Explore the nature of Santa Cruz — wherever you are! Connect with local experts and join your community in deepening understanding about nature, science, and stewardship online and in-person. Stay updated about upcoming events by signing up for our newsletter.

Upcoming Events

• 
  9/21 BIPOC Bonfires
  Be in community for monthly bonfire talks at Seabright Beach led by local leaders of color, in partnership with County Park Friends. September’s … Read more
• 
  9/23 Coastal Cleanup Day at Seabright Beach
  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 … Read more
• 
  10/6 First Friday After Hours | Underground
  October’s First Friday celebrates the opening of the new exhibit Underground: Unearthing Unseen Worlds. Dig into the mysterious creatures, caverns, and curiosities of … Read more
• 
  10/7 Family Fun with Fossils!
  Dig into the fascinating world of fossils during this month’s Family Fun day at the Museum! We’ll explore ancient whales from millions of years ago and dig … Read more
• 
  10/11 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. … Read more
• 
  10/12 Caves and Climate Change with Jessica Oster | Online Talk
  The Santa Cruz Mountains are full of limestone caves that hold many secrets, including records of our climate past. Join Dr. Jessica Oster … Read more
• 
  10/13 Member Meet-Up: Resource Recovery Center Tour
  What happens to recyclables after we throw them “away”? Visit the recycling facility at Dimeo Lane and see with your own eyes what … Read more
• 
  10/21 Santa Cruz Kangaroo Rat Walk with Matt Sharp Chaney
  Neither a kangaroo nor a rat, the rare Santa Cruz kangaroo rat (Dipodomys venustus venustus) is closely related to gophers and chipmunks and … Read more
• 
  10/21 Saturdays in the Soil
  We are coming together as a community to steward Tyrrell Park through the City’s Adopt-A-Park program. At the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural … Read more
• 
  Museum of the Macabre 2023
  Come in costume and imbibe cauldron-concocted cocktails while exploring the chasms of the world beneath our feet. The seventh annual Museum of the … Read more
• 
  11/2 Naturalist Night | Animals Underground: The Burrowing and Cave Dwelling Creatures of the Santa Cruz Mountains with Matt Sharp Chaney and Alex Jones
  Beneath our feet is a world of creatures seldom seen. Join local experts for this set of short presentations at the Santa Cruz … Read more

Public Programs at the Museum offer dynamic and inclusive places for learning, dialogue, study, and exploration. Through community outreach, virtual presentations, small-group gatherings in nature, large community events, and stewardship and volunteer opportunities, the Museum builds community around a shared curiosity for and appreciation of the natural environment. Programs help communicate how science impacts our daily lives by connecting local experts with community members, including academics, artists, non-profit organizations, and tribal members.