Go outside and learn to paint gouache and watercolor landscapes while surrounded by nature as inspiration. 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. Using the Museum’s exclusive access to various vistas as reference, participants will be...
Get to know Santa Cruz’s WILD SIDE at the Museum of Natural History. Nerd out on your night out during monthly after-hours events, featuring rotating themes, vendors, and activities. Free admission to the Museum all day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special indoor festivities 5 to 8 p.m. Big fun can come in small packages! Micro...
Love nature, science, and art but don’t know where to start? Here is your opportunity to master a new skill and bring home your own environmentally-inspired masterpiece after just one class. Celebrate Micro May through stipple art, which uses small dots to create the impression of texture, shading, or solidity. Learn this unique art style...
Come learn about local mammals and their tracks. Come and create an animal track for your to take home! We will be at Arte del Corazon every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month! Free and open to Watsonville residents. Venga a aprender sobre los mamíferos locales y sus huellas. ¡Venga a crear una huella...
Discover a botanical process with fresh flowers and a cardboard press. Come and learn how to make a plant press to dry and preserve your favorite flowers. Open to Watsonville Residents Descubra un proceso botánico con flores frescas y una prensa de cartón. Venga y aprenda a hacer una prensa de plantas para secar y...
Come find us at the Library! We will be sharing our Oceans themed collections : orca tooth, krill, baleen, and more! ¡Vaya a visitarnos a la Biblioteca! Compartiremos nuestras colecciones con temática oceánica: dientes de orca, krill, barbas y mucho más. These programs are funded by the Outdoor Equity Grants Program, created through AB 209...
As part of this Art of Nature exhibit special, join an esteemed artist as you learn the science and art behind the most adorable sea slugs around! Featuring beautiful scientific illustration displays from the exhibit, this program is perfect for aspiring artists and marine biologists alike. Taught by a professional illustrator and exhibitor, this workshop will...
Join over 40 local Santa Cruz artists as they showcase their craftsmanship! We will be featuring a wide array of goods, ranging from paintings and photography to jewelry, decor, and embroidery. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to support our community’s artisans, celebrate local talent, and grab a gift just in time for Mother’s...
Come for Toddler Tumble Time. We will have diverse specimens to share with everyone! Specifically, we will be showcasing our entomology collections. Open to Watsonville Residents Venga a disfrutar la Hora de Toddler Tumble cada segundo martes del mes. ¡Tendremos diversos ejemplares para compartir con todos! Mostraremos nuestras colecciones de entomología. These programs are funded...
Make a print that will last forever inspired by the different things you see in nature! This printmaking technique is called “embossing”. Used during the 19th century to design stamps and seals for documents, to make coins, and to make a variety of different types of prints. Free and open to Watsonville Residents ¡Haga una...
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...
Come do scientific illustrations with us! You will be making close observations of specimens and using descriptive language and drawings to reflect your observations. Open to Watsonville Residents ¡Venga a hacer ilustraciones científicas con nosotros! Observará detenidamente los especímenes y usarás lenguaje descriptivo y dibujos para plasmar sus observaciones. These programs are funded by the...
Join the Museum for a very special community gardening day, as we team up with the Santa Cruz 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...
Join the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History as we team up with the Sempervirens Fund to celebrate 125 years of protecting redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains! Hosted among the redwoods at the historic Roaring Camp, our first-ever Redwoods Festival will celebrate the redwoods. A day filled with fun, connection, and a celebration of...
Dig into fun! Discover rocks, fossils, and the secrets of our Earth! We will be at Arte del Corazon every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Free and open to Watsonville residents. ¡Explora y diviértete! Descubre rocas, fósiles y los secretos de nuestra Tierra! Estaremos en Arte del Corazón cada 1er y 3er miércoles...
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! REGISTER Instructor: Chloe Rickards, Ecologist Materials: Light refreshments will be served prior to the start of the program. After the lecture,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
