Letter to the Academy Community

Mar. 4, 2025

Dear Academy Community,

Science is literally in our institution’s name, and it’s at the core of our mission here at the California Academy of Sciences: We regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. Now, as science is increasingly coming under attack, it’s more important than ever that we remain steadfastly committed to science, our regeneration mission, and our key values: exploration, collaboration, diversity and equity, courage, and advocacy.

In the last few weeks, thousands of federal workers have received layoff notices and funding is being slashed at several agencies whose work is crucial to science and protecting our environment, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Park Service (NPS). In response, Stand Up for Science rallies are being held across the country on Friday, March 7—and we encourage you to participate alongside us right here in San Francisco!

Join us Friday at the Civic Center Plaza rally from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to stand up and tell the world that science is for everyone—and benefits everyone. When the federal government supports scientific research, it fuels innovation, creates jobs, and improves the health of humans and the wondrous world we live in.

We’re also mobilizing because attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are attacks on science. Biodiversity is a foundational element of the Academy’s mission to regenerate the natural world. More biodiverse ecosystems are healthier, more resilient ecosystems. And science is similarly at its best when it includes diverse perspectives.

In addition to participating in the Stand Up for Science rally, the Academy is joining other aquariums and zoos across the nation in calling on Congress to reject funding cuts for NOAA. NOAA is an invaluable partner in our work to inform and inspire the conservation of our nation’s exceptional ocean and terrestrial resources, especially in the face of human-caused climate change and its devastating impacts, including more intense storms and wildfires, bigger floods, and sea level rise.

NOAA is needed now more than ever before: Their work predicting and sharing science-based information is critical to helping communities and businesses such as commercial fisheries prepare for and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters. Undermining NOAA operations risks the safety of millions of Americans and destabilizes countless local industries, from farming and fisheries to energy, insurance, and finance, threatening job losses and economic downturn.

We hope you will join us in Standing Up for Science later this week. If you are unable to make it, please consider supporting the Academy and our regeneration mission as we grapple with potential losses of up to $2.4 million in federal grants. Thank you again for your ongoing support.

Sincerely,

Scott D. Sampson, PhD Executive Director William R. and Gretchen B. Kimball Chair California Academy of Sciences