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This hike is for able hikers who have contemplated joining the HOOFer community. We are offering this chance for an introduction to the HOOFer community while participating in a hike to Inks Creek Point. The hike is about 4 miles out and back with 350 feet of elevation gain. After this hike, you will know if you want to take the introductory HOOFers class and fully join the HOOFer community.

Join us for a leisurely walk of up to four miles along the tree-lined shore of Paradise Lake. Let's connect with nature in a way that stimulates our senses and unclutters our minds while enlivening our bodies with easy walking. Let your to-do list take a back seat for a while and allow the nurturing energy of Mother Nature to slow you down as you appreciate the tranquility of your surroundings.

The Ahart Herbarium at Chico State is the most complete repository of plant specimens from Northern California, containing more than 107,000 dried and mounted plant specimens. This guided visit will show you how herbariums work, what they do, and why they are an important source of information for scientific research.

This acrylic class is for the absolute beginner as well as more experienced painters. We will follow step-by-step instructions to create our paintings while also learning why and what we are doing. Paintings will be completed over several class sessions. All materials are provided.

Our invaluable national parks have been called "America's best idea: because they preserve scenic wonders, protect endangered species, and interpret the history and diverse cultures of the nation. In 1916 Congress created the National Park Service (NPS) to protect these important resources. Mistakes have been made over the years, but the NPS has mostly done admirable work. This will be the emphasis of this course, but we also need to talk about the crisis the parks face in the current political climate. To save our parks, we need to educate ourselves.

Six Exciting Lectures: Ansel Adams in the West, Rodeo Photography, 8 Great Female Photographers, Hemingway: A Life In Pictures, 50 Years of Rolling Stone Magazine, and Must Love Dogs.

Our exploration of the Earth, Solar System, and Universe continues. As always, we will discuss ongoing discoveries in astronomy, planetary sciences, and Earth sciences. Information will be conveyed using short videos, awesome photos, understandable/fun graphics, and class discussions. We will have several guest speakers from the University of Arizona's Astronomy, Planetary Sciences, and Geosciences Departments. Science Fiction Theatre continues, with short clips highlighting a century of sci fi movies and TV shows. And of course, there will be Geo-feature of the Week, What's for Launch?, and Books of the Week. Please join us for this continuing journey of discovery and adventure. Being in an earlier Astronomy/Geosciences class is neither a prerequisite nor necessary to understand and enjoy this class.

This continuation of personal experiences from the instructor's participation in military, agricultural, and aerial firefighting aviation will include stories from the early days of flight to modern adventures of the 21st Century. You'll learn about airplanes and the characters who flew them, from Orville Wright to Burt Rutan (1903-2025).

This class uses a group study of the book Complete Spanish Step by Step, Premium 2nd Edition, by Barbara Bregstein, beginning with chapter 11.

This class engages in a group study of the book Complete Spanish Step by Step, Premium 2nd Edition, by Barbara Bregstein, beginning with chapter 3.

This class engages in a group study of the book Complete Spanish Step by Step, Premium 2nd Edition, by Barbara Bregstein, beginning with chapter 7.

Join North State Symphony Music Director Scott Seaton for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a symphony piece. The class includes a pre-rehearsal lecture, open rehearsal, and Q&A. Experience the creativity, collaboration, and passion that bring great music to life in this unique and immersive symphonic journey.

Bring your binoculars and enjoy spring birding along the scenic, tree-shaded paths by the Sacramento River at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding. Both beginning and experienced birders are welcome! We'll also visit the botanical gardens across the beautiful Sundial Bridge. After a picnic lunch, we'll explore the indoor museum and the forestry and wildlife center, including an interactive aviary with colorful lorikeets.

Bring your binoculars and enjoy spring birding at the Red Bluff Recreation Area. The 2-mile loop trail takes us on paved paths through oak woodlands, flowering grasslands, and riparian areas along the Sacramento River. You'll see a variety of birds, wildflowers, and scenic views of snow-capped mountains. There's a botanical garden with a picnic area where we can eat lunch. Both beginning and experienced birders are welcome.

This class is for both beginning and experienced birders. Through observation and the use of your binoculars, field guides, and birding apps, class participants learn to identify birds in their natural habitat. We will meet once a month at different birding locations for field trips that may involve 1-2 miles of walking.

This class is for students who have taken the "Birding in the Chico Area" class more than once. We will not cover birding basics and will spend more time in the field. We will meet once a month at different locations for field trips that may involve 2-3 miles of walking.

Join Amy Dolan from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation to learn about bumble bee biology and conservation, and how community science volunteers across the US are helping to map and protect these important native pollinators.

Join us for an hour of chair yoga for beginners and older adults. Chair yoga can offer many benefits including enhanced core and leg strength, decreased pain, restored functionality, improved flexibility, enhanced balance, relief of joint pressure, and breaking up of rigid muscle tissue.

No previous Tai Chi experience is necessary. All the movements are slow and gentle, and no martial arts applications will be taught or practiced in this study group. These methods may help lessen body pain, correct spinal misalignment, cultivate a sense of internal energy, and rest the mind. Participants can wear comfortable roomy or stretchy clothing and some soft tai chi shoes or socks to wear on their feet.

The University Farm is a "living laboratory" for agricultural education, literacy, and research in Northern California. Join us for a guided tour showcasing our fields, labs, and hands-on learning spaces, including the new Agricultural Education Center and Jay Gilbert Farm Store. This state-of-the-art facility features modern classrooms, collaboration areas, and a student-run retail space with farm-produced goods. Explore how the farm supports experiential learning, community engagement, and the next generation of leaders in sustainable agriculture.

The University Farm is a "living laboratory" for agricultural education, literacy, and research in Northern California. Join us for a guided tour showcasing our fields, labs, and hands-on learning spaces, including the new Agricultural Education Center and Jay Gilbert Farm Store. This state-of-the-art facility features modern classrooms, collaboration areas, and a student-run retail space with farm-produced goods. Explore how the farm supports experiential learning, community engagement, and the next generation of leaders in sustainable agriculture.

This class includes short presentations (talks, slides, videos) followed by discussions on all sorts of current US and world topics involving history, government, policy, science, technology, literature, education, culture, and many more. Participants are welcome to make presentations, suggest topics, discuss, or just listen. Special guests are also welcome to present.

The Founding Fathers wrote a new, second Constitution for the new United States in 1787. Today its contents and meaning are only partially understood. Why did they propose the creation of a much stronger federal government? How did they compromise while writing it? What are its fundamental provisions? In this learning through conversation seminar, we will examine the events and essential documents surrounding the Constitutional Convention.

In this class, we will look at old tales, their tellers and illustrators, and transitions from spoken to written literature. Fairy tales, a.k.a. magic tales, are very old and both stable and shapeshifting. People have enjoyed them in cartoons, Victorian nurseries, peasant huts, and even courts like Versailles. The original, oral forms of magic tales are violent, coarse, and sexually explicit. Sometimes governments, priests, or schoolmarms compelled changes. Sometimes, writers. There will be nine tellers with at least nine tales sent to class members.

Physical well-being allows us to live our longest, most capable, and fulfilling lives. Come ensure your well-being through mobility exercises. We'll practice balance, strength, agility, and flexibility movements that improve your mobility. Each class follows a similar routine that can be done at home, allowing you to look after the health of your body for many years to come. All ability levels are welcome. Your body will thank you!

Physical well-being allows us to live our longest, most capable, and fulfilling lives. Come ensure your well-being through mobility exercises. We'll practice balance, strength, agility, and flexibility movements that improve your mobility. Each class follows a similar routine that can be done at home, allowing you to look after the health of your body for many years to come. All ability levels are welcome. Your body will thank you!

This class is for people who have studied some French in the past. We study basic French grammar, usage, pronunciation, and vocabulary. The focus is communicating with others in written and spoken French.

This class is centered around a French book. The class reads aloud, followed by translation into English, with some discussion of vocabulary, grammar, and the plot. We will review grammar when questions about usage or form come up, and class sessions may focus on specific grammar topics.

On parle français dans cette classe, sans traduction (si nous avons de la chance). On doit avoir l'envie d'entendre et de parler mieux le français, et peut-être un jour le parler couramment. Il n’y a pas de textes.

This class will focus on French pronunciation, politesse, and practicalities – the vocabulary and idioms helpful as an introduction to French and for travelers in French-speaking countries. While classes are conducted mainly in English, they will include more basic French than in the past. Come prepared to exercise your brain and facial muscles as you dive into the beautiful French language.

Join this nutrition class to learn about the six nutrients your body needs and how to combine good nutrition with delicious flavor. The class will share ideas about how to choose healthy foods, snacks, and meals. We will also share healthy recipes and ideas for using herbs and spices to optimize great taste. Learn about the importance of consuming balanced meals, what physiological process happens when we skip meals, and grocery shopping tips that will support your health.

"Great Decisions" is the Foreign Policy Association's public education program about US foreign policy and global affairs. Currently, relations with other nations are undergoing great change; there are new winners and new losers. Old rules don't apply and the world is struggling to make new ones. However, the geographical map of natural resources, manufacturing, trade routes, and population centers has not changed. Join us for a thoughtful examination of the major issues and new directions in foreign policy.

We'll enjoy river views along a hiking and biking path along the Sacramento River Trail in Redding. The path is generally paved path with several elevation changes. The elevation changes and path conditions offer some tripping hazards. The hike is approximately 5.5 miles in a loop that will take us back to our starting point. Trail traffic is not heavy but we will likely encounter other trail users.

This 6.5-mile hike to Beatson Falls overlook offers a moderately challenging excursion across unique terrain, formed by ancient basalt lava flows, and boasts impressive geological features and diverse landscapes. The trail will lead us through spectacular wildflowers, alongside streams, down into ravines, and up to the top of mesas providing panoramic vistas of the surrounding area, ultimately leading to the stunning Beatson Falls overlook. Our pace will be leisurely, allowing time to take photographs and admire the abundant wildflowers.

The focus of this hiking class will be on sharpening our navigational skills using maps and compasses, practical trail safety, evaluating key items critical to include in your backpack, aligning individual expectations when planning hikes, and building our HOOFers community. The trail is our classroom! We'll be practicing and applying these skills while we are hiking. Prerequisite: completion of a previous HOOFers class. Questions about your eligibility? Contact Cynthia (tomkevin11@yahoo.com), Laura (lukes76@gmail.com), or Lois (7ljoto@live.com).

This all-new sequel to The Magic of Film Scores shifts the spotlight from the score to the songs, dance and lyrical storytelling that gave film musicals their unforgettable sparkle. From the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire to the hip hop history of Hamilton, we'll journey through nearly a century of toe-tapping, heartstring-pulling movie magic. Explore the evolution of musicals on screen, from the glamour of MGM to bold, socially conscious stories. We'll also trace rock's rise in cinema, including a session on The Beatles films, spotlight pop and jukebox musicals of the 21st century, and dedicate a session to jazz in biographical and noir-inspired films.

Get an introduction to California native plants and basic botany in the field as we saunter in search of California native wildflowers.

Get an introduction to California native plants and basic botany in the field as we saunter in search of California native wildflowers.

Get an introduction to California native plants and basic botany in the field as we saunter in search of California native wildflowers.

This class is for non-medical people who have questions about heart-related diagnoses or procedures. The explanations will use diagrams, analogies, and simple language to help you understand how the heart works. This is not a lecture about how you should live, but more on the effects of lifestyle choices.

Knitting with others is a wonderful learning environment. This class is designed to give knitters who have mastered the basic stitches of knit and purl a chance to work on a project of their choosing while we chat and share ideas online with other knitters. All levels of ability are welcome! Gale contributes to the class by offering tips and suggestions for patterns, yarn, and tools based on her years of knitting experience.

Join us to play games, socialize, and have fun. We have Rummikub, Qwirkle, Sequence, Mexican Train, card games, and more, from the well-known to the obscure. Bring a game to share or just show up and have fun.

In 1997, Don Miguel Ruiz published The Four Agreements. He writes that we have, mostly unconsciously, agreed to living as what he calls "the domesticated human," leading lives that can be unfulfilling and difficult. The four agreements can create the experience of inner freedom and contentment. In class, we will discuss each agreement and ways to apply them in everyday life. Familiarity with the book is helpful but not necessary. Just come and learn how to live a more wholesome life!

Join us for an outdoor adventure exploring interesting places in our community. We will meander at a leisurely pace for 1-2 miles in the Horsehoe Lake area of Upper Bidwell Park to enjoy the wildflower bloom and birds of the area. Participants should be comfortable walking and standing for two hours. The trails are relatively flat and somewhat uneven in spots.

Space junk, in the past consisting primarily of old, defunct satellites and booster rockets, is becoming increasingly dominated by small spacecraft inserted into low orbit by Elon Musk's Starlink. Each launch inserts about 40 or more individual satellites into orbit, but now, one or two of these units is deorbiting every day! While they present minimal safety hazard to us, they are cluttering the low-orbit region above us and could make this region unusable (astronomers do not like them at all). We will investigate this growing problem.

This learning through conversation seminar will discuss Never Let Me Go, a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro. We meet an unusual group of children in an English boarding school, and follow them into young adulthood. Ishiguro slowly reveals to us how unusual these children are. In the process we visit several fundamental issues about what it means to be human, especially in the context of contemporary medical ethics.

This learning through conversation seminar will discuss Never Let Me Go, a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro. We meet an unusual group of children in an English boarding school, and follow them into young adulthood. Ishiguro slowly reveals to us how unusual these children are. In the process we visit several fundamental issues about what it means to be human, especially in the context of contemporary medical ethics.

Recent changes in US health insurance and health care policy, including vaccinations, implore us to learn all we can about health issues so we can be our own best advocate. This class will offer information concerning how pandemics and epidemics are declared at the local, state, national, and international level. We will examine diseases including bird flu, swine flu, monkeypox, West Nile virus, and COVID-19. We will discuss masking, social distancing, the Strategic National Stockpile of medicine and medical devices, biocontainment lab operations, and disease disinformation.

This class is for people who already know how to play the A-G chords. We play and sing 3-, 4-, and 5-chord songs by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, the Everly Brothers, and other musicians from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. The class is mostly to practice feeling comfortable with playing guitar while singing. There is some instruction on more advanced guitar playing. Bring a guitar, ukulele, or other stringed instrument, or you're welcome to come just to sing along with the class.

Reading poetry helps you to know things more fully; it commands your attention; and it can sustain good conversation. In this class, participants select poetry from favorite sources to read aloud with fellow enthusiasts.

Each week the class will read poems by an individual poet, a collection of poems on a specific subject, or a collection of poems in a specific style. A wide range of poets and poetry will be presented, from classic to contemporary. We will discuss poetry from the perspective that the poet creates the work but the reader activates it.

Sing and/or play popular gospel songs. Bring your voice, guitar, violin, cello, harmonica, squeeze box, or other instrument and join a group of people singing and playing for fun. This is not meant to be religious. It's just a place to enjoy great music. Join us!

We will begin in the floodplain of Big Chico Creek and travel back in time across the older deposits of the creek and into the Cascade foothills. The first route, from Five Mile to the North Rim Trail, covers a condensed sequence of the major landforms that occur in the Sacramento Valley, as well as the transition to the Tuscan Formation in the Cascade foothills. In the second route, following the Lower Trail and Yahi Trail from Horseshoe Lake, we walk up the bottom of Big Chico Creek Canyon, applying what we observed on the first route and viewing the slot canyon in the Lovejoy basalt. There will be approximately 6 miles of moderate hiking with some rocky and uneven areas. The first route has a short, steep up-and-down.

This class covers writing and conversation in Spanish. The class will be conducted mostly in Spanish; English may be used for support. Participants will have the opportunity to speak and to write short compositions for review and discussion. The class may have native speakers and professional Spanish educators as guest speakers. There is nothing like having a professional Spanish educator to help learn Spanish conversation.

Located at the corner of Fifth and Salem Streets, the Stansbury Home was built by Dr. Oscar Stansbury, a local physician, in 1883. Owned by the City of Chico since 1976, it is operated by the Stansbury Home Preservation Association as a historic house museum. This tour will include Dr. Stansbury's office, with its display of the tools used in his practice, as well as rooms used by the Stansbury family with original interiors and furnishings intact.

We'll look at the accomplishments of several women artists associated with surrealism, including Méret Oppenheim, Remedios Varo, Leonor Fini, Maya Deren, Dorothea Tanning, and others.

Tap dance involves rhythmic, percussive, and precise movement of the feet while promoting the flow and individual style of the entire body. Classes will include warm-up, structured movement phrases that will build in complexity, and creative explorations. All levels are welcome. Good standing balance is recommended.

Tap dance involves rhythmic, percussive, and precise movement of the feet while promoting the flow and individual style of the entire body. Classes will include warm-up, structured movement phrases that will build in complexity, and creative explorations. All levels are welcome. Good standing balance is recommended.

Want to hear some interesting stories? Each class session will feature someone telling their life story. Through listening and honoring each other's journeys, we can connect profoundly. Plus it's just fun to share and learn about one another. There is an option to be recorded and receive a flash drive to pass onto your family or friends. You will be supplied with a list of possible topics to address when giving your talk. Everyone has a story to tell. Come and share yours!

Sports and politics have always been connected, even when athletes and fans try to claim they're separate. From the original Olympics to Jesse Owens competing in Nazi Germany in 1936, to Muhammad Ali's resistance to the Vietnam War draft, the two have been intertwined – whether we like it or not. This class explores the historical relationship between sports and political movements, as well as how politics has shaped the world of sports. We'll examine how teams, leagues, and athletes have navigated race, gender, laws, and nationalism in a seminar setting that encourages discussion and participation.

Towering above the desert sands for over 4,000 years, Egypt's pyramids remain some of the most iconic and enduring symbols of human ingenuity. In this class, we'll explore the story behind these massive monuments from the earliest experiments in stone architecture to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Whether you're fascinated by ancient engineering, intrigued by pharaohs and the afterlife, or just want to better understand one of the world's greatest architectural traditions, this class offers a window into a civilization that quite literally moved mountains.

The Weimar Republic (1918-1933) was an experiment in democracy between the Second and Third Reichs. It was conceived at the end of World War I, plagued by an abortive German revolution, hyperinflation, the Great Depression, and the growing cloud of Nazism. It was a social (see Broadway's Cabaret), artistic (the Bauhaus, German Expressionism [Metropolis, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and more in cinema; Max Beckman, George Grosz and more in painting], and more) and political (socialists, communists, and Nazis being the major players) era of experimentation. We'll look at all of that, including its dreadful end with the Enabling Act of 1933. Draw parallels at your own risk.

This class is designed to alleviate some of the often heard reasons people are reluctant to try theatre acting at the amateur OLLI level. Participants will actively participate in learning some theatre basics through exercises in stage movements, vocalization, script reading, and memorization. By the end of the class, you'll feel prepared and confident to try theatre acting by eliminating some of the mystery of acting. No previous experience required!

Start your Tuesday with music and songs. Join us in a fun, informal sing-along. Bring your voices and/or musical instruments. The operative word is "fun." If you like music, you will like this class. All levels welcome!

There are more than two billion Muslims in the world and about 50 countries where Islam is the majority religion. We will cover the history of Islam from its birth through the present day as one of the largest world religions. We will discover Islam as both a way of life and a religion, be introduced to its major texts, and explore the influence of geography and cultural diversity in how these texts are applied.

This class is an introduction to watercolor painting. We will cover techniques, color blending, color mixing, and brushwork. All materials are provided.

Lovejoy Falls is tucked away on the south side of Bidwell Park. This hidden gem has a nearly 51-foot drop into the lush canyon below. The journey will follow the Old Homestead semi-loop, approximately 5 miles, winding through rugged volcanic rock, oak woodlands, and sweeping canyon views. Wildflowers are possible as well. You will need to be a sturdy hiker for the strong downhill and uphill of this 1,100-foot elevation gain hike.

Join us for our Wednesday morning park walks! If you want to start a walking habit, add to your daily step count, spend a morning with old and new friends, or just enjoy beautiful Lower Park, lace up your shoes and join us. Each week, you have the opportunity to choose a 1-mile route looping at Hwy 99 or a 2.8-mile route looping at the 2nd bridge (Cedar Grove).

Join us for our Wednesday morning park walks! If you want to start a walking habit, add to your daily step count, spend a morning with old and new friends, or just enjoy beautiful Lower Park, lace up your shoes and join us. Each week, you have the opportunity to choose a 1-mile route looping at Hwy 99 or a 2.8-mile route looping at the 2nd bridge (Cedar Grove).

This class will tour three museums. The Tehama County Museum in the town of Tehama has many artifacts from different time periods. The old jail and original Masonic Lodge are part of the museum. The Heritage Trail on the Glenn County Fairgrounds in Orland has many old buildings moved in from different parts of Glenn County. The Sacramento Valley Museum in Williams is housed in the original high school with a one-room schoolhouse adjacent.

In this class we will look at what research in neuroscience is teaching us about how the brain and mind work. We will also learn about using that knowledge to provide better care for patients. The role of AI, brain imaging, immunology, and genetics will be included. Selected topics on health, medicine and biotechnology may also be discussed.

Beginning at the Diversion Dam, we'll hike to the end of the Yahi trail (U ford) and back, approximately 5.25 miles. This upper portion of the Yahi trail offers the most interesting views, features an array of wildflowers in spring, and is less traveled than the lower portion. This hike is moderately challenging, with uneven terrain and some steep sections. Our pace will be leisurely, with time to take photographs, observe and identify wildflowers and birds, and enjoy the views and the camaraderie.

This writer's workshop serves a community of writers interested in sharing their writing and responding to other writers' work. We will focus on fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, poetry, travel writing, stories for children, and other types of writing. Following a workshop format, this class will be an opportunity for students to receive feedback for their written work and provide meaningful support to fellow writers.

Drawing as a form of relaxation and meditation? Yes! Drawing accesses parts of your brain that are not so active in our twenty-first-century life. This will give you a break from the constant input of modern life and instead put you into a relaxing, creative space. You will learn and practice several relaxing styles of abstract, non-representational drawing in which there is no wrong way to do it. No drawing experience or "talent" required. Stick-figure drawing level skill works.