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Stephanie Greenman Stone (415) 321-8119 The California Academy of Sciences Presents HOTSPOT: CALIFORNIA ON THE EDGE Beginning November 19, discover just how cool California really is . . .
California is home to nearly 7,000 species of plants and
vertebrate animals, and about a third of these species are only found
here. Why do so many species live in one state? One reason is that California
contains a remarkably wide variety of habitats. The HOTSPOT exhibit
brings habitats from six different areas together in one large room: Central
Valley vernal pools, Mediterranean shrublands, the high Sierra-Nevada,
Cascade Range volcanoes, Coast redwood forests, and the Klamath-Siskiyou
wilderness. Within each of these areas, kids and adults alike can learn
about the landscape through interactive displays, examine walls of scientific
specimens, meet live animals (or, in one case, carnivorous plants), and
find endangered species. Visitors will leave the exhibit with a new appreciation
for just how cool this hotspot really is.
Central Valley Vernal Pools A 240-square-foot projection screen allows visitors to enter the ephemeral
world of vernal pools and experience the seasonal shrinking and expanding
of these temporary bodies of water through time-lapse photography . Near
the screen, vernal pool explorers can meet live tadpole shrimp and tiger
salamanders, which are endangered species, and discover some of the amazing
adaptations these animals have evolved to survive in their ever-changing
ecosystems. A large specimen wall displays some of the other unique organisms
that live in or around vernal pools, including the endangered Delta Green
ground beetle. At an interactive hardpan spinner, visitors can see how
water percolates through some types of soils but not others while learning
about the types of soil necessary for the creation of vernal pools. Mediterranean Shrublands Next, visitors can travel to California ’s Mediterranean shrublands,
where the summers bring wildfires and drastic droughts. A “scent
garden” allows guests to smell some of the aromatic oils that plants
in these habitats produce to reduce their dependency on water during the
hot summers. Under the branches of a 15-foot tall Manzanita tree, visitors
can examine the waxy leaves that help these plants seal in moisture and
survive droughts. Kangaroo rat specimens tell another summer survival
story – these endangered rodents survive raging fires by taking
refuge in underground burrows. At the specimen wall, visitors can view
dozens of other scientific specimens from the state’s Mediterranean
shrublands, including one of the world’s largest crystals of benitoite,
California ’s state gem. The highlight of this section of the exhibit,
however, is the display of live Jerusalem crickets – nocturnal insects
that lack ears and sense vibrations through organs on their legs. These
fascinating crickets communicate by drumming their abdomens against the
ground. Academy research associate David Weissman has identified four
different drumming songs for courtship behavior and mating alone. Recordings
of these unusual songs can be heard in the exhibit.
The High Sierra-Nevada After surviving the hot shrubland summers, visitors can immerse themselves
in a Sierra-Nevada glacier by walking through a towering replica into
the next section of the exhibit, where they will find a number of impressive
specimens, including a California condor and Monarch – California’s
last grizzly bear. Here, visitors can also find live Nebria beetles,
which can produce their own version of antifreeze to survive subzero winter
temperatures, as well as live Mountain yellow-legged frogs, which survive
beneath frozen lake surfaces for nine months of the year. An underwater
video reveals the reason these frogs are now endangered – non-native
sport fish that have been introduced to Sierra-Nevada lakes in recent
years are eating all of the unsuspecting tadpoles. The specimen wall in
this section displays a number of native Sierra-Nevada animals, along
with California gold nuggets and Miwok baskets. A scientific illustrator
will be set up in the exhibit on a regular basis, teaching visitors how
to draw the animals and plants that live in this habitat. Cascade Range Volcanoes In this section of the exhibit, visitors will learn that California
is a hotspot in more ways than one – it is home to four different
types of volcanoes as well as a slew of bubbling mud pots. After passing
through large pillars of volcanic rock, visitors can use petrographic
microscopes to examine thin slices of lava and learn how to identify different
types of rocks. Curious guests can also learn about the tiny organisms
that survive in boiling mud pots. Those hoping to study a larger specimen
can examine a wolverine – the largest and rarest member of the weasel
family. This ferocious animal is now almost extinct in California due
to habitat loss. Visitors can also find a number of other cascade animals
at the Cascade Range specimen wall, including a long-toed salamander and
a peregrine falcon.
Coast Redwood Forests Next, visitors can drive through a redwood forest, using a track ball
to navigate their way through towering trees. Guests can also use a moveable
magnifier to count the rings on a Giant redwood round that measures 13
feet in diameter. Nearby, a redwood nursery log hosts bright yellow banana
slugs, which pave smooth paths over rough ground and stick to slippery
surfaces by producing a super-strong slime. Besides banana slugs, redwood
forests also support many threatened and endangered species, including
the marbled murrelet, which nests in the branches of old-growth trees.
Specimens of these fish-eating birds and their nests, which were not discovered
until 1974, are both on display in the exhibit. More redwood forest specimens
can be found at the specimen wall, including the Northern flying squirrel.
The Klamath-Siskiyou Wilderness Finally, guests can explore the Klamath-Siskiyou wilderness, which hosts
the largest concentration of rivers in the United States and the richest
assemblage of conifers in the world. Here, visitors can view live carnivorous
plants called cobra lilies, which live in nutrient-poor soils. These plants
trap and digest insects to compensate for the lack of nutrients in the
soil. Visitors can also examine specimens of some of the 155 endangered
plants and animals that live in this region, including the spotted owl
and the Northern California Coast Coho salmon . Nearby, guests can learn
to sort and identify cones from many of the region’s 31 species
of conifers and study a specimen wall that includes endangered salamanders
and Mardon skipper butterflies. Between each of these California habitats, visitors will pass through
“issue areas” where they can learn about the threats to the
state’s biodiversity and discover ways to help protect it. At the
end of their journey through California , guests can also learn about
a few of the other biodiversity hotspots in the world, including Madagascar
and the Philippine coral reefs. The Academy is planning an array of public programs, courses, lectures, and other special events to complement the HOTSPOT exhibit. A few special events are listed below. For more programming information, please call (415) 321-8000.
After the HOTSPOT exhibit closes, prepare to be amazed… DINOSAURS: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries will open at the Academy on September 15, 2006 and run through February 4, 2007 . This groundbreaking exhibition will present the most up-to-date look at how many of the most persistent and puzzling mysteries about dinosaurs – what they looked like, how they moved, and even whether or not they are really extinct – are being reinterpreted by scientists as recent discoveries are brought to life using the latest technology.
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 free for children ages three and younger. Hours are 10 am - 5 pm every day. www.calacademy.org. (415) 321-8000. 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. # # # # |
