Thursday   

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.