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Darwin is Turning 193!
Come Celebrate at The California Academy of Sciences
February 9 - 14, 2002
SAN FRANCISCO (January 11, 2001) - The California Academy of Sciences
is proud to pay tribute to Charles Darwin with a weeklong celebration
beginning February 9, 2002. Without this man, often called the Father
of Evolution, the Academy's natural history museum and research collections
might look substantially different than they do today. Fortunately, Darwin
was born on February 12, 1809, and - once his medical career was foiled
by his frequent fainting - he turned his attention to evolution.
Darwin collected much of the evidence for his theory of "evolution
by the process of natural selection" on a trip to the Galapagos Islands
in 1831 - a trip that would spark a nearly 100 year long relationship
between The California Academy of Sciences and the islands off the coast
of Ecuador. In 1905, Academy scientists launched their first expedition
to the Galapagos Islands with the goal of continuing Darwin's groundbreaking
research. By the time they returned to San Francisco, the infamous 1906
earthquake and fires had destroyed most of the Academy's collections,
so the new Galapagos specimens they brought back with them became the
core of The California Academy of Sciences Research Collection.
To this day, the Academy's Galapagos archive holds some of the most frequently
used specimens in our research collection. Our scientists are still conducting
research in these amazing islands, and we work closely with the Charles
Darwin Research Station to promote environmental conservation and scientific
education in the area. In appreciation of the legacy he left behind, we
are pleased to present a three-part birthday party for Charles Darwin.
Darwin's Road Show
Did your uncle leave you a butterfly collection you don't know how to
identify? Do you wonder about the evolutionary significance of the bright
blue feather you found in your backyard? Bring us your leaves, worms,
bugs, rocks, feathers and bones. Our experts will identify them. Academy
scientists from the fields of Anthropology, Aquatic Biology, Botany, Entomology,
Herpetology, Ichthyology, Invertebrate Zoology, Geology, Ornithology and
Mammalogy will be on-hand to tell you what it is, where it comes from
and why it's important.
Saturday, February 9, 10 am-5 pm
California Academy of Sciences
Free with museum admission
Darwin's Scavenger Hunt
From "survival of the fittest" to "sexual selection",
Darwin based most of his famous theories on his observations of animals
around the world. Many of these species are now on display at the California
Academy of Sciences. Follow our clues and find these animals, and you
could win a behind-the-scenes tour of the Academy's amazing collection
of Darwin's finches - the largest finch collection in the world! Download
the scavenger hunt from our website (www.calacademy.org) and receive a
free child's admission to the museum on these days only.
Monday and Tuesday, February 11 - 12, 10 am - 5 pm
California Academy of Sciences
Free with museum admission
Natural Selection
Natural Selection, an evening of music and dancing, celebrates Darwin's
Birthday and Valentine's Day with revelry and romance. Headliner Lavay
Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers will entertain with classic jazz
and funky blues. Later, visitors may "Smooch Under the Stars"
during a special planetarium show. Those who prefer to pucker up among
the fishes may wander through the aquarium. To top it all off, birthday
cake and light refreshments will be served. Join us for Valentine's Day
and Darwin's birthday: a natural selection for a quirky, romantic evening.
Thursday, February 14, 8:30 pm - midnight
21 and over - ID will be checked at the door
No Host Bar
$20 in advance/ $25 at the door
[The California Academy of Sciences, Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium
and the Academy's logo are registered trademarks of the California Academy
of Sciences.]
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