Presented by the Climate Science Alliance Tribal Working Group, the Stewardship Pathways Program invites Indigenous peoples from across Southern California who are interested in building or expanding a career focused on native plant restoration to join our 2022 Native Plant Restoration program cohort! Spots are limited — check out today’s blog for additional details and information on how to reserve your spot.
Presented by the Climate Science Alliance Tribal Working Group, the Stewardship Pathways Program invites Indigenous peoples from across Southern California who are interested in building or expanding a career focused on native plant restoration to join our 2022 Native Plant Restoration training cohort! Explore projected learning outcomes, program cost and duration, and more below.
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What will I learn, and what skills will I gain?
This tuition-free course is unique in its design, and will weave both traditional knowledge and regional climate science into foundational plant propagation topics. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, Southern California ecosystems, plant propagation techniques, soil health, plant nursery operations, and business development.
Upon completion of the course, participants can expect to
Have a foundational understanding of local ecosystems, Indigenous perspectives on the local landscape, and current and future impacts of climate change on those ecosystems.
Learn practical skills necessary to propagate native plants, such as seed collection and preservation, greenhouse propagation techniques, and soil maintenance.
Understand what the technical considerations are for a successful nursery operation, and obtain tools to that end.
Receive information and resources about business development to start a nursery.
Become part of a cohort of trainees with similar interests that will receive lasting support from the Climate Science Alliance beyond the training component.
Build a network of contacts that can be called upon for mentorship, advice, and support into the future. These include technical trainers, traditional knowledge holders, climate scientists, to name a few.
Who can apply to participate?
We hope to accommodate all who are interested, but please know that space is limited.
We welcome applications from anyone associated with a Southern California Tribe or Indigenous community, regardless of level of experience. Applicants under the age of 18 will be required to attend alongside a chaperone and with explicit parent or guardian permission.
How much does it cost?
The training course is tuition free, meaning participants who commit to attending will not have to pay for any of the training sessions. Lunch will be provided for each training session to all participants. For those who need it, lodging will also be provided during training weekends (see next section for details).
To offset travel, missed wages, and other costs incurred during the training weekends, additional support in the form of a $200 gift card per weekend will also be provided to each participant.
We are committed to lowering barriers to participation for anyone who is interested in being part of the Stewardship Pathways program. As such, we will work with individuals that need additional support.
What is the commitment?
The Stewardship Pathways Native Plant Restoration program consists of 12 full-day training sessions that include both classroom and hands-on practicals. Sessions will be taught in sets of two at a time over a weekend (Saturday-Sunday). There will be one weekend session per month. This means that the course will take place over six months, with a single weekend commitment each month.
Specific dates are not yet available, but applicants should expect the course to start in early 2022.
As each session builds on the previous ones, applicants are expected to commit to attending all training sessions, unless otherwise discussed with the organizers. We strongly believe that full attendance is an essential part of creating a strong cohort relationship.
Applicants must be available to travel to training locations, which will be different each weekend and spread out across the Southern California region.
Specific training locations are not yet available, but applicants should expect to stay overnight at certain locations depending on how far they are from their own homes.
I'm interested! How can I sign up and reserve a spot?
Please complete this form before November 22, 2021 so that we can reserve your spot. The sooner you sign up, the better, as spots are limited. We are accepting all applications until we reach capacity.
I'm interested, but have some questions. Who can I contact?
Please contact either of the Climate Science Alliance staff listed below, and we will be glad to chat more and answer any questions you may have about the program.
Connor Magee
cmagee@climatesciencealliance.org
(760) 534-2722
Paula Ezcurra
Resilient Restoration is supported by California Strategic Growth Council’s Climate Change Research Program with funds from California Climate Investments—Cap-and-Trade Dollars at Work.