Annual Report 2008 - California Academy of Sciences

February
Pierre turns 25 and receives a tiny
wetsuit as a birthday gift to keep
warm (and grow feathers back).
March
Nearly 3 million beetles, and
over 11 million other insects and
arachnids, are nestled into their
new cabinets.
April
Ten rays happily explore their
new home, the sandy floor of the
Mangrove Lagoon.
The last of over 2 million fish
specimens preserved in 200,000
jars of alcohol are packed and
moved to Ichthyology’s new
collection rooms.
May
The Foucault pendulum is
installed, and its 235-pound brass
ball is set in motion for its first
test run.
Press and accolades for the new
Academy continue to build,
including a feature in Vanity Fair’s
“green” issue and inclusion as
one of the “Top 53 Places to Go in
2008” by The New York Times.
Academy staff use the move to
Golden Gate Park to proactively
recycle nearly a ton of office
supplies, electronics, and audio
tape to Green Citizen, Purple
Crayon, and Goodwill.
June
Aquarium biologists continue the
long process of moving 1,500 live
coral colonies piece by piece to
their new home in the 25-footdeep
Philippine Coral Reef tank,
including three large leather
corals (Sarcophyton sp.)
20 enthusiastic penguins begin
diving and preening in their new
25,000-gallon tank in African Center.
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