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What's On At The California Academy of Sciences
Lectures, Programs, Events and Exhibits
November 2003
Exhibits
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land Ongoing
through December 31, 2003
150 Years of Science Ongoing through December 31, 2003
Skulls Ongoing through December 31, 2003
Village Children Ongoing through December 31, 2003
Dennis Anderson Photos Ongoing through December 31, 2003
-Events-
Global Warming: Global Warning?
State of the World 2003
A Public Forum
The California Academy of Sciences and the Worldwatch Institute are proud
to co-sponsor a special forum on one of the most difficult and controversial
environmental issues of the 21st century: global warming. A panel of experts
representing a broad range of perspectives will discuss the implications
of recent climate data, the potential effects of global warming, and some
proposed technology and policy solutions to the climate challenge. The
program will include presentations by some of the leading experts in the
field, as well as moderated discussions and opportunities for audience
participation. Panelists include:
Dr. Peter Gleick: co-founder and President of the Pacific Institute
for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security. He is an internationally
recognized expert on global freshwater resources, including the hydrologic
impacts of climate change, sustainable water use, privatization and globalization,
and international conflicts over water resources.
Christopher Flavin: President and CEO of the Worldwatch Institute,
an international research organization whose focus is to move toward an
environmentally sustainable future. Worldwatch is recognized around the
world for its path-breaking work on the global connections between economic,
social, and environmental trends. Flavin is a regular co-author of the
Institute's widely read State of the World book, published in more than
30 languages.
Moderators include:
Gordy Slack: writer and editor for California Coast and Ocean,
a publication that is focusing its fall issue entirely on California and
climate change.
Jerry Kay: publisher of the Environmental News Network one of
the most visited environmental news sites in the world. He is also the
host of EarthNews a radio program heard on CBS radio for 20 years. In
addition, he is the host of a series of new environmental radio programs
broadcast on Icicle Network.
Saturday, November 15, 1-5:30 pm
$10 students/$15 members/$20 non-members.
Run to the Far Side
10,000 runners, many wearing wild costumes of characters from The Far
Side®, will be competing in the 19th Annual Run To The Far Side in
Golden Gate Park. The Run includes 5K and 10K races and is the only event
in which cows and cavemen, dinosaurs and pumas, snakes and squid, chickens
and other inspired creations from The Far Side compete side-by-side with
serious athletes. Costumes honoring Larson characters are a race tradition
in the 5K, with a fierce costume contest following the race. All proceeds
benefit science and education programs at the California Academy of Sciences.
Registration: Pre-register by November 21, for $25.
Mail checks (payable to C.A.S.) signed and completed entry form and a
self-addressed stamped envelope to RUN TO THE FAR SIDE® c/o: RhodyCo
Productions - 1417 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA 94122. Race day registration:
$30. Call RhodyCo Productions at (415) 759-2690 to receive an entry form.
Día de Muertos
Participate in the decoration of a traditional ofrenda, and celebrate
the Day of the Dead with a live pre-Columbian music performance by Ernesto
Hernández Olmos. Ernesto is an artist and musician who specializes
in making and playing pre-Columbian-style instruments, and explaining
the ancient Aztec tradition of El Día de Muertos.
Saturday November 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For info call:
Ofrenda decoration from 10 to 11:45 a.m.
Musical ceremony Noon to 1 p.m.
Flower offering for visitors 2 to 3:30 p.m.
-Free Family Programs-
All programs free with museum admission unless otherwise noted.
Children's Story Time
Saturday, November 1, 10:30 am
Stories for Native American Heritage Month.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Saturday, November 1, 11:30 am-1 pm
Investigate the skulls and skeletons of reptiles and amphibians. How do
these skulls help the animals slither, swagger or hop?
Skull Sounds
Sunday, November 2, 11:30 am-1 pm
Discover the strange sounds that animals can make with their skulls, and
explore the way your skull affects your voice.
Children's Story Time
Saturday, November 8, 10:30 am
Stories for Native American Heritage Month.
How Do They Do That?
Saturday, November 8, 11:30 am & 1 pm
How do animals locate prey without seeing it or hearing it? Or swallow
prey bigger than their heads? Explore animal senses by looking at skulls.
Make a Skull
Saturday, November 8, 12:30-3:30 pm
Examine real skulls and then make a simple machine skull model of your
own. All ages.
Street-Corner Gospel Songs
Saturday, November 8, 1 pm
The singers of Bay City Luv talk about the history of their "street
ministry" and sing selections from their gospel and doo-wop repertoires.
In addition, filmmaker Sally Gati will present excerpts from her new film
about this musical ensemble
Make a Skull
Saturday, November 9, 12:30-3:30 pm
Examine real skulls and then make a simple machine skull model of your
own. All ages.
Skull Detective
Wednesday, November 12, 12:30 pm
Examine skulls for clues that may reveal the owner's lifestyle. See samples
of food that may have been eaten when they were alive. All ages.
Children's Story Time
Saturday, November 15, 10:30 am
Stories for Native American Heritage Month.
Italian Dance Music
Saturday, November 15, 1 pm
The Hot Frittatas specialize in traditional Italian ballo liscio (popular
dance music), but their repertoire also includes French café music,
klezmer, Latin American tango and choro music, as well as Cajun and zydeco.
Come enjoy a concert of toe-tapping selections from this Bay area band!
Bird Skulls
Sunday, November 16, 11:30 am & 1 pm;
Meet a live toucan, touch real bird skulls and explore avian skull design.
Owl Pellet Forensics
Tuesday, November 18, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Look for skulls in owl pellets and find out who is on the menu. We'll
provide owl pellets, dissecting tools, and skull identification guides.
Skull Detective
Wednesday, November 19, 12:30 pm
Examine skulls for clues that may reveal the owner's lifestyle. See samples
of food that may have been eaten when they were alive.
Reptiles
Thursday, November 20, 11:30 am
Compare these "cold-blooded" critters with mammals and birds.
Stereotypes are dispelled as the students study the behavior, habitats,
and diets of these secretive and marvelous creatures.
Children's Story Time
Saturday, November 22, 10:30 am
Stories for Native American Heritage Month.
How Do They Do That?
Saturday, November 22, 11:30 am & 1 pm;
How do animals locate prey without seeing it or hearing it? Or swallow
prey bigger than their heads? Explore animal senses by looking at skulls.
Make a Skull
Saturday, November 22, 12:30-3:30 pm
Examine real skulls and then make a simple machine skull model of your
own. All ages.
A Glimpse Into Maasai Culture
Saturday, November 22, 1 pm
Elistan Ole Supeyo will discuss Maasai traditional life, show examples
of Maasai material culture (including beadwork), and tell traditional
Maasai stories.
Mysterious Victims
Sunday, November 23, 11:30 am & 1 pm
Examine the hunting technique of hawks, eagles and other flying predators,
then help reconstruct the scene of the crime as we identify the skulls
of their prey.
Make a Skull
Sunday, November 23, 12:30-3:30 pm
Examine real skulls and then make a simple machine skull model of your
own. All ages.
Skull Detective
Wednesday, November 26, 12:30 pm
Examine skulls for clues that may reveal the owner's lifestyle. See samples
of food that may have been eaten when they were alive.
Children's Story Time
Saturday, November 29, 10:30 am
Stories for Native American Heritage Month.
Mysterious Victims
Sunday, November 30, 11:30 am & 1 pm
Examine the hunting technique of hawks, eagles and other flying predators,
then help reconstruct the scene of the crime as we identify the skulls
of their prey.
-Courses, Seminars and Field Trips-
For registration information and more details, including other course
offerings, visit www.calacademy.org. Pre-registration is required.
Munchy, Crunchy Edible Insects
Seminar for Families with Children Ages 9 and Up
Sunday, November 9, 2 to 4 pm
$25 adults/$20 children
When faced with what to have for dinner, most folks in the United States
and Europe consider such meat standards as chicken, beef, pork, and fish.
But what about insects? For much of the rest of the world, the eating
of insects is a matter of survival for some cultures and a fine delicacy
for others.
Keith Dabney, a curatorial assistant in the Academy's Entomology Department,
hosts a seminar on entomophagy, the eating of insects, and shares his
fascination with the cultural history and folklore surrounding the widespread
phenomenon. Participants have the chance to sample chocolate-covered crickets
and other scrumptious delights.
Sea Monsters I Have Known
Seminar for Families with Children Ages 8 and older.
Friday, November 7, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
$25 adults/$20 children
Come along on an interactive adventure with a marine biologist who has
met real sea monsters. Instructed by wilderness educator Jim Wiltens.
Holiday Cards from Nature
Adult Workshop
Sunday, November 16 & 23, 10 am to 4 pm; $95
Use natural objects, such as pine cones and poinsettias, to inspire one-of-a-kind
greeting cards for friends and family. Instructed by artist Nell Melcher.
Tidepool Habitats
Adult Seminar
Wednesday, November 19, 6:30 to 8:30 pm; $25
Discover the common creatures that dwell in the tidepools of Northern
California, and be amazed at the adaptations they have developed to survive
in this harsh habitat. Instructed by Academy educator Roberta Ayres.
Native Americans of the North Coast
Adult Field Trip
Saturday, November 22, 11 am to 2 pm; $30
Travel back through time to discover the Pomo and Wappo peoples of Sonoma
County. On a hike at the Academy's Pepperwood Preserve, visit a prehistoric
site and explore the tribes' beliefs and traditions. Instructed by anthropologist
Frances Miller.
-Lectures-
BIODIVERSITY LECTURE
Monster of God: Man-Eating Predator
For millennia, lions, tigers, and their man-eating kin have exerted
profound influence on the development of human culture around the world.
But by the year 2150, big predators may exist only on the other side of
glass barriers and chain-link fences. Their gradual disappearance is changing
the very nature of our existence. We no longer occupy an intermediate
position on the food chain and are in danger of forgetting that we even
belong to an ecosystem. Casting his expert eye over the rapidly diminishing
areas of wilderness where predators still reign, Quammen, the author of
The Song of the Dodo, examines the fate of lions in India's Gir forest,
saltwater crocodiles in northern Australia, Brown bears in the mountains
of Romania, and Siberian tigers in the Russian Far East. Quammen ponders
the question: what will happen to us when and if they disappear?
Thursday, November 6, 7:30 pm $8
California Academy of Sciences
Book-signing to follow the lecture
Pre-registration recommended for this lecture
ARCHAEOLOGY LECTURE
Before California: An Archaeologist Looks at Our Earliest Inhabitants
With the meticulous research expected of America's best-known mainstream
archaeological author, Brian Fagan takes an extensive look at the history
of California before the Spanish entrance of the sixteenth century. He
describes the Golden State's first settlement by Paleo-Indians and carries
the story through the next 13,000 years of environmental and human transformation.
Fagan delves into the controversies surrounding the earliest known peoples
to colonize the Pacific Coast and explains the increasing social complexity,
gender differentiation, and intensification of conflict and trade of the
many diverse early California settlers.
Wednesday, November 12, 2 & 7:30 pm $8
California Academy of Sciences
Book-signing to follow the lecture
ASTRONOMY LECTURE
November Dean Lecture
Taking the Universe's Baby Picture
By observing the tiny variations in the microwave background, the left-over
heat from the big bang, cosmologists can infer the physical conditions
in the early universe. Dr. David Spergel from Princeton University, a
member of the WMAP science team, will describe the experiment and discuss
the implications of its measurements for the age, composition, and fate
of the universe. These observations provide insight into the first moments
of the big bang and test the bold speculation that the universe underwent
a period of superexpansion called inflation.
Tuesday, November 18, 7:30-9 pm, $3
California Academy of Sciences
Pre-registration recommended for this lecture.
-Exhibits-
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land
Ongoing through December 31, 2003
In the far northeastern corner of Alaska, a pristine wilderness known
as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge pulses with life, even in the depths
of a white subzero winter. Until recently, most images of this vibrant
ecosystem were captured only during the brief summer seasons when weather
conditions permitted more comfortable photography - leaving many to imagine
the area as largely frozen, barren and lifeless during the rest of the
year. However, physicist-turned-photographer Subhankar Banerjee has now
shattered any such assumptions by recording four seasons of abundant life
in the refuge with a series of stunning photographs. In early 2000, Banerjee
left his job at Boeing, raided his savings, and began a two year photographic
journey of the region, enduring blizzards, bitter cold, and a trek that
totaled 4,000 miles to capture polar bears, musk oxen, the rare buff-breasted
sandpiper, and dozens of other species that thrive in the refuge throughout
the year. Forty-nine of these stunning photographs are on display at the
California Academy of Sciences.
150 Years of Science: Exploring Nature's Wonders
Ongoing through December 31, 2003
The Academy's 150th Anniversary Exhibit: 150 Years of Science: Exploring
Nature's Wonders features an enormous timeline streaming through the Academy's
exhibit halls, giving visitors the opportunity to walk through 150 years
of history as they learn how world events and major discoveries have shaped
the pursuit of science and the Academy. The timeline will lead visitors
to further exhibits that detail the Academy's plans for its future.
Skulls
Ongoing through December 31, 2003
Skulls includes almost 1,700 different dead heads -- ranging from monkeys
and giraffes to warthogs and rats to bears and dolphins. Created by Academy
staff, 860 sea lion skulls are on display in a 93-foot-long undulating
display. Skulls shows visitors what the study of human and animal skulls
can reveal about behavior, injury, disease, evolutionary adaptation, and
more. This strange and stunning display will captivate young and old alike.
Village Children
Ongoing through December 31, 2003
See faces of children from around the world, in villages both rural and
urban. This collection of photographs is a tribute to communities that
allow people to live and work in a space of human dimensions and shared
values. Village Children is a traveling exhibit of photographs by the
noted photographer Dr. Philip Rasori.
Dennis Anderson Photos
Ongoing through December 31, 2003
Dennis Anderson presents portraits of life on the San Francisco Bay. From
glowing undersea creatures and sunset scenes to commercial fisherman and
cargo handling, Anderson's work captures the Bay as an intersection of
nature and commerce in still photographs. Get a glimpse of San Francisco
Bay through Anderson's photography exhibit on display at the Academy in
Wild California Hall.
Free Wednesday
The first Wednesday of every month is free. The museum stays open until
8:45 pm on free Wednesdays - at 5 pm step into Morrison Planetarium for
a free half-hour concert. Wednesday, November 5, 2003 10 a.m. - 8:45 p.m.
California Academy of Sciences, free.
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