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A Message from Instructor Tacata
4/4/25
Dearest PWM Alum and Family,
It is with deepest gratitude, love, and a tinge of melancholy that I announce my departure as Instructor of the Petaluma Wildlife Museum. This June, I will have completed my seventh year at our Museum and, to put it plainly, it’s been a hell of a run. When I came to the PWM in August of 2018, I started from scratch: I inherited 1 class of 24 students, a transitory Board of Directors, an incomplete curriculum, and an outmoded tour script based on antiquated ideas of conservation, as well as a mish-mash of animal husbandry protocols and practices that were not in the best interest of our animals or students.
Since then, we have expanded the scope of our program in every fashion: the husbandry standards and live animal protocols at our Museum have never been higher (and our collection never healthier), our Board of Directors is populated with a stable, dedicated group of versatile and skilled adults, our curricula is (finally) UC A-G approved, and our tours feature a tight-yet-flexible age-appropriate script based on the latest science-backed data and ideological frameworks in line with modern day wildlife conservation and environmental sciences. Next year, I am proud to share our continued growth as a program as we are slated to offer 3 full sections of Exotic Animal Husbandry and 2 full sections of Public Speaking for Environmental Education, a total enrollment of 160 students that will execute and deliver some 70+ tours throughout the school year to over 3000 children of local elementary schools from all over the North Bay.
We have come a long, long way, PWM Family <3
I will continue to teach full-time at PHS as the Director of the PHS Marine Science program and as a general Biology teacher part of the PHS Science Department. I will be succeeded at the PWM by an excellent teacher and educator at PHS, Petaluma native and former PHS Teacher-of-the-Year, Mrs. Shereen Jackson. Mrs. Jackson will take over the reins as Instructor of the Public Speaking for Environmental Education course -the public face of our program- and join Exotic Animal Husbandry Instructor, Michelle Walters, as the two teachers of the PWM. Our future docents are very fortunate to have such passionate teachers as their coaches and guides in this incredibly unique program.
There are so many wonderful folks I’ve had the chance to work with these last 7 years, from dedicated and tireless elementary school teachers to our faithful and supportive community members to the cadre of adult volunteers whose work and sacrifice have allowed this program to function and flourish. I want to personally thank David Stirrat, Adam Camacho, Robert Barnes, Lori Glenn, Robin Haines,Tracy Perlich, Issy Barnes, Bella Sessi, Karen Payne, and Superintendent Matthew Harris; without you, I wouldn’t have been able to function in this incredibly demanding position, let alone thrive… Thank you each and all, deeply and with love.
However, my true thanks is for my students. Young people: it has been one the greatest honors of my life to be able to work with you as a coach, mentor, manager, and teacher. I have watched you grow and develop into incredible environmental educators, belly-laughing and ugly-crying through each step of our journey of seemingly endless tours, wild trips, ridiculous drama, and the pursuit of pedagogical excellence. We have stayed true to Mr. Head’s original and pure vision for this incredible and unique program –to inspire the next generation of conservationists– and I am so, so proud of you all.
You have inspired me, and I am forever grateful.
Protect what you love,
-Tacata
4/4/25
Dearest PWM Alum and Family,
It is with deepest gratitude, love, and a tinge of melancholy that I announce my departure as Instructor of the Petaluma Wildlife Museum. This June, I will have completed my seventh year at our Museum and, to put it plainly, it’s been a hell of a run. When I came to the PWM in August of 2018, I started from scratch: I inherited 1 class of 24 students, a transitory Board of Directors, an incomplete curriculum, and an outmoded tour script based on antiquated ideas of conservation, as well as a mish-mash of animal husbandry protocols and practices that were not in the best interest of our animals or students.
Since then, we have expanded the scope of our program in every fashion: the husbandry standards and live animal protocols at our Museum have never been higher (and our collection never healthier), our Board of Directors is populated with a stable, dedicated group of versatile and skilled adults, our curricula is (finally) UC A-G approved, and our tours feature a tight-yet-flexible age-appropriate script based on the latest science-backed data and ideological frameworks in line with modern day wildlife conservation and environmental sciences. Next year, I am proud to share our continued growth as a program as we are slated to offer 3 full sections of Exotic Animal Husbandry and 2 full sections of Public Speaking for Environmental Education, a total enrollment of 160 students that will execute and deliver some 70+ tours throughout the school year to over 3000 children of local elementary schools from all over the North Bay.
We have come a long, long way, PWM Family <3
I will continue to teach full-time at PHS as the Director of the PHS Marine Science program and as a general Biology teacher part of the PHS Science Department. I will be succeeded at the PWM by an excellent teacher and educator at PHS, Petaluma native and former PHS Teacher-of-the-Year, Mrs. Shereen Jackson. Mrs. Jackson will take over the reins as Instructor of the Public Speaking for Environmental Education course -the public face of our program- and join Exotic Animal Husbandry Instructor, Michelle Walters, as the two teachers of the PWM. Our future docents are very fortunate to have such passionate teachers as their coaches and guides in this incredibly unique program.
There are so many wonderful folks I’ve had the chance to work with these last 7 years, from dedicated and tireless elementary school teachers to our faithful and supportive community members to the cadre of adult volunteers whose work and sacrifice have allowed this program to function and flourish. I want to personally thank David Stirrat, Adam Camacho, Robert Barnes, Lori Glenn, Robin Haines,Tracy Perlich, Issy Barnes, Bella Sessi, Karen Payne, and Superintendent Matthew Harris; without you, I wouldn’t have been able to function in this incredibly demanding position, let alone thrive… Thank you each and all, deeply and with love.
However, my true thanks is for my students. Young people: it has been one the greatest honors of my life to be able to work with you as a coach, mentor, manager, and teacher. I have watched you grow and develop into incredible environmental educators, belly-laughing and ugly-crying through each step of our journey of seemingly endless tours, wild trips, ridiculous drama, and the pursuit of pedagogical excellence. We have stayed true to Mr. Head’s original and pure vision for this incredible and unique program –to inspire the next generation of conservationists– and I am so, so proud of you all.
You have inspired me, and I am forever grateful.
Protect what you love,
-Tacata
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