Visitors learn about science from docent volunteers.
Docent Program
Join a group of individuals who are helping to make possible the best in science education and enjoyment. The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center has initiated a volunteer Docent Program in order to connect the talents of community volunteers to the needs of visitors and students.
After completing your docent training program, you will be able to select which subject areas and types of responsibilities you will want to take on. The range of activities available to docents is varied. Examples of opportunities include:
- Assist visitors with hands-on science activities.
- Be available to explain to visitors the various exhibits.
- Provide tours of the Thomas J. Long Foundation Education Center, Incline Village.
- Provide tours of the Eriksson Education Center, Tahoe City.
- Provide green building tours of the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, Incline Village.
- Assist in outreach programs for schools and community events.
- Work in the Docent Office. Help with filing, typing, mailings, phone and e-mail correspondence.
We currently attract thousands of visitors, locals and tourists to the UC Davis Thomas J. Long Foundation Education Center every year. Our volunteer docents help visitors to have an enjoyable, educational experience through which they will learn about Lake Tahoe and environmental problems affecting it. Our program offers docents unlimited opportunities for enjoyment, enrichment and personal satisfaction.
New Docent Training
The Docent Training Program for both the Thomas J. Long Foundation Education Center (Incline Village) and the Eriksson Education Center (Tahoe City) is held annually in the spring. The 2013 Docent Training will be held on June 7, 8 and July 9. The training program in environmental science education and leadership provides new docents with all the instruction they will need to help the public explore our science education centers.
New volunteers can also join the program by meeting with our Docent Program Coordinator, reading the Docent Manual and shadowing tours until they are comfortable hosting tours.
For more information about the docent program, please contact TERC education and outreach director Heather Segale at (775) 881-7562, or e-mail hmsegale@ucdavis.edu.
Docent Training Program
- 2013 Docent Training Flyer
- 2013 Docent Training Agenda
- Part 1: Program Overview, Lake Tahoe 101, and Lake Tahoe Research
- Part 2: Educational Exhibits and Geology of the Tahoe Basin
- Part 3a: Docent Boat Ride on the UC Davis Research Vessel John LeConte
- Part 3b: Aquatic Food Web, Natives and Non-Natives, Exhibits and Demonstration Garden
- Part 4: Shadow Tours with Existing Docents
Docent Manual
The Docent Manual was recently updated (version 4, June 2012) and contains the following chapters:
- Table of Contents
- Docent Program Information
- Exhibits of the Thomas J. Long Foundation Education Center (Incline Village)
- Exhibits of the Eriksson Education Center (Tahoe City)
- Student Activities and Science Standards
- Science and Research at Lake Tahoe
- Additional Resources
Docents are not expected to memorize the content of the Docent Manual, but rather utilize this as a resource to familiarize themselves with the information presented at the science education center.