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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.
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Medina and Trevino joined Academy staff to scatter seeds of native bunchgrass on the mound, providing a food source and nesting material for new life. Shellmounds underscore that humans are not separate from nature, but are a part of it.
The Living Roof at Cal Academy, with its rolling hills in the background and the Ohlone garden mound in the foreground.
November 25, 2025 at 4:56 PM
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Created in partnership with cultural leaders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino from Cafe Ohlone @makamham, the garden features plants that hold significance to the East Bay Ohlone community, and is adorned with abalone and oyster shells.
Cultural leaders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino from Cafe Ohlone scattering seeds on the Ohlone garden on the Living Roof.
November 25, 2025 at 4:56 PM
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Shellmounds, sacred Ohlone sites used as burial places and gathering areas, were constructed by Indigenous people to connect with their ancestors, each other, and the land. Shellmounds can be found throughout the Bay Area & helped inspire the design of the Ohlone garden on the Academy’s Living Roof.
Close up of abalone shells on the Ohlone garden on Cal Academy's Living Roof.
November 25, 2025 at 4:56 PM
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Head to bit.ly/SeaStar25 for more info.
A magazine-style page titled ‘Giant pink sea star (Pisaster brevispinus), shows cutouts of the sea star with text describing the species. Text reads: “RANGE: Sitka, Alaska to La Jolla, California; SIZE: Massive, 12 in. average, up to 35 in; APPEARANCE: Pink and peach coloration with rows of spines across the body. Sometimes appears greyish; ABUNDANCE: Rare, more common in N. California. Population declined due to Sea Star Wasting Disease.” Bottom text section is titled “No, this is Patrick,” a Spongebob Squarepants reference. Bottom text reads: “Patrick Star, from Spongebob Squarepants, was modeled off of Giant Pink Sea Stars. These stars do in fact enjoy living underwater & beneath rocks!” A magazine-style page titled ‘Sunflower Star (Pycnopodia helianthoides), shows cutouts of the multi-armed sea star with text describing the species. Text reads: “RANGE: Alaska to La Jolla, California; SIZE: Up to 1 meter across ; APPEARANCE: Adults have 16-24 arms and come in several colors. Skin appears soft, fuzzy, and velvety; ABUNDANCE: Extremely rare globally due to population decline from Sea Star Wasting Disease.” Bottom text describes these sea stars as “Lightning McQueen” because they are incredibly fast-moving: With 15,000+ tube feet, these stars can move more than one meter per minute.”
November 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
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Friendly reminder to leave stars and other intertidal animals alone—no touching or taking!
A magazine-style page titled ‘Six-arm star (Leptasterias spp.), shows cutouts of the sea star with text describing the species. Text reads: “RANGE: Alaska to central California; SIZE: < 3 inches — tiny!; APPEARANCE: Most have six arms, with high variation in color and patterning; ABUNDANCE: Common (but often hard to spot due to their small size!).” Bottom text describes the sea star’s cryptic diversity, because six-arm stars form a species complex. The species might look extremely similar in appearance, but scientists struggle to distinguish among them. A magazine-style page titled ‘Dwarf Mottled Henricia (Henricia Pumila), shows cutouts of the sea star with text describing the species. Text reads: “RANGE: Sitka, Alaska to Baja California; SIZE: Up to 4.5 in. diameter; APPEARANCE: Mottled patterns, tiny adult size, five skinny arms; ABUNDANCE: Common in N. California, extremely uncommon south of Santa Barbara.” Bottom text describes this sea star as the new kid in town, since Henricia pumila was only described as a separate new species in 2010. A magazine-style page titled ‘Pacific Blood Star (Henricia leviuscula), shows cutouts of the sea star with text describing the species. Text reads: “RANGE: Alaska to Baja California; SIZE: Up to 4.5 in. diameter; APPEARANCE: Mostly bright orange-red, but spotted variations and other colors can occur. Smooth, skinny arms; ABUNDANCE: Uncommon, range concentrated in the far N. Pacific.” Bottom text says that this species is “not a vampire,” despite their spooky common name. These blood stars often have a symbiotic or commensal relationship with scale worms.
November 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
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Take advantage of low tides and make @inaturalist.bsky.social observations of reliable ochre stars, spindly blood stars, and many-armed sunflower stars—if you’re lucky.
A magazine-style page titled ‘Ochre Star (Pisaster ochraceous), shows cutouts of the sea star with text describing the species. Text reads: “RANGE: Alaska to Santa Barbara County; SIZE: 4-10 in.; APPEARANCE: Comes in many colors (purple, orange, brown, yellow) and has a hard exterior covered in small spines (ossicles); FUN FACT: Ochre stars are ‘keystone species’ used by scientists to measure the health of tide pool ecosystems.” The star is described as “old reliable” because they are very common and a reliable find in CA tide pools. A magazine-style page titled ‘Leather Star (Dermasterias imbricata), shows cutouts of the sea star with text describing the species. Text reads: “RANGE: Southern Alaska to northern Mexico; SIZE: Up to 12 in. diameter; APPEARANCE: Reddish orange with grey-blue splotches, soft and mucous skin with no spines; ABUNDANCE: Very common, particularly in summer breeding season.” Bottom text describes this species as “Stinkiest star alive,” because it emits a strange smell resembling garlic or gunpowder, caused by a defensive mucus it produces on its skin. A magazine-style page titled ‘Bat Star (Patiria miniata), shows cutouts of the sea star with text describing the species. Text reads: “RANGE: Sitka, Alaska to Baja California; SIZE: Up to 12 in. diameter; APPEARANCE: Comes in many colors, most commonly orange or red. Usually has five arms but can have up to nine; ABUNDANCE: Common, especially in summer & winter and among kelp forests.” Bottom text header says “Holy Batman!” because this star was given its common name from the distinct webbing between its arms, resembling bat wings.
November 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
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BREAKING NEWS: California sea stars WANT you to photograph them, actually!

In our December cover story, we dive into Solstice Sea Star Search, a monthlong quest to document California’s sea stars.
Mock cover of the fictional magazine, ‘Sea Star,’ designed in the style of tabloids and celebrity magazines of the early 2000s. This December 2025 edition is headlined, ‘BEGGING TO BE NOTICED,’ overlaid atop a cutout of a giant pink sea star against a backdrop of eelgrass. The subheader reads “WHY echinoderms demand more paparazzi from human allies.” An additional text underneath reads “PLUS: CA’S Coolest Sea Stars Alive, 2025 limited edition spread!” next to a cut out of a bat star. In the side panel, three images are shown with text atop them. From top to bottom: A yellow juvenile sunflower star is shown with text describing its “Life-changing diagnosis!”; a woman holding a camera walks across a moody, misty tide pool, with a text overlay reading, “INSIDE: Fast and easy hacks to be a better friend to sea stars”; a purple sea urchin nestled amid eelgrass, with text overlay reading “Purple urchins: PR crisis for CA native.” Mock inside page of the fictional magazine, ‘Sea Star,’ shows cutouts of various sea stars with two major text boxes. The first, an editor’s note, reads: “December marks the start of the Winter Solstice Sea Star Search. We want YOU to go out to the California coast and make observations of as many sea stars as you can—all month long! Don’t know what to look for? Swipe for a who’s who of California sea stars.” The second text box, titled “COVER STORY: Life-changing sea star diagnosis,” includes this text: “HUGE news in the world of Sunflower Sea Stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides)! In August, scientists revealed the cause for Sea Star Wasting Disease—a deadly condition that killed billions of sea stars up and down the North American Coast. Read more at bit.ly/3Lm7yO9.” An image of a sunflower star is included next to the text. The logo for the Solstice Sea Star Search campaign is included on the page.
November 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
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A spoon and acorn mush paddle (called Hey-gon & hey-log), both made of madrone and maple wood, are shown against a black backdrop. Text indicates that the pieces were made by Alme Allen (Yurok/Karuk) and includes a quote by her: “Living in harmony with our environment, we descend from a rich history of cultural art.” Two nature illustrations, in the shape of circular emblems, are shown against a black backdrop, illustrated by Jackie Fawn (Yurok/Washoe/Surigaonon). The subjects included in these illustrations are condor and salmon (both pictured) and abalone and fire (not pictured). Text reads “Fawn, an artist based in Akwesasne, New York, brought her Native cultural heritage into several illustrations scattered throughout the exhibit.”
November 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
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“We are not from the land, we are of the land, and the land is of us.” —Gregg Castro, culture director of the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone.

Scroll to learn more & visit the Academy to see these pieces yourself.
A story skirt, called ĉwin, is shown against a black backdrop. The skirt has a woven design with abalone shells hanging off the hem. The skirt was made by Mia Lopez, Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation. A second image of the story skirt shows the front side of the skirt, with red woven cordage flowing throughout the piece. Text reads “The skirt represents water flowing down from the mountains to the ocean. Materials used: cordage, fabric, hide, abalone.” A necklace consisting of a main, central orange shell and string of several different bead types is shown against a black backdrop. It is a lion’s paw necklace by Matthew Lee Castro Jr. (T’rowt’raahl Salinan/Ohlone), mentored by Elonda Castro. A close up of the orange shell in the lion’s paw necklace is shown against a black backdrop. Text reads “Materials used: Lion’s paw shell (Nodipectene nodosus), abalone shell, herringbone beads, pine nuts. A modern artistic expression of traditional techniques.”
November 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
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Our exhibit, California: State of Nature, features stunning commissioned works by Indigenous artists across the state. From necklaces beaded with abalone shells to paddles carved out of native plants, each piece represents the longstanding deep connections between humans and the natural world.
A woven bust with a zig-zag tattoo design is shown against a black backdrop, wearing a woman’s necklace (called hi l’e’l hi sam’e’leč hi l’en’eneq). The necklace was created by Tima Lotah Link (Šmuwič Chumash). Close ups of the same necklace are pictured side by side, with abalone shells and woven plants shown in close detail. Text reads “This item was created to honor the connections between land and sea. The bust includes a tattoo with a water design. Materials used. Juncus, dogbane, three-leaf sumac, red abalone, asphaltum or tar.”
November 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
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Our favorite internet sensation is taking over the Academy from Dec. 13 through spring 2026. Tiny Chef will bring a huge wave of Academy-wide activations and events, including a whimsical planetarium film and mini-exhibit celebrating how tiny actions can make a big impact for our planet.
Tiny Chef, a small green creature with a spherical body and slender arms, poses for the camera as he stands behind his chef station. He wears his signature outfit (striped apron, red-heart glasses, and a chef’s toque), has his hands on his hips, and sports a soft smile. A small bird stands on the counter to his right and various cooking appliances are scattered in front of Chef.
November 19, 2025 at 6:27 PM
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Blello fwends, we have BIG news: Tiny Chef is coming to Cal Academy this December! 🎊✨
Tiny Chef, a small green creature with a spherical body and slender arms, stands amid a patch of grass and flowers while smelling a bright yellow daffodil. Tiny Chef wears his signature outfit of a striped apron, red-heart glasses, and a chef’s toque.
November 19, 2025 at 6:27 PM
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Love maps? (Us too.) Interested in learning more about biodiversity and helping science? (Ditto.)

This Wednesday, join Cal Academy researchers for a free, virtual georeferencing training session. 🌱

Learn more and register here: bit.ly/4qJoVbP
November 17, 2025 at 5:46 PM
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Species featured:
1. Southern sea otter (CC-BY Mike Baird, Wikimedia Commons)
2. Salt marsh harvest mouse
3. California quail (CC BY-SA Minette Layne, Wikimedia Commons)
4. California red-legged frog
5. California golden chanterelle (CC BY-SA Boleslaw Kuznik, Wikimedia Commons)
A California red-legged frog sits atop duck weed, with more duck weed on its back. A golden chanterelle mushroom grows among fallen brown leaves in a forest.
November 14, 2025 at 5:30 PM
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The otters are taking in the crisp autumn air, the salt marsh harvest mice are cozying up under the pickleweed, and the golden chanterelles are aglow. Scroll to see how our California native species are spending the fall. 🍂🧣🥧
A sea otter floats in the water, holding up its paws, surrounded by yellow floating kelp. A salt marsh harvest mouse nestles in pickleweed. A California quail stands on the ground surrounded by red fallen leaves.
November 14, 2025 at 5:27 PM
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If your circle isn’t talking about how your favorite fall/winter California nature event elucidates the nuances of your personality… it’s time to find a new circle.
November 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
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REMINDER: Solstice Sea Star Search starts December 1! Stay tuned for more info.
A composite image titled ‘Join the Search!’ encourages viewers to join the 2025 Solstice Sea Star Search this December, which asks participants to look for sea stars up and down the California Coast. The campaign’s purple and pink logo is shown on the right side of the screen, an ochre star peeking out from the background.
November 4, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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Scroll for lowest tide times up and down the California Coast:
Illustrated page showing the low tide times for “Monterey County (Monterey Bay)”. Gooseneck barnacles, clustered together tightly, are shown in the background in great detail. Tide times are as follows: Nov. 4 at 3:32 pm: -0.584 ft Nov. 5 at 4:22 pm: -1.076 ft Dec. 2 at 2:37 pm: -0.632 ft Dec. 3 at 3:26 pm: -1.246 ft Dec. 4 at 4:15 pm: -1.631 ft Dec. 19 at 4:41 pm: -0.622 ft Dec. 31 at 2:31 pm: -1.036 ft Illustrated page showing the low tide times for “San Diego County (La Jolla Cove)”. A sculpin (or a type of rocky intertidal fish), stares up at the camera as it rests in a water-filled crevice of a tide pool. Tide times are as follows: Nov. 5 at 2:57 pm: -1.181 ft Nov. 6 at 3:47 pm: -1.334 ft Nov. 7 at 4:41 pm: -1.230 ft Dec. 3 at 2:08 pm: -1.325 ft Dec. 4 at 2:56 pm: -1.682 ft Dec. 5 at 3:44 pm: -1.767 ft Dec. 6 at 4:34 pm: -1.607 ft Dec. 19 at 3:18 pm: -0.719 ft Dec. 20 at 3:51 pm: -0.74 Illustrated page showing the low tide times for “Los Angeles County (Cabrillo Beach)”. A patch of sea weeds and sea grasses is shown in the background. Tide times are as follows: Nov. 5 at 3:03 pm: -1.174 ft Nov. 6 at 3:52 pm: -1.315 ft Dec. 3 at 2:12 pm: -1.330 ft Dec. 4 at 3:00 pm: -1.676 ft Dec. 5 at 3:49 pm: -1.749 ft Dec. 6 at 4:39 pm: -1.580 ft Dec. 31 at 1:25 pm: -1.093 ft
November 4, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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Scroll for lowest tide times up and down the California Coast:
Illustrated page showing the low tide times for “Humboldt County (Trinidad Harbor)”. A grey, moody landscape of a tide pool and rocks jutting out of the ocean is shown in the background. Tide times are as follows: Nov. 4 at 4:33 pm: -1.016 ft Dec. 2 at 3:31 pm: -0.747 ft Dec. 3 at 4:19 pm: -1.467 ft Dec. 31 at 3:18 pm: -0.856 ft Illustrated page showing the low tide times for “Mendocino County (Mendocino Bay)”. Background shows a misty tide pool scene in the area, with algae covering the bottom rocks. Tide times are as follows: Nov. 4 at 4:04 pm: -0.697 ft Nov. 5 at 4:52 pm: -1.227 ft Dec. 2 at 3:04 pm: -0.629 ft Dec. 3 at 3:53 pm: -1.265 ft Dec. 4 at 4:43 pm: -1.660 ft Dec. 31 at 3:18 pm: -0.925 ft Illustrated page showing the low tide times for “Sonoma County (Bodega Bay)”. A bat star is shown in the background, close up, hanging from the side of a seaweed covered rock. Illustrated page showing the low tide times for “Mendocino County (Mendocino Bay)”. Background shows a misty tide pool scene in the area, with algae covering the bottom rocks. Tide times are as follows: Nov. 4 at 3:58 pm: -0.671 ft Nov. 5 at 4:45 pm: -1.166 ft Dec. 2 at 2:59 pm: -0.662 ft Dec. 3 at 3:46 pm: -1.259 ft Dec. 4 at 4:34 pm: -1.617 ft Dec. 31 at 2:48 pm: -0.913 ft Illustrated page showing the low tide times for “San Mateo County (Pillar Point Harbor)”. Two people are shown looking down as they walk on a rocky ledge of a tide pool. Water shown in the foreground, from the ocean swells. Tide times are as follows: Nov. 4 at 3:39 pm: -0.980 ft Nov. 5 at 4:27 pm: -1.471 ft Dec. 2 at 2:42 pm: -0.928 ft Dec. 3 at 3:29 pm: -1.559 ft Dec. 4 at 4:18 pm: -1.917 ft Dec. 18 at 4:08 pm: -0.599 ft Dec. 19 at 4:44 pm: -0.695 ft Dec. 31 at 2:32 pm: -1.133 ft
November 4, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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REMINDERS: Always bring a friend (it’s safer & more fun), download the iNaturalist app (helps you ID neat creatures), and remember your tide pool etiquette (NO touching or taking animals). More tide pooling info at bit.ly/tidepool101 & low tide charts at bit.ly/tide-finder.
November 4, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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Dust off your wellies, throw on some layers, and grab a flashlight, because winter tide pool season is officially here! 🐚🪸🐙🦀🌊

November through December is your best shot at seeing unique intertidal creatures along the California Coast—like colorful nudibranchs, sea stars, kelp forests, and more.
November 4, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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Leaf-tailed geckos > raking leaves. Swipe to see our Academy critters getting in the fall spirit with some seasonally-appropriate camouflage. (They actually look like this year-round, but don’t tell the leaves.)

Ft. 1) Leaf-tailed gecko 2) Weedy seadragon 3) Weedy scorpionfish 4) Leaf insect
November 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM
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References:
Reference page lists the various academic publications, researchers, books, and articles referenced in the making of this infographic.
October 27, 2025 at 4:39 PM
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The main cultivar groups of C. pepo:
An illustrated family tree of Cucurbita Pepo shows the 9 cultivar groups, or varieties of the species grouped by shape. They include acorn, cocozelle, veggie marrow, crookneck, pumpkin, scallop, zucchini, ornamental gourds, and straightneck. Cutouts of each group are shown on the page. A collage shows dozens of different cucurbita pepos (squashes), layered on top of each other. Illustrated wooden signs read “CONGRATS! IT’S A SQUASH!”
October 27, 2025 at 4:39 PM
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Why we cultivate C. pepo:
Illustrated image titled “WHY CULTIVATE?” describes how humans bred wild c. pepo because it was so bitter and toxic. They bred them in order to make the vegetables more edible and palatable. Text example reads, “Zucchini: From the mid 16th c to 1901, Italians selectively bred C Pepo to become elongated and cylindrical, forming the zucchini cultivar group.” Cutouts of a bunch of squashes, cooked and raw, are shown across the page. Illustrated image titled “WHY CULTIVATE?” describes how utility may have driven cultivation efforts. Text reads “Archaeological research shows that early domestication of squash may have been driven by the practical use of dried gourds as containers, ladles, or fishing weights. Humans worldwide use c pepo fruits and seeds as medicine for ailments like arthritis and stomach ache.” Illustrated image titled “WHY CULTIVATE?” describes how culture inspired cultivation of c pepo. Text reads “From domestication to present day, all kinds of decorative & edible squashes are used for cultural purposes.” Examples of this include how Zuni Peoples fashioned c Pepo into rattles and other cultural objects; how many people continue to view squash as a symbol of autumn; and how many people carve pumpkins as a Halloween tradition.
October 27, 2025 at 4:39 PM