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- Citizens Guide to Our Fire Environment – Online (Hybrid)
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Item Number: W26NAT300
Dates: 2/5/2026 - 3/5/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: Online
Room: (Zoom)
Instructor: Mary Kwart, Paul Derezotes
Ever hear of Foehn winds? Similar to the Santa Ana winds in Southern California, they played an important role spreading the Almeda fire on Sept. 8, 2020, that destroyed more than 2,000 homes in the Rogue Valley. Wonder how to prioritize wildfire hazard reduction around your home? Do you know your evacuation route or what firefighters do after a fire discovery? This course will introduce you to basic fire behavior and weather as taught to firefighters so you can make informed decisions; it will illuminate what goes on during wildfires, prescribed burns and fire managed for resource benefit. Information on recent weather research will be provided through collaboration with a local meteorologist and include a more in-depth look at on-the-ground wildfire management.
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- Citizens Guide to Our Fire Environment – In-Person (Hybrid)
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Ever hear of Foehn winds? Similar to the Santa Ana winds in Southern California, they played an important role spreading the Almeda fire on Sept. 8, 2020, that destroyed more than 2,000 homes in the Rogue Valley. Wonder how to prioritize wildfire hazard reduction around your home? Do you know your evacuation route or what firefighters do after a fire discovery? This course will introduce you to basic fire behavior and weather as taught to firefighters so you can make informed decisions; it will illuminate what goes on during wildfires, prescribed burns and fire managed for resource benefit. Information on recent weather research will be provided through collaboration with a local meteorologist and include a more in-depth look at on-the-ground wildfire management.
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- Creating a Cottage Garden With Permaculture – Online
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Item Number: W26NAT321
Dates: 1/7/2026 - 2/11/2026
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: Online
Room: (Zoom)
Instructor: Lindsey McNab
This beginner-friendly online course is designed for individuals with no prior gardening experience, offering an introduction to creating a beautiful and functional cottage garden through the lens of permaculture design. Whether you have acres of land, a small corner lot or even just a balcony or apartment space, this course will help you envision and plan a garden that suits your home and lifestyle. By the end of the course, you will have a personalized garden plan ready to implement once spring arrives — whether you are working with a few square feet or several acres. As this course is taught in winter, you’ll have the time to prepare, gather materials and set yourself up for success when the growing season begins. Expect interactive learning, Q&A sessions and personalized guidance
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- Elephant Conservation in Thailand and Beyond – In-Person
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Item Number: W26NAT322A
Dates: 1/7/2026 - 2/18/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 7
Maximum Enrollment: 53
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Room D
Instructor: Laura Stegeman
This course provides an in-depth examination of the Asian elephant, with a focus on conservation challenges in Thailand and neighboring countries. While much public attention centers on the ethics of riding elephants, this course expands far beyond that issue to explore a deeper problem resulting from cultural symbolism, exploitation and the evolving role of elephants in Southeast Asia. Students will gain broad knowledge and advocacy tools, preparing them to make informed choices as travelers, educators and conservation allies. YouTube videos, the film “Love and Bananas,” and various articles will be required viewing and reading. All students are welcome, especially those who are interested in responsible and ethical animal tourism.
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- Farm to School, Farm to You – In-Person
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Come explore local food with us in two sessions. We'll start with a slide presentation with discussion and a short activity, then we dive in with a demonstration cooking project. This course will explore connecting with where your food comes from, building positive relationships with food, and using local, seasonal, budget-friendly produce. We’ll share what farm to school is and what is happening in our region. Our style of education will utilize similar techniques we use with students: fun, interactive learning with opportunities for discussion, exploring new things and asking questions. This will be an opportunity to learn about growing, buying, cooking and enjoying food for yourself as well as ideas for engaging the young people in your life to share the joy of connecting with food.
NOTE: The second session on Jan. 12 will be a demonstration cooking class held at the Ashland Food Co-op, located at 237 N. First St., from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Efforts will be made to address individual food allergies and sensitivities; ingredients will be listed in a pre-course email to registered students. Signed liability waiver required to participate.
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- Garden for Beauty and Biodiversity – Online
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Item Number: W26NAT102
Dates: 1/6/2026 - 2/3/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: Online
Room: (Zoom)
Instructor: Robin McKenzie
This is a lecture course presented from an artistic and amateur scientific point of view and designed to appeal to all levels of pollinator, bird, wildlife and general gardening enthusiasts. Students will be shown how to create multi-seasonal pollinator and wildlife habitat that will enhance not only the beauty of their property but also recreate the natural biodiversity of their communities. Students will learn the basics to qualify their garden for certification as a monarch butterfly way station or pollinator site. No need to have a garden to take this class. No textbook is required. Recommended reading and resources will be provided.
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- Have Fun Learning About Birds – In-Person
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Item Number: W26NAT128A
Dates: 1/23/2026 - 2/20/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: F
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 78
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Room E
Instructor: Shannon Rio
PowerPoint presentations are accompanied by facts, anecdotes, stories and poetry about mostly local birds and local places. This course will emphasize the birds that winter in the Rogue Valley but may also include birding in the Klamath Wildlife Refuge. Learning about birds is not just identification but also about their behavior and their songs and sounds. Photos and information for this course are always being updated. Each class invites an interactive approach, as we all have something to learn from one another. No prior knowledge is necessary. Come for the beauty of the photos and the fun of learning about the birds that live around us. Curiosity is encouraged.
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- Living With Wildfire: Community Solutions – Online (Hybrid)
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Item Number: W26NAT324
Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/10/2026
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: Online
Room: (Zoom)
Instructor: Charisse Sydoriak
This course explores how communities — not just individuals — can reduce wildfire risk and build resilience. Using the newly adopted Ashland Community Wildfire Protection Plan as a framework, students will engage in “local wildfire conversations” that combine education with participation. Topics include launching a local community-based partnership, reducing residential risk (with emphasis on renters and socially vulnerable households), responding to the insurance crisis, developing a wildfire-smart workforce and planning proactively for disaster recovery. By examining these initiatives, students will learn how inclusive, community-driven action can transform their community from a wildfire fuel source into a fuel break.
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- Living With Wildfire: Community Solutions – In-Person (Hybrid)
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Item Number: W26NAT324A
Dates: 2/10/2026 - 3/10/2026
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 34
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Room A
Instructor: Charisse Sydoriak
This course explores how communities — not just individuals — can reduce wildfire risk and build resilience. Using the newly adopted Ashland Community Wildfire Protection Plan as a framework, students will engage in “local wildfire conversations” that combine education with participation. Topics include launching a local community-based partnership, reducing residential risk (with emphasis on renters and socially vulnerable households), responding to the insurance crisis, developing a wildfire-smart workforce and planning proactively for disaster recovery. By examining these initiatives, students will learn how inclusive, community-driven action can transform their community from a wildfire fuel source into a fuel break.
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- Medical Hazards in the Wilderness – In-Person
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Living organisms have developed some unique methods to protect themselves in nature. The goal of this course is to discuss these adaptations (fangs, teeth, horns, venoms, toxins) and figure out how to avoid them being used on us! Via PowerPoint lectures, topics will include wild animal attacks, snakebites, insect toxins and plant families that produce poisonous or caustic agents. We’ll also look at infectious critters carried by ticks, mosquitoes, biting flies and the use of biologic agents (bioterrorism). Fun in the sun and skin protection are important topics, but the most riveting talk is on parasites — those that can live, feed and breed in our bodies, robbing us of food and blood. Sharing personal stories will be encouraged! No prior medical knowledge is needed, just curiosity!
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- Sailing by the Stars: Celestial Navigation – In-Person
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Item Number: W26NAT325A
Dates: 1/8/2026 - 2/12/2026
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 15
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Room C
Instructor: Richard LeVee
This course will offer a basic understanding of celestial navigation and sailing. This method allowed early exploration of the world’s oceans and is still useful today if modern technology fails. The stars, planets, sun and moon can be used to navigate. Through lecture and discussion, an understanding will be gained of how the night sky changes during the year and how observing the night sky from the Northern and Southern hemispheres differs dramatically. Discussions will include sea stories from the instructor’s sailing in both hemispheres. The class will also be invited to share ocean experiences, and students will have a hands-on opportunity to examine a sextant. No prior knowledge is required, just a curiosity about sailing and using the natural elements as guides.
NOTE: No books are required; however, “The Stars” by H.A. Rey is a useful and enjoyable manual with illustrations and information on the constellations, planets and seasonal changes of the night sky.
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