Shop local this holiday season and find unique gifts for natural history fans of all ages. The Museum Store carries a variety of educational and fun gifts, including one-of-a-kind items from local artists, authors and artisans. Get your shopping done early this season and support a beloved Santa Cruz non-profit at the same time!

Saturday & Sunday, November 26-27, 2022
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Explore collections and specimens from the Museum that do not always get to be seen by the public. The Museum’s extensive collection of fossils, shells, animal specimens, and more allow us to investigate nature up close and personal.

Saturday, January 7th | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Ages: 6th-8th grade
$10 |$5 Museum Members | Register

What is Nature Club?

Nature Club takes young explorers (6th-8th Grade) into local habitats to learn about the amazing living world around us while making discoveries along the way. Programs are led by Museum staff with kids dropped off at rotating locations, including local parks, open spaces, and of course at the Museum! Exploration and activities help kids learn more about nature through observation and experience while developing a deeper connection to nature and making new friends.

What to Expect

Programs run from 10:00 a.m -12:30 p.m. and occur on the first Saturday of the month. The Museum does not provide transportation to offsite meeting spots, and participants should be dropped off and picked up by parents/guardians. Some programs may be physically rigorous so please email chris.soriano@santacruzmuseum.org if you have questions about trail accessibility. Programs occur rain or shine, barring extreme weather.

Safety

Nature Club will run in compliance with state and county guidance for health and safety. Participants should not attend if they have been coughing, have a fever, or had recent contact with someone with a positive test.

Scholarships available!

We will explore the coastal prairie and cliff terraces habitats that support tons of wildlife. Seabirds, harbor seals, hawks, and so much more wildlife can be seen as we walk along the bluff trails, with beautiful views of the ocean the whole way! Maybe we could even see a gray whale!

Saturday, December 3rd | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Wilder Ranch
Ages: 6th-8th grade
$10 |$5 Museum Members | Register

What is Nature Club?

Nature Club takes young explorers (6th-8th Grade) into local habitats to learn about the amazing living world around us while making discoveries along the way. Programs are led by Museum staff with kids dropped off at rotating locations, including local parks, open spaces, and of course at the Museum! Exploration and activities help kids learn more about nature through observation and experience while developing a deeper connection to nature and making new friends.

What to Expect

Programs run from 10:00 a.m -12:30 p.m. and occur on the first Saturday of the month. The Museum does not provide transportation to offsite meeting spots, and participants should be dropped off and picked up by parents/guardians. Some programs may be physically rigorous so please email chris.soriano@santacruzmuseum.org if you have questions about trail accessibility. Programs occur rain or shine, barring extreme weather.

Safety

Nature Club will run in compliance with state and county guidance for health and safety. Participants should not attend if they have been coughing, have a fever, or had recent contact with someone with a positive test.

Scholarships available!

Neary Lagoon in the autumn is full of life! Migratory birds seek food and shelter in large numbers and provide excellent opportunities to study them up close. The Museum will provide binoculars for each participant

Saturday, November 5th | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Neary Lagoon
Ages: 6th-8th grade

$10 |$5 Museum Members | Register

What is Nature Club?

Nature Club takes young explorers (6th-8th Grade) into local habitats to learn about the amazing living world around us while making discoveries along the way. Programs are led by Museum staff with kids dropped off at rotating locations, including local parks, open spaces, and of course at the Museum! Exploration and activities help kids learn more about nature through observation and experience while developing a deeper connection to nature and making new friends.

What to Expect

Programs run from 10:00 a.m -12:30 p.m. and occur on the first Saturday of the month. The Museum does not provide transportation to offsite meeting spots, and participants should be dropped off and picked up by parents/guardians. Some programs may be physically rigorous so please email chris.soriano@santacruzmuseum.org if you have questions about trail accessibility. Programs occur rain or shine, barring extreme weather.

Safety

Nature Club will run in compliance with state and county guidance for health and safety. Participants should not attend if they have been coughing, have a fever, or had recent contact with someone with a positive test.

Scholarships available!

Join us to explore approximately 4 miles of trail in Pogonip, the largest open natural space in Santa Cruz. Enjoy beautiful views of Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay and learn about our local history by visiting the historic limekilns and examining redwood trees through the lens of time.

Saturday, October 1 | 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Pogonip
Ages: 6th-8th grade
$10 |$5 Museum Members | Register

What is Nature Club?

Nature Club takes young explorers (6th-8th Grade) into local habitats to learn about the amazing living world around us while making discoveries along the way. Programs are led by Museum staff with kids dropped off at rotating locations, including local parks, open spaces, and of course at the Museum! Exploration and activities help kids learn more about nature through observation and experience while developing a deeper connection to nature and making new friends.

What to Expect

Programs run from 10:00 a.m -12:30 p.m. and occur on the first Saturday of the month. The Museum does not provide transportation to offsite meeting spots, and participants should be dropped off and picked up by parents/guardians. Some programs may be physically rigorous so please email chris.soriano@santacruzmuseum.org if you have questions about trail accessibility. Programs occur rain or shine, barring extreme weather.

Safety

Nature Club will run in compliance with state and county guidance for health and safety. Masks are strongly recommended for all participants, regardless of vaccination status. Participants should not attend if they have been coughing, have a fever, or had recent contact with someone with a positive test.

Scholarships available!

Join us for the largest volunteer event in the country! California Coastal Cleanup Day welcomes more than 60,000 volunteers who will pick up hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash and recyclables from beaches, lakes, and waterways each year.

Help preserve wildlife by taking trash out of the environment. Volunteer alongside your families, friends, coworkers, scout troops, school groups, and service clubs. Thanks to Save Our Shores, we’ll provide everything you need to clean Seabright Beach safely and effectively.

Saturday, September 17 | 9 a.m. to noon
Location: Seabright Beach

Walk-ups are welcome. You can check-in starting at 9 a.m. at the entrance to Seabright Beach. All materials should be returned before 12 p.m.

What to Expect and Accessibility

• We will meet you at the entrance to Seabright Beach (by the gate). Parking is available throughout the neighborhood. Restrooms are available at the beach.
• You will be walking on loose sandy soil for as long and as far as you like.
• We recommend that all volunteers wear closed-toed shoes, dress in layers, wear sun protection, and bring a filled reusable water bottle.
• All cleanup materials are provided, including trash bags, grabbers, and disposable gloves. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring their own.
• Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Every participant must complete 1 waiver; Participants under the age of 18 need to have a parent/guardian sign an additional waiver form. 
• You can download the Clean Swell App (Apple, Google) in advance of the cleanup and use it to record the debris you collect or you can use the paper data cards that we will provide at the event.

If you have additional questions, please contact us at volunteer@santacruzmuseum.org.

We invite our lower Seabright neighbors to join us in Seabright’s Tyrrell Park For Neighborhood Night. Enjoy local wine, beer, and food from our friends at Seabright Deli at this casual just for neighbors event to welcome the season. We’ll have good food and live music while we spend time together before the Museum’s Summer Kick-Off Festival — a free celebration for all ages on Saturday, June 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We would be grateful for contributions to support this year’s Summer Kick-Off Festival. Please consider becoming a sponsor so that we can acknowledge you at our during Neighborhood Night by making a donation during your registration.

Friday, June 24, 2022
5-7 p.m.

Nerd out on your night out!💥🍻  Join us for special after hours events every First Friday. Free admission all day, with special outdoor festivities 5-8 p.m.

July’s First Friday event will zoom into the microscopic world around us. Join local scientists and foodies for activities and displays that highlight the unseen. Food from Areperia 831 and adult drinks will be for sale. Featuring:

• Cabrillo College
• UCSC Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology
• Equinox Wine
• Driscoll’s
• UCSC’s Women in Science and Engineering

Friday, July 1, 2022
5-8 p.m.
Location: Outside the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Accessibility

• Drop-by anytime 5-8 p.m. to join the festivities!
• Admission to the Museum is free all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Follow the latest guidelines for for covid safety.
• Restrooms and water fountains are available inside the Museum.
• Activities will be on somewhat lumpy grass.