California Naturalist Courses with American River College
About the Event
Take any of the following courses in the Environmental Conservation Program at American River College Department of Natural Resources to obtain California Naturalist Certification. Environmental Conservation is an interdisciplinary program that advances the understanding of ecological systems and their interrelationships, including those with human society. Everyone is welcome! No prerequisites.
NATR 324 Field Studies: Birds and Plants of the High Sierra, 1.5 Units
This field study course focuses on identification, distribution, abundance, ecological relationships, and conservation of bird and plant communities of the High Sierra. Primary environments explored include montane chaparral, riparian woodland, coniferous forest, montane bog and fen, rocky outcrop, montane meadow, subalpine woodland, and alpine tundra. Emphasis is placed on the natural history and life history characteristics of common birds and plants, as well as rare and endangered species and their conservation challenges. Field trips are required.
Dates: July 16 - August 12, 2026
Deliver Mode: In-Person
Fees: ARC class fees are $46 per unit (without financial aid). In addition to unit fees and lab fees (eligible for hardship fee waiver), California Naturalist Certification fee ($55 per student) will be covered for most students by a scholarship fund through the Environmental Conservation program’s current Strong Workforce grant.
Contact: Jennifer Neale, NealeJ@arc.losrios.edu
Registration:
About the Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Neale has been working in the environmental field for more than 30 years. Her formal education includes a B.A. in Environmental Studies from U.C. Santa Cruz, M.S. in Wildlife Biology from U.C. Berkeley, Ph.D. in Ecology from U.C. Davis, and Postdoc in Environmental Toxicology and Immunology. She has also studied California floristics with a focus on native vascular plants especially in the context of wildlife habitat. Her research and teaching background has focused on vertebrate wildlife and terrestrial vascular plants; she has been working full-time as a professor at American River College since 2006.