Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

Programs: General overview:the arizona-sonora desert museum is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden. Exhibits realistically re-create the natural landscape of the sonoran desert region. Within the museum grounds, visitors will see over 230 species of animals and 1,200 kinds of plants. There are almost 2 miles of paths traversing 21 acres of beautiful desert. The museum is open for public visitation every day of the year. Since its opening in 1952, approximately 21,400,000 people from around the world have visited the museum. Some 21,000 individuals and families currently hold memberships in the museum. In fiscal year 2014, attendance at the museum was 373,000 visitors.

conservation education and science department:conservation education and science staff work side-by-side to develop and deliver programs that are not only scientifically sound, but are also translated into public education and result in meaningful conservation efforts. Using this model, scientists and educators collaborate in ways that are more: cost-effective, mutually beneficial for the project and the museum, and attractive to both funders and community partners. All of the department's programs partner broadly across the landscape of the u. S. And mexican science, education, and conservation community. Major program areas in the conservation education and science departmenti. Docent program: docents contributed 80,000 hours to the museum in 2014docents are part of a museum-wide volunteer program, but docents differ from other volunteers in the interpretive nature of their work and in the extensive training such work requires. Asdm docents are trained volunteers who interpret the natural history of the sonoran desert region to museum visitors and to groups within the community. In doing so, they help the museum fulfill its conservation education mission. Docents are adults of all ages, walks of life, and educational backgrounds. There are currently nearly 200 docents volunteering one day per week (or more). A docent's primary responsibility is interpretation of the museum grounds. Such interpretation consists of conducting tours for general visitors and performing interpretive programs or special activities such as theme talks, live animal interpretations, or being stationed at an exhibit. . The museum requires a minimum two-year commitment to the docent program. To maintain active status, docents are required to donate a minimum of 144 hours of interpretation per year on the museum grounds. An extensive 15-week docent training is required and after successful completion, trainees are welcomed into the docent corps. Trainees meet at the museum for a three-hour class, two weekday mornings each week for fifteen weeks (some classes are all day sessions). The first week consists of 4 morning orientation sessions. The classes are taught by museum curatorial staff and educators. The curriculum is coordinated by the associate director of conservation education & science and focuses on such areas as causes of deserts, geology of the sonoran desert, ecological concepts, the flora and fauna of the region, interpretive methods and museum philosophy. Trainees are required to spend time on the museum grounds, observing docent tours and interpretive presentations. They must receive passing scores on section quizzes, a mid-term exam, and a final exam. Upon successful completion of the course, trainees attend a graduation ceremony and receive diplomas as they are welcomed into the museum family. Ii. Youth and community outreach program: total audience served in 2014: 40,679youth field tripsthe arizona-sonora desert museum is a zoo, botanic garden and natural history museum all in one! Teachers can structure their field trips using a variety of activities available for download from the museum's website. In addition, suggested classroom activities to be used pre- and post- trip can be downloaded. These help to extend and deepen the learning from a desert museum visit, and are available for elementary, middle and high school students. Visiting groups can also choose from 19 different desert discovery classes and labs offered in museum classroom facilities. Numbers served in 2014: 26,338desert arkthe desert ark is the museum's outreach program, bringing the resources of the museum, including expert educators and live animals, to all parts of southern arizona, from schools to senior centers, and from ajo to safford. The museum offers 19 different desert ark programs, in addition to custom programs available by request. Numbers served in 2014: 13,771teacher workshops/continuing educationthe arizona-sonora desert museum provides teachers with opportunities to participate in classroom and outdoor workshops, including a resource fair at our teacher appreciation night. These workshops provide them with tools and resources to help their students further their knowledge about sonoran desert natural history. Numbers served in 2014: 20 earth campearth camps are hands-on, minds-on field camps which focus on sustainability issues and promote youth leadership skills. Students learn about the sonoran desert ecosystem and current environmental issues while hiking, camping and exploring our beautiful desert. Asdm offers both a high school and middle school version of earth camp. 16 teachers in our new earth camp for educators program received over 80 hours of professional development credit. Numbers served in 2014: 12museum explorers camphands-on, minds-on day camps for children in grades 1-6. Museum explorers touch and observe live animals, conduct science experiments, create cool crafts, sketch in desert journals, sample desert foods, and explore behind the scenes at the desert museum. These camps are offered in both the summer and winter. Number served in 2014: 77junior docent programthe desert museum junior docent program is designed for tucson area boys and girls ages 13 to 18. Junior docents receive training on the plants, animals and geology of the sonoran desert region and how to interpret (teach) it to others. Desert museum membership, special privileges and recognition, and the opportunity to help out with museum events are just some of the benefits junior docents receive in addition to being part of a world famous museum! During their two-year term as a junior docent, teens typically develop self-confidence, public speaking ability and a great depth of natural history knowledge. Number served in 2014: 30advanced youth interpretersadvanced youth interpreters (ayi) are among a group of talented youth who have individually volunteered over 300 hours of their time and at least two years of service in the arizona-sonora desert museum's junior docent program. These ayi are skilled at interpretation and ready to provide leadership at the museum and in the tucson community. This program is meant to engage these youth, encourage the authentic application of their interpretation and leadership skills, and as a consequence, enrich our community beyond the museum grounds. Numbers served in 2014: 19coati kids clubthis membership program for kids offers free admission all year long, eight special events for club members, a club t-shirt and explorer's pack and a semi-annual newsletter, just for kids. The museum recently dedicated a "forever young treehouse" as the official clubhouse of the coati club. Numbers served in 2014: 120 (about 38 families)public classes, trips and tours for adults and familiesthese programs are offered to the public throughout the year to create a better understanding of our sonoran desert and techniques and tips for desert living. Classes are offered in topics such as natural history, tree pruning, water harvesting, cooking with mesquite and trips to hopi and navajo country. Numbers served in 2014: 337

the art institute:the art institute at the arizona-sonora desert museum promotes conservation of the sonoran desert region through art classes, art exhibits and stewardship of the museum art collection for area residents and visitors from across the united states and around the world. The art institute's overarching goals are to provide high quality visual art experiences for all ages. Classes are taught by professionals and relate to our living collections and the region to organize and interpret existing art collections and to create gallery exhibits that are relevant and inspiring to serve the mission of the desert museum. In fiscal year 2014, the art institute served 949 students. Our nature illustration certificate program is the only one of its kind in the united states. These classes are designed around an art curriculum with a focus on sonoran desert subject matter. Students acquire knowledge about the subjects of their work such as raptors, mammals, desert birds, reptiles, and plants in addition to learning how to draw, paint and work in a variety of illustration media. There are 14 required courses and 100 hours of elective classes that precede the portfolio review. After completion of all requirements, students receive a certificate of completion in nature illustration. The certificate provides incentive for students to pursue and grow their knowledge of the sonoran desert region. The pastperfect museum software is used for our inventory, documentation and maintenance of our art collections. This software is used by 7,000 museums in the u. S. And it will be more than adequate for many decades of use here at the museum. . Vanishing circles is a permanent collection of original paintings depicting disappearing wildlife, plants and habitats of the sonoran desert, created by internationally renowned artists. In 2014 the museum added 3 paintings to the collection. Vanishing circles will continue to grow and travel, acting as a multi-media interpretive tool for the sonoran desert region and to inspire conservation through visual arts education. The ironwood gallery continues to have four to six different exhibits throughout the year. These art exhibits serve the mission of the desert museum by extending the museum experience, interpreting both habitat and wildlife to our visitors. There are 40 volunteers who give their time to keep the gallery open to the public, 7 days a week. Our visitors are guaranteed an accessible, educational experience that promotes appreciation and understanding of the sonoran desert. The ironwood gallery began a facility remodel process with the intent to heighten the visitor experience by providing a higher quality facility, therefore attracting even more notable exhibitions for the future. The gallery exhibits expanded to the baldwin education building. A roster of exhibits to be held in the education building in conjunction with the ironwood gallery was put in place.