Training

See also: California Tiger Salamander, Habitat Restoration

Workshop description

Pete Trenham, Ph.D. and Chris Searcy, PhD will present this workshop on the biology and conservation of the California tiger salamander (CTS). Dr. Trenham has published a variety of papers on the ecology and life history of the California tiger salamander and has taught this popular workshop on several occasions. Dr. Searcy has authored nine published papers on California tiger salamanders and recently began a new study on “Terrestrial habitat use by endangered Santa Barbara tiger salamanders” funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The classroom portion of this workshop includes digital presentations by both presenters on the identification, life history, movements, conservation, and management of the California tiger salamander. Presentations will be interspersed with discussion and small group exercises.

The field portion of the workshop will include hands-on training on habitat assessment and survey techniques as well as in situ discussion about habitat management. Although the class normally encounters CTS and participants are able to handle the species, we cannot guarantee handling or pond sampling experience due to the stochastic nature of planet Earth’s biota as well as potential for failure of human systems beyond our control. Participants will need their own field equipment including dip net and waders (preferably chest waders with no holes) to practice sampling methodology.

Workshop objectives

Increase participant understanding of:

• the biology of California tiger salamanders;
• habitat management for this species, and;
• how to apply information in large-scale and local conservation planning efforts. 

Improve these participant skills:

• species identification;
• aquatic habitat sampling techniques, and;
• upland and aquatic replique montre site assessment.

Topics addressed

• Geographic distribution of California tiger salamanders and hybrid populations;
• aquatic habitats and their management;
• individual organism movement patterns; replica golden goose
• population and community ecology;
• survey methods, and;
• methods for assessing potential project impacts and approaches for avoidance and minimization.

Field training practicum

Participants will receive skills-based training in species identification, sampling techniques, and habitat requirements of the California tiger salamander.  Pete and Chris will lead participants through a hands-on skill building exercises for conserving the species.

***Important information***

It is important to note that no component of this workshop should be construed to apply to attendees’ ability to obtain permits related to the CTS; if you are interested in how workshop activities might be used for permitting, you are encouraged to contact your agency permitting representative.

After you register, please email Grey Hayes (grey@elkhornslough.org) if you want to attend the field training practicum. Due to agency permitting issues, we must limit the student:teacher ratio during the field training session, and so we keep the number in the water at any one time to 12 participants; we can rotate through groups if necessary. 

Registration details

We do not allow third party registration- register only yourself!  Registration is email sensitive; registering others frequently results in cancellation, missed communication, and other issues.

Please let us know as soon as you know if you have registered and cannot attend as there is usually an extensive waiting list for our trainings and we use substantial funds to subsidize workshop expenses, helping to make them more affordable.

Elkhorn Slough is subsidizing the cost of this workshop to make the event free to Department employees only.  If you sign up, please show up.  Otherwise, you will be taking the space of another Department employee, wasting funding, materials, etc.  Those who do not show up or notify us well in advance of their absence may not be offered priority enrollment at future such events.    

Due to cost constraints, we will not be serving refreshments or lunch for this event:  please bring your own lunch, coffee, water, etc.