Nature classes and seminars in the national parks

Sunset, April, 1987

Nature classes and seminars in the national parks

"Go to Nature's school--the one trueUniversity.' This summer, visitors to more than a dozen of the West's national parks and monuments will have the chance to discover the meaning of John Muir's words by participating in a variety of special field seminars.

Offered by nonprofit associations thatwork with the Park Service to develop interpretive and educational programs for park visitors, the seminars are separate from outings and back-country trips offered by commercial park concession-aires. Profits go to fund special programs or research, or are donated to the park.

Whether it's exploring the stalactite treasuresof limestone caves at Sequoia, studying the endangered North American grizzly at Glacier, or touching the brilliant wildflower bounty of the North Cascades, students leave a seminar experience with a greater knowledge and appreciation of the park and its resources. Naturalists use their immediate environment to explain each park's unique cultural and natural history. Most classes are held outdoors--beyond the confines of desks and walls.

Seminars typically have a comfortablestudent-teacher ratio of about 12 to 1, and students often enjoy opportunities that they couldn't on their own. At Point Reyes, we spent a sunny afternoon gathering mineral-rich seaweeds, then turned them into a nine-course feast of Japanese, Korean, and Native American dishes. At Kings Canyon, a naturalist-author led our group to wildflower meadows and ancient, tucked-away sequoia groves normally missed by most visitors.

Half the fun is meeting people who sharea common interest with you. Students range widely in age and experience-- from 7-year-old bird-watchers to 72-year-old cave explorers. While a few programs have special physical requirements, most are geared for adults or families with teen-age children. Some associations offer family-oriented programs directed to young children; a few will help you arrange private naturalist-guided hikes.

Courses last from a day or less to a week;prices range from $15 to $40 per day. You usually must arrange for your own lodging and meals. But most parks offer camping, and many have inexpensive lodging or print lists of local motels. Seminar sign-up is limited; reserve well ahead.

Our listings describe a few of the programsoffered in each park. Write for a complete catalog and registration details.

California: Point Reyes National Seashore.Spring and summer seminars (almost 40 last year) cost $26 for one day, $65 for two. Conducted among rocky cliffs, crashing waves, sand dunes, and marshlands, the seminars include Sea Vegetable Gathering and Cooking, and Intertidal Life of Limantour Beach and Estero--a full-day exploration of a rich estuary with its sea hares and harbor seals. The park's youth hostel has limited accommodations. Point Reyes Educational Programs, Point Reyes 94956; (415) 663-1200.

Redwood National Park. Lasting mostly oneor two days, the 10 classes offered from June into August cost $15 to $30. New programs this summer will study the Roosevelt elk or take you gold panning. In Bear Facts, students examine dens and monitor radio-collared black bears. College of the Redwoods, Del Norte Education Center, 883 W. Washington Blvd., Crescent City 95531; (707) 464-7457.

Santa Monica Mountains NationalRecreation Area. Seminars run year-round, with the most variety in spring and summer. Most last a day; courses include stargazing, orienteering, mountain bike tours, waterfalls and wildflowers, and Native American skills; cost is about $17 for adults, $10 for ages 12 and under. Weekend backpack programs include camping (not normally allowed here) and cost $65. Wilderness Institute, 22900 Ventura Blvd., Suite L-10, Woodland Hills 91364; (818) 887-7831.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.SNHA offers 10 seminars at least one week long (naturalist-guided backpacks), as well as four "weekenders' that include wildflower- and bird-watching. One trip is a 70-mile backpack across the heart of the Sierra Nevada, including an ascent of 14,495-foot Mount Whitney. On daily hourlong tours of Crystal Cave, you can learn how water formed this limestone-and-marble cavern. Sequoia Natural History Association, Ash Mountain, Box 10, Three Rivers 93271; (209) 565-3341, ext. 234.

Yosemite National Park. Choose from morethan 65 year-round seminars, from family backpacking to trans-Sierra skiing. There are courses on astronomy, botany, geology, and even a weekend series of hikes to the park's rushing waterfalls. Courses last two to five days and cost about $70 to $100. Yosemite Association, Box 545, Yosemite National Park 95389; (209) 379-2646.

Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park.Going into its 26th summer, this is the country's oldest national park seminar program, with weekend and week-long seminars on both sides of the Continental Divide. The society offers more than a dozen courses covering outdoor writing, drawing, photography, and topics like the Ecology of Furry Creatures. Tuition: about $80 to $150. Rocky Mountain Nature Association, Estes Park 80517; (303) 586-2371, ext. 294.