Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park Course Catalog Fall 2016 Welcome to Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park There are some truly wonderful things about the California Desert. The thunderclouds that dominate the landscape during the monsoon rains; the incredible quality of silence that envelopes you on a hot, sunny, dry afternoon; the ex- plosion of color that greets you in a desert wash on a spring morning - these are the lasting memories that we hold on to for the rest of our lives. We have been gifted with a truly remarkable landscape and it is right in our back yards here at Joshua Tree National Park. Over 20 million people live within a three hour drive of what we like to call Southern California’s National Park.The beauty, rock climbing, and flowers called to over two million visitors to the park last year. But inspiration and solitude aside, Joshua Tree is also a world renown campus at the forefront of studies in global climate change, archaeological research on migration patterns, and the adaptability of threatened and endangered species in a changing environment. Students from around the globe use the intact ecosystem at the park as a laboratory to better understand the world we live in. The Desert Institute offers a unique opportunity to use this classroom. With some of the best instructors in the field, thousands of students have taken Dessert Institute classes in order to learn about the desert and enrich their lives. The National Park Service is delighted to be able to partner with the institute and help new legions of visitors go beyond the views and really connect with the desert and park. Whether with Desert Institute instructors, with a park naturalist, or on you own with one of the written guides from one of our visitor centers, I look forward to seeing you exploring the trails in the coming year. Superintendent David Smith Joshua Tree National Park Nowhere else we’d rather be! Photography by Kevin Wong and credited photographers. Fall 2016 Calendar September 16 -18 Insects and Arthropods of the Morongo Basin* pg. 12 September 24 Bighorn Sheep in Joshua Tree Nati onal Park pg. 12 September 24 - 25 Explore Camping: A Workshop for Women pg. 14 September 24 - 25 Night Sky Photography pg. 7 September 25 Desert Snakes: Mystery & Intrigue* pg. 12 October 1 Keys Ranch Nightscape Photography Workshop pg. 7 October 1 Discover Pine City pg. 11 October 1 - 2 Women’sWomen’s “Get-Away” Weekend pg. 14 October 2 “How-To” Identi fy Animal Scat pg. 5 October 2 Discover the Wonderland of Rocks pg. 11 October 8 - 9 Creati ve Camp Cooking with Chef Tanya Petrovna pg. 6 October 15 “How-To” Identi fy Animal Burrows pg. 5 October 15 Picture the Park in Black and White pg. 7 October 16 Watercolor Painti ng in Joshua Tree Nati onal Park pg. 86 October 16 Explore the Coxcomb Inner Basin pg. 11 October 22 Hike to Lost Horse Mine pg. 11 October 22 -23 “How-To” Navigate with Map and Compass pg. 6 October 29 - 30 Archaeology in Joshua Tree Nati onal Park pg. 10 November 5 Discover Cary’s Castle pg. 10 November 5 “How-To” Survive in the Desert pg. 6 November 5 Keys Ranch Nightscape Photography Workshop pg. 7 November 5 - 6 Geology: Creati on of the Joshua Tree Landscape* pg. 12 November 6 Light & Color: Oil Painti ng in Joshua Tree Nati onal Park pg. 8 November 12 Desert Palm Oasis Ecology pg. 13 November 12 Geology of the San Andreas Fault pg. 13 November 12 -13 Pine Needle Basketry pg. 8 November 13 Smartphone and Point-and-Shoot Techniques to Make Your Travel Photos “POP” pg. 9 November 13 Explore Queen Mountain West pg. 11 November 18 - 20 Fine Art Photography in Joshua Tree Nati onal Park pg. 9 December 3 Photographing the Hi-Desert pg. 9 December 4 Photographing the Hi-Desert pg. 9 December 4 Geology and Cultural History of Cott onwood Spring pg. 13 CAMPING OPTION * OFFERED FOR UNIVERSITY CREDIT 3 Registration Information How to choose the right class. The Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park is an adult education program with courses in family programs, cultural history, natural science, survival skills, and the arts. Expert instructors provide a personal and fun learning experience on these educational adventures. All fi eld programs follow the principles of Leave No Trace. The physical demands of each class are as diff erent as the topics we off er. Most of our courses require some hiking during fi eld trips in the park which may be hot, dry, windy, and sometimes cold. In rating the diffi culty of each class we consider elevation gain and loss, distance, time of year, pace, and terrain. It is important for your enjoyment that you select the class that matches your fi tness level. We also want to ensure that your skills and abilities match those of your fellow participants. Please note that the ratings are guidelines. For a person who is very active, a class rated “strenuous” might not pose a challenge, or a “moderate” hike could be very diffi cult for someone not used to walking outside in the desert environment at moderate elevation. EASY - Leisurely to moderate pace up Registration to 3 miles per day through relatively fl at The Desert Institute accepts registrations year round terrain with frequent stops. for special programming. Registrations for fall fi eld classes start in June and registrations for spring fi eld MODERATE - Moderate steady pace up classes start in November. If you wish to enroll with the to 6 miles per day with some elevation registration form on page 24, please enclose a check gain and loss through some loose, payable to “Joshua Tree National Park Association”. Of rocky or uneven terrain. course, you can call the Desert institute for enrollment and for any questions about our programs: STRENUOUS - Longer rigorous hikes at a moderate to brisk pace up to 12 miles Phone: (760) 367-5535 per day with signifi cant elevation gain and loss up to 3,000 ft through steep E-mail: [email protected] terrain, with possible rock scrambling. On-line: www.joshuatree.org EXTREME - Course includes rock Mail: please use the form on page 24 scrambling throughout a significant portion of route. Good balance, full Please honestly assess your fi tness level by reviewing the range of motion, and three points of hiking level descriptions on this page and in the course contact while scrambling are necessary. descriptions. All Desert Institute programs have been reviewed by the NPS for potential environmental impacts and approved as being compliant with National Park standards. 4 760-367-5535 joshuatree.org SIGN UP ONLINE Click On Class Name “How-To” Courses How-to’s and step-by-step advice from the experts. Taking a clue from our couse partici- pants for more classes on “how-to” explore and enjoy Joshua Tree National Park, we are off ering the following programs for those who want to develop new skills. Explore Camping: A Workshop for Women Date/Time: Saturday, September 24, 8:30 am - 9 pm Sunday, September 25, 8:30 am - 3 pm W�lc��� t� Meet at: Joshua Tree Visitor Center Fee: $110 JTNPA member ($120 non member) C��� Instructor: Rebecca Lowry, Artist, Instructor Hike Level: Moderate Jo��u� T��� If you have a taste for adventure, a thirst for wild spaces or just want to improve your outdoor skills, sign up here! Learn how to thrive in the outdoors with camping basics and best practices, improve your knowledge of natural science and have fun with a bunch of other intrepid women. On this weekend camping workshop you’ll learn about the desert while hiking through it, share stories around a crackling campfi re, and acquire useful skills that will transform the great outdoors into your own spectacular backyard. No prior camping experience is necessary, though some basic equip- ment is required. Camping equipment can be rented locally from outfi tters. More experienced campers who’d like to brush up on their skills or just come to have a good time are also welcome. This weekend of classes will be held at the Lost Horse Campsite, a beau- tiful location that is perfect for this program! Girls 21+ only. Campfi re Cuisine with Chef Tanya Petrovna Date/Time: Saturday, October 8, 8:00 am - 5:30 pm Sunday, October 9, 8:00 am - 2 pm “How - To” Identify Animal Scat Meet at: Joshua Tree Visitor Center Fee: $150 JTNPA member, $160 non member Date/Time: Sunday October 2, 9 am - 2 pm Instructor: Chef Tanya Petrovna Meet at: Black Rock Ranger Station, Yucca Valley Hike Level: Easy to Moderate Fee: $35 JTNPA member ($45 non member) Instructor: Stefanie Ritter, M.S., Zoology, Biology Hike Level: Easy Join Chef Tanya Petrovna to learn easy, creative Plant Based camp cooking on this weekend class. We will share with you many successful recipes for fun, exciting eating while camping Scat is one of the most important signs to look for when track- in Joshua Tree National Park. Recipes will range from Campsite ing animals. All animals leave scat in one form or another, even Pizza, Bourgignon on Buttered Fire Pit Potatoes, Ash Roasted us (though we don’t tend to leave it on the ground!). Scats, Vegetables Purses to Smores Dip. Fruity Fresh Dutch Oven bis- faeces, or just plain poo - these digested wastes left behind by cuits and Dude Hash for breakfast, Trail Sandwiches and Wraps animals are universally avoided by all but the most dedicated and Backpack Desserts.