UC Environmental Stewards: California Naturalist Certification Course

UC Environmental Steward programs seek to foster a committed corps of volunteer naturalists and community scientists trained and ready to take an active role in natural resource conservation, education, and restoration. The UC Environmental Stewards California Naturalist course (CalNat) will introduce you to the wonders of our local ecology and engage you in the stewardship of California’s natural communities. The course will combine a science curriculum with guest lecturers, field trips, and project-based learning to immerse you in the natural world. Oakland Zoo offers an incredible opportunity to learn about a wide variety of California wildlife up close. We partner with many California-based, nationwide, and international partners to conserve and preserve native wildlife, including bald eagles, California condors, mountain lions, bears, and bison. The Zoo’s placement in a public park also extends the opportunity to visit and learn from flora and fauna outside of Oakland Zoo’s collection, with access to the Arroyo Viejo Creek and Knowland Park.

This California Naturalist course will focus on the local watersheds - San Leandro Creek Watershed and surrounding natural areas, in addition to the Arroyo Viejo Watershed. The San Leandro Creek Watershed stretches from the ridgelines of the East Bay hills down through Oakland and San Leandro before emptying into the San Leandro Bay. It’s a diverse, urban-to-wildland watershed that supports oak woodlands, redwood forests, riparian corridors, and essential wildlife habitat. Historically, it provided food, water, and cultural resources for Ohlone communities, and today it continues to play a vital role in regional biodiversity and local water quality. The Arroyo Viejo Creek Watershed begins on the western slope of the Oakland hills and runs west through Oakland to the San Francisco Bay, narrowing as it passes through flatter land. The Arroyo Viejo Watershed begins in the East Oakland hills. It winds through neighborhoods, parks, and restored creek segments before joining San Leandro Creek and ultimately flowing to the San Leandro Bay. Though much of it is culverted or channelized, Arroyo Viejo still supports pockets of vibrant riparian habitat, offering refuge for birds, amphibians, and native plants in an urban landscape.

The course meets on Saturday's October 3- November 21, 9:30 am-2:30 pm.

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 the local bioregion to local and global environmental issues.
• Recognize the value of natural and cultural resources to our community/society.
• Meet all the course requirements.

Course Requirements

• Contact Time: Each UC California Naturalist course consists of a minimum of 40 educational hours (classroom hours and field time), including at least 8 hours in the field.
• Each participant must contribute to the class's participatory science project
• Contact Time: Each UC California Naturalist course consists of a minimum of 40 educational hours (classroom hours and field time), including at least 8 hours in the field for the class's participatory science project. Our class participatory science project is Arroyo Viejo Creek Restoration.
• Every participant is required to read the “The California Naturalist Handbook,” by Greg de Nevers, Deborah Stranger Edelman, Adina Merenlender. (Purchased separately by participants) - first or second addition.
• All participants are required to keep a field notebook during the course. The course encourages all participants to develop the skills of systematically recording field observations.
• Participants are required to complete a Stewardship Project in one of six areas: Community Resilience and Adaptation, Environmental and Climate Justice, Conservation/Restoration (Stewardship), Participatory Science, Education/Interpretation, or Program Support.

Course Materials

• Required: Access to an internet-connected computer or phone and an email account for communication, Volunteer Portal access, and iNaturalist.
• Required: Field Notebook (If you don’t own one, the types of journals will be discussed during the first-course session.)
• Required: Pencil(s)
• Recommended: Hand lens (10x)
• Recommended: Binoculars

Course Credit

Upon completing certification requirements, participants are eligible for four academic credits through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) for an additional fee. Eligible participants will receive a link to a website and guidance on the process to request and pay for credits. Credits are only processed at the end of each quarter and may take several weeks to arrive. A Certified Naturalist can only receive credits from one institution.

For Course Scholarship Opportunities, please get in touch with [email protected]

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