Fifteen is not just a number; it's a milestone.
So when the 15th annual campuswide UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, a free and family friendly event, rolls around on Saturday, Feb. 21, it's a very special day. The event will encompass 12 museums and collections.
The event, known as a Super Science Day, involves some 250 scientists, faculty, staff and students, who all volunteer their time and expertise to showcase the university's critically important research and teaching collections.
“Science comes to life at this exciting, hands-on event, spanning 12 campus museums,” according to the BioDiv website. “This is your chance to connect with UC Davis scientists and experts, participate in dynamic exhibits, and get an up-close look at amazing animals, fascinating plants, and the wonders of our natural world. With something for everyone, it’s a free day of discovering that you won’t want to miss.”
Donations Needed
But organizing and hosting the event that draws some 5000 people to the campus isn’t free. Among the expenses: utilities (opening and closing costs of the facilities, including bathrooms); marketing, such as signage; and refreshments and T-shirts for the volunteers. "An expense is signage like fliers and special event maps, so that people can navigate our campus," Yang said. "The volunteer T-shirts help visitors identify the volunteers as they move from one collection to another. The T-shirts unify the day and are an appreciated thank you." To donate, access the Biodiversity Museum Day's website at https://give.ucdavis.edu/CAES/BIOFUND.
“Anything helps,” said chair Tabatha Yang, the education and outreach coordinator of the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
This year’s participants:
- Anthropology Museum, temporarily housed in Wickson Hall, West Entrance, while Young Hall is undergoing renovations. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Arboretum and Public Garden, Habitat Gardens in the Environmental GATEway, Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Bee Haven, 1 Bee Biology Road, off Hutchinson Drive. Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Bohart Museum of Entomology, Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building and hallway, 455 Crocker Lane. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Botanical Conservatory, Kleiber Hall Drive. Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- California Raptor Center, 1340 Equine Lane. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Center for Plant Diversity Herbarium, 1026 Katherine Esau Science Hall. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Design Museum, 124 Cruess Hall, 375 California Ave. Hours: 12 Noon to 4 p.m.
- Nematode Collection, 1026 Katherine Esau Science Hall. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Paleontology Collection, Earth and Physical Sciences Building, Room 1309, Crocker Lane. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.
- Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Robert Mondavi Institute Brewery and Food Processing Facility. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition, there will be a speakers' series from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Silverado Vineyards' Sensory Theatre, Sensory Building, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, 392 Old Davis Road, from 4 to 5 p.m.
Visitors can expect to see everything from red-tailed hawks at the Raptor Center to stick insects at the Bohart Museum of Entomology to honey bees at the Bee Haven to root-knot nematodes at the Nematode Collection--and much, much more. Think plants thriving, yeast rising, and fossils overlooked.
And, the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day is a good opportunity for youngsters trying to decide on a career to "think science."
Cover image: UC Davis Professor Phil Ward answering questions about ants at the Bohart Museum of Entomology during the 2025 UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day. This year's BioDiv Day is Feb. 21. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
