Petaluma Wildlife & Natural Science Museum

Petaluma Wildlife & Natural Science Museum is a student-run museum located in the city of Petaluma, California. It is the largest student-run museum in the United States.^[1] Its mission is "to inspire the next generation through practical environmental education and conservation."^[2] It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, relying on donations to fund expenses. The museum is located on the Petaluma High School campus, in which a "Wildlife Management" and a "Museum Management" class can be taken as an elective.

The collection includes dozens of several live species, such as snakes, lizards, chinchillas; as well as taxidermy.

The current teacher at the Petaluma Wildlife Museum is ,^[3] who has shifted the focus of tours to conservation of wildlife and the preservation of habitats around the planet.

History[]

The museum started as a classroom, which was taught by Ron Head. In 1989, Hugh Codding donated the entire Codding Museum inventory to Head. When the collection outgrew the classroom, the Codding family purchased a new bus garage, which freed up the old one on the school campus to be turned into a 9000 square foot museum.^[4] It was Head's dream to help hone high school students in career, leadership, and management skills. "I saw what kids could do and how a museum could motivate kids," Head said.^[4]

Tours[]

The tours are usually given to elementary children by high school docents. The tours typically last an hour to an hour and a half long, depending on the age of the children. Docents guide a group through about seven rooms. Conservation and preservation are the primary focus of the tour. Topics that are discussed include camouflage, , , invasive species, natural history, as well as .^[5]

During Saturdays, when the museum is open to the public, visitors roam the museum and ask questions, as well as being able to see more animals.^[6]

Structure[]

The museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, with donations from the community helping to support it. The museum is run by a board of directors, which set the agenda for the museum. The board president is Casey Brechbill, while the executive director is Neal Ramus. The museum is maintained by the students, who gain volunteer service hours and experience in fields of biology, animal maintenance, as well as business experience.

The students at the school can take a "Wildlife Management" class, which is an introductory to wildlife topics, such as fauna biology, husbandry, and topics such as the ecosystem and conservation. The secondary class is "Museum Maintenance", which allows students to become docents and gives them hands on experience working with animals. Kim Arntz teaches both classes.

Controversies[]

It came to light through ABC 7 that the previous director of the museum, Marsi Wier, had used thousands of museum money for personal use, such as for things bought at garage sales, trips to the gas station, nail salons, massages, and for babysitters for her children.^[4] As a result, Wier was removed by the board as curator and director, and later lost her job as teacher. Neal Ramus became the director,^[7] the teacher became Kim Arntz, and the curator became Jordan James. "It's a very important program to this community and I had hundreds of people buy into this program," said Head. "I think it's an insult, a slap in face of the community. It's certainly a slap in the face and an embarrassment to the students."^[4]

Summer Camp[]

The museum runs a summer camp program for children ages 7 to 12. The camp sessions last a week long each, with a docent supervising a group of children. The camp has activities that teach animal behavior, ecology, conservation, and science; presentations are given as well.