ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

MY FAMILY HAS GONE TO THE ACADEMY IN SAN FRANCISCO A NUMBER OF TIMES MANY YEARS AGO. IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN RENOVATED AND REMODELED IT AND MOVED IT TO ANOTHER LOCATION. THEY HAVE INTERESTING EXHIBITS AND THEY EXPLAIN THE SPECIES OF THE ANIMAL, FISH, OR REPTILE OR INSECT THAT IS ON DISPLAY. I LOVE WATCHING THE AQUARIUM AND THE ANIMALS SWIMMING IN THE TANK.

THEY HAVE A SECTION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT ECOTONES IN CALIFORNIA THAT EXPLAIN ALL THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN THE ECOTONES. THERE USED TO BE AN EXHIBIT DESCRIBING THE NATIVE AMERICAN USE OF ACORNS AND HOW THEY WERE PROCESSED. THEY DISPLAY POTTERY AND JEWELRY FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THEY ALSO DESCRIBE HOW NATIVE AMERICANS LIVED IN PREHISTORIC TIMES IN CALIFORNIA.

WHILE I WAS LECTURING AT A LIBRARY I MET ONE OF THE ANTHROPOLOGISTS WHO SAID TO CONTACT THE MANAGER OF PEPPERWOOD PRESERVE. I DID MEET HIM AND LED A NUMBER OF ECO ADVENTURES IN THIS 3000 ACRE PRESERVE NOW PRIVATELY OWNED.

THE MUSEUM ALSO HAS VARIOUS CALIFORNIA NATURE FILMS TO ATTEND. THEY HAVE A PLANETARIUM HERE THAT IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST! IT RECEIVES DATA FROM NASA. THEY HAVE A DIGITAL SCREEN AND PROJECTION SYSTEM. THEY HAVE REPLICATED A RAIN FOREST OF FOUR STORIES. CONTAINED IN A 90 FOOT DIAMETER GLASS DOME. THERE ARE 250 BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES, 100 EXOTIC REPTILES, AND A CAVE OF BATS. THERE'S A 100.000 GALLON OF EXOTIC REPTILES AND A CAVE OF BATS. THERE'S A FLOODED FOREST WITH 100'S OF TROPICAL FISH AND LUSH TROPICAL PLANTS. THEY HAVE LIVE PENGUINS FROM AFRICA SWIMMING OUTSIDE. THEY ALSO HAVE SHARKS IN AN AQUARIUM. THEIR EXHIBITS ARE ENGAGING AND INNOVATIVE. 40,000ANIMALS ARE HERE - SIX TIMES THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS AT THE OLD MUSEUM.

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