Meals are wholesome and nutritious institutional fare. Individuals 55 years of age and older are eligible. A spouse or adult companion need not be 55 to attend. The University of Southern California's Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on Catalina Island offers upwards of eighteen five-day Elderhostel programs per year. Tuition includes all classes, materials, field trips, room and board, and transportation to Avalon at the end of the program.
Programs focus on natural science and environmental studies.
Study the flora, fauna, geology, archaeology and history of beautiful Santa Catalina Island through talks, workshops and activities. Enjoy a visit to our marine touch tanks, take part in a microscope lab, get creative in our popular nature printing workshop and bring your camera for the moray eel feeding demonstration. Wedged between the North American and Pacific plates, earthquake-faulted rocks on Catalina Island speak of ancient volcanoes as mighty as Mt. St. Helens. Study the dramatic history of offshore California through labs, lectures and field trips. World-renowned for fishing and diving, Catalina's underwater ecosystems range from kelp forests and rocky intertidal to sandy beaches and mudflats.