Budget cuts won’t keep CSU Monterey Bay from offering a variety of continuing education courses to anyone who wants to take them.

The courses are available through CSUMB’s distance learning and extended education program.

Several short courses will be offered this spring to familiarize community members with the unique environment at Fort Ord; others take people farther afield.

"Fires and Flowers on Fort Ord: Controlled Burn After-Effects?" will be offered April 10 by Bruce Delgado, ranger-botanist with the Bureau of Land Management. He will lead a hike through a recently burned wild area and show the benefits fire brings to nature. Participants also will visit other Fort Ord wildflower areas. Cost: $25.

"Fort Ord Natural Wonders: Vernal pools and Tiger Salamanders" will be offered May 1 by Suzanne Worcester, a faculty member in CSUMB’s science department. This field trip gives participants the opportunity to examine the plants, animals, and conservation issues surrounding the Fort Ord vernal pools. Participants will learn about the ecology of tiger salamanders. Cost: $25.

"Hites Cove Wildflower Hike" on April 24 will be led by CSUMB faculty member Frank Degnan. This hike, near the South Fork of the Merced River, is considered to be one of the premier Sierra spring wildflower trails. Participants will hike 4.5 miles and see more than 60 species of wildflowers. Transportation is included. Cost: $40.

Over the summer, courses running four weeks or less range from tai chi and Islamic culture to survival tips for visiting Russia and myths of the Ohlone, among others. Each of these courses is $75.