Behind the Scenes at the California Academy of Sciences

Opening weekend is... over. (And if you didn't get inside on Saturday, today's the day to try.)

posted on September 29, 2008
by Chris Ryan

The grand opening celebrations at the Academy of Sciences were--to judge by the crowds on Saturday--a huge success. Unless, that is, you decided to sleep in. Those who turned up in the early/mid afternoon were greeted by traffic jams outside and within the park (the smartest visitors took the bus or biked in)



 and then by these signs:



The reason why became pretty clear as you entered the Music Concourse area... the turnout was huge:





Luckily, there were other things to do, besides wait in line:



including visit the 7x7/CHD booth:



where you could get a glimpse of the interior of the new building, even if you'd missed out on the day's free tickets:



The Academy is open on Mondays, by the way, so--if you didn't get in--why not play hooky and head over? We won't tell.



posted on September 26, 2008
by Chris Ryan



Tomorrow's the big day, and media outlets from both near and far are weighing in on our new showpiece. We've got to admit--having been lucky enough to watch the building take shape over the last few months and years--we'd become a little accustomed to it...and to the innovations contained within. But reading and hearing the raves from the New York Times, CNN and NPR has us excited all over again. See you in Golden Gate Park tomorrow!

(And because we know you want it, here's one last penguin...)



 

posted on September 19, 2008
by Chris Ryan

We stopped by the Academy yesterday afternoon for a press and members' preview--which meant, along with the reporters and camerapeople busy scribbling and trying to set up their tripods, there were dozens of very happy kids (and their parents) getting their first look at Claude the albino alligator, and the Foucault's pendulum, and all the manta rays flying through the shallow pool next to the planetarium--one of them's polka-dotted!--and so much more. It really reminded us who the true constituency is for this place: the next generation. Not that we weren't very happy to renew our acquaintance with the penguins. Here's a little of what we saw:



Looking up at the Philippine Coral Reef exhibit from below




Fishes in the air (or, really, seen from the underwater tunnel that goes through the Philippine Coral Reef tank)




and the view in reverse (looking down into the tunnel)



Don't know what this little guy is called...other than a bird on a wire



posted on September 18, 2008
by Chris Ryan

The Academy's grand opening is just a little over a week away! In the meantime, meet our Golden Ticket contest winner, Hailee Adams, receiving her prize--which entitles her to a lifetime's worth of free admission to the academy. (Charlie Bucket, eat your heart out.) Hailee and her mother, Korrine, toured the academy as well--we've got some shots of the whole visit (courtesy of the kind people at the academy and photographer Charmagne Leung). Congratulations, Hailee!




Chris Andrews, the academy's chief of public programs and director of the Steinhart Aquarium, presents Hailee with her Golden Ticket.




Hailee high-fives one of the volunteer divers in the academy's Philippine Coral Reef exhibit.




Korrine and Hailee sow some California poppy seeds on the living roof--supervised by Frank Almeda, senior curator of botany.




Korrine making the acquaintance with one of the residents of the African hall.





Hailee and Korrine in the African hall. (Recognize the zebras from our September cover?)



posted on August 25, 2008
by Chris Ryan

What with getting our September issue out the door, we fell behind on our Academy posts, but we'll try to make up some lost ground here...with gators! Yes, the alligators have moved into the Swamp. Now, those of you who were faithful visitors to the two that used to live at the old Academy won't recognize these two... their predecessors have been retired to a farm in the country (really). This new pair, a female who's been nicknamed Lady and a rare albino male by the name of Claude, were bred in Florida and came north(west) last week by truck. A surprisingly small truck, as the following photos will show...

Here's Lady's crate being unloaded:



photos courtesy of the California Academy of Sciences


And now it's Claude's turn:





Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered to watch the gators being introduced to their new home:





And heeeeeere's Claude:




Welcome to SF, y'all!



posted on July 3, 2008
by Chris Ryan

When Stef Michejda, our photo editor, stopped by the Cal Academy to welcome the penguins, she also took a tour of the Rainforests of the World exhibit. When I was there in late May, it wasn't much more than a lonely little collection of plants huddled together on the ground level, obscured by a sheets of plastic tarp. By the time she saw it, the place was looking distinctly more rainforesty. Basically, it'll be a four-story greenhouse, kept at 85 degrees (with at least 75 percent humidity) and populated by some 1,600 living critters, from reptiles and amphibians to birds, butterflies and bats. Here--take a look, courtesy of Stef (the animals haven't moved in yet, of course):



The interior of the rainforest "bubble."


The ramp that takes you up through the different kinds of rainforest.


See? It really does look like a bubble.


posted on June 26, 2008
by Chris Ryan

Welcome to our countdown blog to the grand opening of the California Academy of Sciences' new building. Next week, we're going to give you a peek at the indoor rainforest, the living roof and more, but right now, we're kind of obsessed with the penguins. Back in late May, I just happened to be at the new building for a hard-hat tour on the exact day they moved in. Stephanie Stone, the academy's head of communications, told us that the biologists were afraid that the birds—a colony of 18 African penguins from South Africa and Namibia—might need some time to get used to their new home. (It's a lot bigger than their temporary space in SoMa was.) But when we got to the glass-walled tank, all but three were gleefully zooming through the water--exactly like kids at recess on the first sunny day after a month of rain.


(I took some pics, but they were just too fast for me.)

As we watched, those last, reluctant three edged closer and closer to the edge of the "rock" platform, and then--like they were daring each other--suddenly dove in. Seriously cute.



Last week, our photo editor, Stefanie Michejda, went to the “official” homecoming party for the penguins. Luckily, she has a much better camera (and actually knows what she’s doing with it).

Stef also got to see Pierre, the penguin whose life was saved by a wetsuit. For the full story (and three live penguin cams!), click here. And come back next week for the rainforest…

posted on September 29, 2008
by Chris Ryan

The grand opening celebrations at the Academy of Sciences were--to judge by the crowds on Saturday--a huge success. Unless, that is, you decided to sleep in. Those who turned up in the early/mid afternoon were greeted by traffic jams outside and within the park (the smartest visitors took the bus or biked in)



 and then by these signs:



The reason why became pretty clear as you entered the Music Concourse area... the turnout was huge:





Luckily, there were other things to do, besides wait in line:



including visit the 7x7/CHD booth:



where you could get a glimpse of the interior of the new building, even if you'd missed out on the day's free tickets:



The Academy is open on Mondays, by the way, so--if you didn't get in--why not play hooky and head over? We won't tell.



posted on September 26, 2008
by Chris Ryan



Tomorrow's the big day, and media outlets from both near and far are weighing in on our new showpiece. We've got to admit--having been lucky enough to watch the building take shape over the last few months and years--we'd become a little accustomed to it...and to the innovations contained within. But reading and hearing the raves from the New York Times, CNN and NPR has us excited all over again. See you in Golden Gate Park tomorrow!

(And because we know you want it, here's one last penguin...)



 

posted on September 19, 2008
by Chris Ryan

We stopped by the Academy yesterday afternoon for a press and members' preview--which meant, along with the reporters and camerapeople busy scribbling and trying to set up their tripods, there were dozens of very happy kids (and their parents) getting their first look at Claude the albino alligator, and the Foucault's pendulum, and all the manta rays flying through the shallow pool next to the planetarium--one of them's polka-dotted!--and so much more. It really reminded us who the true constituency is for this place: the next generation. Not that we weren't very happy to renew our acquaintance with the penguins. Here's a little of what we saw:



Looking up at the Philippine Coral Reef exhibit from below




Fishes in the air (or, really, seen from the underwater tunnel that goes through the Philippine Coral Reef tank)




and the view in reverse (looking down into the tunnel)



Don't know what this little guy is called...other than a bird on a wire



posted on September 18, 2008
by Chris Ryan

The Academy's grand opening is just a little over a week away! In the meantime, meet our Golden Ticket contest winner, Hailee Adams, receiving her prize--which entitles her to a lifetime's worth of free admission to the academy. (Charlie Bucket, eat your heart out.) Hailee and her mother, Korrine, toured the academy as well--we've got some shots of the whole visit (courtesy of the kind people at the academy and photographer Charmagne Leung). Congratulations, Hailee!




Chris Andrews, the academy's chief of public programs and director of the Steinhart Aquarium, presents Hailee with her Golden Ticket.




Hailee high-fives one of the volunteer divers in the academy's Philippine Coral Reef exhibit.




Korrine and Hailee sow some California poppy seeds on the living roof--supervised by Frank Almeda, senior curator of botany.




Korrine making the acquaintance with one of the residents of the African hall.





Hailee and Korrine in the African hall. (Recognize the zebras from our September cover?)



posted on August 25, 2008
by Chris Ryan

What with getting our September issue out the door, we fell behind on our Academy posts, but we'll try to make up some lost ground here...with gators! Yes, the alligators have moved into the Swamp. Now, those of you who were faithful visitors to the two that used to live at the old Academy won't recognize these two... their predecessors have been retired to a farm in the country (really). This new pair, a female who's been nicknamed Lady and a rare albino male by the name of Claude, were bred in Florida and came north(west) last week by truck. A surprisingly small truck, as the following photos will show...

Here's Lady's crate being unloaded:



photos courtesy of the California Academy of Sciences


And now it's Claude's turn:





Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered to watch the gators being introduced to their new home:





And heeeeeere's Claude:




Welcome to SF, y'all!



posted on July 3, 2008
by Chris Ryan

When Stef Michejda, our photo editor, stopped by the Cal Academy to welcome the penguins, she also took a tour of the Rainforests of the World exhibit. When I was there in late May, it wasn't much more than a lonely little collection of plants huddled together on the ground level, obscured by a sheets of plastic tarp. By the time she saw it, the place was looking distinctly more rainforesty. Basically, it'll be a four-story greenhouse, kept at 85 degrees (with at least 75 percent humidity) and populated by some 1,600 living critters, from reptiles and amphibians to birds, butterflies and bats. Here--take a look, courtesy of Stef (the animals haven't moved in yet, of course):



The interior of the rainforest "bubble."


The ramp that takes you up through the different kinds of rainforest.


See? It really does look like a bubble.


posted on June 26, 2008
by Chris Ryan

Welcome to our countdown blog to the grand opening of the California Academy of Sciences' new building. Next week, we're going to give you a peek at the indoor rainforest, the living roof and more, but right now, we're kind of obsessed with the penguins. Back in late May, I just happened to be at the new building for a hard-hat tour on the exact day they moved in. Stephanie Stone, the academy's head of communications, told us that the biologists were afraid that the birds—a colony of 18 African penguins from South Africa and Namibia—might need some time to get used to their new home. (It's a lot bigger than their temporary space in SoMa was.) But when we got to the glass-walled tank, all but three were gleefully zooming through the water--exactly like kids at recess on the first sunny day after a month of rain.


(I took some pics, but they were just too fast for me.)

As we watched, those last, reluctant three edged closer and closer to the edge of the "rock" platform, and then--like they were daring each other--suddenly dove in. Seriously cute.



Last week, our photo editor, Stefanie Michejda, went to the “official” homecoming party for the penguins. Luckily, she has a much better camera (and actually knows what she’s doing with it).

Stef also got to see Pierre, the penguin whose life was saved by a wetsuit. For the full story (and three live penguin cams!), click here. And come back next week for the rainforest…

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