Optional Credit Classes

Click on the classes that interest you to learn more.

basalt in JTNP Rocks & Minerals of Joshua Tree National Park
February 26, 27 & 28, 2010
Bruce Bridenbecker
Bruce Bridenbecker will explain the critical principles that shaped the rocks and minerals of this area into the blonde granite and pre-Cambrian gneiss which are iconic of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts.
photo by Craig Fucile Joshua Tree Through the Lens
March 13, 2010
Craig Fucile
Grab your camera and put on your hiking boots for this intensive all-day photo shoot in Joshua Tree National Park! Craig Fucile will guide the class in seeing the natural beauty of the park through the camera lens.
Ghost Flower Flora of Joshua Tree National Park
March 20 & 21, 2010
Allan Schoenherr
Learn the secret of how plants survive in one of the harshest ecosystems in the world with Allan Schoenherr. Schoenherr will present a general overview of botany, desert plant identification, and explain how plants have adapted to survive in a land with little rain during this two-day field class.
Ernest Siva singing traditional songs Indigenous Peoples of Joshua Tree National Park
March 27 & 28, 2010
Phil Klasky, Matthew Leivas Sr.
Don’t miss this chance to hear about what it being done to revitalize Native American cultures. Phil Klasky and tribal elder Matthew Leivas Sr. (Chemehuevi), will discuss Native American history and cultural preservation in this two-day field class.
students looking at plants Plant Ecology of Joshua Tree National Park
April 9, 10 & 11, 2010
Stefanie Ritter, Mark Wheeler
Discover the remarkable adaptations characteristic of plants found in one of the hottest deserts in the world. Stefanie Ritter and Mark Wheeler will unfold the story of plant resilience and perseverance in an environment of heat, wind, and sand in this three-day field class in Joshua Tree National Park.
reptile in JTNP Reptiles & Amphibians of Joshua Tree National Park
April 23, 24, & 25, 2010
Jeff Burkhart
Jeff Burkhart will discuss the remarkable variety of lizards, and snakes in Joshua Tree National Park. General biology, identification, and, adaptation of the 42 species of amphibians and reptiles found in the Park will be emphasized.
bird in Joshua Tree National Park Birds of Joshua Tree National Park
April 30, May 1, & 2, 2010
Kurt Leuschner
Over 240 species of birds have been sighted in the deceptively barren landscape of Joshua Tree National Park. Kurt Leuschner, Associate Professor of College of the Desert, Palm Desert, will guide a three-day field class through the Mojave Desert to identify common and rare birds and discuss their behavior.