|
Images available
California Academy of Sciences
April 2004 Calendar of Events
Exhibits, Courses, Programs, and Lectures
The California Academy of Sciences is currently closed to the public
in Golden Gate Park. The Academy will open a new downtown museum May 1,
2004 at 875 Howard Street. In the meantime, the Academy is offering a
limited schedule of courses, programs and lectures. Check each listing
for program locations. The new Academy will open in Golden Gate Park in
2008.
Conversations at the Herbst Theatre Featuring Simon Winchester
Author of Krakatoa, The Professor and the Madman, and The Map That Changed
the World. Simon Winchester will be at the Herbst Theatre as a part of
the City Arts and Lectures series in conversation with Michael Krasny.
To order tickets, call City Box Office at (415) 392-4400 or visit www.cityboxoffice.com.
$18 Herbst Theatre. Wednesday, April 7, 8 p.m.
Spring Birdwatching
Search for spring migrants and resident birds in Golden Gate Park. Wear
warm, layered clothing and walking shoes, bring binoculars and water.
Ages 8 and up. Reservations required; space limited. Free; Meet at the
corner of Middle Drive Road and 9th Avenue. Rain cancels program. Friday,
April 9, 9-11:30 a.m.
Easter Program
The Academy is co-sponsoring a program of Easter events at COPIA: The
American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts in Napa. The program features
Andrey Anisimov painting Russian icons on hardwood eggs, Alberta Astras
etching eggs in the Lithuanian style, Giedra Gusta using leaf stencils
and vegetable dyes to make Lithuanian marguciai, and Joan Bridges using
a wax-resist technique to make Ukrainian pysanky. The Academy presentations
are part of a larger Spring Festival that includes family activities,
games, and egg races.
Saturday, April 10, noon-4 p.m.; All events take place at COPIA in Napa,
and are free after general admission; $7.50 Academy members, $12.50 non-members;
For directions and information, call COPIA toll-free at (888) 512-6742,
or visit their Web site at www.copia.org.
Mars-like Soils in the Atacama Desert
Benjamin Dean lecture with Chris McKay, Ph.D. NASA/Ames Research Center
The Atacama Desert of Chile is the driest place on Earth. Recent field
research shows that if the Viking missions that went to Mars in 1976 had
instead visited Earth searching for life, this is the only place on our
planet where no evidence for life would have been found. In the Atacama
Desert, we can cross the "dry limit" of microbial life. Tickets
may be purchased at the door, when available. $3; JCCSF. Monday, April
12, 7:30-9 p.m.
Conversations at the Herbst Theatre Featuring Eric Schlosser
Author of Investigative Reporter, and Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser
will be at the Herbst Theatre as a part of the City Arts and Lectures
series in conversation with Jerry Lowenstein, Ph.D. To order tickets,
call City Box Office at (415) 392-4400 or visit www.cityboxoffice.com.;
$18; Herbst Theatre. Tuesday, April 13, 8 p.m.
Mountain Lake and Beyond
Explore the Lobos Creek Watershed from Mountain Lake to Baker Beach. Investigate
how this water source affects plant and animal life by examining the native
plant community and zooplankton, reptiles, and amphibians. Pre-registration
required for this class for children ages 9-12. $45. Wednesday, April
14, 8:30 a.m.-noon.
Pier Dwellers
Experience the wild world living on and under the San Francisco waterfront
piers. Observe and learn about behaviors of marine mammals and local seabirds.
Touch the secret underwater creatures that live below the surface of our
oceans, and see what makes these "spineless wonders" unique.
Pre-registration required for this class for children ages 9-12. $45.
Thursday, April 15, 8:30 a.m.-noon.
Wetland Wonders
Spend the morning at Crissy Field wetland observing migratory birds, uncovering
sand crabs, and assisting in a restoration project. Discover how Native
Americans used local plants in their day-to-day environment and how this
tidal marsh was transformed from trash to treasure. Pre-registration required
for this class for children ages 9-12. $45. Friday, April 16, 8:30 a.m.-noon.
Family Discovery Hike
Take a spring walk around Golden Gate Park and look for hawks, turtles,
millipedes, dragonflies, and more. Wear warm, layered clothing and walking
shoes, and bring binoculars and water. Ages 8 and up. Reservations required;
space limited. Free; Meet at the corner of Middle Drive Road and 9th Avenue.
Rain cancels program. Sunday, April 18, 10 a.m.-noon.
The Earth Moved Lecture with Amy Stewart
With Darwin as her inspiration, Stewart explores the lifecycle and habits
of earthworms, uncovering the complex life that exists beneath our feet.
The earthworm may be small, spineless, and blind, but its role in the
ecosystem is profound. It tills the soil, destroys microscopic organisms
that cause plant disease, breaks down toxins, and turns soil into rich
compost, creating the most fertile areas on Earth. Stewart will bring
a variety of worms to the lecture and participants will have the opportunity
to handle several species of earthworms and learn about each species'
unique role in the soil. See a book review in the Spring 2004 issue of
California Wild. Free to members, $4 Zeum members, $8 non-members; Zeum
Theater. Monday, April 19, 2 & 7:30 p.m.
19th Annual BioForum Life in Extreme Environments: A Window to the
Universe
BioForum, now in its nineteenth year, is a series on current science topics
of interest to educators
Does life exist elsewhere in the Universe? Scientists in the field of
astrobiology look beyond our Goldilocks world that is "not too hot
and not too cold" to investigate extreme environments such as marine
hydrothermal vents and desert hot springs. They are also researching the
"extremophiles," or organisms that survive in these harsh places,
to learn more about life beyond Earth. Scientists share what they have
learned about the extremes of life on Earth and the implications of their
findings. Tickets can be purchased by calling (415) 750-7145 or online
at www.calacademy.org/education. Registration starts at 8:15 am; $15,
$10 students; hosted at the Oakland Museum of California. Saturday, April
24, 9 am-12:30 p.m.
Ask a Scientist
Killer Animals: Fears, Facts, Statistics and Reality
Douglas J. Long knows his killer animals. He's worked with the best
of them, from sharks to scorpions to snakes and wild mammals on six continents.
With the media's obsession on attacks and killings, what's the truth amidst
the hype, panic and paranoia? And how can we best co-exist with the animals
that also call California their home? If you were just going to sit on
the couch tonight watching Animal Planet, come meet Douglas instead. He
might even bring some "special friends"... What does that mean?
I don't know!
Monday, April 26th, 7-9pm Free.
The Bazaar Cafe, 5927 California St. (22nd Ave) San Francisco Visit http://www.gallindesign.com/science
for more details.
Conversations at the Herbst Theatre Featuring Paul Ekman, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, UC San Francisco author of Emotions Revealed,
Telling Lies, Ekman will be at the Herbst Theatre as a part of the City
Arts and Lectures series in conversation with Nina Jablonski, Ph.D. To
order tickets, call City Box Office at (415) 392-4400 or visit www.cityboxoffice.com.
$18; Herbst Theatre. Wednesday, April 28, 8 p.m.
The Evolution of Human Skin Coloration Special Lecture with Nina Jablonski,
Ph.D., Irvine Chair & Curator, Department of Anthropology, California
Academy of Sciences
Though human skin is not preserved in the fossil record and we have little
direct evidence of its evolution, it has long been recognized that the
distribution of skin colors among native peoples is not random. New evidence
from the fields of epidemiology and physiology, analyzed in conjunction
with remotely-sensed environmental data, clearly indicates that the worldwide
pattern of human skin color is a product of natural selection acting to
regulate the penetration of ultraviolet radiation into the skin. The level
of melanin pigmentation in human skin represents a compromise between
the demands of photoprotection and vitamin D synthesis, both of which
are essential for survival and successful reproduction.
Thursday, April 29, 7:30 pm; $8; For tickets, call the JCCSF Box Office
at (415) 292-1233 or e-mail arts@jccsf.org. Tickets may be purchased at
the door when available. JCCSF.
Junior Academy Summer Activities
Summer Explorations For Ages 6-8
Classes take place at the Academy's downtown location, 875 Howard Street.
Each class is scheduled from 8:30 am-noon; $35 members, $45 non-members.
Tidepool Creatures - Monday, July 26
Herptacular - Tuesday, July 27
Arthropods Alive - Wednesday, July 28
Birdmania - Thursday, July 29
Weekend Trip
Adult Nature Journaling Workshop in the Trinity Alps
Always wanted to keep an illustrated journal or try your hand at watercolor?
Spend three relaxing days nurturing your artistic nature at the Academy's
property in the Trinity Alps, about three hours northwest of Redding.
Field Workshop for Adults: Thursday, July 15-Sunday, July 18, 6 pm Thursday-2
pm Sunday; $175 members, $200 non-members. (Accommodations and meals are
included; transportation is not.)
For more information, please contact Lorie Topinka, Manager of Teacher
Services, at (415) 750-7145 or e-mail teacherservices@calacademy.org.
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 will be admitted free of charge. Hours are 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. everyday. www.calacademy.org (415) 750-7145.
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.
# # # #
|
