UC California Naturalist

A statewide program of the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the UC California Naturalist Program is designed to introduce Californians to the wonders of our unique ecology, engage the public in study and stewardship of California’s natural communities, and increase community and ecosystem resilience.

The mission of the UC California Naturalist Program is to foster a diverse community of naturalists and promote stewardship of California's natural resources through education and service.

The UC California Naturalist Program is the hub of a collective impact network. We currently offer two certification courses: UC California Naturalist and UC Climate Stewards. To become a certified California Naturalist or UC Climate Steward, participants need to complete a 40+ hour course. Read more about us or find a course near you.

News & Inspiration

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California Naturalist and Climate Stewards: certification course calendar

Event Name	Date
CalNat College of the Redwoods course	8/16/2021
CalNat American River College courses	8/21/2021
NorCo Community College course	8/27/2021
CalNat West Valley College course	8/30/2021
CalNat Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History course	9/1/2021
Climate Stewards American River Conservancy course	9/2/2021
CalNat Friends of the Dunes course	9/9/2021
CalNat Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum course	9/11/2021
CalNat Effie Yeaw Nature Center course	9/13/2021
CalNat Cuesta College	9/23/2021
CalNat Point Reyes National Seashore Association course	9/25/2021
CalNat UCR Palm Desert Center course	10/2/2021
CalNat Palomar Community College course	10/16/2021
CalNat Nature For All course	10/19/2021
CalNat Emerald Cove Outdoor Science Institute course	10/24/2021
CalNat Pepperwood course	1/8/2022
CalNat USC BISC 369	1/10/2022
CalNat Tuleyome course	1/14/2022
CalNat Tuleyome immersion course	4/10/2022

Program Updates

Gear: Need some UC California Naturalist gear to outfit your adventures?! Acorn Naturalist is the exclusive vendor of CalNat gear: hats, hoodies, patches, bags & tee shirts. UC Climate Stewards gear TBA.

News: Announcing the 2022 Conference and 10th Anniversary Celebration!

Please save the date for our 2022 Statewide Conference and 10th Anniversary Celebration! Thanks to conference sponsors, speakers, instructors, and our organizing committee, current and future California Naturalists and Climate Stewards from all walks of life will have a chance to meet each other. We'll explore new directions in natural history, climate change and environmental education, participatory science, biodiversity conservation, and building community and ecosystem resilience.

Words Matter: They Can Inspire Hope and They Can Incite Hate Through our actions and our words, we hope to communicate a clear message. The UC California Naturalist & UC Climate Stewards community believe in the positive and inspiring power of words. We stand in solidarity with the diverse community of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders against racism and xenophobia. And, we reaffirm our mission to foster a diverse (and inclusive) community of naturalists and promote the stewardship of California’s natural resources through education and service.

Recordings: CONES: California Online Naturalist Event Series. Enjoy our latest CONES presentation on Climate Stewardship: Taking Collective Action to Protect California with Dr. Adina Merenlender and special guests David Diaz and Tracy Bartlett. .

Course Update: For UC Climate Stewards, every day is Earth Day There is power within all of us to tackle some of the immediate effects of climate change. The UC Climate Stewards (UCCS) course is a new certification course offered through the UC California Naturalist program. UCCS prepares individuals to communicate and engage in local solutions to advance community and ecosystem resilience. Read our FAQ and take a course near you.

Resources: Online Nature Education In response to recent "shelter in place" orders and an increasing demand for online and hybrid delivery courses in general, we curated a list of our favorite online resources for quality California-focused natural history education

Meet the Community: View the CalNat Story Map and Climate Stewards Story Map. In pictures and words, we seek to share the inspiring stories of California Naturalists and Climate Stewards from around the state. Share Your California Naturalist or Climate Stewards Story here!

Download: California Naturalist Handbook 30% off Flier