AT THE ARBORETUM

Folk Music Jam Sessions — Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whistles, pipes, flutes, squeezeboxes — you name it! — and join your fellow musicians during the lunch hour for a little bluegrass, old-time, blues, Celtic, klezmer and other world music. All skill levels welcome. Listeners, too! Noon Friday, Oct. 29 and Nov. 12, Wyatt Deck.

Fall in the Storer Garden — Texture, color and form in the autumn garden. 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, gazebo.

Poetry in the Garden: Susan Kelly-DeWitt — A reading by the author of The Fortunate Islands (2008), eight small press collections and the forthcoming Afghanistan, A Window into the Tragedy. Noon Wednesday, Nov. 3, Wyatt Deck (or 126 Voorhies Hall in the event of rain).

Native American Uses for California Plants — A family-friendly tour exploring Indian uses of plants for food, medicine, construction and ritual. 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

Walk With Warren — The arboretum's retired superintendent returns to lead one of his popular walking tours. Noon Wednesday, Nov. 10, gazebo.

Birds That Winter in the Arboretum — This program, about bird-friendly gardening, including plants that attract birds, comes at a time when most of the fall migration should be completed, and birds have settled in to the arboretum for the winter. The program will start with a photo slide show of birds you might see in winter in the arboretum, and, then, weather permitting, the program will move outside to look for some of those birds. 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, arboretum headquarters, La Rue Road.

The Oak Lifecycle — In fall, the oaks are ending their cycle, preparing to drop their seeds and hunkering down for the winter. 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, gazebo.

All programs are free and open to the public. More information: (530) 752-4880 or arboretum.ucdavis.edu (for directions, click on “Plan Your Visit”).

AT STEBBINS COLD CANYON RESERVE

NATURE OUTINGS

• Nocturnal Happenings — 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6.

• Bobcat Ranch: A Place to Explore — 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7.

• Plant Communities and Habitats — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13.

• Photography and Nature: Take Only Photos, Leave Only Footprints — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20.

• Loop Trail: What Are You Thankful For? — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.

• Natural History: As If Looking at the Canyon for the First Time — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4.

• Caroling in the Canyon — 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Dec. 11.

• The New Trail — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18.

• Winter Solstice: Reflection and Optimism — 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19.

NATURE'S THEATRE FOR CHILDREN

• Silly Ol' Professor Planthead (ages 6-10) — 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Oct. 30.

• Nature Heroes (ages 5-10) — 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Nov. 6.

• To Be a Tree (ages 5-10) — 10 a.m.-noon Sunday, Nov. 14.

• Consumasaurus, the Dragon (ages 6-10) — 10 a.m.-noon Sunday, Nov. 21.

GUIDE TRAINING

A three-part program, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on consecutive Sundays, Nov. 21, and Dec. 5 and 12.

SIGN-UPS

All activities are open to the public. Optional fees: $5 per person or $10 per family. Activities fill up fast; reservations are required. E-mail Jeff Falyn, jfalyn@ucdavis.edu, with your name, address, event date, and phone number and-or e-mail address, and indicate whether you need directions. More information, including details on all activities.