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
Registration fee is $90 for the whole term and $45 for a half term. Individual trips are $30. Register online or contact me. The class meets every Wednesday morning for 10 weeks, with six fieldtrips and four class sessions. Classes … Continue reading
Wednesdays, 2-4pm This class examines recent history by showing films that depict the lives of people caught up in the important events of the 20th century. Through historical dramas and satires such as Gandhi, The Third Man, Paths of Glory … Continue reading
Thursdays, 10am-12pm This course presents documentary films that examine important social, economic and political issues around the world. In the last two decades films such as The Fog of War, Waiting for Superman, Fahrenheit 9/11, An Inconvenient Truth and Enron: … Continue reading
Thursday, 2-4pm This course surveys the development of new traditions in European art, architecture and civilization from the late Medieval to the mid-Renaissance (1300-1550) in Burgundy, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. It will examine the lives, work and historical background … Continue reading
The Alameda shoreline, with miles of sandy white beaches and stunning views of the bay, is one of our local environmental treasures. During the fall and winter it is also a magnet for hundreds of shorebirds -- dunlin, godwits, peeps, … Continue reading