Catalina Naturalist Excursions ON DEMAND

The Conservancy’s popular Naturalist training series continues to grow, offering options for you to expand your knowledge of the Island. There are three levels of instruction, Naturalist Training 1, 2 and 3. After completing the free, two-hour, classroom-based Naturalist 1 Training, many Island enthusiasts want to further their knowledge of the natural and cultural history of Catalina with an all-day excursion into the wildlands for Naturalist 2 Training. In addition to these monthly trainings offered the last Wednesday of most months, we are pleased to now provide topic-focused excursions to learning organizations upon request.

Groups with a shared mission, such as an education or science related group, can reach out to the Conservancy's education department to schedule a private Naturalist 2 Training. Whether for team building or for further education, our goal is to make sure that we’re providing enriching experiences into Catalina’s wildlands for our learning partners.

“These private Naturalist 2 Trainings are great because I can schedule our stops to emphasize the topic the group is interested in,” said education interpretation & outreach specialist Hillary Holt. “We stay on the same loop, but for a group like California Native Plant Society we’re able to budget more time for the Ackerman Native Plant Nursery.”

Scheduled chartered groups include the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy, San Diego State Association of Women in Geosciences, and the California Native Plant Society –among others.

Naturalist 2 Training explores the geology, botany and hydrology of the Island; visits prehistoric and historic cultural sites; and offers an overview of the Conservancy’s current land and wildlife management programs. Working through a course workbook throughout the training ties together the ecological history of Catalina.

If you have an education or science-oriented group that would like to schedule a Naturalist 2 Training, contact Hillary Holt at hholt@catalinaconservancy.org today. Visit us online at CatalinaConservancy.org for more information on monthly Naturalist Trainings currently available.