California Naturalist program introduced

ANR has developed a new program to create a committed corps of naturalists and citizen scientists trained and ready to take an active role in natural resource conservation, education and restoration. The California Naturalist provides training using a flexible science curriculum, hands-on learning, communication training, and community service to engage adults in interactive learning and provides them with scientific literacy and critical thinking skills.

Science literacy is very low in California, impacting our ability to remain competitive with other states and nations in a global economy that relies on science, engineering and technology. To ensure the sustainability of natural resources in California, we need citizens who participate in natural resource conservation, understand the importance of land-use decisions and climate-change resilience, value biodiversity, understand the limitations of our water and energy resources, and value the role that science and UC play in sustaining our natural ecosystems. These topics along with the fundamental scientific underpinning of natural resource management are the focus of ANR’s California Naturalist program.

The California Naturalist program is designed to be implemented through partnerships with local sponsors. These organizations should have a need for volunteers to actively participate in resource conservation, education/interpretation, and /or participatory science. Organizations can collaborate with UCCE and AES academics in their area or coordinate directly with the program by applying to be a local sponsor through the California Naturalist website.

The Wildlife Conservation Board and the Renewable Resources Extension Act are funding development of the program.

The program got off to a great start last fall in Sonoma County. Through collaboration with Pepperwood Preserve and Santa Rosa Junior College, 45 people participated in the program.

How can UC staff and academics get involved?

• Collaborate with a local partner and implement the training
• Help develop regional modules for the handbook
• Write a short piece on your area of expertise to be included in the handbook, highlighting the expertise of UCCE
• Sign up your research project to involve citizen scientists
• Sign up as a guest speaker

For more information, please visit http://ucanr.org/sites/UCCNP or contact Julie Fetherston, UCCE advisor, at jcfetherston@ucdavis.edu or Adina Merenlender, UCCE specialist and associate adjunct professor at adinam@berkeley.edu.

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