Changing California: Historical Ecology of the Bay Area

What was the Bay Area like when prehistoric camels and bison roamed the vast river valley that would become San Francisco Bay? Or even 250 years ago when millions of mammals and birds occupied the primeval landscape ruled by mighty grizzly bears? Laura Cunningham, biologist, artist, and author, spent thirty years researching the prehistoric ecology of California. Her work culminated into an award-winning book, State of Change: Forgotten Landscapes of California. Based on the book, with contributions from other local experts, this exhibition melds fine art, artifacts, and science, and invites you back in time for a fascinating glimpse of the Bay Area, its species populations, shifting landscapes that evolved over eons, and our growing understanding of nature’s interdependent systems.