Participatory Science with UC Environmental Stewards

American River Conservancy

 Cosumnes River water quality monitoring program 

The Cosumnes has large diversions relative to its flow, and like most Sierra rivers, has been impacted by gold mining, logging, and intrusion of invasive species. California Naturalists learn data collecting protocols and contribute data to the El Dorado Trout Unlimited Cosumnes River Water Quality Monitoring Program's long term monitoring program. This data helps inform Cosumnes River management to be able to preserve its beneficial uses and guide restoration efforts.

Audubon Canyon Ranch

Population density of spiders & allies inhabiting grounds of Yulupa Cohousing Community in Santa Rosa, CA.

Bolsa Chica Conservancy

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Biodiversity

Establishing a long-term data set on the biodiversity and seasonal variability of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, as well as the surrounding areas. Data gathered will help build a greater understanding of the diversity of life within the reserve.

Calaveras Big Trees Association

Mapping GPS locations of giant sequoias in Calaveras Big Trees State Park

California Naturalists help the park conserve its iconic giant sequoia trees in the South Grove area of the park. This part of the park has less amenities and is generally less visited. Mapping the more remotely located trees helps park staff efficiently monitor tree health.

Catalina Island Conservancy

 City Nature Challenge: Los Angeles County 

Students in the California Naturalist course document local species while contributing to greater knowledge of worldwide biodiversity.

Chico Creek Nature Center

 Stream Team: Big Chico Creek water quality monitoring 

California Naturalists collect data from Big Chico Creek that is used to inform local and regional resource management decisions by providing baseline water quality data. The Stream Team tracks long-term trends in watershed health associated with land use practices used to reduce non-point source pollution including creek-side restoration. Baseline information collected helps facilitate the ability to track changes over time and help prioritize efforts for identifying sources of pollutants, and appropriate land use changes needed to minimize impacts.

City College of San Francisco

 National Phenology Network: Wild SF - Biodiversity in Our San Francisco Ecospaces 

In collaboration with the San Francisco Botanic Garden, students measure the phenophases of plants at the garden using the Nature's Notebook app from USA National Phenology Network. Naturalists observe the plants and record what life stage they are in in a national effort to document the effects of climate change on the timing of natural phenomena.

Coastal Institute at Camp Ocean Pines

San Simeon Pier water quality monitoring project and  LiMPETS survey .

College of the Redwoods

College of the Redwoods annual BioBlitz

Year after year observations made through  iNaturalist  throughout Humboldt County as students progress through their coursework.

Columbia College

 Bat monitoring on the Columbia College campus 

California Naturalists spend time in the field learning about what bat species are flying overhead using acoustical monitoring equipment. The equipment consists of a microphone that records the bats’ high-pitched ultrasonic calls and software that matches the call to a particular bat species. Though no cases of White Nose Syndrome have been reported in California yet, it is critical to keep an eye (or ear) on the local bat population to know if they are being affected. Students also learn how to report dead bats as a way to monitor the health of local populations.

Climate Stewards: Fire Fuel Management

Community Nature Connection

 Cornell Ornithology Lab's Celebrate Urban Birds 

With students from across the state participating virtually, they picked 3 different days to participate. Students completed at their own pace and then sent in their virtual certificate as proof of completion. This facilitated lots of good discussion on the course's online platform (Google Classroom) about the birds students noticed, including the birds they didn't see, too. This lead to better and deeper discussions in our animals topic, about urban populations of animals. It was really easy and fun to use, and helped everyone learn a little more about birds in the neighborhood. It is in Spanish which also supports the mission and work of Community Nature Connection.

Cuesta Community College

Organisms on Cuesta College campus and surrounding areas.

Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum

Dominguez Rancho Butterfly and Pollinator Survey

Effie Yeaw Nature Center

 Project Budburst 

Phenology is the study of the timing of the biological events in plants and animals, such as flowering, leafing, hibernation, reproduction, and migration. California Naturalists help collect data on how plants respond to climate change by tracking their phenology over time. The data is added to a large pool that helps scientists understand the effects of climate change, and develop ways to mitigate it.

Friends of the Dunes

Biodiversity in Restored versus Unrestored Dunes

Grassroots Ecology

 National Phenology Network: Grassroots Ecology 

Students choose a buckeye tree to visit regularly and collect phenological data to add to Grassroots Ecology's program in Nature's Notebook. Phenology data collected on a large geographical scale can help understand how warming temperatures impact the appearance of spring by recording the phenology of California Buckeyes.

Hopland Research & Extension Center

 National Phenology Network: Hopland Research & Extension Center 

California Naturalists take phenological data on various predetermined plant species at the Hopland Research & Extension Center campus. These data are part of an ongoing effort of dedicated volunteers that visit the plants throughout the year to tell a comprehensive data story on the timing of when different life stages appear. The shift in phenology can show how the change in climate is impacting plant species hyper-locally.

Lake Tahoe Community College

Community Science Tahoe

For an in-person class everyone would contribute to a local South Lake Tahoe project, but given that this course is now offered online, not everyone is residing locally. Local students may contribute to the recommended projects for this course: Citizen Science Tahoe, Creek Critters, or eBird. For students taking the course outside of the local area, there is an option to choose a different citizen science opportunity throughout the state that is unique to the students' interests and local needs.

Los Angeles County Arboretum

 Grasses of the WUI: San Gabriel Mountains and the San Gabriel Valley 

Grasses are an under-studied and under cataloged plant type, both in the local mountains and nearby wildland-urban interface. During the class students learn about native, transported & naturalized, and invasive grasses, and their effect on local eco-systems. When in the field students make observations of grasses, take photos, record and map GPS coordinates, date and time, and tentatively identify the genus and often species based on botanical keys and AI / technological suggestions. As the database grows, observations may be useful in discerning naturalization patterns, invasiveness, increasing or decreasing use of invasive in landscapes in the WUI, and even the success rate of local restoration efforts.

Through observations at the Arboretum campus, native, naturalized, and invasive grasses can be cataloged. As most of these are non-curated species, it provides potential management data for the site, as well as awareness of which curated members of the collection may have escaped to nearby areas. In addition, long term accumulation of data from the wildland has research potential for the same information relating to topics as diverse as invasives, the effects of climate change, and the effects of urban development and recreational uses on the wildland.

Lindsay Wildlife Experience

 The Watershed Project 

Bay-wide monitoring over the last decade has revealed residual oyster populations at more than 10 sites around the bay, one of which is at the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in Richmond. In 2013, The Watershed Project deployed 100 community-built reef balls at Point Pinole, made from concrete, bay sand, and crushed oyster shells. In an area that is primarily mudflat, these balls act as substrate for the oysters to attach to. The restoration project is now monitored twice a year by volunteers.

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

The  Midpen Biodiversity Index 

The Midpen Biodiversity Index project supports biologists at the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District by crowd-sourcing species data from within the public agency’s sphere of influence across 65,000 acres. By understanding what organisms occur in the agency’s open space preserves staff can gain a greater knowledge of the diverse ecosystems found throughout the region and make informed management decisions. Midpen Docent Naturalist trainees meet their CalNat course requirement for participatory science by contributing to the Midpen Biodiversity Index. Trainees become long-term volunteer Docent Naturalists for the agency and many continue to contribute observations and use the shared platform for ongoing learning. 

National Forest Foundation: Angeles National Forest/San Gabriel Mountains

 RASCals (Reptiles and Amphibians) with the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum 

Students upload observations of reptiles and amphibians to the RASCals iNaturalist project in an effort to document the native and non-native species in Southern California. Museum specimens provide a historical record of where particular species were found in the past, but these observations provide more information on exactly where these species are found today. Observations will allow researchers to test how the ranges of various species have responded to habitat modification.

National Forest Foundation: Cleveland National Forest

 Colorado Lagoon California Naturalist Project 

Nature For All

Biodiversity of the San Gabriel Valley and Beyond

Ojai Valley Land Conservancy

Stream Surveys of Ventura River watershed

Stakeholders consider the Ventura River watershed a model for addressing watershed management issues in California as the watershed contains an active consensus-based stakeholder group working to address a range of issues that commonly affect water quality and water supply throughout the state. Key elements represented in the Ventura River watershed include a mix of urban and rural communities, agricultural land use, forest, open space, a large obsolete dam (Matilija Dam), a functioning reservoir, water diversion systems, and numerous public and private water agencies. Additionally, the Ventura River watershed provides habitat for one of the southern-most steelhead populations in the state. California Naturalist students conduct stream surveys to monitor water quality at multiple sites within the watershed located on OVLC preserves.

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

 LiMPETS Survey: Point Lobos - Weston Beach 

LiMPETS is a citizen science program that monitors the coastal ecosystems of California and helps people develop a scientific understanding of the ocean. LiMPETS monitors the biology in rocky intertidal and sandy beach ecosystems and aims to provide publicly accessible, scientifically sound, long-term data to inform marine resource management and the scientific community.

Palomar Community College

Budburst

Pasadena City College

Pasadena Area Biodiversity

Pepperwood Preserve

California Naturalist:

Each student contributes at least 1 observation and 1 peer comment within any of the Investigation categories on the ISeeChange platform. Students are encouraged to make these observations during their independent field trips. Afterwards, students complete their assignment by writing about their experience working with this platform; either by sharing their post, describing a peer post they commented on or sharing their thoughts about the platform as a whole. This project aligns with Pepperwood's goal of inspiring connections with nature. Students are encouraged to look closely at their environment, noticing and documenting what is changing or is unusual and sharing this with the wider ISeeChange community as well as fellow Climate Steward classmates. By increasing our connection with nature, we hope to inspire our students to be the future stewards of the land working towards increasing social and ecosystem resilience in our communities.

Climate Stewards:  ISeeChange 

Point Reyes National Seashore Association

California Naturalist:  The Great Sunflower Project 

Students sit quietly at a flowering plant, identify it, identify pollinators, and then collect and share data with The Great Sunflower Project.

Climate Stewards:  California Phenology Project 

Tracking phenological changes to vegetation over time which could impact food and habitat availability, migration opportunities, population shifts and behavior change for wildlife at Point Reyes. How are changing temperature and rainfall patterns affecting plants (and therefore animals) at Point Reyes? Students participate in group monitoring at the Point Reyes National Seashore, and have the option of independent monitoring at home.

Preserve Calavera

Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve Water Quality Monitoring Program

During field trips, students learn data collection protocols and take samples that will be used by scientists in later analysis.

Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District

 CALeDNA 

After receiving training for collection protocols, students collect and submit soil samples for analysis by scientists. Environmental DNA present within the soil can provide a wealth of information to scientists studying past and present organisms' trace DNA and provide a rough profile of the ecosystem from which the soil was collected.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

 National Phenology Network: Santa Barbara Botanic Garden 

Phenology is the study of the timing of the biological events in plants and animals, such as flowering, leafing, hibernation, reproduction, and migration. California Naturalists help collect data on how plants respond to climate change by tracking their phenology over time. The data is added to a large pool that helps scientists understand the effects of climate change, and develop ways to mitigate it.

Sierra Streams Institute

 National Phenology Network: Sierra Streams Institute 

Phenology is the study of the timing of the biological events in plants and animals, such as flowering, leafing, hibernation, reproduction, and migration. California Naturalists help collect data on how plants respond to climate change by tracking their phenology over time. The data is added to a large pool that helps scientists understand the effects of climate change, and develop ways to mitigate it.

Sonoma Ecology Center

 Sugarloaf Biodiversity Index 

Documenting the different flora and fauna species present within Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.

Southern California Mountains Foundation

 National Phenology Network: Southern California Mountains Foundation 

Phenology is the study of the timing of the biological events in plants and animals, such as flowering, leafing, hibernation, reproduction, and migration. California Naturalists help collect data on how plants respond to climate change by tracking their phenology over time. The data is added to a large pool that helps scientists understand the effects of climate change, and develop ways to mitigate it.

SPAWN Marin County

Tidepool survey for ochre sea star die off; Riparian song bird banding to measure climate change impacts

Stewards of the Coast & Redwoods

Armstrong Redwoods Biodiversity

Tuleyome

 iNaturalist survey of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Region 

Tuleyome can use the iNaturalist data collected by California Naturalists in a variety of ways, including studying how fires in the region are impacting the local ecosystem. Students are encouraged to continue the survey after course completion.

UC Berkeley Sagehen Creek Field Station

 Sagehen Biota Project 

This iNaturalist project gives California Naturalists and other visitors the opportunity to share their natural history observations with a broader online community while contributing to growing citizen-science datasets on the distribution of the plants and animals in the local area. Many of the species on our lists have never been officially documented in the basin. This is our shared field notebook and the race is on to see how many species we can observe in this unique environment.

UC Davis: Wild Davis

 City Nature Challenge: Sacramento Region 

Since class is held during the week, and the City Nature Challenge occurs over the weekend, we first have a 'practice' bioblitz in class, where students learn how to use iNat and how to see and comment on other user's posts, etc. Students are then expected to post 20 research grade observations during the CNC window anywhere in the Sacramento Region. Our practice bioblitz occurs on campus, which contributes to the iNaturalist records on campus (especially in the UC Davis Arboretum). Many students use iNaturalist data for their capstone projects, and so building robustness of campus observations supports these projects.

UC Merced Vernal Pools & Grassland Reserve

 CALeDNA 

After receiving training for collection protocols, students collect and submit soil samples for analysis by scientists. Environmental DNA present within the soil can provide a wealth of information to scientists studying past and present organisms' trace DNA and provide a rough profile of the ecosystem from which the soil was collected.

UC Merced Yosemite Field Station

 Convict Creek site sampling in the Eastern Sierra 

Working alongside scientists at the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, California Naturalists take data to measure the health of Convict Creek. These samples contribute to the long term monitoring of flow and temperature at the site, ultimately helping in research of conservation of aquatic biodiversity and restoration of habitats.

UC Riverside Palm Desert Center

 Annual iNaturalist Project 

UC Santa Cruz Arboretum

 UCSC Campus Bioblitz 

With staff from the UCSC Natural Reserves, the Ken Norris Center for Natural History, UCSC students & alumni and members of the Santa Cruz community, students past and present of the California Naturalist program come together for a morning of exploring and documenting our campus's incredible biodiversity. This bioblitz has occured annually since 2015 in an effort to bring together a wide variety of people to rapidly inventory the living organisms on campus. UCSC's diversity of habitats and unique geophysical setting have resulted in cateloguing a great number of the species that call campus home.

USC Sea Grant

Urban Tides and  Grunion Greeters 

Students join hundreds of volunteers to study the spawning activity and habitat of grunion. Grunion Greeters observe small stretches of beach on nights of grunion runs during peak spawning season from April through early June. Grunion runs occur at night, twice a month, after the highest tides associated with a full or new moon.

Fun, brief workshops prepare Naturalists to monitor beach-spawning populations of the California grunion Leuresthes tenuis. Greeters submit their observations via an interactive web site and through a phone number. Observations, sightings, and comments become part of a database using interactive web-based questionnaires and email. This multi-year state-wide assessment program has increased public awareness and improved management efforts to protect and conserve wildlife and beach habitats.

West Valley College

 Bird banding at San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory 

Students work with San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory to work alongside staff as they caught birds for banding. Students also write blogs for their program to assist with outreach.