UC California Naturalist Program
The California Naturalist Program for 2018
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.
Applications for the 2018 California Naturalist class are now closed.
The program starts on Thursday evening, April 5. The last meeting is Saturday, June 9. 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 are now closed
Questions? Contact the hosts for the Arboretum's 2018 California Naturalist Program Linda Anderson or Brett Hall.
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 Brett Hall.
Schedule of Lectures and Field Trips for 2018 Program
(All lectures will be at the Arboretum from 7:00 – 9:30 pm) except as highlighted (in bold text). Field Trips will generally be on Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm unless otherwise highlighted. Please look carefully at the schedule and make sure that you are available for all lectures and at least 7 field trips. We expect all participants to attend a bird observation morning with Todd Newberry and the final Capstone presentations.
| Date | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| April 5 | Facilitated discussions. Introduction to California ecology: fire, climate, adaptation and evolution |
Tom Parker, Professor of Biology, SF State University |
| April 7 Saturday |
Introduction to Journaling Native American Land Use and Management Practices Field trip: Quiroste |
Elizabeth Evans, Journaling |
| April 11 April 12 April 13 |
Birding Observations and Interpretations Field trip: Arboretum, 8-11am Sign up for one time only; 10 attendees max/session |
Todd Newberry, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCSC |
| April 12 | 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 |
| April 15 Sunday |
Coastal Prairie: field techniques Field trip: Upper UCSC campus |
Grey Hayes, PhD, Education & Research Coordinator, Swanton Reserve, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo |
| April 19 | Drought Effects on California's Diverse Ecosystems | Michael Loik, Professor of Environmental Studies, UCSC |
| April 20, 21, 22 Camping trip |
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, UCSC Arboretum |
| April 27 Friday |
The Natural History of Insects |
Peter Oboyski, Senior Scientist, Collection Manager, Essig Museum of Entomology |
| April 28 | Insect Ecology and Campus Bioblitz Field trip: Upper Marshall Meadows |
Peter Oboyski and all of us |
| May 3 | Mammals of central coastal California | Alan Shabel, lecturer, UC Paleontology Museum, UC Berkeley |
| May 4 Friday | LiMPETS training session | Emily Gottlieb, Coordinator of LiMPETS project for Monterey Bay Sanctuary, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History |
| May 5 7:30 am |
LiMPETS Project |
Emily Gottlieb |
| May 10 | Amphibians and Reptiles of California | Barry Sinervo, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCSC |
| May 12 | Bioblitz, Fort Ord | Joe Miller, Steward, UC Natural Reserve |
| May 17 |
A brief geologic history of California |
Elise Knittle, Professor of Earth and Planetary Science, UCSC |
| May 19 |
Coastal Geology |
Hilde Schwartz, Senior Lecturer, Earth & Planetary Sciences. |
| May 24 |
Behavioral Ecology of California Birds |
Bruce Lyon, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCSC |
| May 27 Sunday |
Bird Behavior |
Bruce Lyon and Todd Newberry |
| May 31 |
Groundwater recharge: a critical surface- subsurface connection for California's central coast |
Andy Fisher, Professor of Earth and Planetary Science, UCSC |
| June 2 Saturday |
Forest Management Matters |
Nadia Hamey, Registered Professional Forester, Hamey Consulting |
| June 7 | Global climate change: geologic perspective | Linda Anderson, emeritus Paleoceanography researcher, Institute of Marine Sciences, UCSC |
| June 9 Saturday |
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 $30.58
Available for purchase first day of class - The Natural History of the UC Santa Cruz Campus $12.95
[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
