Epilogue: The 2011 Hears! Philippine Biodiversity Expedition 
The eai*ly history of the California Academy of Sciences took place during the tumultuous and 
often flamboyant California Gold Rush in the mid nineteenth century. In the latter half of that cen¬ 
tury, the Academy’s research, publications, and presentations were primarily focused on the natu¬ 
ral history — geology, fossils, and the flora and fauna — of the young state of California (Ewan 
1955; Leviton and Aldrich 1997; Leviton et ah 2010). By the early twentieth century, the geograph¬ 
ic scope of research at the Academy had broadened to include other parts of western North Amer¬ 
ica as well as the Galapagos Islands, and continued to expand to a global perspective throughout 
the centuiy (Daniel 2008; McCosker 2007; Slevin 1959; Slevin and Leviton 1956; Williams 2007). 
An example of the wide-ranging interests of scientists associated with the Academy in its first 
four decades as well as the early Academy as a center of scientific activity for the western United 
States is that of Alice Eastwood. In 1887, she was a twenty-eight year old high school teacher in 
Denver, Colorado and acted as a guide to visiting British naturalist Alfi'ed Russel Wallace in an 
exploration of the highest peak in the Colorado Front Range during the alpine flowering season of 
that year. Five years later, she was appointed as a joint cui'ator of Botany at the California Acade¬ 
my of Sciences with Mary Brandegee (Leviton and Aldrich 1997:337; Raby 2001). 
The Hearst Philippine Biodiversity Expedition of 2011 (Fig. 1) is an afTmuation of tlie stalwart 
nature of the Academy’s continuously successful history as a research institution. The contempo¬ 
rary and unfortunate state of affairs affecting various museums and other similar facilities has 
resulted in the marked cuitaihng or even discontinuation of scientific research activities at numer¬ 
ous institutions worldwide. In spite of this, research endeavors such as the Hearst Philippine Bio¬ 
diversity Expedition and the great variety of diligent and enthusiastic individuals responsible for 
its successful fulfillment, provide hope and confidence for a brighter future regai'ding research at 
institutions such as the California Academy of Sciences. 
The expedition would not have been possible without the generous support of Will and Mar¬ 
garet Hearst. Their interest and dedication to scientific research at the Academy is greatly appreci¬ 
ated. 
Literature Cited 
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