California Academy of Sciences

@calacademy.bsky.social

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Natural history museum, research institute, aquarium, planetarium, rainforest, & so much more — all under one living roof.

A North American River Otter curls around a large fish it is eating, its wet fur slicked back. British Columbia, Canada.
Close-up of Teddy Bear Liverwort, a bright green plant with densely fuzzy, rounded lobes. Taranaki, New Zealand.
Two striking violet-purple mushrooms photographed from below, showing their fan-like gills, growing from a mossy forest floor. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Photo by jeremyhegge on iNaturalist.
An orange and dark brown butterfly perches on a small white flower against a green background. Berazategui, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo by matiascabezas on iNaturalist.
An osprey flies directly toward the camera with wings fully spread, carrying a fish in its talons. Hennepin County, Minnesota. Photo by brennan_roy_ on iNaturalist.
A small Tillandsia air plant with silvery-green spiky leaves grows on a moss-covered rock surface in Brazil.
A gray-green Hooded Rosette Lichen with lobed, ruffled edges grows on a rock surface surrounded by moss, photographed in Berlin.
A Narrow-bordered Bee Hawkmoth with transparent wings feeds on a yellow dandelion, photographed in Luxembourg.
Page shows a man using his phone to photograph a nature scene along the California coast. The logos for the City Nature Challenge and its organizers (NHMLA and Cal Academy of Sciences) are shown in the center of the page. Bottom page text reads “We need to know about nature in order to protect it”.
Text titled “Why observe nature?” lists the reasons to participate in the challenge: Provide science biodiversity data, learn about nature around you, connect with other nature lovers, discover rare species, contribute to conservation research, and enjoy outdoor time. Background shows a woman observing nature while standing along a coastal bluff.
Page titled “Step 1: Go Outside” instructs viewers to head outdoors and start searching for wildlife. It instructs folks to join a local bioblitz or community events, find wildlife near them, and bring a friend. Background image shows a group of people and children walking along a trail.
A page titled “Key dates” outlines the duration of the challenge: Get outside and observe wildlife (April 24-27), Upload observations on inaturalist (April 28-May10), and see 2026 results on May 13. Background is of a California coastal ecosystem with green plants and lupines shown.
A person wearing a red jacket is bending over and holding their phone, photographing a plant or animal in a plant-covered section of a cliff. A text banner across the page reads “Join the 2026 City Nature Challenge.”
A small butterfly with delicate, pale wings and black markings is perched on a green plant stem. The background is blurred, highlighting the butterfly.
A biologist kneels in a grassy area while writing notes on orange flags. They wear a jacket with a logo that reads "California Academy of Sciences." Various tools and a backpack are visible.
A small butterfly with brown and blue wings perches on a plant, feeding on tiny flowers. The background is a soft focus of green foliage.
A colorful poster titled "Let it Grow" features vibrant insects and flowers. It lists benefits of leaving sections of grass unmowed: fewer pests, more bees and butterflies, and enhanced insect biodiversity. A speech bubble from a dandelion says, "Let your lawn go shaggy!" A butterfly and a bee are also visible.
Colorful poster promoting planting native plants. Features vibrant flowers, a butterfly on purple blooms, and text highlighting benefits like providing nectar and pollen for pollinators. Includes a playful speech bubble that says, "Mmm, yummy." Offers a gardening tip with a website link: [www.cnps.org/gardening](http://www.cnps.org/gardening).
A bee is perched on a cluster of vibrant blue flowers with lush green leaves in the background. The text reads, "How to Protect Pollinators Near You" with an arrow pointing towards the bee.
A collage-style page provides a reading recommendation for science writing: ‘How Far the Light Reaches’ by Sabrina Imbler. Text describes the book as “A heartfelt memoir that explores the lives of mysterious sea creatures and the lessons they teach us about community, adaptation, sexuality, and identity.” Sea creature cut-outs in blues and pinks are scattered across the page.
A collage-style page provides a reading recommendation in the ‘Academia’ genre: Queer Ecologies, edited by Catriona Mortimer Sandilands and Bruce Erickson. Text describes the book as a core text that breaks down the binaries humans project onto nature. Themes include reciprocity, human-nature connections, and decolonial thinking. More pink cutouts are scattered throughout the page, including one of sea gulls and flowers.
A collage-style image with a baby blue background shows a bunch of pink, light blue, and white magazine cutouts of various animals and plants, including a penguin, swan, fish, lizard, snails and slugs, and a seahorse. Title page reads “Cal Academy’s Queer Ecology Reading List.”
A vibrant blue butterfly is perched on a leafy plant inside Cal ACademy's rainforest dome, with a glass ceiling visible above.
A close up image shows a bright yellow Panamanian golden frog flush against the edge of its habitat, its stomach pressing up against the glass. A text bubble coming out of the frog says, “Every Academy visit supports my species!”
A slide with an inlaid video of a panamanian golden frog is titled “Fast facts.” The frog is resting completely still atop a mossy branch in Cal Academy’s habitats. Text reads: Panamanian Golden Frogs have no external ears. They “hear” by feeling vibrations in their lungs. These frogs socialize using throat sounds & hand-waving. One frog’s skin has enough toxins to kill 1,200 mice.
A collage style page titled “Our partners:” shows various images of panamanian golden frogs, a white and brown building, and an Academy biologist next to a mural of the frogs. Text reads: Since 2022, the Academy has partnered with the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) to conserve Panamanian amphibians—like these endangered frogs.
Slide titled “Atelopus zeteki” shows various cutouts of Panamanian Golden Frogs. Text reads: “Panamanian Golden Frogs are only found in the streams and mountainous slopes of Panama. They are Critically Endangered and may be extinct in the wild. No individual has been seen in its historic range since 2009.”
An illustrated cover image shows a Panamanian Golden frog, a yellow and brown spotted amphibian, looking upward as it rests in a shallow puddle of water. Cut outs of various rainforest plants are shown at the top and bottom of the page.
Methuselah, an Australian lungfish, wears a birthday hat for Academy Day.
Morla, an alligator snapping turtle, wears a birthday hat, while a banner in the background reads "Happy Academy Day!"
A collage of various colorful flowers and a link for more information: bit.ly/CloverMilkvetch. Supported by the California Biodiversity Data Exchange.
A colorful infographic titled "How to identify in nature: Clovers (Genus Trifolium)" shows images of various clover types. It includes illustrations of clover leaflets, described as three leaflets attached to a single stem, and globe or oblong-shaped flowering bodies. Images at the bottom show clusters of tiny flowers held together by bracts, which are modified leaves that protect budding flowers.
Collage showing various clover and milkvetch plants. Text overlays highlight their importance and why people should make observations of these plants: clovers are underreported on iNaturalist, many milkvetch species are specific to regions, both are crucial for pollinators, and their flowers are beautiful.
Two side-by-side images of plants. The left image shows clover with green leaves and white flowers. The right image shows a different green plant, a milkvetch, with elongated leaves and light cream flowers. Text above reads, "Have you seen these plants?" Below, it says, "Wanted for being ridiculously cute, ecologically important, and unfortunately underrated. Photograph immediately if spotted.”
Two penguins wearing illustrated crowns, labeled "Kianga & Dunker" against a red background with hearts. Text describes them as "Foster parent icons," "Superior snugglers," and "Iconic since '07."
Illustrated graphic describes Opal & Pete as a couple: Opal is a grand dame (oldest colony elder) who catches fish mid-air and is a homebody. Pete is a simp who needs a bib at the dinner table and prefers older penguins.
Lockup graphic shows two penguin pairs facing off in semifinals: Iggie & Fyn (against a white backdrop) and Opal & Pete (against a purple backdrop).
A short video shows a penguin named Nelson biting at a fuzzy microphone, with text on top reading “NELSON SAYS YOU NEED TO VOTE!” Video switches to short clips of two penguin pairs: Iggie & Fyn and Opal & Pete.
A child looks at a fish in its habitat. Text reads: Free Admission for SFUSD Students. Details in caption.
Valentine style card showing Kianga and Dunker, a penguin pair, against a red backdrop with hearts all around them. Text describes Dunker as a gentle sweet cuddly boy with an affinity for fish, while Kianga is a neat and petite eyedrops queen with a great side eye.
Valentines-style collage shows a portrait of two penguins against a white backdrop with hearts interspersed. One penguin appears to be coming out of the image on the left side. Title reads Fyn & Iggie, and their tagline is Love at First Sight. Text reads “The newest couple on the block, Iggie and Fyn bonded almost immediately. Congrats are in order: They just secured a down payment on their first nest box.”
Valentines-style collage shows a portrait of two penguins against a teal backdrop with hearts interspersed. Both penguins stare ahead. Title reads Stanlee & Bernie, and their tagline is Booked & Busy. Text reads “The ‘rise and grind’ couple of the colony: Bernie’s out swimming laps at 6 a.m. while Stanlee constructs the perfect nest tower, one felt piece at a time.”
Lockup graphic shows rounds 3 and 4 of the penguin power couples voting bracket, this time against a black backdrop: R3 Opal & Pete (purple armbands) versus Stanlee & Bernie (teal armbands); R2 Fyn & Iggie (white armbands) versus Tule & Grendel (yellow armbands).
Valentines-style collage shows a portrait of two penguins against a green backdrop with hearts interspersed. One holds a long ribbon of green felt in his mouth. Title reads Ty & Robben, and their tagline is Partners in Crime. Text reads “If the colony had yearbook superlatives, Ty and Robben would win ‘Most Likely to Start Drama and Look Good Doing It.’ these troublemakers are known to steal other penguins’ nest boxes.”
Valentines-style collage shows a portrait of two penguins against a blue backdrop with hearts interspersed. One penguin holds a felt heart in its mouth. Title reads Parker & Tux, and their tagline is Manic Pixie Pair. Text reads “Tux: devoted mate, Not as tough as he looks. Parker: manic pixie dream penguin, reluctant recipient of affection. Their relationship status? It's complicated.”
Collage-style image shows several cut-outs of African penguins atop drawn red and pink hearts. Text reads “PENGUIN POWER COUPLES” in cursive, with subtext asking viewers to vote for their perfect pairs from Feb. 9-13. Winners crowned on V-Day.
Meme asking "What Wetland Are You?" Wetlands include: Constructed wetland, callow, interdunal wetland, lagoon, slough, guelta, quagmire, and cienega.
A Eurasian beaver skull is highlighted on this slide and it can be found in the mammalogy cabinet. Its teeth are prominently featured as the front incisors are coated in an orange enamel, that protects a beaver’s teeth as it chews trees. Laura, a Public Programs Supervisor says “Beavers are such important ecosystem engineers. There’s so much to talk about because their anatomy is so unique!”
An infographic highlighting Academy staff’s favorite specimens in our new Nature Lab. Highlights include a dung beetle, a turtle, beaver skull, 6 legged frog in a jar, and meteorite. Swipe to see more.
The Claude Forever event poster featuring a portrait of Claude. The celebration of life event will take place Sunday January 18 from 11AM-1PM in the Golden Gate Park Bandshell.
Title card for a Day in the Life with an Aquarium Biologist. Biologist Tim Wong holds a chrysalis as he does butterfly care. He also dives in our Philippine Coral Reef, waters plants in the Osher Rainforest, and feeds penguins.
Glowing pink cuttlefish against a blue background.