Provide community education that fosters understanding and appreciation and inspires conservation.
Build community-based restoration programs that serve to maintain and enhance the natural diversity of coastal environments.
Conserve strategically located coastal properties through conservation easements and land acquisition to ensure that land use is consistent with the ecological values of native coastal dune systems.
Develop an effective and efficient organization capable of conserving coastal environments in perpetuity.
The Coastal Naturalist Training is an 8 week course that will introduce you to wonders of our local ecology and engage you in stewardship of California’s natural communities. The course will combine a junior college level introductory science course curriculum with classroom and field experiences, guest lecturers, and project based learning to immerse you in the natural world of the Humboldt Bay region and coastal dune ecosystem. Guest lecturers and field instructors include professors, geologists, botanists, biologists, long-time naturalists and other local experts. Upon completing certification requirements, participants are eligible for four academic credits through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education for an additional nominal fee.
The course is for community members interested in expanding their knowledge of the coast, as well as students, teachers, naturalists, and environmental educators seeking professional development. While you may take the course strictly for your own enjoyment, the course will also prepare you to become an active volunteer with Friends of the Dunes or other environmental organizations.
Participants should be able to hike several miles in soft sand while carrying their own supplies (field notebook, water, lunch and snacks). We will be traveling at an easy pace, but will be in the field for up to 5 hours per field trip.
2022 Course Dates: To be announced (this course typically runs for 10 weeks in Septmber through October).
Contact: Suzie Fortner, Programs & Operations Director, 707-444-1397