Docent Council of Sonoma/Petaluma State Historic Parks Association

Become a Historic Parks Docent!
Learn the history of Sonoma!

Share your knowledge with visitors as you show them through the Mission or the Barracks, or our other historic sites. The commitment is only a few hours a month. You meet interesting people from all over the world who appreciate hearing our history and the personal touch you bring to the telling. For more information click here.

September 26 - Opening Day
Sonoma/Petaluma State Historic Parks
Docent Training Program

The opening session will be in McDougal Hall at the Sonoma Developmental Center on Arnold Drive five miles north of central Sonoma. McDougal Hall is a spacious, well-equipped auditorium that is the training facility for State personnel and offers ample parking and a comfortable setting for participants. (For driving directions, click here.)

Trainees, and prospective trainees, will be welcomed at 10 AM, and then hear an introduction to the State Parks followed by an overview of the history of Sonoma. During the lunch break (participants to provide their own lunch) there will be an opportunity to chat with fellow trainees, docents, and park employees.

The public is invited to join the trainees in the afternoon to attend a talk at 1:15 PM by Betty Goerke, ”Was it a Land of Plenty and Harmony? Life of Native Californians before the Missions.” Professor Goerke will tell us how the Indians managed their environment, and describe social structure, spiritual beliefs and skills. Of special interest will be impressions of the native people recorded in a log from Drake’s voyage in 1579. Her presentation will be enhanced by illustrations of maps, drawings, and photographs. Betty Goerke is Professor emeritus at College of Marin. She has been teaching for 35 years and has been a lecturer at Stanford, UC Berkeley, Dominican University, Sonoma State and San Francisco State Universities, as well as a frequent speaker at historical and environmental societies. Her passion is educating students and community members about the culturally rich history of Marin County. Professor Goerke is the noted author of many publications including Chief Marin: Leader, Rebel, and Legend, which is her most recent work.

The fee to attend this lecture, and each of the subsequent lectures, is $10 for the general public and $5 for members of the Sonoma/Petaluma State Parks Association. Park docents attend at no charge. Trainees pay $50 for the full program of lectures and in-depth tours of the Park sites, and will receive a reference binder with useful material about Sonoma and the Historic Park sites. You can sign up for the program in advance or at the first morning session. Should you decide to join the program after attending Professor Goerke’s lecture you will receive credit for the lecture fee towards the $50 course fee. The training program will be held on seven Saturdays through mid-November, usually from 10 AM to about 3 PM. Except for the opening program all subsequent programs will be at a Park location that is selected as most appropriate for the topic for the day.

Additional information about the training program can be obtained from Jennifer Hanson, Volunteer Coordinator for Sonoma/Petaluma State Historic Parks, 707-762-4871, jhanson@parks.ca.gov. The California State Parks supports equal access; visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact Jennifer Hanson.