Become a Certified California Naturalist


The California Naturalist (CalNat) program, developed by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, is a science-based certification designed to turn nature enthusiasts into environmental stewards. Through a mix of classroom learning and field experience, you’ll master the ecology, geology, and wildlife of the Berryessa Snow Mountain region and join a statewide network of conservationists.


Photo credit: Caty Franco

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About the Program

  • Why Get Certified?

    The California Naturalist (CalNat) program is more than just a class: it’s a gateway to environmental leadership. Since 2018, Tuleyome has trained over 200 naturalists to serve as the "voice" of our local landscapes.

    • Expert Guidance: Learn from a team of scientists and conservationists. 
    • Hands-On Learning: Combine classroom theory with immersive field trips. 
    • Meaningful Impact: Gain the skills to become a docent, writer, or community advocate. 
    • UC Academic Credit: Eligible participants can earn credits through UC Davis Extension. 

  • What You'll Learn

    Our curriculum focuses on the unique ecology of the Northern Inner Coast Range and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument:

    • Geology & Hydrology: Understand the foundation of our landscapes. 
    • Flora & Fauna: Identify native plants and local wildlife (including bats!). 
    • Stewardship: Learn participatory science and community service techniques. 
    • Capstone Project: Complete a personal project that contributes to local conservation. 

  • Teaching Modules

    Teaching Modules Include:

    • A “Nature Table” for sharing field journals and photos of specimens found in the region 
    • An overview of textbook chapters, along with more targeted information about our region with a focus on vocabulary 
    • Guest lecturers 
    • Guided field trips 
    • Hands-on learning experiences 
    • And our very popular “Species Identification Modules” during which we will go over various common species found in the region and tell you some fun facts about them
"I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to connect with nature and learn from passionate experts. Each speaker is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and eager to share with students."
— Recent Graduate

Course Options

Next Session: Jan 8, 2027 - Feb 26, 2027

Schedule: Class meets every Friday, 12 pm to 4 pm. Field trips take place at various locations on Saturdays.


Class Location: 622 Main St, Woodland, CA 95695 - students will be provided specific directions.


Textbook: All students will be expected to purchase the required textbook for the course. You can order the textbook directly from the University of California or through other book outlets.


Standard Registration: $525 plus credit card processing fees (about $16)


NOTE: Once the registration fee has been paid it will NOT be refunded in whole or in part (except in the unlikely event that the entire course is canceled by Tuleyome).

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AT WILBUR HOT SPRINGS RESORT


DATES: April 12 - 17, 2026


Class meets everyday Sunday to Friday. Students stay at the resort as there are many early morning and evening field trips. This course covers the same material as the multi-week program but in a more condensed time frame.


Students will be expected to purchase the required textbook for the course. You can order the textbook directly from the University of California or through other book outlets.


Please contact Nate for registration information.


NOTE: Once the registration fee has been paid it will NOT be refunded in whole or in part (except in the unlikely event that the entire course is canceled by Tuleyome).

Testimonials

I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to connect with nature and learn from passionate experts. Each speaker is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and eager to share with students.

Tuleyome's CalNat course was a transformative experience for me. Not only did I gain a deeper understanding of the natural world, but I also formed lasting connections with beautiful landscapes in my backyard!

The hands-on field trips and learning opportunities from guided trips to self-guided adventures and intentional projects sparked joy and curiosity within me and others in the course.

The regionally specific presentations about flora and fauna of the Inner Coast Range and Sacramento Valley were specifically quite helpful in fostering discussion.

The instructors were excellent, knowledgeable and inspiring! The class was fun and engaging!

Thank you to the folks at Tuleyome for providing a supportive space for personal growth and development, for people from all walks of life.

RECENT NEWS

Beavers, otters, and more – new Conaway Ranch game camera footage!

By Geoff Benn • June 4, 2026
A beaver at Conaway Ranch We’ve got new footage from our game cameras at Conaway Ranch! This camera site was chosen by 4 th graders from Dingle Elementary during a recent field trip to Conaway. The camera is near the otter slide we’ve previously filmed, but is a few feet away from the entrance to the slide, allowing us to film the animals as they approach. We saw beaver, otter, a fox, a raccoon, and more! Click here to watch the video . Tuleyome works with Conaway Preservation Group to offer educational programs at Conaway Ranch, including programs for K-12 groups and the general public. If you have any questions about the game camera footage or our programs at Conaway, please reach out to Education Associate Geoff Benn at gbenn@tuleyome.org.

Policy Corner: It’s Time to Fight for Our Public Lands

June 4, 2026
The current administration has released its proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year. It proposes drastic cuts to our public land management agencies. The proposed budget would significantly reduce funding for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), including a 34% cut to its total budget, a 27% staff cut, a 76% cut to the National Conservation Lands, which encompass 38 million acres of protected public lands, a 61% cut to recreation management (including campsites and trails), and total elimination of funding for cultural resources and wilderness management. It also would shift priorities towards extractive uses of public lands instead of conservation and clean energy. The administration’s budget would also drastically cut funding to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), eliminate several offices, state and federal research stations (six in California) and transfer all fire fighting to BLM. Notably, in the face of all these cuts, the budget would increase funding for extractive industries; funding for timber sales would increase 450%. The reductions and policy changes would impair these agencies’ abilities to protect public lands, cultural resources, fresh water sources, and wildlife, while also impairing access to them and recreation on them. The President’s budget is now in Congress, where committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives are amending and voting on the bills in preparation for full House and Senate votes. Now is the time to take action for our public lands and the environment by urging Congress to reject the proposed budget and maintain funding for BLM, USFS, and programs that protect and steward our public lands. Let your representatives know that you oppose the cuts to BLM and USFS and the rollbacks to our public land protections. And let them know why these special places are important to them. You can voice your opinions to Congress in multiple ways. You can: Call their offices Send a letter to Congress - we’ve pulled together a template for you to use, but don’t forget to let them know why public lands are important to you – download sample letter here Contact them on social media Meet with a representative in their District offices. Don’t know how to reach them, go to Congress.gov and find their phone numbers, addresses, district offices, websites and so much more if you’re interested. Now is the time to speak up for our public lands! Mary Lamborn (Communications Intern) and Sandra Schubert (Executive Director)

Monumental Questions - Another Monumental Vegetable?

By Kristie Ehrhardt • June 4, 2026
You betcha! Wild carrot, also known as Queen Anne’s Lace, is a common site within the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. With its straight and sturdy stalk, bright green, frilly leaves and white, flat-topped flower clusters, it is identifiable even from the limited viewing scope of a traveling car. Queen Anne’s Lace ( Daucus carota ) belongs to the Apiaceae (carrot) family. All members of this family display flower clusters arranged in an upside-down umbrella shape called an umbel. It is native to Europe and is the plant that tasty cultivated carrots originated from. It was brought to North America for its medicinal purposes and has since naturalized across the continent in disturbed and natural areas in mountains, valleys and coastal areas. It can be so prolific that it outcompetes native plants and can also be mildly toxic to livestock. Queen Anne’s Lace is an herbaceous biennial (it doesn’t flower until its second year and then dies) that can reach up to four feet tall in optimum conditions. The stem of the plant is bright green, straight and sturdy and is covered in short, coarse hairs which is a very helpful identifier. I recently learned a clever and helpful quip that I will never forget: Queen Anne has hairy legs (referring to the hair along the stems of the plant)! The tiny, white flowers all originate from the same point and splay out in an airy, flat topped cluster (umbel). Another identifying feature is that oftentimes (but not always) the flower umbels often have a single dark purple flower in the center of the cluster. This purple flower is not always present but when it is it can be used to positively identify the plant as Queen Anne’s lace. The leaves are finely divided which gives them a lacy appearance and look almost identical to our cultivated carrot plants. Although wild carrots are edible, the whitish tap root isn’t as robust or flavorful as the cultivated carrots we are used to. Warning! There are plants such as poison hemlock that are incredibly similar looking so eating things in nature is never advised unless you can absolutely identify them! Poison hemlock has basically the same growth pattern as wild carrot however the stem of poison hemlock lacks the tiny hairs and mature plants have very definite purple splotches up and down the stems. All parts of poison hemlock are toxic but it is particularly potent in the seeds and roots. Poison hemlock is notoriously known as the poison that killed the Greek philosopher Socrates. Edible cousins of wild carrot include plants such as caraway, celery, parsley and parsnips. Although the root of the wild carrot plant is edible, contact with the sap may produce an allergic reaction in some individuals that are sensitive to it. Native pollinators such as butterflies and bees appreciate the abundance of flowers for their nectar. Wild carrot is currently blooming in all its glory so keep an eye out for it on your next trip to our favorite monument!