There was nothing like a quiz during my college days to motivate me to study. But maybe you could scrap the quiz and still absorb something if you truly are fascinated by a subject.

Here’s your chance to give it a try. In “Classes Without Quizzes,” the general public can spend a Saturday studying selected science topics at the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.

The program offers eight mini-seminars:

• Recreational Trails: Opportunities & Challenges Related to Physical Activity: Minnesota Tourism Center director and professor Ingrid Schneider will discuss the challenges and consequences of trail-related activities.
• Going Local: Applied Economics Professor Robert King will share findings from recent case studies exploring local food-supply chains and their prospects for growth.
• Emerald Ash Borer Hits Minnesota’s Streets and Landscapes: Urban forestry professor Gary Johnson is to give a primer on the symptoms of emerald ash borer, control and treatment options.
• Edible Landscaping: Horticulturalist Emily Tepe will provide some tips for incorporating edibles into your landscape this season.
• The New Normal: The Challenge for Minnesota’s Economy: Economic conditions for Minnesota’s future have changed substantially. State demographer Tom Gillaspy and state economist Tom Stinson will explain how the “old normal” is over and the “new normal” has begun.
• Using Biomass for Alternative Energy: How do we grow biomass for energy without affecting food and fiber production? Agronomist Gregg Johnson will explore the issues and share findings from new research.
• Sustainable Animal Agriculture: Department of animal science professor Jim Linn will discuss issues related to environmental quality, greenhouse gases and food animal production, particularly focusing on the dairy industry.
• Return of the Bed Bugs: Entomologist Stephen Kells shares the story of these tiny invaders, where they came from and what you can do to avoid them.

The program also features kids-only sessions on honeybees, mammals and dairy science. And there’s a keynote session on climate change.

All of this happens on Saturday, April 10, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Classroom Office Building, 1994 Buford Ave., St. Paul.

You can get more information and also register here or you can call (612) 624-0822. The registration fee is $25 with discounts for University of Minnesota Alumni Association members and students. An optional lunch following the seminars is $10.