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Birding and natural history classes, field reports, essays and tours around the Bay Area, California and the West with Ted Pierce.

For the 2010-2011 school year I am teaching five courses (see details below). All classes meet at the North Berkeley Senior Center, at the corner of Hearst and M.L. King Jr. Way in Berkeley, CA. (This is within walking distance of the downtown Berkeley BART station.) Classes begin Sept. 1st. Registration remains open throughout the semester until classes are filled. Please contact me for any additional information you may desire.

The non-birding courses are being given through the Berkeley Adult School (BAS) in Berkeley, California. To register, call the Berkeley adult school at (510) 644-6130 or see the website, bas.berkeley.net. The BAS fall/winter semester begins September 2010 and ends in late January 2011. Spring semester goes from late January to mid-June 2011. Beginning Birding is being given independently. For all classes I use a variety of teaching methods, including class discussion, non-technical lectures, readings, films and occasionally guest speakers and fieldtrips.

 

Ted Pierce teaching a Birding Class.

Beginning Birding

Wednesdays, 9 - 12 am
This class features a number of topics of interest to the beginning birder: the general biology of birds and classification of bird families, techniques of observing and identifying birds, and binocular and field guide use. Classroom sessions alternate with fieldtrips to birding areas around the Bay Area. For fall and winter semesters 2010/11 we will study raptors (hawks and owls). The class meets Wednesday mornings, 9-12am. I use Peterson’s A Field Guide to Western Birds as a basic text. The fee is $60 per semester (by donation), and you may register through this website.

Bay Area Shorebird Seminar

Two Sections:
Sat. Feb 5 (9am-4pm)
Sat. March 5 (9am-4pm)
Morning class sessions will discuss identification techniques, family characteristics and migration patterns of common Bay Area shorebirds. Afternoon sessions will visit local East Bay shoreline locations for observation. Given at Berkeley Adult School, 2091 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA. Cost per person: $40

Living Planet

Tuesdays, 10 - 12 am
This class is a general introduction to natural science topics and issues such as ecology, environmental conservation and wildlife. Subjects are presented in a variety of formats, including films, lectures, discussion and guest speakers. Each semester themes vary by subject (such as mammals, dinosaurs or coral reefs), or by region (such as the Amazon, Africa or Antarctica). Last semester, for example, we studied different aspects of sustainable agriculture. This semester class discussions will be focused on two major themes: scientific thought since the Renaissance, and the relationship between life and water on our planet. The class also features monthly fieldtrips, weather permitting. Cost is $30 per semester. Register through BAS.

The American Songbook – A History of American Popular Music

Tuesdays, 2 - 4 pm
This course explores American history through popular music and the social, economic and cultural factors that have contributed to different American musical traditions. This semester we will continue our survey of American popular music of the 20th century, including jazz, rock, Broadway musicals, spirituals, the movies, folk song, ragtime and Tin Pan Alley. Artists and composers covered will include Louis Armstrong, Bob Dylan, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, The Band, Jimi Hendrix and many others. Register through BAS ($30 per semester).

Western Art History

Thursdays, 2 - 4 pm
The Art History course discusses a variety of artists and movements since the Medieval period in relation to other cultural, political and economic developments in Western culture. During the fall/winter 2010/11 semester we will study artists and stylistic developments of the Italian Renaissance, including Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo and many others. Occasional fieldtrips. Meets Thursdays 2-4pm. Register through BAS ($30 per semester).

Current Events: All Things Considered 

Thursdays, 10 - 11:30 am
This class considers and discusses a variety of political, environmental and economic events in the news. The use of  “All Things Considered” in the title (a reference to the NPR program) is a reference to the great number of topics presented throughout the semester. Fall 2010 classes, for example, will discuss the mid-term elections, the state of California, the war in Afghanistan, Middle East peace negotiations, the rise of Indian and Chinese political influence and global environmental issues. Readings from papers and magazines, guest lecturers and documentary films are used to present a variety of viewpoints. Discussion and dialogue are an important part of the class, and tolerance of the opinions of others is crucial. Meets Thursdays, 10-11:30am. Register through BAS ($30 per semester).