We are excited to offer live, topical presentations for students, teachers, and out-of-school-time organizations. Each month we will offer a new natural history topic that features engaging information and aligning activities.
Climate Change Series
Throughout 2021, The Nat and Climate Science Alliance are collaborating to offer a series of evening talks and daytime lessons around the impacts of climate change in our region. The live youth programs take place each quarter (March, July, September, and December), and aim to help school age children understand both the problems and the solutions. From pollinators to carnivores, hear the stories that are part of our changing climate.
Virtual Live Lesson: Insects Up Close
Friday, October 22, 2021 10 AM
Insects and their relatives keep our world healthy—so why do they get such a bad rap? We love them! Join us to learn about their vital roles in our local environment and why we refuse to call them creepy crawlies.
This 45-minute program is presented as a Zoom webinar and is also streamed on Facebook Live with captioning. The program is free and open to classrooms or at-home learners. Recommended for grades 2 and up, but all are welcome. You can round out your lesson with The Nat’s distance learning resources for the Amazing Arthropods class.
RSVP now
Virtual Live Lesson Climate Stories: Surf’s Up!
Friday, December 10, 2021 10 AM
Join us as we explore how climate change affects life in our oceans. We will use experiments to better understand how changes in climate, combined with ocean warming and ocean acidification, impact life on land.
This 45-minute program is presented as a Zoom webinar and is also streamed on Facebook Live with captioning. The program is free, and open to classrooms or at-home learners. Recommended for grade 2 and up, but all are welcome.
Round out your lesson with these accompanying resources from Climate Science Alliance and The Nat.
Note: RSVP link coming soon.
RSVP now
We’re exploring other opportunities and topics for live programming. Please complete the form below to tell us what interests you.
Live Program Interest Form
Climate Stories: Up in Smoke
Nature recovers from normal wildfires, but the increasing frequency and intensity of fires is a problem for our plants and animals--and that becomes a problem for us, too. Join us virtually as we look at what this means for local wildlife, and learn more about what we can do to help. Recommended for grade 2 and up, but all are welcome. This program is part of our Climate Series and presented with our partners Climate Science Alliance.
Plants are pretty amazing. Learn about the special adaptations of plants around San Diego and Southern California with Community Engagement Manager Lauren Marino Perez and Botany Collections Manager Layla Aerne Hains. Find out what it’s like behind the scenes of an herbarium, too. Recommended for grades 2 and up, but any plant lover can enjoy.
Spotting Nature with iNaturalist
Have you ever wanted help identifying a wild plant or animal? Want to explore wildlife near you? Interested in honing your plant and animal identification skills? Are you the kind of person who asks: what's this bug? Here, The Nat and our community partner San Diego Canyonlands show you to do all of the above using the iNaturalist app. iNaturalist.org is a free app and website that helps connect people with each other and the natural world.
Climate Stories: Meat-Eaters
Meat-eating animals, known as carnivores, play an important role in keeping our environment healthy. Join our investigation into how a changing climate and increased human activity will affect local carnivores and their connections to the circle of life. Together, we’ll uncover what we can do to help. Recommended for grade 2 and up, but all are welcome to enjoy. This program is part of our Climate Series and presented with our partners Climate Science Alliance.
Paleontology, Fossils, and T. rex
T. rex news! Have questions for a paleontologist? The Nat’s Paleontology Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Ashley Poust answers student questions about paleontology and shares some new discoveries about one of the best-known dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Climate Stories: Pollinators
Pollinators are some of the most important animals on the planet. What impact are we having on them? How can we help pollinators? Join Curator of Entomology Dr. Michael Wall and also learn how climate change may impact these important animals during this Live Lesson. This program is part of our Climate Series and presented with our partners Climate Science Alliance.
Ever wanted to meet a raptor? Now's your chance. The Nat’s Lead Educator Ashton Huge hosts a special conversation with Falconer Bob Gordon. Meet Bob’s companion, a Harris’ hawk named Huxley, and learn about regional birds of prey as well as the art of falconry.
Behind the Scenes: Nature to You Loan Library
The Nat has an uncommon library of specimens that includes a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, birds, and more. Join Education Specialist Rosie Bell and Community Engagement Manager Lauren Marino Perez as they share some special characteristics and adaptations of the specimens in this unique program.
Draw an owl along with award-winning illustrator Susie Ghahremani. This virtual program begins with a reading of What Will Grow written by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Susie. Then grab a pencil and paper so you can draw along, too.
Take a trip to the tidepools from the comfort of your computer. Join Community Engagement Manager Lauren Marino Perez and Cabrillo National Monument Biologist and Science Educator Sam Wynns in this recording of a past live program.
Birding by Ear with Justin Canty was recorded from a live lesson on October 23, 2020.
