UC California Naturalist Program
The California Naturalist Program applications for 2019 are now closed!
The California Naturalist class will introduce you to the wonders of California’s unique ecology and engage you in the stewardship of our natural communities. This intensive certification program will utilize a combination of science curriculum, guest lecturers, field trips and project-based learning to immerse you in the natural world of the central coast.
The program starts on Thursday evening, April 4. The last meeting is Saturday, June 8. Lectures are required and will be from 7:00- 9:30 pm every Thursday (with a few exceptions highlighted in the program schedule). Field trips will generally be on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm unless otherwise highlighted below. [View the program schedule.]
The fee for the program is $400.00. A limited number of scholarships are available for those with need.
Program Goals:
- Foster a committed corps of volunteer naturalists and citizen scientists trained and ready to take an active role in natural resource conservation, education, and restoration
- Provide training, in collaboration with local sponsoring institutions, for adult environmental stewards through an adaptable outdoor and in class curriculum which can be easily applied in a variety of settings
- Engage adults in interactive learning which provides them with scientific literacy and critical thinking skills
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Understand what it means to be a naturalist
- Integrate knowledge about the interconnectedness of abiotic, biotic and cultural factors and their influence on the natural history of the central coast
- Demonstrate skills in making and recording natural history observations in a field notebook
- Apply knowledge of central coast ecosystems to local and global environmental issues.
- Meet all of the course requirements.
Applications for 2019 are now closed.
Questions? Contact the hosts for the Arboretum's 2018 California Naturalist Program Linda Anderson or Brett Bell.
Consider becoming a sponsor! Your sponsorship will be greatly appreciated. Sponsors are acknowledged in class literature, on the Arboretum's website, in class presentations, and in class communications. For more information contact: Linda Anderson or Amber Burke.
Schedule of Lectures and Field Trips for 2019
These are REQUIRED (so please plan). ALL lectures, first field trip, birding introduction with Clive, CAPSTONE Presentations, and 7 of 9 field trips (although you will not want to miss even one). All lectures will be at the Arboretum from 7:00 – 9:30 on Thursday, except as highlighted. Field Trips will generally be on Saturday from 9 am to 4pm, unless otherwise highlighted.
|
Date |
Topic |
Speaker |
|
April 4 |
Introduction to California ecology: fire, climate, adaptation and evolution |
Tom Parker, Professor of Biology, SF State University |
|
April 6 |
Journaling: Arboretum Native American Land Use and Management Practices Field trip: Quiroste |
Brett Bell: Journaling Rob Cuthrell, post-doctoral researcher, Dept. of Anthropology, UC Berkeley |
|
April 10, 11, 12
|
Birding Observations and Interpretations Field trip: Arboretum, 8 am Sign up for one time only 10 attendees max/session |
Clive Bagshaw, Professor Emeritus, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Leicester, UK |
|
April 11 |
Behavioral Ecology of California Birds |
Bruce Lyon, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCSC |
|
April 14 Sunday 8am-12 |
Bird Behavior |
Bruce Lyon and Clive Bagshaw |
|
April 18 |
Amphibians and Reptiles of California |
Barry Sinervo, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCSC |
|
April 20 8:15 |
Amphibians and Reptiles Field Trip: Fort Ord UCLA Shaffer Lab Research Site, Fort Ord National Monument |
Joe Miller, Steward Fort Ord Reserve Robert Cooper, UCLA Schaffer Lab |
|
April 25 |
Mammals of central coastal California |
Alan Shabel, lecturer, UC Paleontology Museum, UC Berkeley |
|
April 26 Friday 7-9:30 pm |
The Natural History of Insects |
Peter Oboyski, Senior Scientist, Collection Manager, Essig Museum of Entomology |
|
April 27 |
Insect Ecology and Campus Bioblitz Field trip: Upper Marshall Meadows |
Peter Oboyski and all of us |
|
May 2 |
Groundwater recharge: a critical surface- subsurface connection for California's central coast |
Andy Fisher, Professor of Earth and Planetary Science, UCSC |
|
May 3 Friday 7-8:30 |
LiMPETS training session |
Hannah Sarver, Coordinator of LiMPETS project for Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History |
|
May 4 6 am-10 |
LiMPETS Project Field Trip: Tide Pools |
Hannah Sarver, Coordinator of LiMPETS project for Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Pacific Grove |
|
May 9 |
Rain, Snow, Fog, & Drought in California Ecosystems |
Michael Loik, Professor of Environmental Studies, UCSC |
|
May 10,11,12 |
Santa Lucia Mountains field trip Field trip: Big Creek Reserve, We will leave Friday morning and be back Sunday afternoon |
Brett Hall, California Native Plant Program Director, UC Santa Cruz Arboretum |
|
May 16 |
A brief geologic history of California |
Elise Knittle, Professor of Earth and Planetary Science, UCSC |
|
May 18 or 19 |
Coastal Geology Field trip: Santa Cruz to Año Nuevo |
TBA |
|
May 23 |
Restoration and Management of Coastal prairie, coastal scrub, riparian, and maritime chaparral ecosystems |
Grey Hayes, PhD, Education & Research Coordinator for California Polytechnic State University’s Swanton Pacific Ranch |
|
May 25 |
Coastal Prairie: field techniques Field trip: Swanton Pacific Ranch |
Grey Hayes, PhD, Education & Research Coordinator, Swanton Reserve, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo |
|
May 30 |
Global climate change: geologic perspective |
Linda Anderson, emeritus Paleoceanography researcher, Institute of Marine Sciences, UCSC |
|
June 1 |
Forest Management Matters |
Nadia Hamey, Registered Professional Forester, Hamey Consulting |
|
June 6 |
Conserving California’s Coastal Habitats: A Legacy and a Future with Sea Level Rise |
Joshua Morris M.A. International Environmental Policy |
|
June 8 |
Capstones |
Cast of characters |
Course Requirements
Required Coursework
- Thursday Lectures: 7-9:30 (2.5 hours)
- Field Trips: 7 of 9
- Field Notebook: entries for all fieldtrips
- Capstone Project
- iNaturalist: 3 postings weekly http://www.inaturalist.org/
- 40 hours of volunteer work over the year following the class posted to https://ucanr.edu/portal/login/universallogin.cfm?appname=vms
Materials
Books (Required)
- California Naturalist Handbook Price $32.46
Available for purchase first day of class. - The Natural History of the UC Santa Cruz Campus $12.03
Available for purchase first day of class.
[Required reading schedule.]
Book (Suggested)
- The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, by Sibley, D.A.
Supplies (Required)
- Field Notebook (Sokkia mining transit, Moleskine watercolor or the equivalent)
- Water proof ink pen or pencil, small plastic ruler.
- Hand lens (at least 10x jewelers loop, magnifying glass)
Supplies (Suggested)
- Binoculars
- Digital camera or smart phone
