Teachers’ Lounge

Biodiversity in the city? You bet!

Scientists, and amateur naturalists will work together to find and identify as many different species as possible within Fort Funston – everything from sand dune plants to bank swallows (called a ‘bioblitz’). We’ll break the park up into zones and even encourage some friendly zone-to-zone competition. Bring yourself or a group of friends! We have 200 acres to explore.

We’ll be using the iNaturalist app and helping the fine folks of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Parks Conservancy and the California Academy of Sciences document the many plants and critters that live here!

We’ll start with an orientation, then hit the blitz. We will wrap up with lunch (bring your own!), show off the results, find out who saw the most different kinds of critters, and, yes, hand out some prizes!

Check out the current weather at Fort Funston here: Fort Funston webcam

Register today!

More information about iNaturalist:

Creating an iNaturalist account
How to use the iNaturalist app
Global Impact

Family Bird Count in the Presidio

Sunday, April 1st, 2012
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Meet at El Polín Spring

Did you know that the Presidio is a birding hotspot in the Bay Area? After a short “binocular bootcamp and birding basics” kids (ages 6 and up) and their families will join experienced birders in teams on different routes throughout the Presidio. After an easy 2 hour walk counting observed bird life, groups will return to El Polín Spring to tally their numbers during lunch. The day will be topped off with presentations of the day’s numbers by kids!

Lunch will not be provided, so bring a lunch and snacks as needed. Please remember to dress in layers and bring water. Binoculars are not required, but recommended if you have them (a supply of binoculars will be available to borrow for the day).

Because space is limited for this event, please RSVP to Alisha Cahlan at: acahlan@presidiotrust.gov or 415-561-2730. This event is free and co-sponsored by the Presidio Trust and the Golden Gate Audubon Society.

Kids’ Autumn Equinox Bird Count in the Presidio

Saturday, September 24th
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Meet at Baker Beach picnic area

Did you know that the Presidio is a birding hotspot in the Bay Area? After a short “binocular bootcamp and birding basics” kids and their families will join experienced birders in teams on different routes throughout the Presidio. After an easy 2 hour walk counting observed bird life, groups will return to Baker Beach to tally their numbers during lunch. The day will be topped off with presentations of the day’s numbers by kids!

Lunch will not be provided, so bring a lunch and snacks as needed. Please remember to dress in layers and bring water. Binoculars are not required, but recommended if you have them (a supply of binoculars will be available to borrow for the day).

Because space is limited for this event, please RSVP to Damien Raffa at: draffa@presidiotrust.gov or 415- 561-4449. This event is free and co-sponsored by the Presidio Trust and the Golden Gate Audubon Society.

This Saturday, June 11th, join other families in the 1st Annual Children’s Summer Solstice Bird Count in the Presidio. It sounds like the prefect blend of family time, outdoor time, and science & nature fun.

There will be a short “binocular bootcamp and birding basics”, so if you or anyone in the family don’t have any birding experience, don’t worry! There will also be experienced birders to help make the experience even more rewarding. If you haven’t seen a birder in action, it is a sight to see. I know. My parents are avid birders and have their life lists and all of that good stuff. My mom never goes anywhere without her binoculars (seriously! we’re always loosing her because she’s stopped to look at a bird).

Anywho. This event should be tons of fun. An easy two hour walk with your kids through the beautiful Presidio observing and counting bird life, topped off with presentations of the day’s numbers by kids – what could be a better way to spend a Saturday?

For more information, check out their flier. This event is free and co-sponsored by the Presidio Trust and the Golden Gate Audubon Society.

The basics:
Date: Saturday, June 11, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Where: Presidio, San Francisco; Meet at Rob Hill Campground
Who: youth ages 8-15 and their families
Cost: FREE
Because space is limited, please RSVP to Pete Bidigare at pbidigare@presidiotrust.gov or (415) 561-4449.

Is your school year over, but you’re not ready to stop surrounding yourself with colorful creatures?  Come to the Academy and visit our newest temporary exhibit, Snakes and Lizards: the Summer of Slither. From May 9 to September 5, 2011, this traveling exhibit from the American Museum of Natural History will be here in the Forum up on the 2nd floor of the Academy. Photo: © AMNH/D. Finnin

I’ve been on maternity leave, but one of the first things I did when I returned (besides wade through my emails) was take a peek. We’ve been talking about it for some time here at the Academy and I was excited to see it. It didn’t disappoint. Many of the exhibits are designed so that you can see the inhabitants from lots of angles (which also makes them easier to see when there are crowds). I was a big fan of the water monitor which was flicking its tongue while it walked through (you guessed it) the water.

There is tons of information about each animal as well. The space is divided up into three sections: those that see their way through the world, those that smell their way through the world, and those that slither their way through the world. In addition to the standard ‘where does it live, how big does it get, and what does it eat’, there is also information on each animals’ relationships among the other squamates (that’s fancy talk for snakes and lizards). Photo: © AMNH/D. Finnin

In case you’re inspired to bring your kids to the Academy next school year to see more snakes and lizards, we have a couple of scavenger hunts designed to highlight the squamates we have elsewhere in the Academy. One is a fun, more general hunt, and the other is more open and calls attention to the relationship between structure and function. Check them out!

If you can’t get to the Academy, but can’t get enough of snakes and lizards, we have an activity involving the lengths of different some specific snakes and lizards that help teach about measurement (and you’ll learn a little about how these amazing squamates move).

As an aside, a few months back I had occasion to meet some of the folks down in the Herpetology Department here at the Academy. They are indeed a bunch of colorful creatures! Check out more of what they do here!