Off Site   

Glass blowing, a time-honored art form with roots tracing back to 27 BC in ancient Babylon, is experiencing a renaissance in recent times thanks to popular TV shows like Blown Away, which features artisans taking part in glass-blowing competitions. In a groundbreaking addition to the Enrichment Program, glass-blowing expert Jon Wade instructs this special hands-on course in borosilicate lampworking over two, three-hour sessions. This class is structured for the total beginner and no prior knowledge or experience is expected. Wade helps you develop a basic understanding of the torches and tools used to shape glass as well as some fun, artistic techniques. The course also covers the history of glass, shop safety, proper kiln usage, and creating both hollow and solid objects.

With your own torch, you complete multiple projects that include a pendant depicting a reflective space scene, a beautiful blown holiday ornament, as well as some fun surprises. Plus, learn how to add color to the clear glass using crushed pieces of colored glass called frit. You’re given a vibrant spectrum of colors of glass frit to mix and match for your project as well as silver powder for your space pendant. All torches, safety equipment and other required materials are provided courtesy of the course’s sponsors.

Fascinated by birds but not sure how to start birding? This course introduces systematic approaches to bird identification and provides hands-on field experience. Emphasis is placed on understanding how habitat and behavior are essential to developing birding skills. We cover key birding resources, including equipment, where to go, field guides, and online tools. The course includes two Zoom classes featuring PowerPoint presentations and guided discussions, followed by field trips to local birding sites. 1–2-mile field trips walks, led by Curt, Cynthia, and other Master Birders, are a core part of the learning experience. Participants will practice identification techniques in real time, compare similar species, use binoculars, and field guides, and explore how season, habitat, and behavior influence bird presence. One field trip will include observation of bird banding (early start time). Sessions are 2½ hours. Participants should have binoculars, though a limited number may be available to borrow.

Zoom classes April 3 and 10; 2 1/2 hours.  Field trips April 17, May 1, May 8, May 15; 2 1/2 hours.   No class/field trip April 24.  One of the field trips will start earlier depending on the bird banding schedule.  

Donation of $40 per registrant required, paid at registration, to be made to Denver Audubon.  Field guides will be discussed in the class. 

Poetry has no single definition, but we believe that music with lyrics is a form of poetry, presented in a musical template. The intermingling of words and melody has historic potency and has been going on for centuries. In this course, we explore how iconic singer-songwriters use poetic devices to create powerful art. Through audio and video, we'll dive into the work of four legendary 20th-century songwriters, Jackson Browne, Kris Kristofferson, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Willie Nelson, and examine how their lyrics function as poetry. Expect plenty of music as we discover the timeless connection between words and melody.

This is an OLLI on the Move course, featured off-site courses happening throughout the Devner area. OLLI at DU membership is NOT REQUIRED for these special courses, so bring a friend!

Prairies, forests and wetlands at our latitude come alive in April and May with a rich diversity of birds that only weeks earlier were wintering in habitats ranging from the southern United States and Mexico to Central America and northern South America. Who are they? Join Colorado birding expert Ted Floyd for two evening lectures and two field sessions covering the whys and wherefores of one of nature’s grandest spectacles: the spring migration of birds. Start your birding journey in the classroom where Ted discusses the questions we’ve all asked since childhood: Why do birds migrate in the first place? How do they know where to go? He’ll also explore birds’ amazing physical feat of flying hundreds or even thousands of miles in a relatively short time. Discover modern resources for enjoying bird migration that contribute to basic science about avian biology, including digital recorders and cameras, smartphones, apps, and software such as eBird and iNaturalist. In the field, at destinations within a 60-minute drive of campus, experience direct contact with scores of bird species, many of them on migration layovers or in the process of actually migrating. In addition to watching and listening, record your sightings and upload your data to global databases used by scientists to monitor and protect bird populations. Come away with a new understanding of one of nature’s most magnificent and mind-boggling annual spectacles.

The Saturday field trips involve walking several miles on level, well-maintained trails.

Can people really talk to the dead—or have séances simply offered one of the most enduring illusions of the last 150 years? In booming Western cities like Denver, spiritualist mediums, lecturers, and stage magicians turned “spirit circles” into both a source of comfort and a profitable public spectacle, drawing believers, doubters, and outright debunkers into the same candlelit rooms.

In this class, explore how the séance emerged from the 19th-century spiritualist movement and spread across the American West, including Colorado’s own lively culture of mediums, spirit guides, and “spook exposers” working the newspapers and theaters of Denver. Trace key moments in American and Colorado history when people turned to séances—from post-Civil War grief to Gilded Age showmanship—and consider why the idea of speaking with the dead has remained so compelling.

Together, you’ll examine famous séance participants and scandals, analyze how performers blend psychology, technology, and stagecraft to create “otherworldly” effects, and discuss the ethical line between comfort, entertainment, and exploitation. Then, participate in a demonstration séance in a Denver venue with its own stories of “spirits and spirits,” using your new knowledge to decode what you’re experiencing in real time.

Please note: The class will meet at Broderick Bar, 1080 Gaylord St., Denver. You must have a valid 21-plus government issued ID.

What better way to spend your Friday mornings than on a walk with your OLLI buddies in Colorado’s spring weather?! You’ll explore places like land trust properties, state parks, and maybe a private ranch.

We don’t need no stinkin’ sidewalks! Walks are curated for OLLI’s population by local, nature-related non-profits, rated easy to moderate with some elevation changes, and led by trained, volunteer guides who provide a fun and educational experience. Learn about plants, wildlife, geology, history, and our environment while getting in your steps! You’ll travel to places that may be familiar to you, and likely some new ones. We’ll arrange meetup spots for those who want to carpool or caravan.

Wait, there’s more! A class favorite is the optional lunch after each walk, where we continue the fun and camaraderie. Be an OLLI OUTSIDER!

$50 donation for non-profits payable at registration