Turtle Bay has a collection of artifacts from around the world that tell rich stories, and every month, the exhibits department gets the chance to tell one of those stories. This month, we are sharing a rifle over 150 years old and began a company that would go on to produce guns globally.
Insects represent some of the planet's most bizarre – yet familiar – and enchanting life forms. Some can be as intricately delicate as a butterfly, while others can be as tough and gnarly as some beetles.
Meet Lori! An incredible volunteer in our Horticulture Department! Lori has been dedicated to serving Turtle Bay for many years now, so we sat down with her to get her experience on some of the many things she loves about volunteering!
The community eagerly anticipated the Turtle Bay Auction, and this year's event did not disappoint. The theme was "Off to The Races," and guests arrived dressed in their finest Kentucky Derby-inspired ensembles. They were greeted by a stunning display of decorations that transported them to Churchill Downs.
Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, CA, partners with Coleman Fish Hatchery every year to raise and release chinook salmon to the Sacramento River as a part of the Head Start Program. This is one of the many ways Turtle Bay takes active part in conservation efforts for local wildlife.
The hand-painted pitcher chosen for this Artifact of the Month is “Pearl Watson, 1913” on the bottom. Pearl is
the first name of the purported grandmother, which piqued my interest, so I
looked her up. A few hours on the internet revealed the more complicated
story behind this collection.
Meet Tina! Tina has been volunteering in the Education Department at Turtle Bay for 3 years! Her smile shows it best when it comes to her love for Turtle Bay! Tina has volunteered in many different avenues of the Education Programming including our Summer Discovery Camps! Tina loves to make peoples day and participate in creating a world of wonder, imagination and education for our community.
Jess draws inspiration from her passion for diverse cultures, traveling, and commitment to social
justice.
This ancient deity vessel has intrigued me for a long time. I first came across it in 2016 while curating Adventures in pre-Columbian Archaeology for the Glass Case in the Museum. At the time, museum records stated it was from about c.800-1200 CE Peru.
Join us at Turtle Bay to see beautiful skis from 1945, a National Silvo 1937 Metal Electric Mandolin, and much more in this recreational history exhibit.
This 1960s radiation kit, commonly found in fallout shelters, was an essential survival tool during the Cold War Era. Fallout shelters gained mainstream popularity during the 1950s due to the development and threatening presence of nuclear weaponry.
Unlike most of our exhibitions, where changes are made only after installation if a mistake is found, this exhibition is a living document that has had several updates regarding the status of the glaciers as Mt. Shasta experienced both a hotter-than-normal summer and had early snowfall in September 2023 that affected the short-term condition of these climate indicators.
This year we hosted our first annual Jingle Bell Fun Run! Despite the rain, families, and friends lined up with holiday spirit to run/walk 2 miles around the Turtle Bays Gardens!
While curating the exhibition currently in the Mill Building at Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp called, Recreation: The Great Outdoors and More!, we came across a historic pair of snowshoes with interesting provenance. We decided to highlight them as Artifact of the Month while Snow: Tiny Crystals, Global Impact was on exhibit in the Museum, but we learned more (and less) than we bargained for.
As the crisp autumn air settled, Turtle Bay Museum welcomed members of our community in for a special Halloween After Hours. This event draws in visitors from far and wide, eager to immerse themselves in an unforgettable experience that combines the best of the Turtle Bay Museum with the mystique of the spooky season!
Oktoberfest 2023, presented by Liquor Barn & SasqWash Car Wash, was a resounding success, bringing together families and friends for a memorable evening at the Paul Bunyan Forest Camp!
This October we hosted our first ever Harvest in the Gardens Festival! An event where family and friends had the opportunity to come enjoy fall activities, listen to live music, and have some fun!
This August we hosted our Museum After Hours! This event was an event where adults had the opportunity to grab a drink and listen to live music while exploring the museum. This 21-and-over event was a unique opportunity, where adults got first “dibs” to enjoy the featured and permanent exhibitions in the Museum.
Saturday, August 20, 2022 - Walk for Wildlife 2022 was a major success, thanks to the nearly 300 participants who walked in support of the animals at Turtle Bay!
Back in 2004, I was working in Utah at an all bird facility. I was in charge of the Bird Show Department. Of the 450 birds at the facility, the 35 in my care were the ones who had the privilege of being trained and becoming ambassador animals. Most of the animals I got to care for either came from wildlife rehabilitation or were unwanted pets. It was rare that I got to raise a bird from one of the exhibit pairs, but because of a program called SSP, now was my chance.
The Plant(s) of the Month for June are Verbena rigida and Verbena rigida ‘Polaris’. Both are reliable long-blooming plants in the Gardens and in the Nursery and are both blooming profusely this year with the abundant spring rains we’ve been experiencing!
This past weekend, we kicked off the summer season with our annual Brews by the Bridge event! With more beer vendors than ever before, food trucks, outdoor games, and live music, our community had a fun Friday night by the Sundial Bridge. This year’s festivities expanded throughout the entire Gardens, making the event BIGGER and BETTER than in years past. We want to say a huge thank you to all attendees, vendors, and sponsors for their overwhelming support of Turtle Bay!
This stunning and mysterious pendant has been on our Artifact of the Month poll several times and finally made its way to our guests’ top choice! It appears to be pre-Columbian, representing an ancient deity. However, it was likely produced in the 1970s.
This past Family Second Saturday, a fun Turtle Bay Tradition continued: Bubble Day! Bubble Day at Turtle Bay is a Celebration of all things Bubble! The Education Department has been doing Bubble Day programs at least once a year for several years; the author of this blog post remembers facilitating several bubble days as a Teen Volunteer between 2012 and 2016! This year's Bubble activities included bubble walls and wands, as well as an experiment to see what household items can be used to make bubbles.
Did you know that Turtle Bay’s Education department offers engaging and educational programming opportunities on three Saturdays every month? Saturday programs consist of drop-in activities that are fun and interactive, thanks to the Museum volunteers that facilitate them. These programs enhance our guests' visits by providing engaging and pertinent learning opportunities to learners of all ages. Saturday Education Programs support Turtle Bay’s mission by providing fun and facilitated activities, demonstrations, and experiments that help encourage guests to wonder, explore and appreciate the world around them!
It would not be Turtle Bay without turtles, and this summer, we have bonus turtles! In the main museum, artist Betty LaDuke’s breathtaking Turtle Wisdom features twenty carved and painted turtles exploring human themes such as love, resilience, and how to work together.
The night sky has fascinated me since I was a young boy. My father was an amateur astronomer who built his own telescopes in the basement, and I remember watching him with awe. One night when I was only seven years old, my father set up a telescope to view Saturn, and I peered through the eyepiece to see the planet. Even though it appeared so tiny, that moment left a lasting impression on me.
As plant of the month for May, Turtle Bay’s Senior Horticulturist/Senior Nursery Specialist, Linda Russo, chose Penola Lavender Grevillea. Lavender Grevillea is an Australian native plant that grows throughout a wide range of Southwestern Australia.