BECOME A DOCENT AT THE SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

• Share your enthusiasm for nature with visiting school children
• Learn about local natural history from Museum and community experts
• Make new friends with common interests
• Begin training at any time

What We Do

Each year, over 18,000 students, mostly from the elementary level, visit the Museum of Natural History. Local students as well as students from Los Angeles, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Ventura, and Buellton come to visit this wonderful campus.

Docents bring the Museum to life. At exploration stations in different halls, students can touch and feel the wing of an owl, the talons of a hawk, the pelt of an otter, sea stars and shells, and frequently – live insects!

Docents encourage the students to learn by observation.

Some docents conduct Discovery Labs for individual classes. Other docents guide outdoor nature explorations.
Planetarium presenters share the wonders of the universe with students.


Who We Are

The Docents of this Museum are a diverse group.  We’ve chosen the Museum because of our interest in Natural History. All of us share a passion for connecting children to nature.

There are lots of perks to this job:

• in-depth training by Museum staff
• options for participation in programs, depending on special interests: astronomy, Chumash culture, paleontology, birds, insects, mammals or marine life
• monthly programs providing continuing education
• supportive staff

Requirements:

• Ability to present information in an engaging way
• Finger printing for background check
• Minimum commitment: one weekday morning per week during the school year.  (9:30 - 12:00)
• Attendance at one monthly continuing education meeting (3rd Thursday, 9:30 - 11:30)

Training:

• Training can begin at anytime and is a one on one process.  
• Make an appointment for a tour.
• Any morning, Tuesday–Friday, 10:00 AM–Noon

Contact:

Kathy Harbaugh
School and Teacher Services
2559 Puesta Del Sol Road
Santa Barbara, California 93105

805-682-4711 ext. 168
kharbaugh@sbnature2.org