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LEARN. EXPLORE. DISCOVER.

Hi friends,


Happy 2024! We're excited to welcome a new year with bold hearts and brilliant minds. As we begin this brand new year together, how about a spark of inspiration?


Just as every spark has the potential to illuminate the darkest corners, let's allow our collective passion for knowledge and innovation light up the path to new ideas, fostering a sense of community along the way.


Let's start with the UCR Osher Open House, which will be held on Monday, Jan. 8. This is your chance to get to know UCR Osher, ask questions, enjoy some refreshments with other students, and find out what lifelong learning can do for you! You can find more details about this free event in the newsletter below. (Make sure to RSVP!)


Are you passionate about helping students in the Coachella Valley succeed? Maybe the new teacher education prep program, in partnership with Coachella Valley Unified School District, is the next step for your career. Get more information or apply by Jan. 19 here.


Curious about the landscape around you? Why not join us on Jan. 10 for the online info session about the California Naturalists program? Or come to the first lecture in the all-new Boyd Deep Canyon Lecture Series? That event will be Jan. 11, and Dr. Ed Bobich will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about ocotillos.


The new year is also a good time to gain more context about current events. We hope you'll all join us for the important discussion about Israel and Palestine on Jan. 18, in which two experts will talk about the roots of the current Middle East conflict and possible steps forward.


Do you look to the sky for inspiration? Because the 'Are We Alone?' lecture series is for you! Join us on Jan. 17 for an exploration of life beyond Earth.


If you're an art aficionado, we have something for you too. The art documentary series, in partnership with the City of Palm Desert, begins Jan. 24 with an in-depth look at an unusual museum.


All in all, here's to a New Year filled with bright sparks of inspiration, uncharted territories of learning, and the thrill of intellectual exploration. May 2024 be the year we set ablaze the possibilities that lie ahead. We look forward to seeing you soon!


— The UCR Palm Desert Center team

UCR OSHER

UCR Osher Open House

3-5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8 (in person)


A new year is the perfect time to embark on a journey of curiosity and discovery!


Join us at the UCR Osher Open House—a special event created for lifelong learners like you.

 

• EXPLORE NEW HORIZONS

Find out more about upcoming courses! Whether you’re a history enthusiast, an art aficionado, or a science buff, Osher courses offer something for everyone to explore.

 

• ENGAGE WITH EXPERT INSTRUCTORS

Meet our esteemed instructors, experts in their fields who are ready to guide you through an enriching learning experience.

 

• CREATE YOUR OWN LEARNING PATH

Whether you’re seeking a leisurely exploration or a deep dive into a specific subject, our flexible courses empower you to design your own journey.

 

• CONNECT WITH OTHERS

Meet other individuals in this community of lifelong learners who share your passion for growth, discovery, and the joy of learning.


Refreshments will be served.


RSVP now.

UCR NEWS

Effort to train wave of local teachers begins with UCR Palm Desert and CVUSD partnership


The Desert Sun covered the new teacher education prep program at UCR Palm Desert, a partnership with Coachella Valley Unified School District, which aims to train and produce local teachers to address the regional teacher shortage.


The yearlong hybrid initiative, Supporting Teacher Education Through Partnerships, aims to cultivate educators who embrace cultural responsiveness and diversity through a framework of social and restorative justice. 


Interested? The application deadline for the next academic year is Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.


Read more about this initiative here.

COLLEGE OF NATURAL & AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Are We Alone? lecture series kickoff

6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17 (in person)


Back by popular demand, UCR’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and its Astrobiology Center return to UCR Palm Desert as sponsors of the ‘Are We Alone' lecture series. 


This season we will be treated to leading experts who will speak on far-reaching topics at the cutting edge of exploration for life beyond Earth and our solar system. Please join us, and fasten your seatbelts for talks that are guaranteed to reach beyond your imaginations for the possibilities of distant life and how we might find it.


RSVP now.

CALIFORNIA NATURALIST

California Naturalist info session

6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10 (Zoom)


The innovative California Naturalists course provides a unique look at the arid lands in Southern California. Working alongside local partners, it also provides strong connections to opportunities for engagement in community science monitoring programs. 


The Winter 2024 program runs 11 weeks from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays starting in February 2024. All classes will be held in person with field trips to various locations for hands-on activities.


Want to find out more? Join us for a virtual info session about the program!


Register now.

BOYD DEEP CANYON LECTURE SERIES

Flowering, Growth, Physiology, and Mortality of Ocotillos in the Deep Canyon Watershed

6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11 (in person)


Ocotillos (Fouquieria splendens) occur in every warm desert of North America, with the Coachella Valley and the surrounding mountains being the northwesternmost portion of their range. Until now, the majority of published information on ocotillos has been based on studies and observations of plants in the eastern Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert.


In this talk, Dr. Ed Bobich will present recently gathered data on ocotillos in the northwestern Sonoran Desert, highlight differences between local ocotillos and those in other regions, and discuss the future of ocotillos in a changing climate.


RSVP now.

UCR PALM DESERT

Israel & Palestine: Possible Futures

6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18 (in person)


Join UCR Professors Muhamad Ali (Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies) and Michael Alexander (Maimonides Chair in Jewish Studies) for this in-person lecture at UCR Palm Desert.


They will discuss historical roots of the current Middle East conflict and converse regarding current needs, realistic steps, and possible positive directions toward more equitable and humanitarian conditions in the region.


RSVP now.

CITY OF PALM DESERT ART DOC

Museum Town documentary screening

6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24 (in person)


The 2024 Palm Desert Public Art Documentary Film Series returns for a new season, kicking off with Museum Town. This is the remarkable story of how a rural Massachusetts town went from economic collapse to art mecca. Find out more about this unique, small-town museum and the power of art to transform a desolate post-industrial city.


Following the film, the featured speaker will be Jennifer Trainer, the film’s director.


RSVP now.

UCR NEWS

UCR wages war against cirtus greening disease


With three new grants totaling more than $11 million, UC Riverside is helping lead the fight against citrus greening or Huanglongbing, a disease threatening citrus industries in the U.S. and worldwide. 



The disease is from bacteria transmitted to citrus trees by a tiny flying insect, the Asian citrus psyllid. Infected trees produce no fruit, or fruit that is bitter, small and worthless. Despite intensive research for the past 15 years, there is no known cure for it. It has reduced citrus production in Florida by more than 75%, and it has already been detected in Texas and California. 


Find out more.

UCR PALM DESERT

Host your special event at UCR Palm Desert!


UCR Palm Desert Center provides a full range of outstanding facilities and event services for the public. Whether you are planning a meeting, conference, retreat, workshop, film screening, press conference, or other special event, our professional staff can assist with all the details.


Get more information about our facilities rentals here.

CALIFORNIA NATURALIST UPDATE

Here is the latest California Naturalist update from Dr. Cameron Barrows, Conservation Ecologist, Emeritus.


"Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” — Carl Sagan


The major deserts of North America are defined by climate and vegetation. There are some plants that ignore individual desert boundaries. Creosote bushes are found in the Mojave, Colorado, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Deserts. Ocotillo occur in the Colorado, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Deserts. Ironwood occur in the Colorado and Sonoran Deserts.


But there are some plants that by their presence define a single desert region. The Great Basin Desert is dominated by sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). The Mojave Desert is delineated by the occurrence of two species of Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia and Y. jaegeriana) along with blackbrush, (Coleogyne ramosissima). The Sonoran Desert, with its bimodal winter and summer rainfall pattern includes saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea), found nowhere else. The Chihuahuan Desert has almost all its rainfall coming during the summer, and it is the only place where you can find lechuguilla (Agave lechuguilla).


North America’s hottest and driest desert, the Colorado Desert is the only place where smoke trees (Psorothamnus spinosus), Schott’s indigo bush (Psorothamnus schottii), and desert fan palms, (Washingtonia filifera) grow naturally, although some of these palms do occur just beyond the Colorado Desert margins south, further into Baja California, Mexico. Still, draw a polygon that encompasses every known, naturally occurring desert fan palm oasis, and you have a rough map of the perimeter of the Colorado Desert.

Desert fan palms’ range represents an enigma ...


Read the rest of this post — or catch up on other entries — here.

desert wildfire photo

HELP US BLOOM!

Ready to make a real difference?


We invite you to become a 2023-2024 PDC Partner! This is your opportunity to champion the programming you enjoy at UCR Palm Desert Center.


UCR Palm Desert Partners receive an entire year of special courtesies and help us continue our programming of mostly free community events, workshops, film screenings, lectures, and more.


Your support also goes toward student scholarships, ongoing research, and creating an intellectual space where we can all exchange ideas and advance society.


Our community is significantly enriched by the support of our PDC Partners.


Learn more about the program here.


UCR Palm Desert | 75080 Frank Sinatra Dr. | 760.834.0800
palmdesert.ucr.edu
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