Climate Stewards Initiative
MISSION: The UC California Naturalist Program prepares Climate Stewards to communicate and engage in local solutions to advance community and ecosystem resilience.
VISION: Our vision is for California to have engaged communities and functioning ecosystems that are resilient in a changing climate.
The UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, through the California Naturalist Program, is developing a UC Climate Stewards for California Communities certification program. In collaboration with partners including formal and informal science institutions, we will deliver a public program that improves climate change literacy and civic engagement for community and ecosystem resilience throughout California.
PROGRAM GOALS:
- Increase access to up-to-date and locally relevant climate science to improve climate literacy through a UC certification course for the public.
- Establish a community of practice focused on stewardship, communication, and community solutions to advance resiliency.
- Build statewide support for and capacity to effectively advance state and local climate goals.
COURSE CONTENT:
Courses throughout California will combine classroom, online, and field experiences in earth systems, water, energy and agriculture; as well as communication training, citizen science, and community service opportunities. After certification, UC Climate Stewards will be encouraged to volunteer in activities ranging from community and citizen science, land and water stewardship, civic engagement, and education and interpretation activities.
The training will include an overview of state and local climate policies so that Climate Stewards is a catalyst for public participation in California’s climate change initiatives.
UC CLIMATE STEWARDS INITIATIVE ACADEMIC COORDINATOR:
The course curriculum is currently under development by Sarah-Mae Nelson, the new UC ANR Climate Stewards Academic Coordinator. You can find out more about Sarah-Mae here or contact her through the link below.
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE:
| David Ackerly, UC Berkeley | Faith Kearns, UC ANR |
| Bernadette Chi, Evaluation Consultant | Nuin-Tara Key, CA Office of Planning & Research |
| Elena DeLacy, American River Conservancy | Elissa Lynn, CA Department of Water Resources |
| José Gonzales, Latino Outdoors | Adina Merenlender, UC ANR |
| Mica Estrada, UC San Francisco | Ryan Meyer, UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science |
| Kate Greswold, California Naturalist | Lou Hexter, MIG |
| Greg Ira, UC ANR | Carolyn Verheyen, MIG |
CLIMATE SCIENCE REVIEWERS:
The climate stewards initiative benefits from a multi-disciplinary team of social, natural and physical scientists with expertise relevant to climate science who have agreed to provide scientific review of the course content to ensure its accuracy, quality, and provide suggestions for updating science reference materials as appropriate.
| Jamie Anderson, PhD, Senior Engineer, Bay-Delta Office, CA Department of Water Resources | Max Moritz, PhD, Adjunct Professor, UC Santa Barbara and Associate Specialist (Wildfire) UC Cooperative Extension, UC ANR |
| Rachael Bay, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Evolution and Ecology, College of Biological Sciences, UC Davis | Susan C. Moser, PhD, Research & Consulting, Research Scholar, Environmental Studies Program, Antioch University New England |
| Alexis Bunten, PhD, Co-Director – Indigeneity, Bioneers | Dawn Murray, PhD, Chair of Undergraduate Studies Department and Environmental Studies Courses, Antioch University Santa Barbara |
| Dan Cayan, PhD, Researcher, Climate, Atmospheric Science & Physical Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography | Ram Ramanathan, PhD, Professor, Climate, Atmospheric Science & Physical Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography |
| Ted Grantham, Group Chair. PhD, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist and Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. | Isabel Rivera-Collazo, PhD, Assistant Professor on Ecological, Biological and Human Adaptations to Climate Change at the Department of Anthropology and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego |
| Lisa White, PhD, Assistant Director of Education and Outreach, UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology |
Download the Strategic Plan (PDF)
DONATE: Please consider making a donation to the California Naturalist Climate Stewards Initiative. Your support to the program fund is particularly important during these formative years as we develop fundamental resources and partnerships to plan for change and resilience. Make a donation online here, and earmark it for Climate Stewards in the comment box.
CONTACT: Want to stay abreast of Climate Stewards-related activities, find out how your organization can participate, or have additional ideas for program research and development? Please share your ideas and contact information here.