California Academy of Sciences

California Academy of Sciences Aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, natural history museum, & research institution. Since 1853.
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Grab a friend and head outside because there’s just 🚨ONE MORE DAY LEFT 🚨to make observations for the City Nature Challen...
04/27/2026

Grab a friend and head outside because there’s just 🚨ONE MORE DAY LEFT 🚨to make observations for the City Nature Challenge this year! After today, you can still *upload* your photos onto iNaturalist.org—but they need to be *photographed* between April 24–27 to count as part of the challenge.

Day 3, as of 4/27 8:45am PT:
🌿 60,813+ Species
🌿 1,977,189+ Observations
🌿 87,076+ Observers
🌿 15,106+ Identifiers

Learn more & find events worldwide: citynaturechallenge.org

It’s not too late to join the world’s largest annual community science event! Three easy steps: get outside, photograph ...
04/26/2026

It’s not too late to join the world’s largest annual community science event! Three easy steps: get outside, photograph wild nature, and share it on the free .org app. 👀🤳

In case you need some inspiration, check out these snapshots of what people have been seeing in their cities around the world.

Day 2, as of 4/26 8:45am PT:
🌻 52,451+ Species
🌻 1,319,064+ Observations
🌻 65,946+ Observers
🌻 11,842+ Identifiers

Learn more & find events worldwide: citynaturechallenge.org

Right now, thousands of people all around the world are getting outside and documenting their local nature to help scien...
04/25/2026

Right now, thousands of people all around the world are getting outside and documenting their local nature to help science and conservation. Here are just a few highlights from the first 24 hours of the 11th annual City Nature Challenge. ✨

Day 1, as of 4/25 8:45am PT:
🌱 40,358+ Species
🌱 660,776+ Observations
🌱 38,432+ Observers
🌱 8,315+ Identifiers

Learn more & find events worldwide: citynaturechallenge.org

iNaturalist.org

04/24/2026

Did you know you don’t actually have to see an animal to “observe” them on ? 👀

Use these pro tips to track sneaky, hard-to-find wildlife all around you—whether it’s following their footprints, listening for birdsongs, or photographing their… p**p? Sometimes you just need to take a pause, use your senses, and pay attention to the subtle clues animals leave everywhere.

The City Nature Challenge starts today, so use these new detective skills to observe wildlife around the globe. More info at bit.ly/CitNat26.

04/23/2026

Few people can say their party trick involves a 9-foot polar bear pelt. 🐻‍❄️

Cal Academy volunteer Sam Hinman is one of those people. He helps bring the (wild)life to NightLife, showing off our specimens and teaching partygoers a thing or two about science as they dance the night away.

We’re closing out Volunteer Appreciation Week with a big thank you to our amazing volunteers! If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer like Sam, check out our website here: bit.ly/4dZRyNV

There are 20+ roles that require many unique skill sets, come volunteer with us!

04/21/2026

Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week!

Academy volunteer Katherine Moser is just a few lo-fi beats away from having the coziest routine in the botany department. As a retired teacher, Katherine continues to spread knowledge by helping our digitization efforts—allowing people from around the world to access our collections for research!

Thanks so much to our Academy volunteers for all their hard work! If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer like Katherine, check out our website here: bit.ly/4dZRyNV. There are 20+ roles that require many unique skill sets, come volunteer with us!

04/20/2026

Brush teeth, make bed… feed butterflies? 🦋

Cal Academy volunteer Ally Tang’s morning routine is more whimsical than most (and yeah, we’re a little jealous). A full-time student, her pre-class shift involves caring for a multitude of our winged residents, from the birds and butterflies in the rainforest dome to our beloved African penguins.

Thanks so much to our Academy volunteers for all their hard work! If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer like Ally, check out our website here: bit.ly/4dZRyNV

There are 20+ roles that require many unique skill sets, come volunteer with us!

On this day 120 years ago, an Academy botanist braved a massive earthquake, encroaching flames, and a crumbling building...
04/18/2026

On this day 120 years ago, an Academy botanist braved a massive earthquake, encroaching flames, and a crumbling building to save over 1,400 rare plant specimens. For this reason—and her decades dedicated to rebuilding our world-class herbarium—botanist Alice Eastwood is a legendary figure in the Academy’s history books.

The baby blues are back & better than ever! This month, Academy scientists, partners, and volunteers released dozens of ...
04/17/2026

The baby blues are back & better than ever!

This month, Academy scientists, partners, and volunteers released dozens of silvery blue butterflies (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) in the Presidio, as part of ongoing efforts to restore ecosystem function & support butterfly populations in the Bay Area.

Silvery blues are the closest living relatives to the extinct Xerces blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces). Since 2024, scientists have relocated dozens of these “ecological stand-ins” to the Presidio’s restored sand dunes—the historic habitat of the Xerces blue—where the newcomers will serve as pollinators and critical members of the food web.

This work is made possible by a dedicated team from the Academy, and .

📸 Tim Wong

Did you know that pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you eat? If that wasn’t enough, p...
04/14/2026

Did you know that pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you eat? If that wasn’t enough, pollinating bats are the reason you can drink tequila 🤯

This , learn how to support the birds, bees, butterflies, bats, and other pollinating animals who make our ecosystems thrive & keep our food systems running. Pay attention to your local native pollinators, who often provide support to specific plants and animals near you.

Whether you’re in a city apartment or tend a garden in your home, everyone can participate in protecting pollinators. Pick what works for you!

An excuse to wear your fanciest nature-themed ensemble? ✅An aquarium turned dance party? ✅Being able to tell Methuselah ...
04/09/2026

An excuse to wear your fanciest nature-themed ensemble? ✅

An aquarium turned dance party? ✅

Being able to tell Methuselah goodnight when you leave??? ✅

Join us for our biggest party of the year! It’s a late night of science, live music, tasty treats, open bars with craft cocktails, and much more—all in support of the Academy’s mission to regenerate the natural world. Get tickets here: bit.ly/4tq9eqv

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55 Music Concourse Drive
San Francisco, CA
94118

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+14153798000

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