Programs at the Naturalist Center

Daily at 1:15 pm

Join a Guide for an illuminating quest into the curiosities of the Naturalist Center’s vast collection of specimens! Free with Academy admission. From a real dinosaur leg bone to great white shark jaws, the Naturalist Center hasthousands of natural history specimens. Join a Guide everyday at 1:15 PM for an illuminating quest for the curiosities of the Naturalist Center!

Sundays 2:00–2:45 pm (please register at 1:30 pm)

Learn how to be a naturalist! Each month brings a new nature skill, with different aspects of that skill presented every week. Junior Academy is designed for youth ages 8 to 11 (accompanied by an adult), and space is limited to 20 total participants. To register, stop by the Naturalist Center 30 minutes prior to the program’s start. Free with Academy admission.

Various dates

Designed for adults and families with children 12 and up, Naturalist 101 workshops teach hands-on naturalist skills in small-group settings. Examples of past programs include Insect Basics, Birding Basics, Skulls Tell It All, and Be A Bay Area Ice Age Tourist.

Sundays during Members’ Hour, 10:00–11:00 am

This hands-on naturalist program features a new theme every month! Academy Members and their families explore topics such as microscope views, what fur reveals about an animal’s environment, and owl-pellet dissection in a fully outfitted science lab classroom. Free with Academy Membership.