Outdoor Experiences   

This will be an opportunity to tour the Chico State greenhouse and see how it functions, what it does, and the different habitats that it supports to grow plants from many parts of the world. You'll also see some unique plants. This will be a walking tour lasting about 1 to 2 hours at the greenhouse and surrounding gardens.

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 up to 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.

The North State is home to rich, diverse public lands: refuges, parks, forests, and reserves. Your public lands provide vital wildlife habitat and protect our natural resources. On this field trip, we'll explore Gray Lodge with guidance from a California Department of Fish and Wildlife naturalist and enjoy an easy 2-mile nature walk on level paths. We will identify birds, enjoy stunning views of the Sutter Buttes, and learn about this haven for over 300 species of wildlife. Come explore your public lands with us!

California's temperate climate allows an amazing array of plants to be grown locally. Edible gardens, pollinator gardens, native gardens, contemplative gardens, and demonstration gardens are some of the many varieties to tour. Inspired by the successful model of the "Arts & Eats" OLLI class, "Garden Gourmands" will focus on touring the art of garden landscapes combined with eating locally. Join Master Gardeners as we explore different area gardens followed by a no-host lunch at various local eateries to enjoy the bounty of Butte County.

Join us for a half-day adventure to Clotilde Merlo Park in Stirling City. This privately owned garden park with an abundance of plants, trees, and pollinating insects along with a fish-filled pond, is a lovely 20-acre gem situated at 3500' elevation. Bronze statues dot the landscape with numerous references to the historic activities in and around Stirling City. Opportunities for photos abound and depending on the weather, we may see the start of fall colors. After touring the Park, we will enjoy our bring-your-own picnic lunches.

Join us for history and a hike. We will be treated to viewing the Jonesville Hotel with a local historian and resident. We will then hike in the meadows near the creek in Jonesville for about 5 miles at roughly 5500' elevation. Be prepared for uneven ground.

360-degree views will be one of the highlights of this moderate hike (4.5 miles round trip, 650' elevation gain). Our path will follow the Pacific Crest Trail into fir forest and then onto the ridge between Cub Creek and Butt Creek. Along the way we'll take opportunities to enjoy and learn about the flora, fauna, soil, history, and stories about the area. From our lunch spot atop the ridge we'll have beautiful views of Lassen and other nearby and distant mountains. Our pace will be leisurely.

Did you know the Magna Carta, US founding documents, da Vinci's and Rembrandt's drawings, Bach's musical scores, and many other important historical documents were written with oak gall ink? We'll explore a brief history lesson, make our own ink samples from California's endemic valley oak galls (oak apples), and take a short stroll through the riparian forest, discovering how galls are created each spring by California gall wasps. We'll look for other types of galls and gall-inducing species. Each participant receives their own ink sample.

History. Art. Bees. Orland has plenty of each. Spend a couple of hours exploring all three in one afternoon. The Alta Schmidt House Museum houses many historical artifacts, documents, and photos. The Orland Arts Center and Gallery has a new exhibit every three months, plus other events almost monthly. The Honeybee Discovery Center is a great learning experience for schoolchildren, but also for all other age groups. Check out the Story Walk in Library Park when walking between the venues.

HOOFers Revisited continues building skills in navigation, trail safety, and techniques while hiking our regional trails. Our community of supportive and experienced hikers help shape outings while enjoying shared learning, letting the trail be our classroom. This challenging hike (examples: Feather Falls, Annie Bidwell Trail, Many Waterfalls Loop) will be 6-10 miles in length with uneven and rocky terrain and approximately 2000' elevation gain while enjoying outdoor beauty. 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).

HOOFers Revisited continues building skills in navigation, trail safety, and techniques while hiking our regional trails. Our community of supportive and experienced hikers help shape outings while enjoying shared learning, letting the trail be our classroom. This easy hike (examples: Inks Creek, Rio Vista Loop) will be 3-5 miles in length with uneven terrain and minimal elevation gains while enjoying outdoor beauty. 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).

HOOFers Revisited continues building skills in navigation, trail safety, and techniques while hiking our regional trails. Our community of supportive and experienced hikers help shape outings while enjoying shared learning, letting the trail be our classroom. This moderate hike (examples: Potters Point Loop, Deer Creek) will be 3-6 miles in length with uneven terrain and 600' elevation gain while enjoying outdoor beauty. 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).

HOOFers Revisited continues building skills in navigation, trail safety, and techniques while hiking our regional trails. Our community of supportive and experienced hikers help shape outings while enjoying shared learning, letting the trail be our classroom. This moderately challenging hike (examples: Brad Freeman Trail, Dye Creek) will be 4-7 miles in length with uneven and rocky terrain and approximately 1000' elevation gain while enjoying outdoor beauty. 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).

The Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area, Llano Seco Unit hosts massive numbers of Pacific Flyway migratory birds in November. Taking our sketchbooks, binoculars, field guides, and cameras, we'll meander along the 1/2-mile walking trail and stop at two observation platforms allowing us to observe and quickly sketch bird poses and behaviors. We'll identify key species: green-winged teal, American wigeon, northern shoveler, mallard, pintail, bufflehead, snow geese, white-fronted geese, swans, ring-necked ducks, sandhill cranes, and raptor species.

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

If you haven't visited the Butte College Health, Kinesiology and Athletics Department recently, here is your chance to join us on a wonderful tour! Various department staff and faculty will help us explore multiple facilities, educational opportunities, and athletic programs. You will have the opportunity to interact with the department dean, coaches, athletic trainers, and various student athletes. Participants must be comfortable navigating steps and walking or standing for up to 2 hours. All walking paths are paved.

Join us for an outdoor adventure exploring interesting places in our community. In this class we will be walking from the Chico History Museum up the Esplanade exploring one of the first neighborhoods of Chico, called the Vecino. Dave Nopel will be sharing the history and development of this unique area of Chico.

Join us in visiting the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville to learn about Chinook salmon returning to the Feather River at the height of fall spawning season. We will visit both sections of the Feather River Fish Hatchery: the spawning room, hatchery, and rearing ponds on the west side of Table Mountain Boulevard; and the fish barrier dam, observation platform, and underwater viewing on the east side of Table Mountain Boulevard. We will walk about 3.5 miles.

Join us for an easy, approximately 90-minute docent-led tour of the vineyard grounds and Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux in Vina. The unique soils of this land have led to its cultivation as a vineyard for many years. In 1955 much of the land was purchased by Trappist-Cistercian monks, an order known for their winemaking skills, who established a winery and monastery. A gift shop, informational displays, chapel, and an optional wine tasting are possible extensions to the tour.

Expansive views and interesting rock formations will be some of the highlights of this moderate, high-elevation hike (3 miles round trip, 200' elevation gain). The trail is well-traveled, with gradual steady ascents and descents. Our path will follow the Pacific Crest Trail through a regenerating fir forest, burned in the 2021 Dixie Fire, to our lunch spot nestled amid remnants of 3-million-year-old stratovolcano Mount Yana. Our pace will be leisurely as we enjoy and learn about the flora and fauna along the way.

Enjoy Northern California beauty and history with 30-45 minutes to explore, observe, and take short walks in each location. A fifth-generation historian will tell us about Delta in the Sacramento Canyon and the historic significance of the Siskiyou Trail, a famous Native American Battle, gold, and railroads. We will see the stratovolcano and community in Mount Shasta. In the old logging town of McCloud we will visit a community park and learn about the Klamath Tribes, the Modoc War, and Modoc displacement to Oklahoma.

To hear Rian Farley speak about Durham Cemetery is to see it as a living, breathing chronicle of community life. In this engaging class, Rian explores the broader history of cemeteries, the symbolism of headstones and footstones, and the personal stories etched in stone. Discover how cemeteries preserve memory, meaning, and local heritage.

Come enjoy Paradise and walk the Yellowstone Kelly Heritage Trail with us! We will walk the trail from the top to the bottom, a little over 5 miles downhill, and experience elevations from 2800-1800 feet. The trail is paved and will provide an opportunity to see the rebuild progress and the changing landscape. We will visit the Depot Museum and stop at Joy Lyn's Candy Shop. The last section of the path includes an art installation by muralist Shane Grammer.

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).