The Garden teams with UC Sedgwick Reserve to offer the University of California Cooperative Extension, California Naturalist Program. The program mission is to foster a committed corps of volunteer naturalists and citizen scientists trained and ready to take an active role in local natural resource conservation, education, and restoration. Classes are led by local experts and the program provides an overview of California's diverse ecology, as well as an in-depth study of the ecology of the Santa Barbara region. Participants come from all backgrounds, from newcomers to the region, to trained biologists who want to fill 'gaps' in their overall understanding. The program serves as the core curriculum for the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and Sedgwick docent training (additional training required).

The California Naturalist program is an excellent introduction to becoming a citizen scientist, amateur naturalist, expert docent, or an informed hiker.

Limited to 24 participants