Welcome

California Naturalist is a new program developed by the University of California Cooperative Extension to 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. This program provides training, in collaboration with local sponsoring institutions, for adult environmental stewards through an adaptable outdoor and in class curriculum that can be as easily applied in a variety of settings. The program utilizes a science curriculum, hands-on learning, communication training, and community service to engage adults in interactive learning and provides them with scientific literacy and critical thinking skills.

Sustaining natural resources requires an understanding of science, adaptive management, and cooperation among diverse interest groups. We cannot protect and restore California’s unique ecology without an environmentally literate, engaged public. There are Master Naturalist programs in 26 other states, but this is the first such program for California that will engage adults including teachers, docents, land stewards, and nature enthusiasts in service learning and participatory research.

Current News

The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum course is now full with a waiting list. Ten scholarships went to young people -- way to go Brett Hall and Anna Meredith!

We are excited to have two new sponsors offering the UC California Naturalist Program. Welcome Pacific Grove Natural History Museum and UC Santa Cruz Arboretum. Both programs will be starting in April so return to our web site soon for more details.

We are pleased to announce that UC Press will be publishing the California Naturalist Handbook which serves as the text book for all California Naturalist Courses. This Handbook is scheduled to be available early 2013.

Drs. Adina Merenlender (UC Berkeley) and Heidi Ballard (UC Davis) received a grant from the National Science Foundation to work with two CA Naturalist sponsors to integrate citizen science as a volunteer opportunity and assess the impacts of participating in research. As well as developing ways of involving naturalists from diverse backgrounds. Thank you to all of our collaborators!