Summer 2016
Sagehen-Lake Tahoe California Naturalist 1-Week Immersion Course Syllabus
Sagehen-Lake Tahoe California Naturalist Philosophy:
We are a community of learners from diverse backgrounds, sharing a love of nature and
the desire to extend our passion and skills to others through service. The dynamic
nature of each class, unique in it’s own way because of its participants, is highly valued.
Every voice is heard as we strive to balance academics with active learning and fun,
allowing the naturalist in each of us to blossom.
Instructor: Leslie Smith
As a lover of nature and everything outdoors, and with a passion for sharing the
experience with others, Leslie delights in her role as Coordinator for the Sagehen-Lake
Tahoe California Naturalist Program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a
Masters degree in Integrated Science Teaching and has taught students of all ages,
including middle and high school science, math and language arts. Leslie served as the
Science Coordinator for the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, creating and
directing an outdoor education program at the South Yuba River State Park. Her work
as a facilitator for teacher professional development influences the experience for
teachers and others in our program who seek to enhance curriculum, after-school
programs, and other activities that might involve youth. Leslie is well-versed, not only
in ecology and natural science, but in California K-12 education, Common Core, Next
Gen Science Standards, and Education About the Environment (EEI). She enjoys
learning from others and working with diverse groups to foster communities in which
everyone contributes in his/her own way.
Contact Information:
Leslie Smith: sagehen-calnat@berkeley.edu
Sagehen-Lake Tahoe Cal Nat Website: http://sagehen.ucnrs.org/events.htm#calnat
California Naturalist Website: http://ucanr.org/sites/UCCNP/
Guest Speakers and Field Trip Leaders: (TBA: Below is a list of past, current, & potential
speakers.)
Jeff Brown: Manager, Sagehen Creek Field Station; Director Central Sierra Central
Research Station
Faerthen Felix: Assistant Manager, Sagehen Creek Field Station
Kaitlin Backlund: Sagehen iNaturalist Biota Project Coordinator; Sagehen California
Naturalist
Janet Zipkin: Former Board Member, Truckee Donner Land Trust, and Sagehen
California Naturalist
Dr. Andy Rost: PhD., Asst Professor, Science & Technology, Sierra Nevada College
Heather Segale: Education and Outreach Director, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental
Center (TERC)
Allison Toy: TERC Volunteer Docent Coordinator
David Antonucci: Civil and Environmental Engineer
Dr. Tom Bullard: Assoc Research Progessor, Geology; Desert Research Institute
Dr. S. Geoffrey Schladow: Director, UC Davis TERC; Professor UC Davis: Civil and
Environmentalal Engineering
Dr. Charles Goldman: Professor of Limnology, UC Davis; founding director, UC Davis
Tahoe Research Group
Christine Ngai-Ryan: University of Nevada Reno
Brant Allen: UC Davis Boat Captain and Field Station Manager
Mike Wolff: Environmental Chemist; Supervising Environmental Engineer, Washoe
County Air Quality Management District
Colin Robertson: MA: Literature and Environment; Charles N. Mathewson Curator of
Education, Nevada Art Museum
Beth Christman: Education Director, Truckee Watershed Council
Kris Boatner, District Wildlife Biologist/Natural Resources Officer, Truckee Ranger
District, Tahoe
National Forest
Leah Gardner: Botanist, State of California and Sagehen California Naturalist
Gary Raines- Geologist, USGS (Emeritus)
Susan Kocher, UC Cooperative Extension, Forestry/Natural Resource Advisor
Barbie Toschi: Biologist; High School Science Teacher Emeritus; Sagehen California
Naturalist
Gary Griffiths: Elementary School Teacher; Sagehen California Naturalist
Dr. T. Will Richardson- Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology; Co-Executive
Director: Tahoe Institute for Natural Sciences
Maria Mircheva- MA: Environmental Science and Management, with a focus on
Conservation Policy; Executive Director: Sugar Pine Foundation, Lake
Tahoe
Dr. Mike Hamilton- PhD Conservation Biology, Ecology, Natural Areas Stewardship:
Director, Blue Oak Ranch Reserve
Dr. Alison Murray- Research Biologist/Professor: Desert Research Institute; Adjunct
Professor: University of Nevada, Reno
Program Partners
UC Cooperative Extension
UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC)
Sierra Watershed Education Partnership (SWEP)
Sierra Nevada College
Sustainable Tahoe
US Forest Service
Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS)
Sugar Pine Foundation (SPF)
Course Description:
The California Naturalist class will introduce you to the wonders of our unique ecology and
engage you in the stewardship of California’s natural communities. The course utilizes a
combination of science curriculum, guest lectures, field trips, and project-based learning to
immerse you in the natural world of the northern Sierras, focusing on the Lake Tahoe Basin
and Truckee River Watershed.
UC California Naturalist Goals:
 Foster a committed core of volunteer naturalists and citizen scientists trained and
ready to take an active role in natural resource conservation, education, and
restoration
 Provide training, in collaboration with local partnering institutions, for adult
environmental stewards through an adaptable outdoor and in-class curriculum
 Engage adults in interactive learning that provides them with scientific-literacy and
critical thinking skills using: a science curriculum, hands-on learning,
communication and interpretation training, and community service
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Understand what it means to be a naturalist
2. Integrate knowledge about the connectedness of abiotic, biotic, and cultural factors that
influence the
natural history of the Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee River Watershed.
3. Demonstrate skills in making and recording natural history observations and data in a
field notebook
4. Apply knowledge of the Lake Tahoe and Truckee area ecosystems to local and global
environmental
issues.
Required Text: The California Naturalist Handbook (de Nevers, Edelman, and
Merenlender, 2013) Available from University of California Press (We are working on a
local source to carry this book)
Components of the California Naturalist Program:
Class Description: Summer, 2016 (a detailed schedule TBA)
This is a residential, 6-Day class at Sagehen Creek Field Station. The station, a semi-remote
outpost on Sagehen Creek north of Truckee, is surrounded by a nine-thousand acre
experimental forest and serves as a thriving research hub for scientists and students. In
addition to providing in-depth training in the ecology of the Sierras and California in
general, we offer a unique, intimate experience within the Sagehen Creek UC Natural
Reserve not available to the general public. Lodging in cabins at the station is included in
the course fee and a requirement for all participants since activities begin early each day
and continue through the evening hours. Meals are catered, providing tasty nourishment
and al fresco dining at the station and in the field. We try to accommodate dietary
restrictions if brought to our attention during registration. Participants may camp on the
premises if preferred over sharing a cabin. Lodging fees also apply for this option.
The course, taught in our “classroom without walls”, uses of a variety of approaches to
present information and foster lively collaborative discussions about individual
components of an ecosystem and the interconnections that make up the unified whole. Led
by scholars, professionals, naturalists, and other members of the community, these
sessions introduce and expand on the roles and importance of each entity using examples
from the Sierra bioregion while relating to California’s unique ecology and natural history.
Time in the field with researchers and professionals give participants first-hand
experiences in seeing nature from a scientists’ perspective as well as an opportunity to
interpret what they see to make meaning for themselves and others. Most field sessions
take place within in the Sagehen Basin, with the exception of one which takes us to Lake
Tahoe. In order to receive certification as a California Naturalist, participants are required
to attend all presentations and field sessions and to complete reading assignments.
Attendance: Participants must complete 40 hours of instruction during the course,
including at least 25 hours of instruction and 15 hours of field time. Only one class session
can be missed and participants must make up class activities on their own time. Please
inform the Instructor if you know you’ll miss a class. Because of the unique aspects of the
field trips, participants cannot miss a field trip. In the case of an emergency and a field trip
is missed, participants may be able to arrange an alternative option- again, please talk to
the Course Instructor if you find yourself in this position.
Reading Assignments: Each week there are required readings from the The California
Naturalist Handbook and reading guide questions to be completed before class.
iNaturalist: Over the course of the California Naturalist class, participants as Citizen
Scientists will add to the Sagehen iNaturalist biota and tracking projects. Each participant is
responsible for adding at least 5 observations. Please bring a smart phone or tablet if you
have one. If not, a camera will suffice and we can help you upload it onto the website. We
will go over the program with you during the Immersion Weekend at the Sagehen Creek
Field Station. The link to our class project site is:
http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/sagehen-creek-basin-biota-documentation-project .
Capstone Project: As a requirement for California Naturalist certification, participants are
required to complete a volunteer service project of his/her own design to provide a bridge
from the class to service within the community. We will help guide you in developing your
project if needed. We encourage establishing a relationship with a community organization
or agency that represents one of your interests before class begins if possible. We will help
you make connections if you aren’t familiar with organizations in your area. You may work
in teams where appropriate. All projects must be approved by the course Instructor before
development. Participants will make a brief, no more than 5 minute, presentation about
their project to the group on the last night of class. Presentations need not be fancy but do
need to describe the who, what, when, where, and how of the project and will be timed in
order to fit all presentations into the time allotted. We’ll go over this in more detail the first
night of class.
Volunteering: Naturalists are encouraged to fulfill at least 40 hours of volunteer service
each year. During the first year most naturalists satisfy this requirement in the
development of their Capstone project. The activity needs to: relate to California’s natural
or environmental cultural history; occur in California; be sponsored by an organization; be
unpaid.
Each volunteer service activity should fit under one of these categories:
 Stewardship
 Education/Interpretation
 Citizen Science

Program Support (of an existing organization)
Participants will log hours on the UC Volunteer Management System (VMS), which will be
covered on the first evening of class. The link to VMS is:
https://uccn.volunteersystem.org/UniversalLogin.cfm
Course Fee: The fee for this course is $1032.13 if paid before March 1, 2016. The fee
covers: Administration costs, Instruction and Coordination, California Naturalist
Certification, and Station Fees and Catering for Immersion Weekend at Sagehen Creek Field
Station (lodging, dinner Saturday night, breakfast and lunch Sunday) and credit card fees.
Participants are responsible for purchasing their own handbooks.
Detailed Course Calendar:
A detailed calendar for all course dates and meeting times will be posted.