Registration is open for Chesapeake Forum’s Winter Session. Grab a cuppa and settle in for a Journey to the Arctic Circle with Chesapeake Forum on Wednesday, January 24th from 10-11:30 AM.  Veteran traveler Kathleen Marconi leads this fascinating arm-chair tour of Finland and Lapland.  Think: dog sledding, the Northern Lights, remote villages and cold, very, very cold.  But as you’ll find out, ”there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” as Marconi shares tips on how to pack for the extreme conditions.

One session, January 24th from 10 -11:30 am.  HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, Zoom or recording). $20.  To register visit: https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Also on Wednesday, the 24th – a hot topic to warm up a cold winter day:  When Democracy Fell:  Maryland’s Civil War Constitutional Crisis.  Local author Paul Callahan takes us on a journey through Maryland during the Civil War when the state’s constitution was suspended, the legislature imprisoned, and newspaper editors, generals and judges arrested.   Three sessions, Wednesday January 24, 31 and February 7th from 1-2:30 pm.  $40.  HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, Zoom or recording). $40.  To register visit: https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Here’s a revolution that’s happening behind the wheel – electric cars.  Join James Scoggins on Thursday January 25th when he lifts the hood in EVs: The Transportation Revolution. If you curious about EVs or are thinking about buying one but are not sure, this class is for you.  Two sessions.  Thursday, January 25 and 31 from 10 – 11:30 am.  $30.  HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, Zoom or recording). $30.  To register visit: https://chesapeakeforum.org.

What would winter be without a good book?  Lynn Randle continues her popular Books with Friends on the last Thursday of each month throughout Winter session. In January, the group will be discussing Be Mine, by Richard Ford.  Books with Friends is three sessions,  Thursdays, January 25th, February 29th and March 28th from 1-2:30.  Register at https://chesapeakeforum.org.  Free.  ZOOM only.

If nothing else can makes a person feel their age, it’s winter.  But apart from the weather making us feel our creaky bones, what else is it about aging that triggers so many new feelings and concerns?   In Amy Keller’s new class, Options for Aging, you’ll find out what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to aging.  How can you make positive adjustments as you and your partner get older? What resources are available? Two sessions, Wednesday, January 31 and February 7th from 10-11:30 AM. HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA or ZOOM. No recording)  No charge but registration is required at https://chesapeakeforum.org

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities to residents of the Eastern Shore.  To sign up for Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your mailing address and contact information to [email protected].

Now that the holiday bustle is over and winter looms ahead, Chesapeake Forum is ready with a series of interesting, mind-expanding (but not diet-busting!) short courses that will brighten any gray day.  Registration opens January 12, 2024 at 7 a.m .  You can find the current list of courses on the website at https://chesapeakeforum.org

If you are an early bird (pun intended!), don’t waste a minute grabbing a spot for the very popular Birds & Birding on the Eastern Shore, Part 1 with Wayne Bell, Ph.D., starting January 18th from 2:30 – 4 PM. There will be two (2) classroom sessions and five (5) weekly field trips (two all-day excursions and three 3-hour outings to local destinations). The first class will introduce birding skills and resources pertinent to waterfowl identification. The last class will consider waterfowl conservation and provide an opportunity to review any challenging identifications of the species seen in the field.

This is the first of a two-part series offered in the 2024 winter and spring semesters.  The parts are independent and one can be taken without the other.  Part 1 (this winter) focuses on water birds, geese, ducks, shorebirds, and other “aquatic” species that are winter residents in the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coastal bays region.  Part 2 (this spring) will emphasize the amazing phenomena of songbird and shorebird migration.

Birds & Birding on the Eastern Shore, Part 1 is seven sessions (two classroom sessions and five field trips) from Thursday, January 18th – February 22nd.  Classroom sessions are HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM or recording), Field Trips are in-person. $70.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning for residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your contact information and mailing address to info@ chesapeakeforum.org.

Give yourself a post-holiday gift and join Chesapeake Forum on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 at 3:30 PM at the Academy Art Museum in Easton to see what ahead for winter.  Enjoy light refreshments, hors d’oeuvres and a series of short course introductions that will provide a flavor of both the subject and the teacher.  There are always some surprise favorites.  The event is free, but registration is required.  Sign up at https://chesapeakeforum.org.

When the holiday bustle is over and winter looms ahead Chesapeake Forum will be there with a series of interesting, mind-expanding (but not diet-busting!) short courses that will brighten any gray day.  Registration opens January 12, 2024 at 7 a.m.  If you are an early bird (pun intended!), don’t waste a minute grabbing a spot for the very popular Birds & Birding series with Wayne Bell.  Also, in January – take a Journey to the Arctic without leaving home; discuss the Maryland’s constitutional crisis with author Paul Callahan;  shine a light on electric vehicles; explore Life in the Dead Zone and learn how to age gracefully.

Details on these classes and others will be posted at https://chesapeakeforum.org as they become available.  Most Chesapeake Forum classes are offered in a HYBRID format – in person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM or recording. 

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning for residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your contact information and mailing address to info@ chesapeakeforum.org.

Take a roadtrip with Neil King, author of American Ramble, a Walk of Memory and Renewal, on Thursday, October 5th at the Academy Art Museum from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. The event kicks off the first of Chesapeake Forum’s new Lectures on the Shore series featuring notable speakers from the arts, sciences and humanities. Attend in person ($65) or via Zoom ($25). Tickets can be purchased at https://chesapeakeforum.org.

King will be joined by his friend, and sometimes walking companion, Jeff McGuinness, a photographer and author of Bear Me Unto Freedom.  The two will share an evening of insightful, surprising and sometimes funny stories about King’s 26-day, 330 mile walk from his home in Washington, DC to New York City.

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns described King’s journey as both geographical and spiritual. In 2021, King’s neighborhood was still reeling from the January 6th insurrection, covid lockdowns and a deepening American divide.  King himself was recovering from a long battle with cancer. 

When he set out, King said his goal was to pay close attention to the land he crossed and the people he met.  Throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, he does just that – stopping in forgotten corners and talking to overlooked people. Surprisingly, in spite of the political and cultural divides he encounters, what he comes away with is the profound power of our shared landscape.

American History at 3 mph is the first of three events planned for the 2023-2024 Lectures on the Shore season. The next event will be held in winter 2024 although a date has not been chosen yet.  Each one will be held at the Academy Art Museum in Easton and will be catered.  

American History at 3 mph is October 5th from  5:30 – 7:30 PM. In person tickets are $65. Zoom tickets are $25. Light hors d’oeuvres provided by Piazaa. To purchase a ticket, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.  

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning to residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your mailing address and email contact information to [email protected].