history presentations

      Museum Director’s Notes

     By Debbie Benson, Director

“All at once, summer collapsed into fall.” — Oscar Wilde

I feel a certain gratitude for days where there are fewer fires filling our eyes and throats with the smoke and ash. It seemed that August had notifications each day. It is good that some of those big burns are showing the work of constant work done by the firefighters. I am grateful for the firefighters and their work. Please take care and check on roads and pass ability if heading out.

September is the month when we hold our Annual Fundraising Dinner Auction. We hope to see you there! Tickets are on sale on our website and in the Museum Store. It’s a fun event and we have a chance to be with friends and bid on some interesting items! It’s always a good time!

I hope you have a chance to come by the Museum and see our displays. The Soaring and the ARTifacts displays are not permanent, so if you have a chance, it’s worth the visit! We do have some talented and interesting people in the Indian Wells Valley! It is great fun to be inspired by the artifacts and by the artworks themselves.

At the Museum we are watching the growth of our solar field and the changes it will bring as we work towards its completion. The Solar Committee and Sidewinder Solar are working together to get the most from our field. Many thanks to all!

Enjoy these first reminders of cooler days and the beauty to be found around us. We are better together and we hope to see you come in for a visit, a walk around the garden or to volunteer! Thank you for everything you do to support the museum and for your time!

Remember the Bricks! The new walkway through the garden that leads to our new curation building makes the garden accessible to our visitors. If you are interested in buying an engraved brick that will enhance the walkway the information is on our website and in the Museum Store.

Download the September Newsletter Now

https://maturango.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/September-2024-up.pdf

      Museum Director’s Notes

     By Debbie Benson, Director

“Leaving any bookstore is hard, especially on a day in August, when the street outside burns and glares, and the books inside are cool and crisp to the touch.” – Jane Smiley

Once again, this has been a summer of extreme heat that has made itself felt in the dry leaves and grasses and the survival of all things growing. The growth all winter from the deep soaking we got from Hilary and the winter rains has increased the amount of crisp and dehydrated plants when exposed to the extremes heat of the desert. We all feel it and the need for water is ever present. Don’t leave home without it!

Our gardens are looking good with the work being done and a few new plantings that are surviving with care. Our new walkway through the garden that leads to our curation building makes the garden accessible to our visitors. If you are interested in buying an engraved brick that will enhance the walkway the information is on our website and in the Museum Store.

We are putting together more plans for trips and tours. Some of us went on the July trip to Bodie and had the opportunity to go around the town and to the Stamp Mill. The tour was led by informative host Chris Spiller from the Bodie Foundation. We were glad to support the work they are doing to slow, or arrest, the decay of the remaining structures. It was a day of information and stories along with photogenic structures and historical items. It was a full tour that still included time to investigate on our own which was fun as the weather was beautiful. We hope to put together a tour to that area again next year if the weather allows, the roads are good and there is interest.

In reference to the opening quote, the Maturango Store has a great book section! If you come in and look at a few you too may find them an excellent respite from the heat! We have some fun books for the young readers as well. Too soon they will be going back to various school situations and may enjoy having a favorite read for these burning hot days!

Please stay hydrated! Our best to you all.

Download the August Newsletter Now

https://maturango.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/August-2024-update-fx.pdf

Museum Director’s Notes
By Debbie Benson, Director

“Taking a wrong turn allows you to see landscapes you wouldn’t otherwise have seen.”

 Rick Rubin 

Sometimes in the heat of July we find a reason to travel up to the cool. We may not have to take a wrong turn, but we may stop just to admire the shades of golden, dry grasses against the lavender hills. There may be a turnout on the highway where the only sound is that of a swiftly flowing river that cuts all other sound from our devices. A noisy peaceful rush of water. Worth the trip even to experience from the car window!

Download the July Newsletter Now

Museum Director’s Notes
By Debbie Benson, Director

“In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes,
and every sunset is different.” John Steinbeck

The Maturango Museum is a busy place with our activities and visitors. It is beginning to be the season where travel is what everyone is planning for a day or even longer. It is always fun to meet the people coming our way and our lizards seem ready to greet our guests, with only an occasional scream! Enjoy watching them but please let them go about their business as inhabitants of our garden.
This month we are beginning our 2nd Annual Matching Funds fundraiser. We have some amazing donors so please match their funds as you can! Double the Impact!
This month we are setting up a “buy a brick fundraiser” as well. We will let you know the details as soon as we have the complete information on the laser engraved bricks. We will use them to be a part of the new pathways through the Gladys Merrick Garden.
Enjoy seeing the desert and remember to hydrate and listen for the birds! If out and about, use care and enjoy the coolness of the evening as the sun sinks in the west.
Be well.

Download the June Newsletter Now

Museum Director’s Notes

Debbie Benson

“May offers the genesis of our creative rebirth, unfurling the tapestry of genius with each step
we take…” ― Dr. Tracey Bond
One of the aspects of the Museum environment that involves decisions made in the past and our entering the future, are our permanent displays. We changed our flow pattern when we went through our expansion over ten years ago and rethought some of what we understood to be important. Our process continues. This last Friday we had an outstanding event that included Museum staff, volunteers, friends and family as the acrylic case was installed around the Paleontology Display. Along with a group of our volunteers who have worked for some time on this project, we had the pleasure of working with some of the workers from Sidewinder Solar as a 300-pound acrylic case was negotiated from the back of a transport trailer, through an entryway, through exhibits and into location for installation. While it did have a test install and a few redoes, it was hung and set in place in a matter of hours. It is a beautiful display and provides information about the extinct Pleistocene giants in our valley. Please come see it in person if possible! Sherry, our Natural History curator, who led this project, and the people who devoted time, energy and thought have much to be proud of. We are all thankful and proud of what came together. I’m sure more information will come in the future but we all wanted to share a bit now!
The flowers are still coming into bloom and there is much to enjoy! There are desert inhabitants out as well; use your eyes, ears and camera to share their habitat, but please let them be. Our best to you All!

Download the May Newsletter Now

Museum Director’s Notes

Debbie Benson

“April Winds…Did you ever think the sun could turn cold?
Do you ever miss the freedom of the sand between your toes?… Joe Brooks

     Again, as I write of April, the desert wind is my companion. A kite seems a likely resource as I watch the greening become more intense after the spitting cold of March rains and recent snows in the upper altitudes. I am watching the smallest of wildflowers bloom in the neighborhoods, along roads and paths. Some of the plants have been blooming for months. The evening desert primrose, with its waxy yellow flowers has been blooming for months and is trying to grow a topknot of leaves. The pincushions are waving in the winds much like small flags demanding some attention. Perhaps there is truth in the thought that wind makes each plant stronger as each does seem quite resilient. These are not weeds, they are native plants and we celebrate them! I have some optimism that our Annual Wildflower Exhibit will have many blooms for the enjoyment of all. The care and attention that goes into this exhibit is what makes it an event worthy of note and the time spent by all involved. We hope you can visit during the weekend of April 5-7 and hear some of our speakers as well.

   At our Annual Meeting in March we offered our heartfelt thanks to Dave Kurdeka for his time on the Board of Trustees. He is a Docent and still on some committees so his input will continue to be enjoyed. At the same time, we welcomed Patty Wharton to the Board as we continue our work at the Museum and within the community. Our Annual Report can be found in the Newsletter section on our website.

   I appreciate the success of our Second Saturday events and other events the docents and our affiliates provide for the community. Bringing families and individuals to participate in these activities is a great way to strengthen the bonds within our community. I also thank the people who participate in the garden and property clean-ups; a worthwhile way to promote involvement in an activity that beautifies and benefits us 

Please find our April 2024 Newsletter below

Download the April Newsletter Now

Museum Director’s Notes

Debbie Benson

Dear March – Come in, How glad I am, I hoped for you before, Put down your hat, You must have walked, How out of breath you are —  Emily Dickenson

   As we enter a time of seasonal change, the greening of our hills and the blooming flowers, though somewhat unusual, remind us of the living that has been carrying on all winter. One cannot help but feel that change is now on the move. The early flowers that cannot seem to wait, are giving us the energy to appreciate and enjoy them. I enjoy seeing our gardens come to a greater activity as the lizards spend more days in the sun as the sand and rocks become warmer. The plant life under the care of our garden volunteers, shows us daily how pleasant it is to walk through the paths. The occasional cottontail silent under a creosote and our attendant hummingbird sitting at the very top of a desert willow. The work done by the volunteers is worth so very much and is appreciated by all.

   We have work we continue to do, both inside the museum and out, and we appreciate the support and donations from our membership to ensure they happen. We have so many positive irons in the fire right now and it is the membership that makes it happen. We also appreciate the work of the docents and volunteers to put on events to support and encourage families to come visit. This is for our community and its visitors and we are glad to be able to share.

   On March 23 at 3 pm we have our Annual Membership meeting. Hope to see you!

   Be well, take care, and enjoy the Spring vistas!  

Please find our March 2024 Newsletter below

Download the March Newsletter Now