Environmental Science

Big Wood: 300 Years of Photosynthesis

Developed by artist Michael Brown in collaboration with reclaimed wood specialist Evan Shively, a several-hundred-year-old Douglas fir was split down the center to reveal its rings, immersing visitors in a fascinating study of dendrochronology.

Where: Gallery 4: Living Systems

Research Buoy

This NOAA buoy gathers data on CO₂ levels, which are increasing in our oceans and affecting marine life.

Where: Gallery 5: Outdoor Exhibits

Solar Hour Benches

The Solar Hour Benches are a set of six oval benches, each with a slit aperture aligned with the sun for one particular hour: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., noon, 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. solar time. Throughout the year, for only twenty minutes before and after the corresponding hour, sunlight travels through the aperture and projects onto inscriptions on the ground. Scientific and cultural aspects of time and sundials are also depicted on each bench.

Where: Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6: Observing Landscapes

Survival Game

Players struggle to keep their livestock herds alive and thriving—despite disease, drought, and other dangers. When your neighbor suffers a major loss, the question arises: Can you afford to share? But the real question may be, can you afford not to?

Where: Osher Gallery 1: Human Phenomenon

Text Fish

Manage an ocean ecosystem. Will you help maintain the fish population or just catch as much as you can? Here you’ll get a clear picture of a phenomenon known as the tragedy of the commons—overexploitation of shared resources—and a chance to rethink social strategies after an environmental catastrophe.

Where: This exhibit is not currently on view.

Time Shift

A visual work that allows viewers to browse and select from an archive of time-lapse sequences that reveal human and natural processes at work in the local landscape.

Where: Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6: Observing Landscapes

Visualizing the Bay Area

Discover invisible processes unfolding across the Bay, the land, and the atmosphere.

Where: Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6: Observing Landscapes