Training

See also: Central Coast Rangeland Coalition, Sustainable Human Systems

Description

Visit beautiful Swanton Pacific Ranch where ranchers Gordon Claasen and Becca Pulcrano work with Cal Poly students and staff to monitor and research planned grazing regimes to maintain biological diversity and increase grassland production, while teaching about and demonstrating sustainable rangeland management. The program will build off of rancher perspectives, rangeland monitoring, and science to help to direct 'next steps' with improving understanding of different approaches of grazing systems that improve soil health and rangeland productivity.

Goal

Improve participant understanding of alternate methods of cattle management and corollary effects on forage productivity and soil health.

Objectives

•  Participants improve their understanding of 

1. The holistic management approach at Swanton Pacific Ranch
2. How rangeland management can affect livestock productivity
3. Challenges and solutions to monitoring rangeland soil health 

• Participants enjoy hearing diverse perspectives
• Participants enjoy experiencing a new place

Meeting Format

This workshop will consist of indoor lectures and a panel discussion in the morning and an afternoon field session including three learning stations involving different aspects of rangelands. The lecture site and field sites are all located at Swanton Pacific Ranch. There will also be small group discussions interspersed throughout the day to give participants an opportunity to share their expertise and learn from the diverse experiences of other meeting participants.

Registration Information

Please note - your registration will not be final until we receive and acknowledge payment of $35. You can pay online at the link provided after you register, or you can mail a check made out to Elkhorn Slough Foundation addressed to Coastal Training Program, c/o ESF, 1700 Elkhorn Road, Watsonville, CA 95076.

Please register only yourself - no third party registration is allowed, as this frequently causes problems. Registration deadline is October 4, 2018, 5 p.m. If you cancel, we can refund payment minus $10 processing fee before that deadline, but cannot refund anything if you cancel after that date. We reserve the right to cancel this workshop before October 5, in which case we will provide full refund. If you sign up, please show up - repeated failure to provide timely notification of inability to attend can jeopardize future registration opportunities.