How to Become a Certified Naturalist in California
Building knowledge, care, and community through the UC Environmental Stewards Program
California’s landscapes are as diverse as its people — deserts, redwood forests, coastal wetlands, and mountain meadows all woven together in a living mosaic. Each one depends on care, and that care begins with understanding.
The California Naturalist certification, part of the UC Environmental Stewards Program, offers a structured way for people to learn how the land functions, how communities depend on it, and how to help preserve what sustains life here.
It’s not about politics or ideology. It’s about learning how natural systems work and how to serve the places you call home.
California’s landscapes are as diverse as its people — deserts, redwood forests, coastal wetlands, and mountain meadows all woven together in a living mosaic. Each one depends on care, and that care begins with understanding.
The California Naturalist certification, part of the UC Environmental Stewards Program, offers a structured way for people to learn how the land functions, how communities depend on it, and how to help preserve what sustains life here.
It’s not about politics or ideology. It’s about learning how natural systems work and how to serve the places you call home.
What Certified Naturalists Do
Certified Naturalists come from every background — teachers, students, business owners, retirees, and volunteers — united by curiosity and care.
Through a mix of classroom learning and fieldwork, participants study local ecosystems, soils, water, wildlife, and native plants. They gain practical skills in observation, interpretation, and restoration. Each participant completes a community project that applies what they’ve learned to real needs: replanting native species, removing invasive plants, monitoring stream health, supporting school programs, or assisting with habitat restoration.
After certification, many continue to volunteer in parks, nature centers, farms, and open spaces. Others lead guided hikes, develop educational materials, or share what they learn with neighbors and students.
At its heart, this program teaches the same principle that healthy communities have always known: when people understand their environment, they are better equipped to take care of it.
Through a mix of classroom learning and fieldwork, participants study local ecosystems, soils, water, wildlife, and native plants. They gain practical skills in observation, interpretation, and restoration. Each participant completes a community project that applies what they’ve learned to real needs: replanting native species, removing invasive plants, monitoring stream health, supporting school programs, or assisting with habitat restoration.
After certification, many continue to volunteer in parks, nature centers, farms, and open spaces. Others lead guided hikes, develop educational materials, or share what they learn with neighbors and students.
At its heart, this program teaches the same principle that healthy communities have always known: when people understand their environment, they are better equipped to take care of it.
Why Certification Matters
Knowledge strengthens stewardship. When individuals understand local conditions — how rainfall affects soil, how pollinators affect crops, how urban runoff affects rivers — they can make wiser choices in their own homes, gardens, and communities.
Certified Naturalists form a growing network of trained volunteers who contribute real data, lead local initiatives, and share practical insight with others. Their efforts multiply when they connect through organizations like Floral Reef Project, which gathers local actions into a larger picture of care and renewal.
Becoming certified isn’t only about earning a title; it’s about gaining the tools to be a trustworthy caretaker of the land.
Certified Naturalists form a growing network of trained volunteers who contribute real data, lead local initiatives, and share practical insight with others. Their efforts multiply when they connect through organizations like Floral Reef Project, which gathers local actions into a larger picture of care and renewal.
Becoming certified isn’t only about earning a title; it’s about gaining the tools to be a trustworthy caretaker of the land.
How the Program Works
To become a Certified California Naturalist, you enroll in a 40-hour course through one of more than 45 local partner organizations across the state.
Each course includes:
After completing the requirements, you join a statewide network of Certified Naturalists who continue to learn and serve through volunteer projects, continuing education, and statewide events.
Courses are offered throughout California — in coastal areas, mountain regions, urban centers, and agricultural valleys. Each one reflects the unique environment of its region, helping participants connect learning directly to the land around them.
Each course includes:
- Classroom instruction led by scientists, educators, and experienced naturalists.
- Field sessions that focus on local habitats, species, and natural processes.
- A capstone project where participants apply what they’ve learned in service to the community.
- Optional academic credit through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education.
After completing the requirements, you join a statewide network of Certified Naturalists who continue to learn and serve through volunteer projects, continuing education, and statewide events.
Courses are offered throughout California — in coastal areas, mountain regions, urban centers, and agricultural valleys. Each one reflects the unique environment of its region, helping participants connect learning directly to the land around them.
A Model for the Future
The California Naturalist program represents a quiet but powerful idea: that the best caretakers of any place are the people who know it well. It is built on the belief that individuals can make meaningful differences through patience, knowledge, and cooperation.
This model speaks to everyone — whether you see conservation as civic duty, moral obligation, or personal calling. It appeals to social liberals who value community and inclusion, to conservatives who respect tradition and responsibility, and to libertarians who believe in local solutions over distant control.
Stewardship done well reflects wisdom, gratitude, and humility — qualities that strengthen both people and the places they inhabit.
This model speaks to everyone — whether you see conservation as civic duty, moral obligation, or personal calling. It appeals to social liberals who value community and inclusion, to conservatives who respect tradition and responsibility, and to libertarians who believe in local solutions over distant control.
Stewardship done well reflects wisdom, gratitude, and humility — qualities that strengthen both people and the places they inhabit.
Getting Started
To find an upcoming course or partner organization near you, visit the UC Environmental Stewards Program website.
Then, connect with Floral Reef Project to share your journey and join a growing network of people who combine knowledge, care, and credibility to protect pollinators, restore habitats, and strengthen communities across California and beyond.
Then, connect with Floral Reef Project to share your journey and join a growing network of people who combine knowledge, care, and credibility to protect pollinators, restore habitats, and strengthen communities across California and beyond.