Special to the
Opelika Observer
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University (OLLI at Auburn) will host its lecture series titled “Wisdom Wednesday’s” on Nov. 14 from 2:30 – 4 p.m. at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art which is located at 901 South College St. in Auburn.
OLLI members, guests and friends are all invited to learn more about OLLI at Auburn course offerings, social engagements and initiatives.
If one has an interest in hiking, and where one might hike in the greater Auburn area, they are invited to join OLLI for a presentation titled “Day Hiking Opportunities in the Greater Auburn Area” provided by Harold Bruner.
Bruner is a native Hoosier and a retired Forester with degrees from Purdue University. After raising his family in Indiana he relocated to southwest Florida for 13 years. He retired and moved to Auburn in 2014.
A passion for hiking started 10 years or so ago with a visit to the north Georgia mountains. He has done extensive day hiking there, in western North Carolina, the San Francisco Bay area and the Colorado Rockies. The last two summers he, his wife and his dog have hiked in seven of the Canadian provinces from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia.
In the winter of 2017-18 Bruner first offered an OLLI class titled “Staying Active – Day Hiking.” The goal was to seek out hikes of 3 -to-6 miles on trails within an hour or so of Auburn.
For the Fall 2018 OLLI term a second class was added: “Staying Active – A Walk in the Park.” This was created to offer shorter hikes of under two miles on non-paved local trails. An OLLI Special Interest Group (SIG) has been created for hiking. OLLI members can now plan hikes when OLLI classes are not in session.
Topics for this lecture will include the benefits of hiking, why we hike, and plenty of specific trails to hike locally, near Lake Martin, the Tuskegee National Forest, and Franklin Roosevelt State Park near Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Two special guests will be on hand for the presentation. Well-known local environmentalist Carolyn Carr will share some of her fascinating insights regarding the construction of the Bartram Trail in the Tuskegee National Forest and the building of the Pine Mountain Trail in Franklin Delanor Roosevelt State Park. Tammy Hollis, an OLLI yoga instructor, will speak briefly on the health benefits of hiking.
OLLI at Auburn offers academic not for credit programs for adults aged 50 years or older through program sites at Auburn University, AUM in Montgomery and the Chambers County Public Library in Valley.
OLLI at Auburn is a program of the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach at Auburn University. OLLI administrative offices and select classes are located at the historic Sunny Slope property, which is located at 1031 South College St. in Auburn.
For more information regarding this event or if you would like to assist the organization as a volunteer faculty member, volunteer service assistant or sponsor, call Ileeia A. Cobb, Ph.D., OLLI Director, at 334-844-3105, email olli@auburn.edu or visit www.olliatauburn.org.