FIRST YEAR - California Academy of Sciences

A lot can happen in a year.
Discovering a 3.3 million-year-
old raccoon dog. Celebrating
Charles Darwin’s birthday in
the Galápagos. Inviting local citizens of all
ages to help collect specimens for research.
Beyond the Academy exhibits you know
and love are an abundance of programs that
engage the community, teach our children,
and advance the frontiers of scientific
discovery. Within the sleek concrete and
see-through glass of our new LEED Platinum-
certified home, the Academy is pulsing
with energy, activity, and the thrill of new
learning. But our reach extends beyond our
four walls, too. We’re out in the field discovering
new species. We’re in the classroom
cultivating curiosity and wonder. We’re
hosting cool parties with a hot scientific twist.
Here are a few ways we’ve been blossoming
and growing in our first year…
The Academy’s participation
in captive breeding
programs is one way we are working to
protect rare and endangered species. Citizen
science projects allow everyday folks to
collect and contribute data to the naturalist
Center for Academy research. The weekly
nightLife program brings a new audience
to the Academy, combining cutting-edge
science, musical entertainment, and special
guests. Earth Day in April 2009 and the
World oceans Day Festival in June 2009
were two opportunities to raise public
awareness and appreciation for the
Earth’s resources, and to inspire wiser
environmental choices.
The Enhanced Museum Visits for
Students Program not only combines
student field trips with corresponding
teacher workshops, but also provides family
passes and exploration guides to continue
the learning beyond the classroom. The
Teacher Institute on Science and Sustainability
is coaching local third- through
fifth-grade teachers how to cultivate envi-
4 5