At 3,800 feet, Mt. Diablo sits in solitary splendor at the center of Contra Costa county, monarch of all it surveys. It is equally visible for miles in all directions, throughout the delta, Marin, Alameda and Solano Counties. Parts of … Continue reading
Casting large shadows over the rugged landscape of the Pinnacles are the legendary California Condors! These immense but shy scavengers, among the largest of North America, soar through the mountain air with a wingspan of nearly 10 feet! The Pinnacles, … Continue reading
We return to early frontier California at Rush Ranch, part of the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area near Fairfield. This is a Gold Rush-era farm complete with horse corrals, set within 2,000 acres of grasslands and marshes. The land has been … Continue reading
A tour of Mines Road (south of Livermore) is a trip into the nearly forgotten 19th-century world of the Bay Area. Mines Road begins near Murrieta’s Well winery, where we hope to find Great Horned owls, White-tailed kites, Yellow-billed magpies … Continue reading
Far from the hustle and bustle of Alameda’s cities and highways is Sunol Regional Park, perhaps the most beautiful and wild of the county’s parklands. Covered in oak woodlands, surrounded by high crags and bisected by Alameda Creek, it is … Continue reading
For John Muir the Sierras were the peak experience of California wilderness. These great forests of pine and fir, pure streams and rivers, mountain lakes and soaring peaks are a revelation of the nature of American wilderness. Our headquarters for … Continue reading
Monterey Bay is renowned as one of the most scenic areas of the central California coastline, with an extraordinary concentration of wildlife. This wildlife includes an endless wealth of birds, Sea otters and migrating whales. Outstanding beaches, headlands and state … Continue reading
This has become one of our most popular weekend tours, and no wonder: a vast and ancient lake on the eastern slope of Yosemite, Mono is famous for its unique tufa formations that surround its waters. Snow-capped Sierra peaks, forests, … Continue reading
Tuesdays, 10am-12pm This new course surveys the history of North America’s wildlife and human ecology from ancient times to the present. Major themes this semester will include: endangered wildlife, early 19th century biologists and scientists such as Audubon, Wilson, Gray and … Continue reading
Tuesdays, 2-4pm This course celebrates the music of the 20th century Modernist composers and performers from the late 19th century to the present. Course topics will include musical nationalism, jazz and pop influences, minimalism, the Early Music revival and post-modernist … Continue reading