<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Dear Colleagues,</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">The past few weeks have
been uncertain and unsettling for many of us as a result of COVID-19, and we’re
now seeing the impacts on daily life right here in the Bay Area. <b>In
response to the latest guidelines and information from local and state public
health authorities, we have decided to close the Academy to the public,
effective today, March 12, at 5:00 pm.</b> As a leading scientific
institution and trusted community space, we remain committed to following the
recommendations of public health authorities. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">At this time, the museum
will remain closed to the public through the end of March </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">per the recommendations of public health
authorities, and we will continue to follow their guidance and act accordingly.</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">If you or any of your colleagues were planning to visit the Academy or to send specimens or any other parcels to the Academy, please refrain from doing so at this time.  If you have requested loans from any of our collections and they are not already in the mail to you, we will not be sending those loans until we reopen.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:11pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Most importantly, in
these challenging and unprecedented times, please take care of yourself and one
another.</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">🖖  Live Long and Prosper folks (AND WASH YOUR HANDS)<br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:12.65pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">Dr. Debra Trock<div><b>Director of Science Collections</b></div><div><b>Senior Collections Manager, Botany</b></div><div><b>President-Elect, Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections</b></div><div>California Academy of Sciences</div><div>55 Music Concourse Drive</div><div>San Francisco, CA 94118</div><div><a href="mailto:dtrock@calacademy.org" target="_blank">dtrock@calacademy.org</a></div><div>PH:  415-379-5363</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>