Embrace the Great Outdoors: UC’s Lifelong Learning Opportunities for 2025

Throughout California, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources provides invaluable, practical, hands-on education aimed at various skills, including pest control and food preservation techniques.

A Journey to the California Naturalist Program

It all started with a Facebook post during a fleeting quiet moment in the life of Michelle Fullner, a busy mother juggling two young kids and full-time work. In January 2020, she stumbled upon an ad from her local nature center announcing the upcoming registration for the Spring 2020 California Naturalist Program. After reflecting on the countless joyful hours spent outdoors as a child, she realized that this 40-hour class taught by experts in geology, botany, and wildlife offered a golden opportunity to reconnect with nature.

“I got so excited when I saw that post. I was like, ‘How can I make this happen?’” Fullner recalls.

The California Naturalist class at Effie Yeaw Nature Center is part of UC Environmental Stewards, a program under UC Agriculture and Natural Resources aimed at offering environmental education to adult learners across the state. The eight-week course not only refreshed her knowledge of California’s plant and animal life, but it also helped her understand the interdependence of the various components of California’s natural history.

Exploring California’s Natural History

As her class wrapped up, Fullner found herself feeling a deep sense of loss and disconnection. This led her to search for a podcast focused on California’s natural history to sustain her newfound enthusiasm; however, no such podcast existed.

“This idea started percolating. Why not create the podcast I wanted to hear?” she noted. “I’m not an ecologist; I’m not a scientist. I had never made a podcast before, but California Naturalist provided me with the knowledge base.”

In early 2022, she launched her podcast, Golden State Naturalist, and now, three years and over 50 episodes later, it proudly stands among the top one percent of podcasts worldwide, leading Fullner to transition into a full-time podcasting career.

“I brought a deep reservoir of love for the natural world, and California Naturalist gave me the connecting tissue to make something of that,” she expressed.

California Naturalist Classes: A New Beginning

As we step into the new year, California Naturalist classes represent just the tip of the iceberg in what the University of California provides for lifelong learners across the state. UC ANR conducts classes in nearly every California county, providing individuals with the chance to connect with local experts and fellow enthusiasts. Most of these programs are delivered by volunteers, designed to equip participants with essential knowledge and skills, ultimately enabling them to contribute positively to their communities.

Boost California’s Resilience through UC Climate Stewards

The California Naturalist program diligently nurtures participants to perceive the state in its raw, unfiltered state. Concurrently, recognizing the pressing challenges posed by climate change, a newer course exists—California Climate Stewards. Launched in 2020, this 40-hour class equips citizens with the latest climate science, enhances climate literacy, and fuels proactive climate action.

“We heard from many trainees that they were battling overwhelming climate anxiety and desired a course that incentivized actionable change,” said UC Environmental Stewards Community of Practice Educator Alexandra Stefanich.

The Climate Stewards curriculum integrates classroom learning, online modules, and field studies that delve into vital topics like earth systems, water, energy, and agricultural practices. Participants also learn about state and local climate policies, effective communication, citizen science, and community service, which helps them channel their energies into advocating for memorable changes in their surroundings.

“Pursuing community service projects enables individuals to feel a tangible difference they’re making and helps diffuse their anxieties, as opposed to feeling isolated in small personal change efforts that seem insignificant against the larger backdrop of climate change,” Stefanich stated.

How to Get Started with UC Environmental Stewards

UC ANR maintains a robust network of over 40 partner organizations throughout California that provide certification training for both California Naturalist and Climate Stewards. Courses are readily available year-round. Interested participants can explore the course calendar to locate classes nearby.

Grow More Food with UC Master Gardeners

Thanks to California’s exceptionally mild climate, the state enjoys an advantageous position for growers, contributing significantly to its status as America’s premier agricultural region. However, this does not imply that gardening is an effortless endeavor. Consequently, the UC Master Gardeners program has been sharing its evidence-based advice with home horticulturists for almost five decades now. At the core of this program lies an intensive, 16-week certification course. Students immerse themselves in both in-person instruction and online study, learning fundamentals touching on soil management, pest control, disease mitigation, lawn care, propagation, and nurturing fruits and vegetables—all essential components for designing a flourishing backyard landscape.

Transforming Backyards into Green Havens

Upon completing the curriculum and passing the exam, graduates earn the coveted title of Master Gardener. For most of the 34,000 individuals who have successfully traversed this training, this achievement marks merely the beginning of a fruitful journey.

“Once you’re certified, you become part of a volunteer network extending garden information and accessibility throughout the communities,” notes Melissa Womack, UC Master Gardeners’ assistant director of impact and communications.

First-year Master Gardeners are expected to commit 50 hours of volunteer service, alongside 25 hours of community service and 12 units of continuing education each year to retain their certification. This involvement might manifest in various forms, such as responding to gardening inquiries through a hotline or spearheading classes and events. By actively engaging in community gardens or school gardening initiatives, Master Gardeners play a pivotal role in making gardening accessible to a broader Californian audience.

“The volunteering aspect tends to be the most rewarding facet of their experience according to our alumni,” Womack added.

How to Get Started with UC Master Gardeners

The UC Master Gardener volunteer networks span across 53 counties in California, each boasting its own training schedule and workshop offerings. Many programs commence early in the new year, allowing volunteers to step into a fresh certification just in time for the bustling summer gardening season. To find the next training session, visit the local UC Master Gardener network.

Waste Less with Master Food Preservers

Statistically, around 30 percent of food produced in the United States goes to waste, adversely affecting our environment, climate, and wallets. Established in the early 1980s, the UC Master Food Preservers program seeks to train Californians about safe, evidence-based food preservation methods to maximize the food they grow and buy.

Preserving the Bounty

Incorporating a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on demonstrations, the Master Food Preserver certification course explores various food preservation techniques, including pickling, canning, drying, fermenting, and freezing processes.

“Maintaining quality during food freezing is an art that’s often overlooked. Many people simply toss food into a bag in the freezer, leading to unappetizing frost and flavor loss when it comes time to enjoy it. There are indeed better techniques to uphold flavor and texture,” asserts Wendi Weston, UC Master Food Preserver Coordinator for Sacramento County.

How to Get Started with UC Master Food Preservers

Weston encourages individuals to participate in one-day classes or demonstrations hosted by local Master Food Preservers, covering various topics ranging from jam-making to canning fish. If there’s a budding interest, taking the plunge into the Master Food Preserver certification course, a 40-hour training offered across 37 counties or through statewide online learning, could be the next step toward a fulfilling culinary journey.