CALLING ALL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS/INSTRUCTORS! This California Naturalist Program for Teachers course is designed to equip educators with the expertise to inspire their students to become active participants in the stewardship of California's natural communities, with a focus on Climate and Wildfire Resiliency through a naturalist lens. This course will provide a deep exploration of the wonders of California's local ecology, with an emphasis on understanding the intricate connections between climate change, wildfire resiliency, and the natural history of the Sonoma Valley. Through a combination of scientific inquiry, guest lectures from experts, immersive field trips, and project-based learning, participants will gain the skills necessary to effectively communicate and interpret natural resource information, while applying their knowledge to address local and global environmental issues.
The fall course will be conducted in a hybrid format, combining Zoom lectures on Wednesday evenings with in-person lectures and field trips on alternating Saturdays. The Saturday sessions will commence with a thematic chapter lecture, followed by a field trip in the latter half of the morning.
Eligibility: Priority will be given to K-12 classroom teachers. Based on availability, we are accepting curriculum specialists, nature center staff, natural resource professionals, park docents, hike leaders, and other informal or professional educators. If you will be incorporating lessons learned from this course into educational classes, events, or outreach, you are likely eligible. Please email tony@sonomaecologycenter.org if you have any questions about eligibility.
Schedule and meeting locations:
Course runs from September 27 - Nov 11
Evening Classes on Wednesday nights over Zoom: 6:00-8:30 pm (September 27, October 11, 25, November 8)
Saturday Field Trip/Lectures at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: 8:30 am-1:30 pm (October 7, 21, November 4; on November 11, we will meet 6:30 am - 11:30 am)
Capstone Presentations at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: Friday, November 10th, 5:00-10:00 pm
Upon completing certification requirements, participants are eligible for four academic credits through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education for an additional nominal fee. Learn more about getting UC credits for this course.
For questions, please contact Tony Passantino at tony@sonomaecologycenter.org.
Course enrollment closes Wednesday, September 20th at 11:59 PM (1 week before start). We had previously incorrectly indicated that registration closes on a Tuesday. Registration will close on Wednesday, September 20th at 11:59 PM.
Sonoma Ecology Center works to address challenges related to water supply and quality, open space, rural character, biodiversity, energy, climate change, and a better quality of life for all residents.
Since 1990, we’ve worked to increase appreciation and stewardship of Sonoma Valley’s natural heritage and create measurable benefits in areas of land, water, climate change, and biodiversity.
Vision
We envision a future where people, land, water, and wildlife thrive.
Mission
Our mission is to work with our community to identify and lead actions that achieve and sustain ecological health in Sonoma Valley.
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