Frequently Asked Questions

The mission of UC Environmental Stewards is to foster a diverse community of stewards building toward sustainability and resilience in California’s communities and ecosystems through education and service.

As a statewide program of the University of California's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR), UC Environmental Stewards offers two adult education certification courses: Climate Stewards and California Naturalist. Both certifications are community college level, interdisciplinary, science-centered courses that combine a minimum of 40 hours of classroom and field learning. Upon certification, participants are eligible for four academic credits through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. Read more here. 

How did UC Environmental Stewards get started? 
UC Environmental Stewards was originally formed as the UC California Naturalist Program. The idea of starting a statewide naturalist program was presented at a UCANR natural resource continuing education conference. UC Extension academics shared feedback that these programs have value, there is likely interest in California, but not enough ANR Natural Resource Advisors or county based capacity to deliver the program out of UC Cooperative Extension county offices. Based on this feedback and guidance from UCANR administrators, a train-the-trainer model was developed and piloted at Santa Rosa Junior College in collaboration with Pepperwood Preserve in 2010/11.

Many people helped get CalNat off the ground in the early days, including UC ANR employees, handbook authors, and Santa Rosa Junior College instructors: Adina Merenlender, Julie Fetherston, Deborah Stanger Edelman, Brook Gamble, Sabrina Drill, Bill Frost, Greg de Nevers, Steve Barnhart, Shawn Brumbaugh, and Rebecca Perlroth. In 2012, early adopter partnering organizations led the eventual expansion of CalNat: Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, Pepperwood Preserve, UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, UC Sagehen Creek Field Station, and UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.

California Naturalist became a UC ANR statewide program in 2014, at which point the California Naturalist Unit was created within UC ANR and the Program Advisory Committee was appointed.

In 2023, the UC California Naturalist Program became UC Environmental Stewards to better encapsulate our mission and the two courses that we offer.

How do I become a California Naturalist or Climate Steward? 
To become a certified California Naturalist or Climate Steward, participants need to enroll in a course with one of our partner organizations .  

Who can become a California Naturalist and Climate Steward? 
The California Naturalist and Climate Stewards courses are open to adults and have no prerequisites, other than an interest in learning about the natural world and the desire to be an environmental steward.  

Where and when are California Naturalist and Climate Stewards courses offered? 
UC Environmental Stewards collaborates with local partner organizations to deliver the certification courses near you. Scroll down for a list of courses organized by county or explore this map of courses near your area.