Course Description
Climate Stewards Certification
Explore Grasslands Ecosystems & Climate Resilience in the Central Valley! Join this Climate Stewards Course to deepen your understanding of local ecosystems and climate impacts. Learn to effectively communicate and engage in solutions that enhance community and ecosystem resilience. Our course focuses on Central Valley grassland ecosystems, specifically those among our regional State Parks. Enroll today!
Dates: February 4 - March 18, 2024
Fees: $350
Delivery Mode: Hybrid
Contact: 4RiversNHA@gmail.com
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California Naturalist Certification
The UC Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve in partnership with the Merced County UC Cooperative Extension Office and Upper Merced River Watershed Council offers a California Naturalist certificate training on the campus of UC Merced. Students in the California Naturalist Program will become part of a committed corps of volunteer naturalists and citizen scientists, equipped with the skills needed to take an active role in local natural resource conservation, restoration and environmental education. This 10-week training combines science instruction with guest speakers, field trips, and project-based learning to explore the unique ecology and natural history of the San Joaquin Valley and central Sierra Nevada foothills region. This course will cover basic ecology, watershed concepts, geology, wildlife, plant communities, and global environmental issues, as well as tools for collaborative conservation and communication. There will also be opportunities for bird watching, wildflower identification, sketching, and journaling!
Classes are held at UC Merced, and four Saturday field trips will be held in representative areas of the San Joaquin Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills. Course instructors are UC Merced faculty and other regional experts. Upon completion of the course, students will receive the UC California Naturalist’s certificate.
Due to concerns over COVID-19, this California Naturalist certification course has been postponed until further notice. We'll update all California Naturalist courses when new dates are determined. Postponed courses may already be partially-mostly full due to prior enrollment. Please contact the course coordinator, Joy Baccei, at jbaccei@ucmerced.edu to be added to an interest list.
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Organization Description: The Merced Vernal Pool and Grassland Reserve is the 39th reserve in the UC Natural Reserve System (UC NRS), whose mission is to contribute to the understanding and wise stewardship of the Earth and its natural systems by supporting university-level teaching, research, and public service. Adopted into the UC NRS in 2013, this reserve is unique not only in its biodiversity, but in its proximity to a UC Campus, which provides an amazing opportunity to learn about, investigate, and research vernal pool and wetland ecology through a wide range of research projects and educational activities. One of four reserves in the UC Merced NRS, the reserve is part of a growing network that provides rich opportunities for connecting communities in the Valley, foothills, and Sierra Nevada.
