Science & Math   

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.