Coastal Grassland Management Training
“I am walking away...with a wealth of experience and I know that having this internship under my belt will help me throughout my life…. Everybody we encountered gave us the opportunity to learn and gave us tools we would need to succeed as…land managers.”
Andrew Wester SSU Preserves Coastal Grasslands Training Program
Coastal prairie intern working at Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
The Coastal Grassland Restoration Program prepares students to work on grassland restoration projects with land managers at six partner sites in Sonoma County (Bodega Pastures, Bodega Marine Reserve (UC Davis), Fairfield Osborn Preserve, the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Ocean Song Farm and Wilderness Center, and Estero Americano (Sonoma Land Trust).
A four-day training focuses on species identification, ecology, use of restoration tools, and management plan design. Once trained, the students are a “hot commodity” among land managers, visiting sites with a variety of restoration needs, and gaining on-the-ground understanding of regional considerations in land management.
Who Can Participate - The training program is open to everyone above the age of 18 who wishes to participate. Internship units and special studies credit are available for SSU students.
How to Sign Up - You must attend an informational meeting to enroll in the Training. Informational meetings are held at the beginning of the Spring semester. All meetings are held after 5 pm on campus to accommodate participant schedules. For locations and dates, please view our Calendar (click on the Calendar tab below the banner photo on the home page).
Schedule - The Naturalist Training Program occurs on four consecutive Saturdays, 9 am to 5 pm, at the beginning of the Spring semester. Please view the Calendar (click on the Calendar tab below the banner photo on the home page).
Additional Information - At the end of the training there is a quiz that trainees must pass.
Contact - SSU Preserves Education and Reservations Manager Suzanne DeCoursey