Group of people sitting and standing outside participate in a forestry class.
Forestry Research and Outreach

California Tree School

From finding your way in the woods to prescribed burn planning, UC ANR’s California Tree School is a chance to explore foundational forestry concepts in a community space.

California Tree School is a one-day, Saturday event where attendees take 4 forestry classes of their choice. Classes are led by UC ANR academics and other natural resource professionals, with formats including lectures and hands on activities. Throughout the day, attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with local resource organizations at the Exhibitor Fair. 

Offered through the UC ANR Forest Stewardship Education Initiative, CA Tree School is an opportunity to engage with forestry education in a new, personalized way.

CA Tree School is for those looking to expand their toolbox of forestry knowledge: landowners, college students, career professionals, environmental volunteers, and everyone in between!

A day of classes looks something like this...

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Event schedule flyer with three sections. Top: 9 AM, Oak Woodland Ecology hike and discussion. Middle: 11 AM, Wildfire Management Primer. Bottom: 12:30 PM, Lunchtime Exhibitor Fair with local nonprofits. Each section includes relevant images of people engaged in activities related to the topics.
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Split image: Top section features two people examining plants in a grassy field, labeled "1:30 PM Introduction to Botany." Bottom section shows two people with controlled fire equipment, labeled "3:30 PM Prescribed Fire 101.

CA Tree School 2026

In 2026, we brought California Tree School to 150+ participants in Butte and Humboldt counties. Participants at each session created their personalized schedule, selecting from classes like:

Fire Adapted Trees of California

Forest Inventory Skills

Forest Mushroom Identification

DIY Mass Timber Panels

Introduction to Soil Science

Post-Fire Forest Ecology of Coast Redwood Forests

Seed Collection for Future Forests

Using Beneficial Fire

Thank you to Butte County FireSafe, College of the Redwoods, and regional UC ANR Forestry and Natural Resource Advisors Rick Satomi and Yana Valachovic for co-hosting this learning event with the Forest Stewardship team!

Session photos

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Tree School instructor demonstrating how to set up a wildlife camera.
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Two people mark wood panels for during a Mass Timber class at CA Tree School.
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CA Tree School instructor leads an outdoor class.
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A CA Tree School participant takes notes during an outdoor class.
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Person at CA Tree School shows a soil sample.
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Conifer samples used for a CA Tree School class.

Find photo galleries from both the Butte and Humboldt sessions on our Facebook page.

CA Tree School's impact

Here's what the 2026 participants are saying about their classes...

Forest Inventory

"Very approachable introduction to a complex subject."

"Great introduction to surveying. An awesome opportunity to practice with forestry tools."

Forest Mushroom Identification

"Loved this class! The instructor was very engaging and I felt like I learned quite a lot!" 

Sustainable Management of Redwood Forests

"As a recent forestry graduate, this was a great class. I was never lost in the forestry language." 

Using Beneficial Fire

"Great introduction to this topic- helpful to know how to get connected with Prescribed Burn Associations." 

"I am much more comfortable with a prescribed burn on my property now." 

94% 

of participants agreed that attending CA Tree School increased their forestry knowledge

98% 

of 2026 participants would recommend Tree School to others

85% 

of participants were able to connect with forest landowners and natural resource professionals

Media

CALFIRE TV

CALFIRE Grants at Work: University of California, Cooperative Extension Tree School

UC ANR Forest Research and Outreach Blog

2024 CA Tree School: New event brought forest stewardship education and connection to Mendocino and El Dorado counties

Mountain Democrat

New forest education event coming to Placerville

California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force

UC ANR Provides a One-Stop-Shop for Continuing Forestry Education Through ‘California Tree School’


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