Gearing up for 9th Annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day

An insect encased in amber, part of the Paleontology Collection. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The ninth annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, always held the first Saturday of Presidents' Weekend and showcasing 13 of the university's museums or collections,  is set Saturday, Feb. 15.

You could actually call it "Science Day," as it's an opportunity for visitors of all ages to learn about science, meet UC Davis scientists, and ask questions. You can visit the:

• Arboretum and Public Garden
• Bohart Museum of Entomology
• Botanical Conservatory
• California Raptor Center
• Center for Plant Diversity
• Department of ?Anthropology Museum
• Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven
• Marine Invertebrate Collection (not linked)
• Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology
• Nematode Collection
• Paleontology Collection
• Phaff Yeast Culture Collection
• Viticulture Enology Culture Collection

All are within walking distance on the campus except for the California Raptor Center on Old Davis Road or the Haagen-Dazs Bee Haven on Bee Biology Road.

It's a day where you can hold a walking stick/stick insect at the Bohart Museum, meet and greet an eagle at the California Raptor Center, check out the bees at the bee haven, learn about aquatic life at the Marine Invertebrate Collection, visit the Anthropology museum to see what lived millions of years ago--and much, much more.

The 13 museums or collections represent nine departments and include everything from microbes to plants to mammals, according to chair Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator at the Bohart Museum. The Department of Entomology and Nematology alone offers three of them: the Bohart Museum, Häagen-Dazs and the Nematode Collection.

Meanwhile, the committee this week issued a call for sponsors and opportunities to support Biodiversity Museum Day. Want to help? Access the website at http://biodiversitymuseumday.ucdavis.edu. Or contact chair Tabatha Yang at tabyang@ucdavis.edu.