Neighborhood Naturalists
Registration for Summer 2025 Neighborhood Naturalists is now open!
Cultivating local naturalists
New to the area or curious about the natural world in your own backyard? This free, educational course for adults will introduce participants to the natural history of the Santa Clara Valley, with a focus on the geology, geography, flora, and fauna of the area around the program location.
Sessions will include nature journaling, brief presentations, exploratory activities, and group discussions.
Summer 2025
Thursdays, July 10, 17, and 24, Vietnamese American Service Center
Optional Field Day August 2, Ed R. Levin County Park
Register for Neighborhood Naturalists
Questions? Email [email protected]
More about the course
“What did the Santa Clara Valley look like 500 years ago?”
“What species might I find in my neighborhood that my friends around the globe might also see?”
“How do I get started in nature journaling?”
Neighborhood Naturalists explores these questions (and many more) and introduces participants to natural history with an emphasis on local geology, native plants, and common wildlife. Offered each season, this free-of-cost program features expert guest speakers and weekly “homework” activities that include neighborhood walks, stargazing, and nature journaling. Park interpreters facilitate the sessions and cultivate a community of homegrown naturalists.
Participants receive a certificate for completing the course, and a custom pin for completing a service project that benefits their family, neighborhood, local plants, or wildlife.
Past student projects
Homemade birdhouse
One participant wanted to show her family how birds build a home and how they care for their families. She hopes it will stoke her children’s interest in nature, and that it provided a sanctuary for birds that escaped local wildfires.
150 days of shelter - Lessons in life, ecology, and photography
When shelter-in-place started in 2020, Michael Hawk realized that he and many others wouldn't get outside as much, and he felt concerned that people might begin to lose touch with nature. He started a "backyard wildlife" group on Facebook and expanded his own personal goal to find 365 species in his yard within 365 days.
Green Zine
Participants Rebekah Bloyd and Mindy Saum created a 'zine that showcases flora and fauna of their Shasta-Hanchett neighborhood (San Jose). It aims to help readers discover their neighbors—beyond the human ones.
Beginning a native garden
Rose Erdstein planted native plants with her 6- and 8-year-old granddaughters. In the process, she learned that her granddaughters are capable and dependable, and that “you’re never too old to learn something new.”
This course was bountiful! In our fraught times, this focus on our beautiful planet was especially welcome.
It was not only interesting in the moment, but it inspired me to get native plants when we redo our backyard, to explore flora and fauna, and the land. I downloaded some suggested nature apps and am excited to use them.
I am very happy this program exists. I think it is very important, helpful and fun.