Central Coast Natural History Association
and California State Parks 
partners in sponsoring the
Morro Bay Museum of Natural History 
and other Central Coast  State Parks

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So You Want to be a Docent . . .

The first step in becoming a docent is a friendly chat with Education Chair Carolyn Frank. Carolyn interviews prospective docents, heads the training program and recruits new docents.

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Docent showing tidepool exhibit. Photo by Richard "Popeye" Thornber.

The aspiring docents start off with four Saturday workshops, followed by 20 hours of on-the-job training. There is a $10 fee for workshop materials that will be helpful in familiarizing volunteers with the natural history of the Central Coast. New docents are invited to become members of the Central Coast Natural History Association (CCNHA). All active docents are expected to perform at least eight volunteer hours each month. The training sessions usually begin in January of each year.

After their training has been completed, Carolyn helps the docents find the jobs and locations they desire. Docents can choose to work in the Pismo State Beach Nature Center, Montaña de Oro Visitor's Center, or Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History. There are useful and satisfying jobs for almost all skills and desires. Docents lead nature walks; staff visitor desks; work with school groups; present lectures; prepare museum displays; work in the museum store; publish the monthly newsletter; greet visitors; run a puppet theater; tend to several native plant gardens; work in the museum Discovery Center and do just about any other task you can think of.


Docent leading nature walk.

To recruit docents, Carolyn relies on word of mouth and help from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), a federal program to help place seniors in volunteer jobs. She also sends press releases in the fall to local newspapers. Frank says attendance at the last two training sessions has gone up.

The docent program is a great way to invest your time in a worthwhile activity, to meet people who share your interests and to continue to learn. Volunteers can continually update their knowledge through various workshops, training programs, lectures and from each other. "We're very lucky to have a lot of different volunteers with many skills and backgrounds," says Frank.

Anyone interested in participating should call the museum at 805-772-2694 for more information.