Petaluma Wildlife & Natural Science Museum, Nature center and museum at Petaluma High School, California.
The Petaluma Wildlife & Natural Science Museum is a nature museum located at Petaluma High School that occupies a converted bus garage. The collection includes taxidermied animals, minerals, and fossils alongside living mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates housed in dedicated displays.
The facility began in 1989 when Hugh Codding donated his entire museum collection to the school. This major gift made it possible to transform the abandoned bus garage into the museum that exists today.
Student docents from the high school manage the exhibits and conduct tours, sharing knowledge about animals and nature directly with visitors. This hands-on role helps young people develop teaching skills while engaging the community.
The museum opens on select days each month and offers both guided tours and self-guided exploration options for visitors. It is accessible to the general public and operates primarily on a volunteer basis with student assistance.
Students take specialized courses in wildlife biology and animal care that provide hands-on conservation experience. These classes blend classroom learning with real responsibility for maintaining living animal collections.
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