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Our Strategic Plan
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We are part of the natural world, not apart from it. The Academy’s new strategic plan recognizes that solutions to the ecological crisis must begin with a radical reimagining of our relationship to nature.
For too long, humans have figured “doing less bad” was the best we could do for the environment. Now, as we emerge from a year of global upheaval and environmental wake-up calls, it’s time to shake loose old preconceptions, dream big, and act fast to take sustainability a critical step further.
It’s time to do more good.
Our 5-year strategic plan maps out a pathway to a future we want to inhabit, where biodiversity losses turn to gains and ecosystem degradation turns to regeneration. We seek a new model of conservation that places communities at the center of solutions and recognizes that environmental progress without social justice is a battle half-won.
As a museum and research institution, the Academy’s in-house expertise in science, education, communication, and collaboration means we’re well-equipped to make meaningful change. Explore this page for a preview of our three major new initiatives that aim to revitalize our connections with the natural world by restoring and regenerating California’s treasured habitats, global coral reefs, and island ecosystems—and check back for updates and how you can get involved.
Our new mission: We regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.
The Academy’s new mission statement is a rallying cry for bold, positive, collective action to overcome the global ecological crises that impact us all. By generating new scientific knowledge about ecosystems, ensuring our educational resources are accessible to museum visitors and distance-learners alike, and building cross-sector collaborations with diverse partners, we can rebuild humanity’s intrinsic bond with our environment and co-create a healthier, more resilient, and wilder world.
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Thriving California
Our diversity is our strength. Our Thriving California initiative will harness the power of data and crowd-sourced community science to build a vibrant model for scaling conservation solutions in the Golden State. Community partnerships and environmental learning programs will provide all Californians with the tools required to be active, engaged, passionate stewards of the habitat we share.
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Hope for Reefs
The cutting-edge research of Academy scientists will give coral reefs a fighting chance. Our Hope for Reefs initiative will include the most comprehensive survey of reef biodiversity to date, with the resulting data guiding strategic interventions—from marine protected areas to on-the-reef restoration—enacted with local and global stakeholders. Educational programs and resources will empower local communities to bolster coral reef resilience in a warming world.
Photo credit: Luiz Rocha © California Academy of Sciences
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Islands 2030
A staggering 75 percent of all recent extinctions—birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals combined—have been on islands. Our Islands 2030 initiative aims to establish a new conservation model capable of halting biodiversity loss and habitat degradation on tropical islands by 2030 and begin the process of regenerating these vital oases.
Photo credit: Brian L. Fisher © California Academy of Sciences
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Bold initiatives require bold supporters.
Your gift today is a critical investment in a thriving future. Thank you for your support—and we look forward to sharing our victories with you.
Join our annual global community science event to find, document, and share urban biodiversity!
Via Time: Academy scientist Brian Fisher believes entomophagy is the key to Madagascar's future.
Learn more about Phase 1 of the Academy's global initiative to research and restore coral reef ecosystems.
Baby coral alert! Academy curator Rebecca Albright shares the news of her lab's recent coral spawning event.