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Stephanie Greenman Stone (415) 379-5121
sstone@calacademy.org
What's On in September at the California Academy of Sciences
Exhibits, Courses, Programs, and Lectures
Exhibits
Steinhart Aquarium
View thousands of live animals, tropical fishes, and the California Academy
of Sciences' beloved penguin colony in Steinhart Aquarium every day. Each
day the penguins are fed at 11:00 am and 3:30 pm, a sight to behold, when
the African penguins dip and dive for vitamin-stuffed herring and capelins.
Now that the animals are happily housed at 875 Howard Street, visitors
may view them in up-close displays that reveal behind the scenes and the
workings to keep an aquarium running. Open every day 10 a.m. to 5 pm.
California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000.
ANTS: Hidden Worlds Revealed ongoing through May 2005
Curated by Academy entomologist Brian Fisher, ANTS: Hidden Worlds Revealed
showcases six colonies of live ants, each of which display distinctive
nest building and food collecting behaviors. Four of the species represented
- Harvester Ants, Carpenter Ants, Honeypot Ants, and invasive Argentine
Ants - are commonly found in California. The other two species, however,
come from farther afield. Leaf Cutter ants, which cultivate gardens of
fungus in order to ensure a steady food supply, make their home in the
tropical rainforests of South America, while meat eating Army ants migrate
through parts of Africa and the Americas in search of prey. Each of the
six live ant colonies offers visitors the chance to look inside the chambers
and tunnels of the ants' nests and watch them forage for food. California
Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000.
Astrobiology: Life in the Extreme ongoing exhibit
What is life? How do we study it? Where is it found on Earth? And does
it exist elsewhere in the Universe? To identify the types of environments
that would be capable of supporting life beyond our own planet, astrobiologists
must study the limits of life here on Earth. They do this by researching
extreme environments, such as thermal springs and hydrothermal vents (geysers
on the ocean floor), that host hardy living organisms. Both of these types
of extreme environments are explored in the Academy's exhibit Astrobiology:
Life in the Extreme. Astrobiology is an exciting new scientific discipline
that combines the traditional fields of astronomy, biology, geology, chemistry,
and physics to address a vast topic: the study of life in the Universe.
California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000.
Programs, Courses & Lectures
LABOR DAY WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
The California Academy of Sciences is Open Labor Day, Monday, September
6
The Academy is open 365 days of the year at 875 Howard Street. Admission
is $7 for adults, $4.50 for youth ages 11 - 17, Seniors and Students with
ID, $2.00 for children ages 3- 11, free for children younger than three
years old. The Academy is open on all holidays including Labor Day which
is Monday, September 6. Only the Naturalist Center will be closed for
the holiday on Sunday and Monday.
Children's Story Time
Labor Day Weekend
Story Time takes place each Saturday. In September, the stories focus
on our finned friends' fish tales. Stories are age appropriate for children
ages 3-7. Saturday, September 4, 11 am; California Academy of Sciences,
875 Howard Street. Free with museum admission.
Meet a Tarantula
Labor Day Weekend
Learn about the fascinating world of spiders and meet a live tarantula.
Saturday, September 4, 12 & 1:30 pm; California Academy of Sciences,
875 Howard Street. Free with museum admission.
Academy Yard Sale
Labor Day Weekend
Over the course of its long history, the Academy has acquired over 18
million scientific specimens, as well as a vast assortment of collection
gear, research equipment, furniture, and memorabilia. While the entire
library of research specimens is being moved to 875 Howard Street, not
all of the other trinkets and treasures that have been amassed over past
150 years will fit into the new space. If you would like to own a piece
of Academy history, or simply get a great deal on office supplies, mark
your calendars for September 5, when the Academy will throw the yard sale
of the year. Sunday, September 5, 10 am-4 pm; $2 general admission; Golden
Gate Park, Middle Drive Entrance. (415) 379-8000
SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES
Afternoon Hands-on Science at the Academy
Hands-on learning demonstrators teach visitors of all ages how to examine
microscopic aquatic life or study adaptations of marine animals. Taking
place every Wednesday through Sunday in September at 4 pm; California
Academy of Sciences 875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000. Free with museum
admission.
Scientific Illustration
Meet a scientific illustrator and experience a live demonstration of drawings
used for scientific publications and research. Friday, September 10, 3-3:30
pm; California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000.
Free with museum admission.
Children's Story Time
Story Time takes place each Saturday. In September, the stories focus
on our finned friends' fish tales. Stories are age appropriate for children
ages 3-7. Saturday, September 11, 11 am; California Academy of Sciences,
875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000. Free with museum admission.
Introduction to the Bay Area Ant Survey
Meet with Academy scientists and learn how to participate in this unique
scientific study. Limited to first 20 participants. Saturday, September
11, 11:30 am & 2:30 pm; California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard
Street. (415) 379-8000. Free with museum admission.
Wildly Successful Plants of Northern California
Northern California is a gardener's paradise, and now Pam Peirce has made
it possible for even the horticulturally-challenged to grow a thriving
garden. Through keen observation and a practiced hand, Peirce has assembled
a list of fifty plants that excel in the climate and geography of northern
California with little or no attention. Join Peirce, an instructor in
the Department of Environmental Horticulture at City College of San Francisco
and co-founder of the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners, as she
shares her gardening wisdom and secrets of the trade. Her presentation
will be accompanied by the outstanding photographs of David Goldberg,
which are also featured in Peirce's newly released book, Wildly Successful
Plants: Northern California. Booksigning to follow the lecture. To order
tickets, call (415) 379-8000. Tickets also sold at the door, when available.
2 & 7:30 pm; Monday, September 13, $8 general admission, Zeum Theater,
221 4th St., San Francisco.
Out of the Lab
Watch and learn from Academy research staff as they prepare specimens
and demonstrate scientific research techniques. This month, marine biologists
will sort and identify recently collected specimens from our invertebrate
zoology department. Wednesday, September 15, 12-1:30 pm; California Academy
of Sciences, 875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000. Free with museum admission.
Children's Story Time
Story Time takes place each Saturday. In September, the stories focus
on our finned friends' fish tales. Stories are age appropriate for children
ages 3-7. Saturday, September 18, 11 am; California Academy of Sciences,
875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000. Free with museum admission.
Lunch Break Lecture Series: Birds of Fall
Explore the diversity of migrating birds found in the Bay Area, during
a lunch time slide show and mini-lecture. Some Bay Area birds travel as
far south as Tierra del Fuego, Argentina Wednesday, September 22, 12 pm;
California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000. Free
with museum admission.
Explorers' Party
Academy Explorers are Bay Area young professionals who take part in social
and educational events at the Academy and share an interest in the natural
sciences. Visit the Academy at 875 Howard Street for cocktails and hors
d'oeuvres, and learn about the benefits of becoming an Academy Explorer.
There will also be a drawing for prizes. For tickets and information,
call Patricia Ivancich at (415) 321-8404 or e-mail pivancich@calacademy.org.
Thursday, September 23, 6:30-9 pm; $25 general admission.
Scientific Illustration
Meet a scientific illustrator and experience a live demonstration of drawings
used for scientific publications and research. Friday, September 24, 3-3:30
pm; California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000.
Free with museum admission.
Children's Story Time
Story Time takes place each Saturday. In September, the stories focus
on our finned friends' fish tales. Stories are age appropriate for children
ages 3-7. Saturday, September 25, 11 am; California Academy of Sciences,
875 Howard Street. (415) 379-8000. Free with museum admission.
For Kids: Fall Birdwatching
Thousands of migrating birds fly over California every fall as they head
south. Search for them in Golden Gate Park. Participants will look for
sharp-shinned hawks, yellow-rumped and Townsend's warblers, cedar waxwings,
and more. Wear warm, layered clothing and walking shoes, and bring binoculars
and water. Ages 8 and up. FREE Reservations required: (415) 379-8000.
Sunday, September 26, 9-10:30 am; Meet at the corner of Middle Drive Road
and 9th Avenue in Golden Gate Park. Rain cancels program. (415) 379-8000.
Beasts of Eden
Lecture with David Rains Wallace in conversation with Blake Edgar
Take part in an intimate evening of conversation with David Rains Wallace,
the author of the newly published book, Beasts of Eden: Walking Whales,
Dawn Horses, and other Enigmas of Mammal Evolution, a wondrous journey
through the vanished worlds of extinct mammals. Wallace describes the
saga of ancient mammals such as towering mammoths, tiny horses, giant-clawed
ground sloths, whales with legs, and other exotic extinct creatures as
well as the scientists who discovered and wondered about their remains.
Using artist Rudolph Zallinger's majestic The Age of Mammals mural at
the Peabody Museum as a frame for his narrative, Wallace deftly moves
over varied terrain, drawing from history, science, evolutionary theory,
and art history to present a lively account of fossil discoveries and
an overview of what those discoveries have revealed about early mammals
and their evolution.
Wallace is the author of fifteen books, including The Klamath Knot and
The Bonehunter's Revenge. He will be interviewed by Blake Edgar, science
editor for UC California Press and co-author of From Lucy to Language.
Booksigning to follow the lecture.
To order tickets, call the JCCSF Box Office at (415) 292-1233 or e-mail
arts@jccsf.org. Tickets also sold at the door, when available. Tuesday,
September 28, 8 pm; $6 members & students, $8 non-members; JCCSF,
3200 California Street, San Francisco. For information (415) 379-8000.
LATINO HERITAGE MONTH
The California Academy of Sciences invites all to join the festivities
of Latino Heritage Month (September 15-October 15). For further information,
call (415) 379-8000.
Argentine Tango and Folklore
Guests will experience Argentine culture and folklore while enjoying a
world-class performance of Argentine tango, zamba, and gato by renowned
dancer Pampa Cortés at the California Academy of Sciences' celebration
of Latino Heritage Month. Hailing from Santiago del Estero, the Argentine
center of folkloric dance and music, Cortés' curriculum vitae includes
training and performing with the grand masters of Argentine dance: Santiago
Ayala "El Chúcaro" creator of the Ballet Folclórico
Nacional de Argentina, and with Juan Carlos Copes as his protégé
for more than six years. His tango performances thrilled Bay Area audiences
for two years as an original principal of Forever Tango at Theatre on
the Square, and his photo helped sell millions of Julio Iglesias' Tango
CDs. His elegant yet masculine dancing has inspired thousands of "tango-philes"
locally, as well as throughout Europe, South America, and Japan to study
and dance this international phenomenon, fulfilling their own personal
tango fantasies.
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street, San
Francisco; $8. To order tickets, call (415) 292-1233 or e-mail arts@JCCSF.org.
Tickets may be purchased at the door, when available. Thursday, September
23, 8 pm. For info (415) 379-8000.
Un Día con la Familia; Family Day
The California Academy of Sciences celebrates Latino Heritage Month all
day Saturday, October 2. Guests may enjoy Chilean dances, live Bolivian
and Argentine music, Mexican food-carving demonstrations, and paper flower
making. Saturday, October 2, 10:30 am-4 pm, California Academy of Sciences,
875 Howard Street. Free with museum admission.
The California Academy of Sciences, including Steinhart
Aquarium and the Natural History Museum, is open to the public at 875
Howard Street, Admission to the Academy at 875 Howard Street is: $7 for
adults, $4.50 for youth ages 12 to 17, Seniors ages 65+ and students with
valid ID, $2 for children ages four to 11 and children ages three and
younger are admitted free of charge. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every
day. www.calacademy.org (415) 379-8000.
The California Academy of Sciences, the fourth largest
natural history museum in the United States, is home to Steinhart Aquarium,
Morrison Planetarium and the Natural History Museum. The Academy is beginning
an extensive rebuilding project in Golden Gate Park. Pritzker prize-winning
architect Renzo Piano is designing the new Academy, which is expected
to open in 2008.
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