The new UC Climate Stewards course of the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) California Naturalist Program is a certification course for the public. The course prepares participants to engage within their communities in integrated climate solutions, community science, and communication to advance community and ecosystem resilience.

There are 43 in-class hours (online and classroom), in addition there are 18 out-of-classroom hours (15 field trip hours and an 8 hour capstone project). Training covers climate science, communication, and community-scale action among other topics. Stewards will gain the skills they need to effectively communicate and engage in transformative local solutions.

Participants will be exposed to up-to-date and locally relevant climate science to improve climate literacy and participate in citizen science with collective impact. The group and independent work will improve participants’ knowledge, self-efficacy and agency by improving climate literacy, understanding of local opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation, and fostering climate change communications skills.

In sum, this course advances a vision for California to have engaged communities and functioning ecosystems that are resilient in a changing climate.

The course will run July 1 through June 30 for a cost of $80 through the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education program.

Some FAQs

Answers to basic questions about the new UC Climate Stewards course. The UC Davis-based course is not yet represented on the website. See the last link to register for the UC Davis course.

What is the UC Climate Stewards course?
The UC Climate Stewards course the newest offering of the UC California Naturalist Program. The mission of the UC Climate Stewards course is to prepare community members to communicate and engage in local efforts to advance community and ecosystem resilience in a changing climate. Our vision is for California to have engaged communities and functioning ecosystems that are resilient in a changing climate. Read more here.

How do I become a UC Climate Steward?
To become a certified UC Climate Steward, participants need to enroll in a 40+ hour course with one of our partner organizations. Courses will be listed in the Course Calendar on this page and on the home page. Subscribe to program updates here.

How do I enroll in a UC Climate Stewards course?
When the courses are posted in the online calendar, a link will be provided so that you can register directly through the partner offering the course. Since this curriculum is designed to foster community resilience, preference is often given to registrants in close geographic proximity to the partner organization offering the course.

What is the time commitment?
The course is 40+ hours and is a hybrid of online content modules, in-person/virtually in-person classroom sessions, and field experiences.

Who can become a UC Climate Steward?
The UC Climate Stewards course is open to adults and has no pre-requisites other than an interest in learning about the climate and community stewardship. An e-mail address and computer and wifi access are necessary to complete the course. Please contact us if there are barriers to accessing course materials and participating. 

For more info, visit this page

https://calnat.ucanr.edu/cs/cs_faq/

To register, visit this page

https://extension.ucdavis.edu/course/uc-climate-stewards

April “Wild Davis” course for enrolled students of UC Davis

Full course site: http://calnat.ucanr.edu/Take_a_class/UCDavis_WildDavis/

EVE 16 Wild Davis, 4 Units

This non-majors course offered to enrolled students attending the University of California, Davis introduces students to the natural history and urban ecology of the Davis township and UC Davis campus through ecological observation, community science and service, and hands-on projects. Activities in the course relate to urban water quality, interactions between native and introduced species, urban landscape management, and the role of urban centers in promoting ecological awareness and stewardship. The citizen science component of the course is participation in the City Nature Challenge, a global bioblitz competition started in California in 2016 and organized through the citizen science platform iNaturalist.

Dates: April 3 – June 8, 2023

Delivery Mode: In-Person

Lecture: Wednesday(s), 1:10pm to 4:00pm

Field Trips: TBA

Contact: Laci Gerhart-Barley, lgerhart@ucdavis.edu, (530) 752-9814

Registration: This course is for registered students attending UC Davis. Apply online with UC Davis.

About the Instructor: Laci Gerhart-Barley, PhD is an LPSOE in the Department of Evolution and Ecology at the University of California, Davis. She grew up in Hutchinson, Kansas and graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She worked for a year for the Center for Public Partnerships and Research. Laci began her doctoral program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at KU in 2007, completing a PhD with honors in 2013. Following the completion of her PhD, she began a post-doctoral research position at Kansas State University. Laci then spent three years teaching at the University of Hawai’i, West O’ahu and at University of Hawai’i, Manoa.

Organization Description: The Department of Evolution and Ecology (EVE) is a multi-disciplinary and highly collaborative community of faculty, students, post-doctoral researchers and staff who are dedicated to understanding the evolution and ecology of populations, species and communities. Our research programs span all levels of biological organization, ranging from the evolution of genes and genomes, to the diversification of species over time, to the structure, function and biogeography of ecological communities.