Arts and Advocacy: A New Grant and a New Course

“Transition Habitat Conservancy announces workshops and a naturalist certification course for 2025

We’ve been busy here at Transition Habitat Conservancy, and it’s great to be back writing for our Tri-Community! We’re excited to announce that we’ve received a grant from our partners at the Conservation Lands Foundation, which will allow us to offer more community-based opportunities in 2025.

The Conservation Lands Foundation (CLF) is a national nonprofit organization that protects more than 250 million acres of public lands across the U.S. Most of these public lands are located in the Western states, with the Bureau of Land Management serving as the largest land manager. If you’ve ever gone camping or driving in our local deserts, or hiked through the Angeles National Forest, you’ve visited your local public lands. While over 85% of these lands are open to resource extraction, they are also cherished for their recreational and scenic opportunities.

Thanks to the funding from CLF, we’re partnering with the local art nonprofit Drawing Together to bring free and low-cost community workshops to our area. These workshops aim to support artists, encourage creative expression, and inspire a love for nature. Information about upcoming workshops will be posted on Drawing Together’s Instagram at the end of each month. Our next workshop is a storytelling children’s event on Dec. 5 at 1:30 p.m. at the Community Arts Center and Gallery, 6045 Park Drive, Wrightwood, CA 92397. This session will be led by the talented teaching artist Vlatka Herzberg, who will demonstrate how to share stories creatively.

Starting in March 2025, THC will offer a brand-new class: “Introduction to the Mojave Desert,” a California Naturalist Certified course. The certification, offered through the UC ANR extension, is available to anyone 18 or older, with no prior experience or education required. This course is ideal for hobbyists interested in local ecology and individuals seeking outdoor-career experience. The curriculum will cover California history, water, plants, animals, and include guided field trips to locations across the Western Mojave.

The course costs $350 and runs for nine weeks, with twice-weekly evening Zoom sessions and weekend in-person field trips. Two scholarship positions will be available, covering the registration cost for eligible students. More details, including registration and scholarship application information, will be available on our website by the end of December. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants. The course will be taught by our new Director of Conservation, Sarah Berryman (myself), along with guest speakers who specialize in their fields. Participants will also hear from two artist guest speakers during field trips and can submit their final projects for display at the Community Arts Center and Gallery in collaboration with Drawing Together.

To receive reminders about events and opportunities, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our homepage: www.transitionhabitat.org.”

Courtesy of Sarah Berryman for Tri-Community News Plus