Earth Day Fair at the Academy

Bats, storytellers, snakes, birds and the Banana Slug String Band! On April 21st and 22nd, the California Academy of Sciences will celebrate the 31st anniversary of Earth Day with two full days of activities that will inform, educate, and entertain museum visitors.

During this weekend, visitors can enter drawings to win new bicycles, Muni fast passes, energy efficient light bulbs, composting bins, Academy memberships, and more. Those who ride a bike to the Academy of Sciences on April 21st or 22nd will have a free, secure bicycle check service at the front entrance to the Academy, courtesy of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Visitors coming by bike or bus will also receive free admission to the museum.

Representatives from the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners (SLUG), the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the United States Geological Service, SF Recycles and many others will demonstrate why saving energy saves wildlife while also saving money. Research scientists, biologists and Academy interns will be on hand to give mini-presentations on specific animals' behavior and habitat requirements. A special tour highlighting museum exhibitions will be offered eight times that weekend. It will teach visitors what biodiversity is, why it is important, and the role science plays in conservation.

Also opening on April 21st is the Academy's newest exhibit, Audubon's Birds of America. The exhibition displays forty-eight lithographs made from the original color engravings published in England circa 1827. Live birds and storytelling will enhance and support the Audubon's Birds of America opening on Earth Day weekend.

Saturday April 21

Bats Alive!
11:30 & 1:30 p.m.
Visitors will come in close contact with live bats and explore their wild side with Patricia Winters from the California Bat Conservation Fund.

All About Birds: Folklore, Fact, and Fantasy
12:30 & 2:30 pm
Visitors will let their imaginations soar as they listen to master storyteller Ane Rovetta weave legends, art and science together. Her stunning drawings and lively sense of humor captivate!

Meet Live Avian Friends
11:30 & 4:00 p.m.
Visitors will meet a Great Horned Owl and an American Kestrel as demonstrated by Soncie Veil, instructor from Coyote Point Museum, who will talk about the birds and their conservation.

Studying Venomous Snakes
12 & 3:00 p.m.
Watch a snake biologist in action and participate in an interactive presentation uncovering the world of venomous snakes.

Sunday, April 22

The Banana Slug String Band
11:30 & 1:30 pm
The Banana Slugs bring the FUN-damentals of science and ecology to visitors with two shows filled with great music, humor and most of all FUN! The Banana Slug String Band is committed to educational entertainment for families through interactive music and performance.

Tarantulas: Beauty or Beast?
12:00 & 3:00 p.m.
Visitors meet a live tarantula and discover the secrets behind these oft-maligned arachnids.

Endangered Raptors
12:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Meet a live Peregrine Falcon and learn how scientists are protecting raptors in California. Presented in conjunction with the Predatory Bird Research Group from the U.C., Santa Cruz.

The Future of Fossil Fuel
1:30 pm
In the United States, about 88 percent of our energy comes from fossil fuel combustion. Although U.S. per capita consumption of petroleum is significantly less than it was in 1977, our population growth has more than offset gains in efficiency, and total U.S. energy consumption is up significantly. U.S.G.S. Research Geologist, Don Gautier will provide an Earth Day look at the future fossil fuel in this brief presentation.