Travel   

If you love to travel and love to write, this is for you! We will discuss how to use all your senses in a new destination to create more detailed and in-depth descriptions that capture and maintain readers’ interest, and whether or not you need to include photos with your work. You will also learn how to find and submit your finished product to print and online markets, the business side of travel writing (how to take travel tax deductions), and how to avoid worn-out travel writing cliches. Informative handouts for future use are included in class fee. 

Age range: 18+

Imagine living abroad! Many people now opt for this adventure and enjoy a higher standard of living while living their dream. Join us and learn how to stretch a fixed retirement income or find work overseas that pays room and board.

Discover the top ten countries where Americans can live better than they can here and how to do it! Get tips about evaluating your finances, figuring out how far your dollar will go, housing, transportation, food, government discount programs, access to healthcare, and job opportunities. It is all here!

Are you ready to begin an exciting new life?

Age range: 18+

Join us for a birding adventure at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland, a beautiful 38-acre waterfront park overlooking the San Francisco Bay. This prime birding destination offers excellent opportunities to observe shorebirds and waterfowl as they migrate south from the Arctic across the Western Hemisphere during the fall migration.

Location: Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, Oakland CA. Class will meet in the parking lot in front of the restrooms.

Please note: Please note that students are responsible for their own transportation. Sorry, no pets allowed.

Age range: family friendly 11+ (parents must accompany their children)     

Join us for a educational walk through Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area where you will observe the return of  the winter bird species.You will learn to identify these birds by their field marks, with special attention to east-west migratory species, such as the Loggerhead Shrike, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Say’s Phoebe, Pine Siskins, and Townsend's Warbler. Additionally, the group will identify various shorebirds and even raptors. Beginning birders welcome! This educational walk involves walking through the park grounds, possibly up to a mile, so please wear comfortable, closed-toed shoes. 

Location: Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area, Pleasanton CA. Please park in the "Shadow Cliffs North Beach parking lot." Entry fee for Shadow Cliffs is $6.00. Students are responsible for this fee.

Please note: Please note that students are responsible for their own transportation. Sorry, no pets allowed.

Age range: family friendly 11+ ( parents must accompany their children)       

During our Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve birding walk, you will observe winter species returning to the area. We will spend time learning to identify these birds by their field marks, focusing on east-west migratory species, such as Red-breasted Sapsucker, Pygmy and Red-breasted Nuthatch, Say’s Phoebe, Pine Siskins, and wintering warblers. Beginning birders welcome! This educational walk involves walking through the park grounds, possibly up to a mile, so please wear comfortable, closed-toed shoes. 

Location: Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve. We will meet by the Sunol Visitor Center. Entry fee for Sunol is $5.00. Students are responsible for this fee.

Please note: Please note that students are responsible for their own transportation. Sorry, no pets allowed.

Age range: family friendly 11+ ( parents must accompany their children)       

Discover the rich natural and cultural heritage of the East Bay Hills and Mount Diablo Range in this California Naturalist course. Through a blend of online classes with guest lectures, and in-person field trips, participants explore the region’s diverse habitats—from oak woodlands and chaparral to serpentine grasslands—while learning about its geology, ecology, and deep cultural significance to Indigenous peoples. Participants who complete the course are certified as UC California Naturalists and are eligible for 4 undergraduate units through UC Davis.   

Within the framework of the UC Environmental Stewards, this course combines science, service and place-based learning.

You will engage in:

• Science curriculum exploring the geology, soils, hydrology, vegetation communities and wildlife of the East Bay Hills and Mount Diablo;

• Field trips and hands-on investigation at local natural areas in the East Bay hills and Mount Diablo to directly observe and document ecological patterns;

• Guest lectures and community science projects that link you to ongoing conservation, restoration and citizen-science efforts in the region;

• Project-based learning that empowers you to design or participate in stewardship activities—whether monitoring a sensitive species, mapping habitat change, or assisting a local land-trust initiative.
   

By the end of the course, you will not only have gained a strong foundation in the natural history and ecology of this unique California landscape, but you will also be prepared to take an active role in natural resource conservation, education, and restoration.

Age range: 14+