OK, So Here’s How to Get Involved

A listing of activities in the Valley and Ventura County areas:

AGOURA HILLS

Various activities

The Wilderness Institute offers a variety of programs, including some designed specifically for individuals or groups. Among the activities available: rock-climbing in Chatsworth and Malibu Creek, fitness hikes, sunset and full-moon nature walks, kayaking, rappelling, wilderness survival skills courses, map- and compass-reading orienteering classes, a ropes course, and family and group challenges and team-building exercises.

Location: Agoura Hills; sites for program activities vary. Dates: By arrangement. Fee: Basic rate is $10 per person depending on activities, group size and objectives. Information: (818) 991-7327.

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST

Turkey hunting

The hunting season begins Saturday in California counties except San Diego. The forest provides ideal wild turkey habitat, and although no official releases are scheduled in the area, there are a few of the birds out there. The California Turkey Hunter’s Guide is free at any local Dept. of Fish and Game office.

Location: Angeles National Forest. Date: Nov. 8 through Dec. 7. Fee: $27.05 for hunting license and $6.05 for Upland Game Bird Stamp (both mandatory and available at most local sporting goods stores).

School of self-reliance

Wilderness author Christopher Nyerges leads weekly expeditions into the forest, where participants receive hands-on experience in survival skills, wild plant identification, shelter building and food gathering. Recent trips included building a fire with tools found in the wild and creating meals made of cactus, acorns and watercress.

Location: Angeles National Forest. Dates: Weekends. Fee: $35-$85. Information: (213) 255-9502.

BURBANK

Cattle bowl

A two-day professional and amateur team-penning competition, a timed event in which trios of cattle are rounded up, separated from a herd and driven into a 12-foot-by-24-foot pen with a 12-foot opening by teams of equestrian riders.

Location: L.A. Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Drive, Burbank. Dates: Dec. 27-28. Fee: None. Information: (818) 840-9066.

Coed senior hockey league

About 30 teams of adults play weekly games, with action each night at Pickwick Ice Arena. The winter season started last month, but sign-ups are ongoing. Teams are comprised of 13 to 18 players. There are five divisions, from beginners’ to semi-pro levels.

Location: Pickwick Ice Arena.

CATALINA ISLAND

Shark viewing

Get an up-close look at blue and mako sharks in their natural environment from safety of a specially designed, open-top observation cage. No scuba certification or snorkeling experience is required to participate. If you can stand in four feet of water, you can take part in this all-day adventure led by Yehuda Goldman, a former Cousteau team member.

Location: Meet at the Los Angeles Harbor. Date: Nov. 14. Time: 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Fee: $129. Information: 805-497-2292.

CHATSWORTH

Moms’ recreational and women’s competitive basketball leagues

Sign-ups are underway for mothers who may or may not team with their daughters on recreational teams. There also is an organized, competitive women’s league at Mason Recreation Center. Evaluations for the moms’ league are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 7. Games will be played on Sundays. Skill-level evaluations for the women’s leagues are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 10. Games are on Wednesdays.

Location: Mason Park Recreation Center, 10500 Mason Ave. Dates: January through April. Fee: $35 per person for 12-week season, plus a one-time $25 jersey fee for moms’ league; $250 per team, plus $25 per game for officials’ fee for women’s league.

Outdoor ropes course

Learn to overcome obstacles and maximize problem-solving skills in a two-day course offered through the Learning Tree University.

Location: Registration and a night preparation session are at the Learning Tree University’s Chatsworth facility. A day of climbing is on a course is at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu.

GLENDALE

Badminton

The Glendale Dept. of Parks and Recreation offers open-play badminton on Mondays from 8 p.m.-11 p.m.

Location: Glendale College (South Gym). Dates: Every Monday. Fee: $15. Information: (818) 548-3796.

Outdoor survival

Glendale College’s Community Services Dept. offers a class taught by wilderness survival author Christopher Nyerges. Classroom topics will include primitive skills, how to build a shelter, water skills and how to identify wild plants and how they can be used for medicinal purposes.

Location: Hoover High School. Dates: February. Exact date to be announced. Fee: $59. Information: (818) 548-0864.

LAKEVIEW TERRACE

Riding and polo classes/competition

Lessons for beginning, intermediate and advanced riders are offered year-round by the California Polo Club. Cost includes horse and equipment rental. The club also runs competitive polo leagues and tournaments for members of all skill levels. Club membership of $250 covers competition fees.

Location: California Polo Club arena, 11035 Osborne Street. Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, all year. Fee: $45 per hour. Information: Suzanne Firestone-Peika, (213) 662-9962 or Ernesto Darquea, (818) 896-6967.

LANCASTER

Fishing tournaments

Land the big one at either of two trout-fishing derbies operated by the County of Los Angeles Dept. of Parks and Recreation. Fishing enthusiasts 16 and over are eligible for the March 7 event. Children ages 5-15 are welcome to the May 2 derby. Prize money will be distributed on a percentage basis.

Location: Apollo Park. Dates: March 7 and May 2. Fee: $15 in advance, $20 on day of event; children free on May 2. Information: (805) 722-7780 or (805) 259-1750.

Hot air ballooning

The Southern California Balloon Assn. holds events on the first Sunday of each month. Race sites include Lancaster, Del Mar, Temecula, Apple Valley and Palm Springs.

Location: Date of next Lancaster event is unavailable. Dates: Events on first Sunday of each month at various sites; Meetings on second Wednesday of each month at Anaheim Marie Callender’s. Fee: Events free to spectators; $15-$35 for annual club membership.

MALIBU

Premier ropes course

Experience an exhilarating day of challenges at one of the premier ropes courses in the West. Participants will learn to overcome obstacles on a combination of high and low-rope challenge courses. One of the goals of the course is to help participants maximize their talents for effective problem solving.

Location: Calamigos Ranch. Dates: Nov. 20, orientation; Nov. 22, field trip. Time: 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., orientation; 9 a.m.-4 p.m., field trip. Fee: $69. Information: (805) 497-2292.

NEWHALL

Paintball wars

Close Encounters Paintball Games are open to beginner and advanced combatants each weekend and Friday night. On-site orientation in strategy and skills is offered, along with literature recommending proper attire and protection.

Location: Close Encounters, 22400 The Old Road, Newhall. Fee: $25 and up for competitors 18 and older. Under-18 need prior permission from Close Encounters. Information: (805) 255-5332.

Trap and skeet shooting

Learn about trap and skeet shooting, from the basic fundamentals to the more subtle nuances. Instruction is available on proper gun fit and stance, correct aiming and positioning, and effective focusing and concentration techniques.

Location: Oak Tree Gun Club. Dates: Nov. 8-9. Time: Noon-5 p.m. Fee: $59. Information: (805) 497-2292.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD

Lunchtime basketball league

Have you had your (fast) break today? Open but organized coed basketball games for workers on their lunch hours are offered Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at North Weddington Park Recreation Center. Games go 10 minutes or to nine points.

NORTHRIDGE

Indoor rock climbing

Climbing for enthusiasts of all skill levels is offered Thursdays 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on an indoor climbing wall with varying degrees of risk and difficulty at Recreational Equipment Inc.’s Northridge outlet. The store also offers free outdoors-related lectures and clinics 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Location: REI, Northridge, 18605 Devonshire Blvd., at corner of Devonshire and Reseda Blvd. Dates: Year-round. Fee: None. Information: (818) 831-5555.

Rock-climbing competition

REI Northridge’s sixth annual indoor competition for climbers age 14 and up is being hosted by Natural High Adventures beginning at 10 a.m. on Nov. 15. The fee is $30.

OXNARD

Ocean sailing

The fundamentals are taught by instructors at the Channel Islands Sailing Academy at Channel Islands Harbor. The course will prepare students to sail boats up to 25 feet in length. Topics will include rigging the boat, casting off and docking under sail, tacking and jibing, heavy-weather sailing and man-overboard procedures. The on-the-water experience, which includes two six-hour sessions, will be arranged with the instructors.

Location: Channel Islands Harbor. Date: Nov. 8. Time: 10 a.m.-noon, orientation. Fee: $69. Information: 805-497-2292.

PT. MUGU

Running

The Laguna Peak Holiday Challenge offers runners a break from flat, run-of-the-mill 10k events. The six-mile race starts at the base of Laguna Peak on the Pt. Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station, rises 1,300 feet while climbing three miles to the top and then descends.

Location: Pt. Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station. Date: Dec. 13. Time: 8 a.m. Fee: $20. Information: (805) 989-7728 or 989-8317.

SANTA BARBARA

Bald eagle-watching cruises

Two-hour guided cruises around Cachuma Lake on a 48-foot boat allow outdoors enthusiasts to spy on our national bird and other migratory fowl and learn about the native plant life, history and geography of the area. Tours run from 10 a.m.-noon Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.-noon and 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m.-noon Sundays. Reservations are recommended.

Location: Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, Santa Barbara. Days: Wednesdays through Sundays. Fee: $10 for adults; $5 for kids 12 and under. Information: (805) 686-5050.

SANTA CLARITA

Bird walks and nature hikes

Placerita Canyon State and County Park offers free two-hour bird walks once a month and free one-hour nature hikes each Saturday. Beginners and families are welcome to the bird walk as volunteers lead visitors on a search for resident and migrating birds. The one-mile nature hike provides opportunities to view and study resident wildlife, vegetation and historical sites at the park, including the early century Walker Cabin.

Location: Placerita Canyon State and County Park. Dates: Bird walks on second Saturday of each month, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Nature Walks every Saturday at 11 a.m. Fee: $3 for parking. Information: (805) 250-4149 or (805) 259-7721.

Health walking

Take a walk on the healthy side with the Striders Program, a weekly exercise group sponsored by the City of Santa Clarita offering moderate and fast-paced evening sessions. Each session begins at a different site in the area, including several city parks and landmarks. Registration begins in December.

Location: Various sites in the Santa Clarita Valley. Date: Weekly, beginning Jan. 5. Fee: $6. Information: (805) 255-4910.

Marathon

The third annual Santa Clarita marathon, rated among the nation’s top 100 destination marathons by the Ultimate Guide to Marathons, takes place on Sunday as part of a weekend-long event that also includes a 10-mile run, 1K Kiddie Run, Sports and Fitness Expo and Saturday night carbo-load dinner.

Location: Valencia Town Center (for late registration and bib number pick-up). Date: Nov. 9. Marathon registration: $50; 10-mile race registration: $25; 1K Kiddie Run registration: $10. Information: (805) 255-7149.

SAUGUS

Go-cart racing

The Los Angeles Kart Club races once a month at the Saugus Speedway. Divisions include Baby Kart for youngsters 4-7 and junior divisions for racers 8 and up. For information on how to get started, contact the club’s Web site at cpracer@earthlink.net.

Location: Saugus Speedway. Date: Nov. 8 and second Saturday of each month, except December. Fee: Spectator admission is $5; Racing entry fee is $35 for members and $40 for nonmembers. Information: (310) 450-1201.

SIMI VALLEY

Rollerblading

Instructors will teach participants how to skate properly and safely and have them participate in activities such as roller hockey, roller basketball, capture the flag and relays. The camp will consist of five two-hour sessions held over a nine-day period.

Location: Rancho Tapo Community Park. Date: Dec. 22-23, 26, 29-30. Time: 10 a.m.-noon. Fee: $50, $45 if two or more from the same family, or $12 a day. Information: (805) 584-4400.

Water aerobics

Participants in this low-impact exercise class will work out to music while improving their muscle tone, flexibility and fitness. Classes will be held in the shallow end of the pool.

Location: Rancho Simi Community Park Pool. Date: Various Mondays and Wednesday in November. Time: 7 p.m.-7:50 p.m. Fee: $35. Information: (805) 584-4400.

TARZANA

Outdoor rock climbing

Natural High Adventures offers several outdoor courses in all levels of rock climbing. Instruction covers safety, basic skills, technical aspects of climbing, and basic techniques for beginners. Advanced instruction covers lead climbing, rappelling and rescue techniques.

Location: Climbing sites vary, though beginning courses are in Stoney Point area of Chatsworth. Dates: Beginning courses, limited to eight students, generally take place on Saturdays. Classes scheduled three times a month through November and once a month December through February. Specialized group outings or private sessions are to be arranged. Fee: $40-$145 depending on course, class size and objectives. Information: (818) 709-5021.

THOUSAND OAKS

Exotic animals

Get an up-close look at a variety of animals that appear in television and film at the Exotic Animal Ranch. Find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the habitats and behavior of many exotic animals. Also learn about training techniques and employment opportunities in the film and television industries, and hear anecdotes about working with animals.

Location: Meet at Learning Tree University in Thousand Oaks. Date: Nov. 15. Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fee: $89. Information: (805) 497-2292.

Hiking

Watch the sun set and the moon rise while you hike. Naturalists will take participants on a moderate 2 1/2-mile interpretive hike across Stagecoach Bluff to Lizard Rock in Wildwood Park.

Location: Wildwood Park. Date: Nov. 14. Time: 4 p.m.-6:30 p.m.. Fee: $4. Information: (805) 495-2163.

TOPANGA

Hiking

Parents and children can go together on a guided one-hour morning nature hike through Topanga State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains to learn about animal and plant life during the winter season.

Location: Topanga State Park, Santa Monica Mountains; Date: Dec. 13. Fee: Donations requested. Reservations required. Information: (310) 454-8212.

VAN NUYS

Archery instruction

Free basic safety and instruction is provided for all ages year-round at the Woodley Park range. Sessions run from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays and are open to the public. Equipment is provided. Safety guidelines are posted and strictly enforced.

Archery practice

General admission shooting sessions are open to the public Wednesdays from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Woodley Park range. Equipment is provided and an instructor-supervisor is on site.

Archery skills development and competition

For juniors 10 through 18 at more advanced skill levels, a Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program is headed by Coach Tracy Locker and Don Tucci, director of venues for the Woodley Park Assn. Sessions are on Tuesday nights from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Participation in the program is contingent on requisite ability and coaches’ recommendation.

Adult archery

competition/private instruction

Competition for adults is staged by a loosely organized club based at Woodley Park on Thursday nights from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Private lessons (at a cost of about $50 per hour) from certified instructors also may be arranged in an individual basis.

Location: Woodley Park archery range, Van Nuys. Fee: Free except for private lessons. Information: Don Tucci, (818) 981-3602.

VENTURA

Hiking

Take a hike to observe and learn about one of the few wintering colonies of Monarch butterflies along the California coast. A naturalist will share the story of these beautiful long-distance travelers and available binoculars and spotting scopes will allow participants to see them up close. Limit of 20 participants per hike.

Location: Camino Real Park. Dates: Nov. 29, Dec. 20, Dec. 27, Jan. 10. Time: 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Fee: $4. Information: (805) 658-4733.

Tide pool exploration

Discover how the animals who make their homes at the edge of the sea survive in an ever-changing environment. A naturalist will teach participants about the wide variety of animals that exist in tide pools and about how human activities at the beach can make a difference in their survival. Limit of 20 participants per hike.

Location: Emma Wood State Park. Dates: Nov. 15, Dec. 28. Time: 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. on Dec. 28. Fee: $4. Information: (805) 658-4733.