Join educators for an exciting hands-on program each day at 1:00 pm and at various times during the week. Build a giant nano puzzle, explore how 3D imaging helps scientists work on the nanoscale, and do a variety of other activities on your own throughout the Naturalist Center (located on Level 3). Stop by to make a special nano “Naturalist Craft” each Sunday, March 31 and April 7, 12:00 pm-4:00 pm.

NanoDays is a nationwide festival of educational programs organized by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network). To find out more information about this festival and the fascinating world of nanoscience, visit whatisnano.org.

And, if you’re looking for even more dinos, check out this petting zoo performance from one of our partners:

Created and Performed by
ERTH – Visual & Physical Inc.

ERTH’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo

Gather the kids for a visit to a petting zoo like none other! Life-like puppets, from cute baby dinos to teeth-gnashing tyrannosaurs, come to life in an eye-popping performance that will delight all ages. This interactive event allows you to travel back to prehistoric times with ERTH performers and even feed, water and care for these marvelous creatures. The meganuera, dwarf allosaur and leallynasaura can’t wait to be petted and fed. Dare you get close?

“Technical brilliance, cultural insight and enchantment all in one go.”
– Sydney Morning Herald

Standard:    $18 | Members $16 | Students $14

• Make a monarch butterfly using printed origami paper and add it to one of our winter roosting areas!
• Learn about “monarch waystation” gardens and how you can help monarch butterflies thrive throughout the year by ensuring host plants like milkweed species are abundant.
• On Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. join us for Specimen Spotlight to learn more about the butterfly life cycle, behavior and migration patterns. Get a close-up view of butterfly wings!

We also encourage you to visit The Xerces Society and Monarch Watch to learn more about monarch butterfly migration and conservation issues.

Science and the World Around You, 2012 Our Oceans Contest

“Saving Our Oceans One Stroke at a Time” by Sophie Fu

Growing Up Asian in America is an annual essay and art contest sponsored by the Asian Pacific Fund. This year the California Academy of Sciences jointly sponsored a science essay and art contest around the theme of “Our Oceans.” All students in grades 6–8, regardless of ancestry, were eligible to enter. This contest was made possible through the generosity of Loretta Huahn and the support of the Oakland and San Francisco Public Libraries.

On November 10, 2012, the contest winners and their families came to the Academy for an awards ceremony. After the ceremony, the winners went to the Naturalist Center to pick a marine specimen to display with their work. Be sure to check out these awesome essays and artwork, plus specimens, on display in the Naturalist Center. The displays will be on exhibit until January 25th.

The winners:

Sophie Fu, 1st Place, artwork: “Saving Our Oceans One Stroke at a Time” (displayed image)

Divya Prakash, 1st Place, essay: “Letter from an Ocean”

Emily Zhao, 2nd Place, artwork: “Saving the Oceans with Kids’ Power”

Hender Lin, 2nd Place, essay: “The Shark Fin’s Dilemma”

Gloria Fung, 3rd Place, artwork: “We All Live in One Ocean”

Logan Dong, 3rd Place, essay: “I am Asian American”

Nancy Li, Honorable Mention, untitled artwork

Kiana Hu, Honorable Mention, essay: “Ocean Waves”

• Sunday, Sept. 23, 2:30 pm: Science Story Adventures, featuring stories, games and crafts for children ages 4-8 in the Education Classroom.
• Tuesday, Sept. 25, 11:30 am and 2:00 pm, and Thursday, Sept. 27, 11:30 am: Specimen Spotlight, highlighting sea otter research specimens in the Naturalist Center.
• Thursday, Sept. 27, 6:00-10:00 pm: NightLife for ages 21 and up, showcasing sea otter skulls being prepared as specimens and a special table with biologists and specimens outside the Project Lab.
• Friday, Sept. 28, 11:00 am-4:00 pm: Naturalist Center Crafts. Make a sea otter kelp bed!

(Pictured below, really close up!)

Photo: Lovell and Libby Langstroth © California Academy of Sciences

Can you guess what it is?

Here are some hints:

• This animal is fairly sedentary.
• This animal can help scientists determine if water is polluted based on its behavior.

Leave us a comment with your answer! Then come see us in the Classroom on Sunday, September 23rd at 2:30 pm for Science Story Adventures to see if you’re right and to learn more about this animal. Science Story Adventures is our program for children ages 4 – 8 and their caregivers. In the program, we explore the natural world through stories, specimens, games and crafts.

Learn about alligators and how to tell them apart from crocodiles during our “Specimen Spotlight” program tomorrow, Sept. 13, at 11:30 am in the Naturalist Center. Stay afterward to play games and browse books featuring crocodilians, reptiles whose ancient ancestors date back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Stop by the Naturalist Center anytime between 11 am-4 pm on Friday, Sept. 14, to make a very fashionable Claude hat for this week’s “Naturalist Center Craft.” Be sure to wear it proudly around the museum after you’re done!

Photo: N. Sincero © California Academy of Sciences

(Pictured below, really close up!)

Photo: E. Harrington © California Academy of Sciences

Can you guess what it is?

Here are some hints:

• This animal has the most teeth of any terrestrial mammal found in North America.
• It is an omnivore.

Leave us a comment with your answer! Then come see us in the Classroom on Sunday, August 26th at 2:30 pm for Science Story Adventures to see if you’re right and to learn more about this animal. Science Story Adventures is our program for children ages 4 – 8 and their caregivers. In the program, we explore the natural world through stories, specimens, games and crafts.

(Pictured below, really close up!)

Photo: N. Sincero © California Academy of Sciences

Can you guess what it is?

Here are some hints:

• This animal has acute senses of smell and hearing, which helps it hunt its prey.
• It has powerful jaws, which are four times stronger than human jaws.

Leave us a comment with your answer! Then come see us in the Classroom on Sunday, August 12th at 2:30 pm for Science Story Adventures to see if you’re right and to learn more about this animal. Science Story Adventures is our program for children ages 4 – 8 and their caregivers. In the program, we explore the natural world through stories, specimens, games and crafts.

Join the 2012 Fall Training Class
The 80-hour training will be held September 22 – November 2 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday, including classroom and field training. Attendance at all classes is required. To become a Beach Watch volunteer you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Attend all required training
• Commit to surveying your beach once every four weeks for a minimum of one year

Orientations about the program will be held at the Gulf of the Farallones marine Sanctuary Office located in Crissy Field, San Francisco on the following dates:

• Saturday, August 25, 2012, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
• Tuesday, August 28, 2012, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

Space is limited so call (415.561.6625 x302) or e-mail (klindquist@farallones.org) to reserve a spot. For more information check out their website.