THE CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Programs

1. Biology/conservation/collections: biology:in august of 2024, the nature museum hired a new curator of turtle conservation, dr. Callie klatt golba. Dr. Golba's work elevates the academy's role in blanding's turtle conservation from that of a conservation partner in head-starting, to a leader in original research, guiding management efforts throughout the species range.throughout fiscal year 2025, the nature museum's collections, living collections, and biology teams gave 26 presentations, submitted for publication 7 times, and accepted for publication/published 6 times. Our biology and collections teams were featured in 21 different media segments throughout fiscal year 2025.the nature museum is currently in the middle of a grant funded project from the morris animal foundation to research smooth greensnake health, tracking snake fungal disease and heavy metal bioaccumulation.in late 2021, shell fungal disease, an emerging disease that causes lesions in the shells of turtles, was detected in headstart turtles across multiple counties in illinois. The nature museum took part in a clinical trial to test effectiveness of a treatment with 14 blanding's turtle headstarts that have…

   $1,260,898 spent$47,007 earned by the program
   21% of program spending

2. Education:educational programs are at the heart of the nature museum's efforts to fulfill its mission. With research and study at the core of the institution's founding, nature museum educators provide more hands-on contact hours with students and teachers than any other museum in the city: more than 78,000 hours each year, with ten full-time school program staff members who teach a combined total of more than 38,000 students and 1,200 teachers from schools throughout chicago, most of which serve high percentages of low-income students primarily from chicago public schools. Students learn about the natural environment and how it directly impacts their lives. These hands-on school programs are aligned with the next generation science standards (ngss), and feature the naturemuseum's unique resources: from live animals to our vast preserved scientific collection. In partnership with depaul university's user experience design capstone class of 2025, the nature museum's sustainability center underwent an incredible digital transformation. Over the course of 13 weeks, the students worked together to develop these games, receiving feedback from museum staff throughout the entire process.…

   $1,384,505 spent$611,309 earned by the program
   23% of program spending

3. Exhibits and guest experience & engagement:the nature museum featured several exciting exhibits during fiscal year 2025.in nature cat: backyard and beyond, kids stepped into adventure with fred, an ordinary house cat who once imagined himself as the fearless nature cat, ready to explore the great outdoors. Alongside his quirky crew, hal the fun-loving dog, squeeks the clever mouse, and daisy the curious bunny-young, explorers journeyed through a series of nature-inspired experiences. They crawled through tunnels, wandered through a shadowy cave, splashed down a pretend waterslide, and discovered the secrets of marshes and forests. Whether planting flowers in an urban garden or searching for hal's lost flying disc, every activity sparked curiosity and celebrated the wild world beyond the backyard.the art and science of arachnids was an exhibit designed to explore the intriguing world of arachnids such as spiders and scorpionswhile aiming to shift public perceptions. Through a combination of art, cultural references, live specimens, and hands-on displays, the exhibit highlighted the ecological importance and advantages of these often-misunderstood creatures. It invited visitors to…

   $2,700,586 spent$418,241 earned by the program
   45% of program spending

4. Attendance and private events:the nature museum welcomed 119,638 visitors in fiscal year 2025. We had a 9.41% increase in membership revenue and 5.47% increase in paid visitors compared to fiscal year 2024. There was also an overall 6.88% increase in revenue in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. We continue to see a steady increase in visitors each year, and anticipate seeing this trend continue in the next fiscal year. The nature museum is proud to have doubled private event revenue, achieving a goal of $200,000 in fiscal year 2025 (vs. $100,000 fiscal year 2024). This increase in private event revenue is part of the nature museum's long-term goal of diversifying funding streams.

   $653,385 spent$774,681 earned by the program
   11% of program spending

The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $5,999,374.