Explore the world of garden insects with Frederique Lavoipierre in this fantastic presentation – fun for all ages! Following the lecture, we will have an opportunity to view insects up-close through the lens high-quality stereoscopes, and meet a few of Lavoipierre’s 6-legged friends. Leave with a sense of wonder and a desire to further explore your own backyard insect menagerie!

Casey Peter's presentation will focus on HOW we learn about the world around us through scientific exploration and experimentation. He will use examples from many different areas of study, with a larger focus on ecology and natural history. The universe is big, complex, weird and wonderful, and science has helped us learn many exciting--- and unexpected--- things. The audience will take away a deeper understanding and appreciation of the process of exploring the world through scientific discovery. As well as, the tools and excitement to practice on their own. From simple ideas, like plant identification, to larger concepts, like finding new planets-- scientific discovery is everywhere!

What if I told you that there was a life form that can endure temperatures ranging from 303º down to -328º Fahrenheit? A creature that can endure one-thousand times more radiation than humans can and survive for over 120 years in a state of suspended animation? A critter that is invisible to the naked eye, yet lives almost everywhere? Meet the tardigrade, an extremophile (an organism that thrives in extreme conditions) poised to provide valuable insights into aging while also becoming a celebrity in our Learning Center. Tardigrades, more commonly known as water bears, feature a snout, two eyes, and eight legs with claws. Looking like a cross between a bear and a caterpillar, these microscopic animals are masters at dealing with stress. We can learn by studying these creatures, and Julie's talk will focus on her research of stem cells and water bears.

Often referred to as “rainforests of the ocean”, coral reefs are diverse ecosystems that exist in nutrient-poor environments, yet are teeming with marine life. Using gorgeous imagery, marine biologist Erika Woolsey will talk about her research on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and her adventures Down Under and underwater. Erika hopes that audiences will take away a new appreciation for the beauty and importance of coral reef ecosystems, and learn something about the weird and wonderful animals that build them.

The average household uses over 60 different chemical products. This toxic mix we bring to our homes hurts our health, our families and our Planet. Learn how to decipher what’s in the products we use every day and the effects they have on your health and our Planet. Many of these products can be easily replaced with greener alternatives or ones you can make yourself with simple ingredients you have at home. This class is hands-on, so you’ll also be making a few of those recipes to take home with you!

Ever wonder how to come up with ideas, or how to make something that you use work better? I would like to show you how to figure that out. It is OK to make lots of mistakes as long as you keep trying!

Steve Purcell has drawn since he was a toddler, and grew up creating characters and hand made story books. Through the years he has worked professionally as an illustrator, comic book creator, game designer and concept/story artist. He worked with LucasArts Entertainment Company, Industrial Light and Magic and most recently with Pixar Animation Studios as a writer/director on the Academy award winning Brave as well as Toy Story That Time Forgot. Steve will talk about his journey from childhood artist to movie director and lead an interactive drawing lesson in how to create a Disney character. Bring your drawing pencils and sketchbook or just sit back and enjoy this fun and engaging presentation.

Cheryl Veretto activist for pollinators - Sonoma County Master Gardener and President of Sonoma County Beekeepers Association. While living in rural SW Sebastopol she propagates, plants and shares bee forage plants while educating about planting for pollinators, the importance of pesticide free gardening -Integrated Pest Management and the wonderful honey bee.

Guillermo Melantoni works at Autodesk as Product Line Manager for Tinkercad and 123D. Originally from Uruguay, he has a degree in Architecture and worked as consultant and professor at different schools of architecture in Uruguay. In 2008 he became Product Manager for AutoCAD, based in San Francisco and in 2012 he started leading Personal Design and Fabrication on the Consumer Products team. His goal has been to create the most powerful yet intuitive tools that can be used by anybody from 5 to 99 years old that wants to unleash their creativity. He has over twenty years of experience in 3D design and has been working for almost a decade on 3D printing.

What does a chemist do all day? How does chemistry relate to art, spying, and what we eat? Come find out just how cool chemistry can be and participate in hands-on experiences.

Adrienne Larocque is an award-winning scientist with a PhD. She currently teaches Earth Science at Maria Carrillo High School where she is known as Dr. Addie. She also is an adjunct professor at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Sonoma Country Day School elementary students, led by Network Administrator and Maker Extraordinaire Sean Marshall, built a musical/light up bench as part of their science curriculum and donated the finished product to the CMOSC. Join them on this special evening to hear more about the inspiration that lit up students and adults alike, and the process of bringing the bench, and plenty of learning, to life. 

It’s Ptough to Be a Pteropod!: Students will measure and observe changing chemistry in an ocean-like environment, explore the complex food web, and discuss potential solutions to slow that change. Animal Ambassador: Tidepool Invertebrates (with touch tank) 

What lies at the intersections of Art and Science? Learning to think of ourselves as designers! Come join us as we build larger than life fall-down-machines turned treacherous ecosystems! Help model natural systems (and human intervention) as we take on the challenge of weeding out the "invasive" round species with recycled materials tricks, traps, and flippers. Can you save the bouncing fish balls? (Likely bonus light painting activity!)

Local author of the Guardians of the Herd book series

Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue strives to give over 1,500 animals a year the best, most current, and most innovative care possible. They also offer educational experiences both on and off-site. They'll be at the Children's Museum to help us learn about our local wildlife and how we can help protect and care for them and their natural habitats.

The mission of Safari West is to actively promote conservation, environmental education, and share knowledge that will help each individual make personal choices in regards to the environment and conservation efforts. They'll be joining us for a presentation and hands-on exploration of environmental education and conservation.