographer, this open-air workshop will lead you on a nature walk to find inspiration from endemic ecosystems for your photography. In addition to photographing organisms and landscapes, participants will learn tips on photographic composition, color theory, seasonal lighting, camera techniques, framing your tiny subjects, and honing in on your creative eye while out in nature.   

Open to ages 16+/all experience levels. Both cameras and smartphones are welcome. 

📆 Sunday, May 25th

⏱️ 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

📍 Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Register

Instructor: Mark August Esguerra – Nature Photographer 

Materials: Participants must bring their own cameras or smartphones. All other supplies are included in the class fee.

Class Fee: $39 – Museum Members receive a special discounted price applied at checkout.

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events

5/24 Member Meetup: A Cotoni-Coast Dairies Behind-the-Scenes Tour

Don’t miss this special, limited-time opportunity for a private guided tour of the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument – before it’s even open to the public! 

Guided by land stewards and environmental scientists from the Bureau of Land Management, learn what it took to designate a National Monument, the history of the land, and observe all the wildlife of the Cotoni-Coast Dairies. Participants will learn about the future of the property, current restoration projects, conservation efforts, indigenous partnerships, and all the steppes required to get to where we are today.

📆 Saturday, May 24th

⏱️ 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

📍 The property is currently closed to the general public.

The address will only be disclosed to registered participants.

This is a members only event.

You must sign in to verify your eligibility.

Register

Not a Member? Not to Worry.

Become a Member

Materials Fee: All supplies are included in class fee.

Tour Fee: This program is free for Museum Members.

Instructors: Lee Thompson, Stephen Sheeter, and Adam Wilde – Bureau of Land Management.

What to Expect

🔵 The exact meet-up location will be shared upon registration. 

🟠 Terrain is varied, but not extreme. Expect a moderate hike, at a leisurely pace.  

🔵 Binoculars and cameras are optional, but recommended. 

🟠 There are limited facilities at this location. 

🔵 Wear layers, comfortable shoes, and bring adequate sun protection. Carrying water is highly recommended. 

🟠 Pets must remain at home. 

🔵 If you need to cancel, refunds will be offered up to 4 days prior to the start of the event.

5/23 Micro May Collections Club: Magnifying Microfossils with Microscopes 

As a special continuation of the Microfossil Naturalist Night lecture, join Paleontologist Wayne Thompson for a chance to view his microfossil research up close and personal!

Using scientific microscopes, experience the wonders of the prehistoric microscopic world in this once-in-a-lifetime, hands-on opportunity. Who knows what fossils you will see, what paleontological mysteries will be uncovered, and with some luck, you might even make the next huge discovery on the microscale frontier!

📆 Friday, May 23rd

⏱️ 5:30 – 7 p.m.

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1305 East Cliff DR, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Register

*Registration available for Club-level Museum Members only*

Instructor: Wayne Thompson, Qualified Principal Paleontologist

Materials: Light refreshments will be served prior to the start of the program.

Class Fee: For Club-level Museum Members only

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events

5/21 Micro May Naturalist Night: Pint-Sized Parasites

Forget the horrors lurking in the shadows, instead ask what’s lurking under your own skin! Join an eco-pathologist to uncover the nuanced nightmares that call host organisms home. From flatworms to fungus, learn about tiny terrors!

📆 Wednesday, May 21st

⏱️ 6 – 8 p.m.

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1305 East Cliff DR, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Register

Instructor: Chloe Rickards, Ecologist

Materials: Light refreshments will be served prior to the start of the program. After the lecture, there will be an audience engagement game.

Class Fee: $12 – Museum Members receive a special discounted price applied at checkout.

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events

5/17 Saturdays in the Soil with the Society for Conservation Biology

Join the Museum for a very special community gardening day, as we team up with the Santa Cru​z County Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology​!

​Dig in and flex your green thumb as we tackle invasive species in Pilkington Creek and plant native species in the Museum’s Garden Learning Center​. Learn from horticultural experts about local ecology, native plants and pollinators, plus sustainable gardening practices​. 

It’s time to​ volunteer and get your hands dirty​!

📆 Saturday, May 17th

⏱️ 10 a.m. – noon

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1305 East Cliff DR, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Register

​For questions, email volunteer@santacruzmuseum.org​ 

What to Expect

  • This project requires support from volunteers with general landscaping, occasional watering, weeding, and replanting.
  • Please let us know if you need special accommodations in your RSVP email.
  • This program happens rain or shine, but will be canceled in cases of unusually muddy conditions or inclement weather.
  • All ages are welcome; children under 14 require adult supervision. Volunteers under 18 require a signed parent/guardian waiver.​
  • Please follow the latest guidelines for safety at the time of the program.

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events

5/16 Micro May Nature Journaling: Magnify the Micro

Explore the hidden wonders of nature’s tiny treasures! From insects to shells, acorns to flower buds, there are stunningly intricate details in backyard beauty. 

Using watercolors, colored pencils, and other mixed media, participants will make artistic observations of miniature marvels found in your local ecosystems. Develop observation skills and an awareness of nature, improve sketching and painting skills, and practice strategies to bring the 3-dimensional world onto the page. More than just an art class, nature journaling is about observation, curiosity, wonder, and honing these abilities.

FYI: This class takes place indoors. Supplies may get messy, so casual attire is recommended.

Open to ages 12+/all experience levels. 

📆 Friday, May 16th

⏱️ 6 – 7:30 p.m.

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1305 East Cliff DR, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Register

Instructor: Melinda Nakagawa

Materials: All art supplies are included in the class fee. Participants are welcome to bring their own shells, botanical materials, or other tiny backyard items for reference. 

Class Fee: $38 – Museum Members receive a special discounted price applied at checkout.

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events

5/15 Micro May Naturalist Night: The Marvels of Microfossils

What might look like sand to the untrained eye may be the missing clue in a paleontological puzzle. Microfossils are preserved remains, traces, or imprints of past life, including bones, shells, footprints, and even preserved soft tissues. 

Despite their diminutive size, they have massive implications when trying to understand the past. Learn from a paleontologist about his microscopic research and the huge discoveries he’s made!

📆 Thursday, May 15th

⏱️ 6 – 8 p.m.

📍 Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

1305 East Cliff DR, Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Register

Instructor: Wayne Thompson, Qualified Principal Paleontologist 

Materials: Light refreshments will be served prior to the start of the program. After the lecture, there will be an audience engagement game.

Class Fee: $12 – Museum Members receive a special discounted price applied at checkout.

More Events at the Museum

Explore All Events