A UC California Naturalist shares his experiences in Merced newspaper

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Adam Blauert took part in the California Naturalist program offered at UC Merced's Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve.

California Naturalist Adam Blauert wrote an account for the Merced Sun-Star of his participation in the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' statewide program that trains volunteers to be stewards of California wildlands and natural areas.

The UC California Naturalist program is developing a statewide network of educated and committed volunteers who are interested in the state's natural landscapes and sharing their passion for natural resource conservation with the public.

"I didn't come away from the course an expert," Blauert wrote. "But the course gave me a lot of foundational information so I am better prepared to learn on my own."

A teacher at Merced Union High School, Blauert said he was attracted to the program to be better prepared to explain the outdoors to the student groups he takes on field trips. In the article, he listed four top take-away lessons he gained from the process:

Vastly expanded knowledge of local environments and their inhabitants
Meeting and networking with interesting people
Comprehensive understanding of the environments of our field trip destinations
Beginning an exciting community service project

Blauert's article notes some upcoming California Naturalist training programs near the Central Valley, including one that was to begin today at Calaveras Big Trees. The training was postponed, however, due to the explosive growth of the Butte Fire in Calaveras County in recent days, according to Mother Lode News.

An intensive one-week California Naturalist training is scheduled for UC Merced's Sierra Nevada Research Institute Nov. 1-7.

Posted on Friday, September 11, 2015 at 4:08 PM

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