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Natural Science Saturdays

Led by Senior Naturalist, Garth Harwood 

Our Natural Science Saturdays is designed to highlight many facets of the natural world that are most readily observed at particular seasons. Understanding the interplay of seasonality with ecology is key to making connections that will transform a collection of discrete facts (knowledge) into something closer to the true, intricately woven patterns of the living world (understanding). We invite you to take this journey with us, in Hidden Villa’s living laboratory.

Classes take place on Saturdays from 10 am -12 pm. A typical format will be 30-40 minutes of formal presentation/discussion, followed by a field experience. Significant format exceptions will be noted in the class descriptions. All classes will begin at Hidden Villa’s Wolken Education Center unless otherwise noted in the class description.

Registration Information

About our Senior Naturalist

 

 

    Seasonal Cycles Natural History Series

  • (1/11 & 2/8) Fun with Fungus Fundamentals, Part 1

    A playful introduction to the awesomely strange, wonderful, and utterly essential world of the fungi.
    Price: $30.00
    Duration: 2 hours
  • (1/25 & 2/22) Fun with Fungus Fundamentals, Part 2

    We’ll go exploring for the entirety of this class, in search of examples of the wide variety of fungi that occur at Hidden Villa during the rainy season.
    Price: $30.00
    Duration: 2 hours
  • (3/8 & 3/22) Make a Wild Salad! Foraging Basics

    In this class, we will harvest from the wild lands and field edges of Hidden Villa and conclude the morning by sharing a communal wild salad.
    Price: $30.00
    Duration: 2 hours
  • (4/26) Five Medicinal Plants You Should Know

    These 5 plants are easy to find and identify in our area, and will help you begin the lifelong journey of using wild plants to enhance your household medical kit.
    Price: $30.00
    Duration: 2 hours
  • (4/5) Wildflower Walk

    Wildflowers of many kinds are found along Hidden Villa’s trails and within and around our organic farm fields, and this is the time to see them at their best.
    Price: $30.00
    Duration: 2 hours
  • (5/10) Birds and their Nests

    Early May is an especially fun time to pay attention to birds. Many will be at their showiest, singing their hearts out, defending territories, constructing nests, or perhaps already tending to their nestlings.
    Price: $30.00
    Duration: 2 hours
  • (5/24) Meet the Herptiles: Reptiles, Amphibians and More!

    Join us to find out which snakes and lizards live here, which are dangerous, and which are hugely helpful on our organic farm. See how Hidden Villa is actively working to protect some amphibians, and learn why one might consider the unassuming California Slender Salamander to be one of the fastest land animals around!
    Price: $30.00
    Duration: 2 hours