Field Classes

Desert Institute

Desert Institute Fall 2022 Catalog

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Choosing a Field Class

The Desert Institute offers classes for adult learners in cultural history, natural science, survival skills, desert naturalist studies, women’s programs, citizen science, and creative arts. All programs are taught by expert instructors who provide a personal and enjoyable learning experience on these educational adventures.

Before registering, please take the time to review our General Class Info and download the Enrollment Attachments, that contain pertinent information about your class and Joshua Tree National Park. Please print and fill out the Participant Agreement. You can bring the completed form to the class.

If you are a member of JTNPA you will get a $10 discount off every Desert Institute class. If you are not a member you can become one here.

Eventbrite Registration & Schedule

FALL 2022

"How-To" Courses

Date	Class	Instructor(s)
September 18	“How-To” Identify Animal Burrows	Candice Weber
October 29 - 30	CampingWilderness Cooking School: Campsite Cooking	Emily Nielsen and Mai-yan Kwan
November 12 - 13	CampingWomen's "Get Away" Weekend	Pam Kersey and Robin Balch

Natural Science Courses

Date	Class	Instructor(s)
September 24 - 25	CreditBirds of the Mojave	Kurt Leuschner
September 25	CreditDesert Snakes	William Hayes
October 8 - 9	CreditInsects and Arthopods of the Morongo Basin	Kurt Leuschner
October 22 - 23	CreditCampingBirds of Anza Borrego	Kurt Leuschner
November 5	Geology of Amboy Crater	Alessandro Grippo
November 19	Geology of the San Andreas Fault	Ted Reeves
November 19 - 20	CreditBeginning Bird Banding	Stephen Myers
December 2 - 4	CreditCampingGeology and Geomorphology of Death Valley	Alessandro Grippo
December 3 - 4	Geology: Creation of the Joshua Tree Landscape	Ted Reeves
January 20, 2023	FullNewBirds and Other Wonders of the Salton Sea	Kurt Leuschner

Cultural History Courses

Date	Class	Instructor(s)	Outline
September 17	NewPractical Uses of Native California Plants	Yanina Aldao Galvan
October 22	NewMurals of 29 Palms	Heather Clisby

Guided Hikes in JTNP

Date	Class	Instructor(s)
October 8	Discover Pine City	De Karlen
October 23	Discover Pine City	De Karlen
November 6	NewDiscover Contact/Anaconda Mine	Pam Kersey and Tom Scanlan
December 11	Discover Lost Horse Mine	Pam Kersey and Tom Scanlan

Creative Arts Courses

Date	Class	Instructor(s)
August 27	FullKeys Ranch Nightscape Photography	Scott Klinger
September 24	NewDiscovering Your Creative Vision with Acrylics	Janis Commentz
September 30 - October 3	CampingMastering Landscape Photography	Ralph Nordstrom
October 2	Cyanotype Processing Workshop	Rose Cefalu
November 5	NewA Beginners Guide to Incredible iPhone Photography	Rose Cefalu
November 5	Field Sketching for Non Artists	Fran Calvert
November 5	Photographing Joshua Tree by Moonlight	Craig Fucile
November 6	Cyanotype Processing Workshop	Rose Cefalu
November 5 - 6	CampingPlein Air Oil Painting	Jessica Schiffman
November 19	Photographing the Hi Desert	Craig Fucile
November 19	NewA Beginners Guide to Incredible iPhone Photography	Rose Cefalu
December 3	Winter Light: Photographing the Desert Preserves	Craig Fucile

Events

Date	Class	Instructor(s)	Outline
October 1	Archaeopalooza
November 12 - 13	NewJoshua Tree Writers Festival

Wilderness Wellness Courses

Date	Class	Instructor(s)	Outline
November 25 - 27	NewCampingHiking My Feelings: Inner Wilderness Workshop	Sydney Williams
December 9 - 11	NewCampingHiking My Feeling: Trail of Life - Self Reflection Workshop	Sydney Williams

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel, notify us at least seven days prior to the start of the course and we will process your request minus a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds, transfers, or credits will be granted if cancellation occurs within the seven day period. Please note that we cannot make any exceptions to this refund policy for any reason, including but not limited to medical reasons, illness, travel delays, personal situations, emergencies, or weather. This program depends on registration for its funding. While inconvenient, please understand that this policy enables us to sustain our programs even with last minute cancellations.

Legend

Label	Description
Credit	An academic credit is available from University of California, Riverside Extension. Optional credit courses are marked by the green label. The number of units are listed with each class in the catalog. Credit fees are listed separately from non-credit fees in the catalog.
New	A brand new class that has been added to the current season.
New Format	A class that has been altered into a brand new format.
Full	A class that has reached capacity. Any new registrations will be added to a waiting list.
Camping	A class that includes a camping option
Cancelled	A class that has been cancelled and will no longer take place