California Living Museum (CALM) was founded in 1980 and opened to the public in 1983. CALM exists to display and interpret native California animals and plants for education, conservation and research. CALM provides education to more than 20,000 Kern County students annually through on-site programs. CALM also operates the most extensive wildlife rehabilitation center in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.
Visitors to CALM can also experience the all-volunteer Central California Children’s Railroad and the Condor Challenge, a low and high ropes course and climbing tower used for team building and leadership training.
CALM is located on 14 park-like acres and features over 400 species of non-releasable animals and California native plants. Only animals injured or who cannot survive in their native environment are housed at CALM, which is accredited through the Zoological Association of America. Some of our exhibits include: an open black bear exhibit, bird of prey exhibit with hawks, owls and eagles, a waterfowl pond and shorebird exhibit, an indoor reptile house, and a children’s petting zoo with domestic animals.
CALM enjoys an important cooperative breeding relationship with Los Angeles and San Diego Zoos, exhibiting approximately 10% of the endangered desert bighorn sheep on exhibit throughout the entire country and the award-winning Cats of California exhibit, featuring bobcats and mountain lions. CALM is also home to two rare California Condors and recently opened the California Coast Room, an indoor exhibit that provides a glimpse of California native sea creatures.
CALM received accreditation from the Zoological Association of America (ZAA) in 2010.[3]
