Conservation Photography Workshop
Focused on Conservation
Gary Sharlow, Photographer, Education Manager

Sunday, February 05th 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Whether it’s through a collaborative effort that involves photographers, scientists and non-profit organizations or individual exploration of the natural world with just you and your camera, there are many opportunities to get involved with conservation efforts for your favorite habitats, wild sanctuaries or most beloved wild animals. Join photographer Gary Sharlow as he presents a variety of tools, websites, organizations and ideas for turning your lens towards conservation. Whether you prefer to shoot with a DSLR, a point and shoot pocket camera or your iPhone, there are ways for each and every one of you to get involved.

Please Note: We will meet at the Business Reception Desk at the backdoor of the Academy at 12:45pm.

Reservations: Academy Members: $40, Adults: $50 ~ For ages 18+ Space is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

Benjamin Dean Lecture
SOFIA: Astronomy from the Stratosphere
Dr. Erick Young
Science Mission and Operations Director, SOFIA Science Center

Monday, February 06th 7:30pm Planetarium
As SOFIA Science Mission Operations Director, Young directs, supervises, and provides technical and management guidance for the combined Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and Deutsches SOFIA Institute (DSI) staff. He also manages the airborne observatory's equipment, instruments, support facilities, and infrastructure. SOFIA is a highly modified Boeing 747SP airplane that carries a 2.5-meter telescope. Flying above 40,000 ft, this NASA observatory conducts infrared observations impossible from ground-based locations. In this presentation, Dr. Young will cover the development, results, and future of this unique facility.

Reservations:Adults $12, Seniors $10, Academy Members $6. Seating is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

Conversations at the Herbst Theatre
Unlocking the Mysteries of Genetics
Craig Venter, PhD.
Founder and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI)

Monday February 13th 8:00pm
He was one of the pioneering researchers who sequenced the human genome. Next, his team built the genome of a bacterium from scratch and incorporated it into a cell to make what they call the world's first synthetic life form. This achievement heralds the dawn of a new era in which new life could be made to benefit humanity, starting with bacteria that churn out biofuels, soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and even manufacture vaccines. J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., is regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his numerous invaluable contributions to genomic research. He is Founder and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit, research and support organization with more than 400 scientist and staff dedicated to human, microbial, plant and environmental genomic research, the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics, and seeking alternative energy solutions through genomics. In Conversation with Thomas Goetz - Executive Editor of Wired Magazine.

Reservations:
Call 415-392-4400 or visit: City Box Office
(Academy discounts applied during checkout.)

Members: $20 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $24 Orch/Box
Non Members: $22 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $26 Orch/Box

Pritzker Lecture
Stem Cells: Not What They Used to Be
Bruce R. Conklin, M.D.
Senior Investigator, Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease
Professor Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Wednesday, February 15th 7:00 pm in African Hall
Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In many tissues, they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. San Francisco’s Gladstone Institutes is a leading force in stem cell research. In this presentation, Gladstone Investigator Dr. Bruce Conklin explains the surprising past, present, and future of stem cells.

Reservations:Adults $12, Seniors $10, Academy Members: free. Seating is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

In Partnership With The San Francisco Public Library
California Native Plants in a Managed Landscape
Kendra Hauser
Landscape Exhibit Assistant, California Academy of Sciences

Wednesday, February 22nd 6:00pm Koret Auditorium
On weekend walks through the natural landscapes of the Bay Area, Kendra Hauser and her team at the California Academy of Sciences find inspiration from the efficient design of the botanical world that surrounds us. This inspiration leads to a dynamic, native living exhibit on the roof and grounds surrounding the now Double Platinum LEED Certified Academy. Join us for a presentation about California Native Plants and the best operating practices for a managed landscape, which you may even be able to use to help sprout the gardens around your own homes and businesses.

Reservations: This is a free event at the San Francisco Public Library Main. Seating is limited. Please call 415-379-8000

Conversations at the Herbst Theatre
Primate Behavior: Lessons for Life
Dr. Robert Sapolsky
Professor of Biology, Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University

Monday, March 5, 2012 at 8:00pm
For more than thirty years, Dr. Sapolsky has divided his time between the field and the lab. As a result, he can effortlessly move from a discussion of pecking orders in primate societies (human and baboon) to an explanation of how neurotransmitters work during stress—and he get laughs doing it. In fact, he chose to live with baboons because they are perfect for learning about stress and stress-related diseases in humans. Like their human cousins, baboons live in large, complex social groups and have lots of time, Dr. Sapolsky writes, “to devote to being rotten to each other.” Just like stressed-out people, stressed-out baboons have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and hardened arteries. And just like people, baboons are good material for stories. His gift for storytelling led The New York Times to suggest, “If you crossed Jane Goodall with a borscht-belt comedian, she might have written a book like A Primate’s Memoir,” an account of his early years as a field biologist. Dr. Sapolsky is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. In Conversation with Michael Krasny – Host of KQED’s Forum.

Reservations:
Call 415-392-4400 or visit: City Box Office
(Academy discounts applied during checkout.)

Members: $20 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $24 Orch/Box
Non Members: $22 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $26 Orch/Box

Conservation Photography Workshop
Adobe Lightroom Techniques & Nik Software Plugins
Gary Sharlow
Education Manager, Photographer

Sunday, March 11th 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Unlock the power of Adobe Lightroom with some of the most versatile plugins available. This workshop is appropriate to all levels and will show you how to make your photos really pop. Conservation photography is a vision of photography that has a long history with a new purpose. A conservation photographer's work begins once they click the shutter. It's what you do with these images that matters as it takes you into the active role of affecting conservation for the natural world.

What To Bring: We will meet at the Business Reception Desk at the backdoor of the Academy at 12:45pm. Feel free to bring your laptop with Adobe Lightroom and the Nik Plugins which are all available on a trial basis.

Reservations: Members: $40, Adults: $50 ~ For ages 18+ Space is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

Benjamin Dean Lecture
Times Change, Literally, For Human Culture and the Cosmos
Dr. Frank Adam
Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Rochester

Monday, March 12th at 7:30pm
According to astrophysicist Adam Frank, specific human conceptions of time don’t last forever and our “modern” version is already in the midst of a radical change. In his new book, About Time, Dr. Frank argues that new ideas in cosmology are pushing the revolution in time to its final stage. Just as a "clockwork universe" followed the invention of the clock 500 years ago, scientists are now moving beyond the Big Bang to talk about universes built from information pushing time into mind-boggling new territory. Imagine: An eternal “multi-verse” made of infinite, parallel universes with infinite versions of you, lots of little bangs but no big bang beginning, a string theory universe in 10 dimensions of ever-repeating cycles, or a universe where time doesn’t exist at all. It’s impossible to say which of these new ideas will become the foundation for a new time because the science is still in flux. We do know we’re living at the twilight of the Big Bang. It’s the end of time as we know it now and as we live it now. Book signing to follow.

Reservations:Adults $12, Seniors $10, Academy Members $6. Seating is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

Special Lecture
The Western Arctic: Adventures in Alaska
Debbie S. Miller
Naturalist, Adventure Writer

Tuesday, March 13th at 7:00pm
Debbie S. Miller, naturalist and author of Midnight Wilderness: Journeys in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, will share her experiences hiking and canoeing more than 600 miles through the largely unknown western Arctic. For the past three years Miller has explored the 23-million acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the largest block of public land remaining in America. With a team of photographers, Miller studied the wildlife, wilderness, cultural and fossil history, including the largest bed of arctic dinosaur bones in the world. This presentation will offer a sneak preview for the forthcoming book On Arctic Ground, the first book to describe the Reserve's special areas and future planning for this remote corner of Alaska. Book signing to follow.

Reservations: Adults: $12, Members: $10, Seniors: $10 Seating is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

Conservation Photography Workshop
Botany at the Academy
Gary Sharlow
Education Manager, Photographer

Sunday, April 1st 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Join us for a workshop that will focus on the story telling methods of conservation photography, botany in, on and around the Academy, as well as the digital darkroom. The day will be broken into two parts with the first part to take place in a classroom environment where we will touch on digital workflow, choice of format and storytelling techniques. During the second part, we will visit the rainforest, the Living Roof, and the Academy grounds. The emphasis of this workshop will be on the process of storytelling.

What To Bring: Bring your cameras and lenses, dress in layers and be prepared to walk around for a couple of hours. Bring a backpack so you can keep all of your stuff with you while walking around. We will meet at the Business Reception Desk at the backdoor of the Academy at 0:00pm.

Reservations: Members: $40, Adults: $50 ~ For ages 18+ Space is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

Conversations at the Herbst Theatre
The Science of Wine
Kermit Lynch, Randall Grahm & Karen MacNeil
James Beard Award Winning Experts in Wine

Tuesday April 3, 2012 at 8:00pm
Kermit Lynch took a leap into a new career in 1972 and opened a retail wine shop. Passionate about French wine, he was dedicated to supporting producers who represented the best of their region and appellation, but above all whose wines were pure, with minimal external influence and/or manipulation. Kermit’s quest, as he describes it, took a most important turn in 1973, when he was invited to join one of his importers on his annual buying trip to Burgundy where he met countless farmers, winemakers and négociants interested in having their wines represented in the US. Randall Grahm is the winemaker and self-described "President-for-Life" of Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, where he has been toiling in the aforesaid vineyard for almost thirty years. He is very interested in the intersection of language and the fermented grape. Karen MacNeil is one of the foremost wine experts in the United States. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Wine Bible, recognized as “the most comprehensive and authoritative book on wine written by an American author.” In 2010 Karen was inducted into the Wine Media Guild Hall of Fame for her “significant contribution to the body of wine writing and education.”

Reservations:
Call 415-392-4400 or visit: City Box Office
(Academy discounts applied during checkout.)

Members: $20 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $24 Orch/Box
Non Members: $22 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $26 Orch/Box

Photography Workshop and Field Excursion

Part One: Saturday April 21st
Location: California Academy of Sciences

Part Two: Sunday April 22nd
Location: Point Reyes National Seashore

What's Included: Full day admission to the Academy on April 21st for Earth Day celebrations and a 3 hour afternoon photography workshop held at the Academy. The second day includes roundtrip transportation between the Academy and Point Reyes, lunch will be provided, and we will also be joined by an interpretive guide while making stops in the field. Dive into the art of conservation photography during this hands-on, two-day workshop. On Day One, workshop participants will be introduced to the field’s methodology and techniques among the Academy's live animals. On the second day, the group will put its skills into practice on an all-day excursion to some of California's most dramatic protected spaces in Point Reyes National Seashore. Conservation photography is a field rich with history, which has only recently been recognized as a discipline and powerful medium for conservation of wild areas. Throughout the experience, Academy staff and guest experts will offer photographic guidance and insight into the subjects' natural history.

Click Here For Full Details

Early Bird Reservations: Members: $150, Adults: $175 ~ After March 31st: Members: $170, Adults: $195 Ages 18 and over only with limited space available. Reserve online or call 415-379-8000.

Conversations at the Herbst Theatre
Nature Deficit Disorder
Richard Louv
Co-founder, Children & Nature Network

Tuesday April 24, 2012 at 8:00pm
In his bestselling book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv sparked a national debate that spawned an international movement to reconnect kids and nature. In The Nature Principle, Mr. Louv delivers another powerful call to action—this time for adults. Supported by groundbreaking research, anecdotal evidence, and compelling personal stories, Mr. Louv identifies seven basic concepts that can help us reshape our lives. Mr. Louv makes a convincing case that we are entering the most creative period in history, that in fact the twenty-first century will be the era of human restoration in the natural world. This encouraging and influential work offers renewed optimism while challenging us to rethink the way we live. In Conversation with Dawn Scott – Family Program Coordinator at Spirit Rock.

Reservations:
Call 415-392-4400 or visit: City Box Office
(Academy discounts applied during checkout.)

Members: $20 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $24 Orch/Box
Non Members: $22 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $26 Orch/Box

Conversations at the Herbst Theatre
The Neuroscience of Zen
Dr. Philippe Goldin Department of Psychology, Stanford University
Ryushin Paul Haller Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center

Monday May 21, 2012 at 8:00pm
Join us for evening where we will dive into the depths of the brain and zen meditation to learn where the two intersect and what it means for our well being. Dr. Goldin spent 6 years in India and Nepal studying various languages, Buddhist philosophy and debate at Namgyal Monastery and the Dialectic Monastic Institute, and serving as an interpreter for various Tibetan Buddhist lamas. He has since become a noted researcher in Clinical Psychology and is on the faculty of Stanford University. Ryushin Paul Haller, is a dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman and has taught at SF Zen Center for over 20 years. He teaches throughout the U.S. and Europe and has led mindfulness programs to assist with depression and recovery. He is interested in finding ways of expressing our practice in society, both as compassionate service and making it available to as many people as possible.

Reservations:
Call 415-392-4400 or visit: City Box Office
(Academy discounts applied during checkout.)

Members: $20 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $24 Orch/Box
Non Members: $22 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $26 Orch/Box

Conversations At The Herbst Theatre

In this series, the Academy has partnered with City Arts & Lectures, Inc. to present distinguished scientists, professors, writers, thinkers, photographers and artists who discuss important and timely scientific and environmental issues. These conversations are held downtown at San Francisco's beautiful Herbst Theatre on Van Ness Avenue.

Unlocking the Mysteries of Genetics
Craig Venter, PhD.
Founder and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI)

Monday February 13th 8:00pm
He was one of the pioneering researchers who sequenced the human genome. Next, his team built the genome of a bacterium from scratch and incorporated it into a cell to make what they call the world's first synthetic life form. This achievement heralds the dawn of a new era in which new life could be made to benefit humanity, starting with bacteria that churn out biofuels, soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and even manufacture vaccines. J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., is regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his numerous invaluable contributions to genomic research. He is Founder and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit, research and support organization with more than 400 scientist and staff dedicated to human, microbial, plant and environmental genomic research, the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics, and seeking alternative energy solutions through genomics. In Conversation with Thomas Goetz - Executive Editor of Wired Magazine.

Ticketing Information Below

Primate Behavior: Lessons for Life
Dr. Robert Sapolsky
Professor of Biology, Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University

Monday, March 5, 2012 at 8:00pm
For more than thirty years, Dr. Sapolsky has divided his time between the field and the lab. As a result, he can effortlessly move from a discussion of pecking orders in primate societies (human and baboon) to an explanation of how neurotransmitters work during stress—and he get laughs doing it. In fact, he chose to live with baboons because they are perfect for learning about stress and stress-related diseases in humans. Like their human cousins, baboons live in large, complex social groups and have lots of time, Dr. Sapolsky writes, “to devote to being rotten to each other.” Just like stressed-out people, stressed-out baboons have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and hardened arteries. And just like people, baboons are good material for stories. His gift for storytelling led The New York Times to suggest, “If you crossed Jane Goodall with a borscht-belt comedian, she might have written a book like A Primate’s Memoir,” an account of his early years as a field biologist. Dr. Sapolsky is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. In Conversation with Michael Krasny – Host of KQED’s Forum.

Ticketing Information Below

The Science of Wine
Kermit Lynch, Randall Grahm & Karen MacNeil
James Beard Award Winning Experts in Wine

Tuesday April 3, 2012 at 8:00pm
Kermit Lynch took a leap into a new career in 1972 and opened a retail wine shop. Passionate about French wine, he was dedicated to supporting producers who represented the best of their region and appellation, but above all whose wines were pure, with minimal external influence and/or manipulation. Kermit’s quest, as he describes it, took a most important turn in 1973, when he was invited to join one of his importers on his annual buying trip to Burgundy where he met countless farmers, winemakers and négociants interested in having their wines represented in the US. Randall Grahm is the winemaker and self-described "President-for-Life" of Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, where he has been toiling in the aforesaid vineyard for almost thirty years. He is very interested in the intersection of language and the fermented grape. Karen MacNeil is one of the foremost wine experts in the United States. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Wine Bible, recognized as “the most comprehensive and authoritative book on wine written by an American author.” In 2010 Karen was inducted into the Wine Media Guild Hall of Fame for her “significant contribution to the body of wine writing and education.”

Ticketing Information Below

Nature Deficit Disorder
Richard Louv
Co-founder, Children & Nature Network

Tuesday April 24, 2012 at 8:00pm
In his bestselling book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv sparked a national debate that spawned an international movement to reconnect kids and nature. In The Nature Principle, Mr. Louv delivers another powerful call to action—this time for adults. Supported by groundbreaking research, anecdotal evidence, and compelling personal stories, Mr. Louv identifies seven basic concepts that can help us reshape our lives. Mr. Louv makes a convincing case that we are entering the most creative period in history, that in fact the twenty-first century will be the era of human restoration in the natural world. This encouraging and influential work offers renewed optimism while challenging us to rethink the way we live. In Conversation with Dawn Scott – Family Program Coordinator at Spirit Rock.

Ticketing Information Below

The Neuroscience of Zen
Dr. Philippe Goldin Department of Psychology, Stanford University
Ryushin Paul Haller Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center

Monday May 21, 2012 at 8:00pm
Join us for evening where we will dive into the depths of the brain and zen meditation to learn where the two intersect and what it means for our well being. Dr. Goldin spent 6 years in India and Nepal studying various languages, Buddhist philosophy and debate at Namgyal Monastery and the Dialectic Monastic Institute, and serving as an interpreter for various Tibetan Buddhist lamas. He has since become a noted researcher in Clinical Psychology and is on the faculty of Stanford University. Ryushin Paul Haller, is a dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman and has taught at SF Zen Center for over 20 years. He teaches throughout the U.S. and Europe and has led mindfulness programs to assist with depression and recovery. He is interested in finding ways of expressing our practice in society, both as compassionate service and making it available to as many people as possible.

Ticketing Information Below

Herbst Theatre Ticketing Information:

Reservations:
Call 415-392-4400 or visit: City Box Office
(Academy discounts applied during checkout.)

Members: $20 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $24 Orch/Box
Non Members: $22 Balc/Dress/Rear-Orch, $26 Orch/Box

Pritzker Lectures 

Free to Academy members, the Pritzker lecture series features engaging speakers from the Bay Area and beyond. Topics cover a wide range of subjects related to the Academy's mission to "explore, explain and protect the natural world."

Pritzker Lecture
Stem Cells: Not What They Used to Be
Bruce R. Conklin, M.D.
Senior Investigator, Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease
Professor Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Wednesday, February 15th 7:00 pm in African Hall
Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In many tissues, they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. San Francisco’s Gladstone Institutes is a leading force in stem cell research. In this presentation, Gladstone Investigator Dr. Bruce Conklin explains the surprising past, present, and future of stem cells.

Reservations:Adults $12, Seniors $10, Academy Members: free. Seating is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

Benjamin Dean Lectures

This series of talks for the general public is given by noted scientists in the fields of astronomy and space science. It is held in the Morrison Planetarium, home of the most accurate and interactive digital Universe ever created, which is shown on the world's largest all-digital dome.

Benjamin Dean Lecture
SOFIA: Astronomy from the Stratosphere
Dr. Erick Young
Science Mission and Operations Director, SOFIA Science Center

Monday, February 06th 7:30pm Planetarium
As SOFIA Science Mission Operations Director, Young directs, supervises, and provides technical and management guidance for the combined Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and Deutsches SOFIA Institute (DSI) staff. He also manages the airborne observatory's equipment, instruments, support facilities, and infrastructure. SOFIA is a highly modified Boeing 747SP airplane that carries a 2.5-meter telescope. Flying above 40,000 ft, this NASA observatory conducts infrared observations impossible from ground-based locations. In this presentation, Dr. Young will cover the development, results, and future of this unique facility.

Reservations:Adults $12, Seniors $10, Academy Members $6. Seating is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000

Benjamin Dean Lecture
Times Change, Literally, For Human Culture and the Cosmos
Dr. Frank Adam
Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Rochester

Monday, March 12th at 7:30pm
According to astrophysicist Adam Frank, specific human conceptions of time don’t last forever and our “modern” version is already in the midst of a radical change. In his new book, About Time, Dr. Frank argues that new ideas in cosmology are pushing the revolution in time to its final stage. Just as a "clockwork universe" followed the invention of the clock 500 years ago, scientists are now moving beyond the Big Bang to talk about universes built from information pushing time into mind-boggling new territory. Imagine: An eternal “multi-verse” made of infinite, parallel universes with infinite versions of you, lots of little bangs but no big bang beginning, a string theory universe in 10 dimensions of ever-repeating cycles, or a universe where time doesn’t exist at all. It’s impossible to say which of these new ideas will become the foundation for a new time because the science is still in flux. We do know we’re living at the twilight of the Big Bang. It’s the end of time as we know it now and as we live it now. Book signing to follow.

Reservations:Adults $12, Seniors $10, Academy Members $6. Seating is limited. To reserve a place today, buy a ticket online or over the phone at 415-379-8000