4500 Glenwood Dr. Bldg F
Riverside, CA 92501
Full Course Website: http://calnat.ucanr.edu/Take_a_class/Inland_Empire
The Santa Ana Watershed-From the Mountains to the Sea
The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District (RCRCD) is a local-level, government agency that works to conserve the natural resources of areas within western Riverside and San Bernardino Counties in southern California. RCRCD is a non-regulatory agency that works to conserve important habitat and native landscapes. Together individuals, businesses, and government agencies have tremendous opportunities to create a sustainable vision of the future, a widely held ethic of stewardship, and innovative solutions for the sustainable use of natural resources. Through cooperation and stewardship, we can create sustainable urban and agricultural ecosystems that function more like natural ecosystems. RCRCD provides resource management assistance to private and public land users, habitat services to preserve and manage native landscapes, and education programs about stewardship of natural resources. RCRCD seeks to empower people of all ages to be stewards (caretakers) of natural resources and to be well-informed about resource issues and management.
The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District is pleased to offer the California Naturalist certification course to the Inland Empire. This course will tell the story of the Santa Ana Watershed and take students from the mountainous headwaters in the San Bernardino National Forest to the mouth at the Pacific Ocean. Highly trained instructors and lecturers will introduce you to the natural history and local ecology of this beautiful and diverse landscape and bring you up to date on current issues such as sustainability and climate change. You will participate in a comprehensive science curriculum with lectures, field trips, and many hands-on, feet on the ground learning opportunities to immerse you in the diversity of the Santa Ana Watershed. Students who complete this course will become part of an active and vibrant base of volunteer naturalists and citizen scientists in California.
By the end of this course, participants will:
- Understand what it means to be a naturalist and develop new skills and opportunities for personal, volunteer and professional development.
- Understand the abiotic, biotic and cultural factors that make up the unique natural history and ecology of the Santa Ana River Watershed.
- Demonstrate skills in making and recording natural history observations in a field notebook and on iNaturalist.
- Demonstrate skills in communicating and interpreting natural resource information.
- Apply knowledge of California ecosystems to local and global environmental issues.
- Be prepared to engage local communities to promote the ongoing appreciation and stewardship of the Santa Ana River Watershed and its natural resources.
A Project Learning Tree (PLT) certification will be available for interested students who complete additional requirements. This California Naturalist course integrates all the content of a traditional 6-hour virtual PLT Educator Training in its curriculum. Participants can receive the training via incorporated PLT activities, completing a PLT Capstone Template Option, and attending the workshop.
CLASSES-Wednesdays, 6-8:30 pm: Feb. 24, Mar. 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31
FIELD TRIPS -Saturdays 11 am-5 pm (Feb. 28, Mar. 7 & 21)
OPTIONAL PLT WORKSHOP Mar. 6, 2021 9 am-1 pm
Contact: For more information, contact Erin Snyder Snyder@RCRCD.org 951-683-7691 ext. 207
Registration: Visit the RCRCD website to register and save your spot.
Contact: For more information, contact Erika Presley Presley@RCRCD.org, 951-683-7691 X223 or Erin Snyder Snyder@RCRCD.org 951-683-7691 X207