Teachers’ Lounge

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!

How did life on Earth begin? This tantalizing question forms the basis of Morrison Planetarium’s upcoming show, Life: A Cosmic Story, which will premiere on November 6, 2010. Located inside the California Academy of Sciences, the Morrison has transported audiences to the far reaches of the Universe and back since its opening in 2008. Like the inaugural show Fragile Planet, Life takes audiences on an immersive, all-digital journey, featuring visualizations based on the latest scientific data.

“The show’s core concept is that all life on Earth is related, having evolved from a common ancestor,” says Ryan Wyatt, Director of Morrison Planetarium and Science Visualization. “Taking an even longer view, we see that life’s origins begin with dark matter and the first stars—our pedigree is actually 13.7 billion years in the making.”

Narrated by two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, Life begins in a grove of towering redwoods, majestic emblems of Northern California. From there, the audience “shrinks” dramatically as it enters a single redwood leaf and then a redwood cell, learning that despite their unique appearance, redwoods are composed of the same basic molecules as all other organisms on Earth.

After this opening statement of shared ancestry, the audience launches on a journey through time, witnessing key events since the Big Bang that set the stage for life. The first stars ignite, galaxies coalesce, and entire worlds take shape.

On the early Earth, two scenarios for the dawn of life are presented—one near a turbulent, deep-sea hydrothermal vent, and the other in a primordial “hot puddle” on a volcanic island. From these microscopic beginnings, life transformed the entire Earth as it evolved and diversified: filling the atmosphere with oxygen, turning the continents green, and altering global climate patterns.

The 25-minute show ends with a review of geological evidence and the connectedness of all living things on Earth.

Middle and High School Teachers!
Because of the focus of this show, it is appropriate for both a middle school and high school audience. For this reason, we are pleased to announce that we will be making the 11:30 Planetarium Show available to both middle and high school students on Mondays through Thursdays. This 11:30 showing is for the General Public as well, so seating is limited and reservations are required in advance of your trip.

Please call our folks at the Contact Center at 1-800-794-7576 in order to check availability and make your reservation.