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What's On at The California Academy of Sciences
Exhibits, Lectures, Programs and Events
February 2003
150th Anniversary Exhibit Opening March 1, 2003 - fall 2003
Skulls Ongoing through fall 2003
X-Ray Ichthyology Ongoing through fall 2003
Village Children Ongoing through fall 2003
Dennis Anderson Photos Ongoing through fall 2003
Photo Contest Winners Closed
Powers of Ten Closed
-Special Programs & Events-
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.
Free Day, Wednesday, February 5, 5:30-7:30 pm
California Academy of Sciences
FREE and open to the public
Natural Selection
Celebrate Darwin's Birthday with the Academy Explorers for an evening
of 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, enjoy a sumptuous dessert menu, with complimentary
wine and beer. Join us for Darwin's birthday: a natural selection for
a quirky, romantic evening.
Friday, February 7, 8:30 pm - midnight
21 and over
Complimentary wine, beer, and dessert
$40 in advance/ $55 at the door if available
Buy tickets online at www.calacademy.org
Tongan Traditional Dance
The dances of Tonga, like those of much of Polynesia, focus attention
on the hands and feet. But each region has its own unique postures and
styles of movement. In this program, dancers from the Heilala o Tonga
Group perform a series of traditional dances from this island nation.
The program will feature live music and discussion of the dancers' costumes
and movements. Saturday, February 22, 1 pm
Japanese Woodblock Printing
Artist Marco Flavio Marinucci demonstrates the process of making woodblock
prints in the traditional Japanese style. He handles all aspects of the
process himself, from carving the wood blocks, making the colorful inks,
to the actual printing onto mulberry paper. Saturday, March 8, 1 pm
-Skull Skills-
Make a Skull - Examine real skulls and then make a simple machine
skull model of your own. All ages. February 5, 8, 9,15, 16, 22, 23 &
25 all days: 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm
How Do They Do That? - 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. February 5 11:30 am & 1:30 pm
Mysterious Victims of Flying Predators - 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. February 15
& 16 11:30 am & 1:30 pm
Bare Bones - Take a crash course on recognizing animals by their
skulls alone. Examine human, hyena, turtle and rodent skulls, learning
important details used by experts to compare species. February 10 and
11:30 am & 1:30 pm
Bird Skulls - Meet a live toucan, touch real bird skulls and explore
avian skull design. February 8, 9, & 25 11:30 am & 1:30 pm
-Field Trips, Seminars & Workshops-
Splint Market Baskets
Use your hands to discover Old World traditions by weaving a basket suitable
for taking to market. Instructed by basket maker Kathleen Hubbard. Adult
Workshop-Saturday, February 15, 10 am-4 pm $75 (Plus $17-material fee
per person) .
Evolution and Life Through Time
Find out about new concepts in evolutionary biology, systematics and paleontology.
Instructed by Academy paleontologists Peter Roopnarine and Carol Tang.
Adult Seminar-3 Wednesdays, February 19, 26; March 5, 7-9 pm $65 .
A Glimpse of Ishi Country
Discover the story of Ishi, the last North American Stone Age Indian,
through the instructor's own adventures into the canyons of Mount Lassen.
Instructed by naturalist Kurt Rademacher. Adult Seminar-Thursday, February
27, 7-9 pm $25 .
California Spring Wildflowers
In this intensive course, identify wildflowers and recognize plant families
using The Jepson Manual. Instructed by botanist Glenn Keator. Adult Seminar
and Field Trip-8 Wednesdays, March 19-May 21, 7-9 pm & 3 Saturdays,
March 22 & 29 and May 3, 10 am-2:30 pm $195. .
Skies of Spring
From the comfort of Morrison Planetarium, learn to locate Leo the lion,
Virgo the maiden, Cancer the crab, and Hydra the sea serpent in this seasonal
stargazing favorite. Instructed by astronomer Darryl Stanford. Adult Seminar-3
Mondays, March 24, 31 & April 7, 7-9 pm $45.
-Lectures-
A Certain Curve of Horn:
The Hundred-Year Quest for the Giant Sable Antelope of Angola
Join John Frederick Walker as he weaves the tale, detailed in his new
book, A Certain Curve of Horn, with stunning photographs of the giant
sable antelope of Angola, with its striking coal-black coat and gracefully
curved horns that reach over five feet long. More photos of its habitat
in a thrilling blend of history, natural science, and adventure.
Thursday, March 6, 7:30 pm, Morrison Auditorium, $6 members/ $8 non-members.
Booksigning to follow the lecture.
Genetic Perspectives on Human Origins
Despite profound morphological, behavioral, and cognitive differences
between humans and apes, the genome sequences of these species differ
only slightly. Working to uncover the subtle genetic causes of these differences,
Svante Pääbo analyzes the activity level of genes in the human
brain as compared to the chimpanzee brain, including the first gene known
to be involved in the ability of humans to use articulate language. Pääbo,
one of the founding directors of a new interdisciplinary Max Planck Institute
for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and whose reconstruction
in 1997 of ancient DNA sequences showed that Neanderthals did not contribute
any of the mitochondrial DNA found in contemporary humans, also explains
what studies of genetic variation in humans and Neanderthals tell us about
human history. In collaboration with the Leakey Foundation. Thursday,
February 20, 7:30 pm, $8
-Black History Month Celebration-
Celebrate Black History Month at the California Academy of Sciences and
experience African American cultural traditions and history. All programs
are free for Academy members. For the most up-to-date program schedule,
check www.calacademy.org or call 415-750-7145.
Chinyakare Ensamble
Chinyakare means tradition and the beauty, ingenuity, powerful music and
dance of Zimbabwe. These are songs remembered but fast disappearing. Clap
your hands and join in as they celebrate the Shona tradition, an important
part of their daily lives. Wednesday February 5, 1 p.m.
Animal Tales from the African Diaspora
Poet and storyteller Tureeda Mikell brings us a selection of traditional
stories from both African and African American tradition. Saturday February
8, 1 p.m.
West African Folk Music
Accompanying himself on the acoustic guitar and the talking drum, Soji
Odukogbe presents a program of traditional music from West Africa. Well-known
in the Bay Area African music scene; Soji also performs with The West
African Highlife Band, The Nigerian Brothers, and Kotoja. Saturday February
15, 1 p.m.
The American Tradition of Ragtime
Ragtime is arguably the first truly American form of music, predating
jazz. This presentation will include discussion of important ragtime composers,
the emerging music business, and the world of vaudeville and commercial
entertainment. Saturday March 1, 1 p.m.
The celebration continues with Mujjee: Come Together
As a child in Uganda, Daniel Ssuuna learned the important lessons in life
through the songs, dance, proverbs and stories of his grandparents and
elders. Using traditional instruments and movements, he shares this rich
heritage. Sunday March 16, 1 p.m.
-Exhibits and Happenings-
Skulls
Ongoing through fall 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, this exhibit is festooned with 860 sea lion heads 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.
X-Ray Ichthyology
Ongoing through fall 2003
Prepare to look at fish in a whole new light. X-Ray Ichthyology captures
forty-six fish from the Academy's ichthyology collection on X-ray film.
Blown up and backlit, these large-format photographs transform scaly swimmers
ranging from piranhas to guitarfish into eerie, luminescent works of art.
Village Children
Ongoing through fall 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. This exhibit will be on display
in the Academy's Cafe opening October 12.
Dennis Anderson Photos
Ongoing through fall 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 opening November 28.
Powers of Ten
Closed
Nature Discovery - ongoing
Each year the California Academy of Sciences offers children, families
and adults more than 200 field trips, workshops and classes focusing on
science and the natural world. Explore tide pools in Marin, discover birds
in Golden Gate Park or learn how to draw and paint animals in Steinhart
Aquarium.
Steinhart Aquarium
Watch live sharks, alligators, penguins, hundreds of fish and a living
coral reef at Steinhart Aquarium. Steinhart Aquarium houses over 600 varieties
of aquatic life in 165 individual tanks. Open ocean fish swim around you
in the 100,000-gallon fish roundabout (feedings take place at 1:30 pm
daily). Penguin feedings take place at 11:30 am and 4 pm each day. California
Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park Open 365 days of the year
Free Wednesday
The first Wednesday of every month is free, all year long! 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, February 5, 10 am - 8:45 pm California Academy of Sciences,
Free
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