Meet Hollick the Mastadon. It's just one of nearly half a million items on display at the Staten Island Museum. 

"We have natural history, fine arts, art antiquities," said Richard Benz, our Staten Islander of the Week. 

There's so much to see, visitors often need help navigating the attraction's diverse collection. 

That's where tour guide Richard Benz comes in.  

"We try to talk about preservation and diversity and how things have changed over the decades and eons," said Benz. "We have pieces in here that are over 400 million years old." 

Benz is a docent, or volunteer educator, at the North Shore cultural institution. 

Each week, he donates his time guiding visitors through the museum's exhibits. 

It's the kind of job he says he's always dreamed of. 

"I love going to museums and always said to myself, 'I'd like to be that person giving that tour that would be so much fun,'" said Benz.  

He says his goal is to bring visitors closer to the rich history living within the exhibits.   

"Bring it to life a little bit so people can have a more intimate feel for the museum than they didn't otherwise have by taking themselves around," he said. 

Benz tells us becoming a tour guide is no small task. 

He spent many days studying the museum's expansive collection. 

"I spent a lot of time coming here on my own and training myself and then I wrote out a script," he said. 

Museum leaders say Benz's dedication sets him apart from the rest. 

"Through all of that work, he has become a mentor now to others who are interested in becoming docents," said Renee Bushelle of the Staten Island Museum. 

Benz is no stranger to volunteer work. 

He donates his time at St. Teresa Church's food pantry. 

Benz also lends a hand at the Castleton Hill Moravian Church community garden.  

It's a lot to manage with his duties at the museum, but Benz says it's all worth the effort. 

"Places like this and all the other cultural institutions out here need the help," he said. 

And so, for working to keep history alive for generations to come, Richard Benz is our Staten Islander of the Week.