Trips to Joshua Tree Monument Planned

The native desert plants of Joshua Tree National Monument will be the subject of a field trip to the area sponsored by the California Native Plant Society Friday through Sunday.

Participants will learn about the vegetation of the arid region in a visit to the Cottonwood Canyon and the Lost Palms Oasis on weekend outings.

Space is limited; call (310) 472-5464.

SCIENCE FOR EDUCATORS

The Southwest Museum will be offering a workshop for elementary school teachers to increase their understanding of American Indian cultures on Saturday at 1 p.m. Reservations are required. Call (213) 221-2164.

HERPETOLOGY

The desert tortoise and other reptiles will be discussed at the Tri-Counties Branch of the Southwestern Herpetologists Society at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on Monday at 7 p.m. Call (818) 780-5179.

ROBOTICS

Joel W. Burdick, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Caltech, will discuss “Robotic Machines that Crawl, Walk and Slither,” the Caltech Watson Lecture on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Beckman Auditorium on campus. Call (818) 356-4652.

BOTANY

Internationally renowned botanist Mildred Mathias will give participants a behind-the-scenes look at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in a one-day UCLA Extension class on Saturday from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Call (310) 825-7093.

ASTRONOMY

Exploding black holes and time travel will be some of the phenomena examined in “Stephen Hawking’s Universe,” the Santa Monica College Planetarium program on Friday at 8 p.m. following the Night Sky Show at 7. Call (310) 452-9223.

SKEPTICAL SCIENCE

Cryonics and life extension will be the subject of “Frozen Bodies, Eternal Minds: Can Science Cheat Death?” The lecture, by Mike Darwin, former president of Alcor Life Extension Foundation, is sponsored by the Skeptics Society at Caltech’s Baxter Lecture Hall on Sunday at 2 p.m. Call (213) 283-9773 or (818) 794-3119.