Cuesta College
Course Description
Cuesta College’s California Naturalist course is composed of 8 Fridays, totaling 40 hours of instruction plus driving time and lunch breaks. Each Friday starts on campus with a classroom presentation, followed by a field trip. Field trips are by private vehicle (carpool) and include one mile of walking. The last class includes short presentations of capstone projects. Assigned readings include the textbook, The California Naturalist Handbook, and other additional short reading assignments in preparation for field trips.
This class is ideal for adults who want to strengthen their knowledge and understanding of California’s natural history in a structured 8-week program. It’s a great resume-builder for people seeking jobs in environmental fields. It offers four units of transferable UC credit for students. And it’s a fun and enjoyable way to see many unique areas in San Luis Obispo County.
Certified California Naturalists who record a minimum of 40 hours in the California Naturalist volunteer portal within a calendar year are eligible to receive an annual service pin. California Naturalists learn about opportunities to volunteer with federal, state, local and nonprofit organizations.
Dates: TBA
Contact: Michele Roest, michele@sciencecurric.org
About the Instructor: Michele Roest is a biologist and naturalist with a lifelong love for San Luis Obispo County. She has taught biology classes at Cuesta College and Cal Poly for more than 20 years.
Organization Description: Community Programs is a fee-based department of Cuesta College offering not-for-credit education, recreation, aquatics, and youth programming in addition to other enrichment and certification courses.
