Birch Aquarium at Scripps Recognized in Ranch & Coast Magazine's Annual 'Best' List

Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the public exploration center for the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, has been named San Diego's Best Children's Activity Center or Museum in Ranch & Coast magazine's third-annual "Readers' Choice: Best of 2008" survey.

The magazine, which has a 37,000 monthly distribution, highlighted Birch Aquarium's award-winning climate change exhibit, Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge, as one of the ways the aquarium makes it fun to learn about science.

"From the colorful displays of sea life to the aquarium's popular annual summer learning adventures ... Birch teaches kids about the ocean, the environment and how every individual can make a difference," the magazine reported.

"We are very honored to be recognized by Ranch & Coast's readers," Birch Aquarium at Scripps Executive Director Nigella Hillgarth said. "We strive to create an educational and interactive atmosphere where children are not only entertained, but also inspired to respect and protect our fragile planet."

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Birch Aquarium at Scripps has an annual attendance of more than 400,000, including more than 77,000 school children, and features more than 5,000 animals representing 380 species. The hilltop site provides spectacular views of the Scripps Oceanography campus and the Pacific Ocean. Its mission is to provide ocean science education, to interpret Scripps research and to promote ocean conservation.

Upcoming family events at Birch Aquarium at Scripps include Spring EGGS-travaganza from March 15-21, this season's naturalist-led Grunion Run adventures, and Summer Learning Adventure Camps.

For more information, visit Birch Aquarium at Scripps or call 858-534-FISH.