Animals covered by the regulations below include vertebrates (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish) and non-vertebrates (insects, crustaceans, mollusks, etc.); wild animals including game species, and domestic animals including family pets.

There can be NO EXCEPTIONS to the following requirements. 

Approval Procedures

• Students with projects involving an experiment or observation of any living animal must have a qualified Research Advisor who will be responsible for the safe treatment of any animal subject to the student's study.
• Before any work on the project begins, the student must make an appointment to meet with a Research Advisor. This person will review all pertinent regulations and advise the student on the safe treatment and/or non-invasive observation of animals involved in the project. S/he will also complete Part 1 of the Humboldt County Science Fair Research Approval Certificate.
• Research Advisors must have the following educational background:

  1. For projects involving vertebrate animals, the Research Advisor must have a doctoral degree in science or medicine (D.V.M., Ph.D., M.D.). It is recommended that Research Advisors review regulations in the federal Animal Welfare Act of 1996 with students. (Copies of relevant sections are available from the County Science Fair Coordinator.)
  2. For projects involving invertebrates, the Research Advisor must have educational experience in science education. It is recommended this person be the School Science Fair Coordinator or the student's classroom teacher.

• Projects involving observations of Wild Animals or the collection or display of any wild animal part, must have clearance of the experimental design from a Department of Fish and Game Control Officer. This approval may be obtained by telephone. Students must submit a Research Approval Certificate indicating the name of the person providing approval, his/her title and the date of the telephone conversation. This documentation must be displayed on the backboard or logbook and be presented at the time the project is set up for judging. (See rules specific to Wild Animals following this section.)
• At the initial meeting, students must provide the Research Advisor with all of the following:

  1. a written description of procedures they plan
  2. a copy of these Humboldt County Science Fair regulations
  3. a copy of the Research Approval Certificate

• A responsible adult must meet with the student and the Research Advisor. This person must agree to supervise the student's work on the project to ensure compliance with the animal care instructions provided by the Research Advisor. This adult supervisor must also sign Part I and Part II of the Research Approval Certificate.
• A copy of the Research Approval Certificate MUST accompany the student's Humboldt County Science Fair Entry Form. The original of this form must be the first page of the student's logbook and be present when the project is set up.
• Any project not conducted in conformity with these rules and the Humane Laws of California, will not be allowed to compete. 

Wild Animals

• Under Department of Fish and Game Regulations (Section 3005.5), any animal found in the wild is protected. It is, therefore, illegal for students to capture or confine any wild animal, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate animal for the purpose of a science fair project. It is also important that teachers and students are aware:
  • Section 3039 states: it is illegal to sell or to purchase any part of an animal found in the wild. This includes feathers or other body parts from any migratory bird or the carcass, skin or other parts of non-game animals including, but not limited to, endangered species.
  • The only exceptions to this rule are:

    1. fur from mammals taken legally under the authority of a trapping license
    2. parts of domestically reared game birds
    3. shed antlers from domestically reared animals

  • Students should also be aware these protections extend to marine life. The collection of tide pool animals is prohibited except for those species subject to sport regulations. In the case of these animals, students must obey all Fish and Game sport regulations on limits, opening and closing dates, specific locations and required licenses.
  • Game species that are hunted are subject to sport fishing and/or hunting limits and regulations and require the appropriate licenses, proof of which must be included with the student's logbook.

Care should be taken to return animals to their native habitat and to avoid releasing non-native species into the environment.

Projects using any animal parts (teeth, stomachs, hides, etc.) must have written documentation indicating the source for the animal parts.
 

State Law