Please reach us at Thesleepingsirens3@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Ethical & Sustainable Sourcing
We pride ourselves on ethically and sustainably sourced specimens for all of our classes. In many cases, sourcing appropriate materials takes years of advance planning to ensure both ethical integrity and educational quality for our students.
Taxidermy class hides are sourced exclusively from feeder animals, invasive species, and population-control programs. Nothing goes to waste—every usable part is repurposed. We collaborate with multiple vendors and artists who specialize in utilizing materials that would otherwise be discarded. To further reduce waste, we also occasionally work with reptile breeders here in Florida to responsibly use suitable leftover meat from select specimens.
Entomology specimens come from a variety of trusted sources and often take years to collect. Working with multiple suppliers allows us to maintain sustainable sourcing practices while avoiding overreliance on any single source. We also collaborate with many in-house vendors at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo, helping keep funds circulating within our creative and scientific community.
Octopus specimens are obtained through multiple seafood suppliers and originate from the food industry. We take our responsibility a step further by sourcing specimens that are unsuitable for human consumption. This includes items affected by damaged packaging, improper temperature control, mis-deliveries, expired stock, or similar issues that would otherwise result in disposal.
Because octopus specimens have been a major topic of discussion this year, we want to clearly illustrate just how minimal our impact truly is. Annually, 12–15 metric tons of octopus are imported into the United States. Using the lower estimate, that equals approximately 26.4 million pounds per year. In contrast, throughout 2026, our classes will collectively use an estimated 260–300 pounds total, based on average class sizes and the number of workshops offered. To put this further into perspective, individual waste pickups from suppliers can range from 100–150 pounds at a time, and there have even been instances where we’ve declined specimens due to limited storage capacity.
No animals are ever harmed for our work. We do not hunt, trap, or commission animals specifically for educational use. Our mission is rooted in conservation, education, and responsible reuse—ensuring respect for both the specimens and the ecosystems they come from.
We teach classes at MULTIPLE locations throughout the year.
If you are interested in a class we host at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo you must go to their site directly for ticketing. > https://odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com/
If you are interested in any other advertised class hosted by the Sleeping Sirens throughout the year tickets will be available here on our site or on the location hosts website. This may vary by location.
-All of our classes are hands on.
-All classes are accompanied by 1-2 instructors visiting you one on one.
-All classes are also accompanied by a step by step instructional guide with pictures.
-All students receive an email with location specific information the day or two days before classes. This email will be sent to the email associated with the ticket. Check your junk folder too.
-All students are welcome to bring your own crafts, pictures, bases, wood etc.. we will walk you through applying it to your project.
-You get to take your project home in every single class.
-No previous experience is required.
-Underage limits are different for each class. See above descriptions for individual information.
Unfortunately NO, we can only allow ticketed students into class. There is no project sharing allowed as we do not have the space in the room. If we let one student bring someone then we have to allow everyone to join and we sadly cannot accommodate that many people.
Yes, however THIS IS A CASE BY CASE BASIS we do require a parent or legal guardian to purchase a ticket and follow along with their student. This varies per class please see asterisk's under each
We ask that all students arrive 15 minutes prior to class start time. late students wont have enough time to catch up and tickets are non refundable as e have already prepared your hides/supplies in advance. PLEASE give yourself enough time to park, walk, arrive, etc..
Each class is at a different location within the O&C expo but is always within the expo itself. for example if the expo states that it will be in HALL A & B, we will also be located in HALL A & B.
Due to time constraints our team does all of the skinning, cleaning, and tanning prep for the class. If you want more information on this process checkout our Patreon!
patreon.com/SleepingSirens
Absolutely! It's all yours to take home. We provide everything you need to complete and take home a full project including some fun crafting options.
Raccoon & Opossum taxidermy class: $325
Ratalope class: $175
Entomology classes: $150 each
Wet Specimen class is: $150
Class prices and subjects will vary, make sure you select the class you wish to join and double check ticket information.
Each class we teach has a unique schedule. Take special care in choosing your class and reading your class ticket for start time and date. There will always be time to enjoy the rest of the expo throughout the day.
Yes, admission to the expo is included with your class ticket.
Absolutely! Class is set up for the total novice and even students with experience can join us to learn new or different techniques.
Opossum class locations and dates:
LA 1/3, Charlotte 2/14, Atlanta 2/21, Milwaukee 4/4, Columbus 4/18, Indianapolis 4/25, Minneapolis5/23, Chicago 6/6, Pittsburgh 6/13, Detroit 7/11, Philly 8/15, Richmond 8/12, Dallas 9/26, Denver 10/3, Seattle 10/24 & 10/25, Portland 11/7
Raccoon class locations and dates:
San Diego 1/10, El Paso 1/24, Louisville 2/7, Albuquerque 3/7, Houston 3/14, Phoenix 3/21, Boston 5/2, Tulsa 5/9, Toronto 5/9, St. Louis 5/16, Baltimore 6/20, New Orleans 6/20, Austin 6/27, San Jose 7/18, Grand Rapids 7/25, Omaha 7/25, Buffalo 8/1, San Antonio 8/1, Providence 8/8, Salt Lake City 9/12, Vegas 9/19, Vancouver 10/10 & 10/11, Sacramento 11/14, Tampa 11/21
Ratalope class locations and dates:
LA 1/4, San Diego 1/11, El Paso 1/25, Charlotte 2/15, Atlanta 2/22, Houston 3/15, Phoenix 3/22, Milwaukee 4/5, Columbus 4/19, Indianapolis 4/26, Boston 5/3, Toronto 5/10, Minneapolis 5/24, Chicago 6/7, Pittsburgh 6/14, Baltimore 6/21, Austin 6/28, San Jose 7/19, San Antonio 8/2, Providence 8/9, Philly 8/16, Richmond 8/23, Salt Lake City 9/13, Dallas 9/27, Denver 10/4, Vancouver 10/11, Seattle 10/25, Portland 11/8, Sacramento11/15
Scorpion class locations and dates:
Hosted at ALL O&C Expo Locations
Scorpion class locations and dates:
Hosted at ALL O&C Expo Locations
Octopus class locations and dates:
LA 1/4, San Diego 1/11, El Paso 1/25, Charlotte 2/15, Atlanta 2/22, Houston 3/15, Phoenix 3/22, Milwaukee 4/5, Columbus 4/19, Indianapolis 4/26, Boston 5/3, Toronto 5/10, Minneapolis 5/24, Chicago 6/7, Pittsburgh 6/14, Baltimore 6/21, Austin 6/28, San Jose 7/19, San Antonio 8/2, Providence 8/9, Philly 8/16, Richmond 8/23, Salt Lake City 9/13, Dallas 9/27, Denver 10/4, Vancouver 10/11, Seattle 10/25, Portland 11/8, Sacramento11/15
During our 2026 Octopus Wet Specimen Workshop, we’ll begin with a brief safety lecture to ensure everyone understands proper handling procedures and best practices. We’ll also cover the key differences between specimen fixation and chemical dehydration so you have a clear understanding of the preservation process.
For safety reasons, no formalin or formaldehyde will be used or present during this class.
In the first half of the workshop, you’ll work hands-on with a full hand-sized octopus specimen, carefully injecting it to continue the chemical dehydration process.
In the second half, you’ll shift your focus to creativity—designing and assembling your own octopus tentacle globe using a second specimen.
This workshop blends science, safety, and artistry for a truly unique preservation experience.
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