University of California
California Naturalist
Facebook
Twitter
Google Plus
Reddit
Delicious
LinkedIn
StumbleUponAdvanced Trainings
Being a CA Naturalist is a commitment to life long learning. Here you can find advanced training opportunities being offered by CA Naturalist program partnering organizations as well as the University of California. We invite you to browse and continue your education through these training opportunities by entering key words in your interest area or location (e.g. salmon, Marin). These trainings are a great way for you to increase your knowledge about California's flora, fauna, and ecosystems. This is a growing list so make sure to check back frequently.
If you work with a partnering organization please submit new training opportunities here.
2013 Plant ID Workshop: ID of California Oaks
Organization Name
UC ANR Hopland Research & Extension Center and California Naturalist
Brief course description
Identification of California Oaks - Quercus is undeniable one of the most important woody genera in the Northern Hemisphere and forms one of California’s most widespread vegetation types – the iconic oak woodland. The focus of this course is to provide an overview of the diversity and distribution of California oaks, and to teach participants how to identify the common tree and shrub species found in the North Coast Ranges of northern California. Currently, botanists recognize at least 25 distinct species along with 7 varieties of oaks in the state. Identification is often troublesome due to high levels of morphological variability, both within tree and across populations, but with a little patience it is easy to become expert at identifying our local oaks.
Website for more information
Start date
October 4, 2013
County location
Mendocino County
|
Coho Salmon Conservation Interpretation
Organization Name
SPAWN
Brief course description
SPAWN will introduce you to the amazing story of the conservation of endangered coho salmon in Lagunitas Creek, their biology and many ecological connections, and the natural history of the watershed during two days of classroom and field instruction. Expert instructors will teach you the important details of the life-history of our endangered Central Coast coho salmon and share SPAWN's award-winning strategies to continue conservation of coho in the Lagunitas Creek, and all California watersheds. This course provides participants the skills and knowledge to serve as volunteer SPAWN Naturalists and leaders of our popular Creekwalk interpretive program to view spawning coho salmon during the winter months! Click here for more information.
Meeting Days & Times: November 9th + 10th, Saturday & Sunday, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: SPAWN's office, 9255 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Expert Instructors: Chris Pincetich, Ph.D., SPAWN's Education & Outreach Manager and more!
The Course Fee includes:
Website for more information
Start date
November 9, 2013
County location
Marin County
|
2013 Plant ID Workshop: Intro to Grasses
Organization Name
UC ANR Hopland Research & Extension Center and California Naturalist
Brief course description
Introduction to Grasses - The grass family is among one of the largest and diverse groups of flowering plants in California with over 500 species in 103 genera. Of these, 300 are native species and 44 are endemic to the state. We’ll explore our local grasses through lecture, site visits, and hands on identification exercises using dichotomous keys. Grass identification is based largely on a good understanding of spikelet morphology, so participants will become acquainted to the terminology used to describe grasses then apply that to the identification of common native and exotic species in the field. We’ll look at how habitat, disturbance, and other environmental factors influence grass distribution; how grasses serve as indicators of site condition; and the importance of native perennial grasses in maintaining valuable forage.
Website for more information
Start date
May 24, 2013
County location
Mendocino County
|
Sign and Scat: Evidence of Wildlife
Organization Name
Pepperwood Preserve
Brief course description
Sign and Scat: Evidence of Wildlife
Ever wonder “whose poop is that!?” Learn how to identify and better understand local wildlife by analyzing scat and signs left by animals as they move through the environment. This class, taught by internationally certified animal tracker Jim Sullivan, begins with a survey of the art of tracking then goes into the field for a day of in-depth dirt-time in Pepperwood’s beautiful forests, grasslands and waterways with the goal of “getting inside the minds” of local animals. Sunday, May 19, 2013, 9am – 3pm Meet at the Bechtel House FEES: $30 per participant Ages 14 and up welcome
Website for more information
Start date
May 19, 2013
|
Sunflower Power!
Organization Name
Pepperwood Preserve
Brief course description
Sunflower Power!
Explore the extraordinary diversity of the sunflower plant family (Asteraceae) with botanist Peter Warner. Using diagrams, photographs and live material both in the lab and on the trail, learn the characteristic structures of sunflowers and how to distinguish among the many “tribes”. Find out how to identify and name plants using the Jepson Manual and other references. You’ll soon appreciate the splendor and bounty of the Asteraceae in Sonoma County and beyond!
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to meet, greet, and sign liability release waivers.
This is a two day class! Friday, May 17, 2013, 9am - 4pm AND Saturday, May 18, 2013, 9am - 2pm Meet at the Dwight Center FEES: $35 per participant Ages 14 and up welcome
Website for more information
Start date
May 17, 2013
|
2013 Plant ID Workshop: Wetland Plants
Organization Name
UC ANR Hopland Research & Extension Center and California Naturalist
Brief course description
Wetland Plants - California is rich in wetland ecosystems. They are found across all geographic regions of the state where a combination of topography and hydrology result in permanent or seasonally saturated soils capable of supporting a variety of plant species adapted to wetter conditions. The valleys and rugged terrain of eastern Mendocino County are an ideal location for the study of wetland systems commonly found across the state. These include riparian forest, wet meadow or glade, and marshes, as well as small intermittent tributary streams, vernal pools, seeps, and springs. The workshop will include site visits to observe plant communities and soil characteristics of different wetland types, and the influences of topography and hydrology. In addition to observing a broad suite of wetland species, participants will learn important morphological features that distinguish graminoid plants, members of the sedge (Cyperaceae), rush (Juncaceae), and grass (Poaceae) families that are well-represented in these wetlands.
Website for more information
Start date
June 6, 2013
County location
Mendocino County
|
Tending the Wild
Organization Name
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
Brief course description
Join us for an incredible weekend as we explore how traditional ecological knowledge can restore our partnership with nature, and - interwoven with Permaculture - restore our degraded landscapes to once again support an abundance of life.
Instructors: M. Kat Anderson, Dennis Martinez, and OAEC Staff
Dates: June 28th at 9:45am to June 30th at 4:00pm
When Europeans arrived in California, they found a verdant garden paradise: meadows thick with grasses and wildflowers, impressive groves of oak trees, healthy game, and rivers full of fish. This diverse and abundant landscape was managed and tended expertly by native peoples for over 13,000 years. In fact, Northern California supported the largest diversity of plants and animals, as well as the largest human population, on the continent.
We will discuss the philosophy & principles of Native American land management and implement different management techniques on the wildlands at OAEC to:
Website for more information
Start date
June 28, 2013
|
