The Ecological Restoration Certificate trains students for a practical ecological application of appropriate techniques for a variety of ecological restoration projects. The projects may be carried out by industry or government agencies and may have specific legal requirements for implementation and proof of success. Students completing the certificate may be hired by local, county, state, or federal government; private consulting firms; or subcontractors hired by any of these agencies.
The Cooperative Work Experience course (CWE 180) is a 1 or 2 unit course (student choice) in which students select an off-campus assignment at an environmental organization or business and complete individually determined objectives. These objectives include provided hands-on experience in evaluating and analyzing specific environmental issues and preparing presentations to public and private groups. Students must complete 75 paid hours or 60 non-paid hours per unit over the course of the chosen semester. Students may earn up to 2 CWE units, which will be applied to either the AA degree in Environmental Studies or the Certificate in Ecological Restoration. Students may also be eligible to earn CWE units with relevant volunteer or paid positions they already hold. Please contact Matt Yurko (myurko@saddleback.edu) for further details.
To learn about community-based habitat restoration in Upper Newport Back Bay please click here
Employment Opportunities:
| Ecological Restoration Technician California Fish & Game CalTrans U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Non Governmental Agencies & Organizations Nature Conservancy Audubon Society |
Private Consulting Firms Wildlife Biologist Conservation Biologist County, State & Federal Parks Park Ranger Park Groundskeeper |
For more information, please contact our staff below.
Morgan Barrows   Department Chair Environmental Studies Professor mbarrows@saddleback.edu (949) 582-4624 Brittany Poloni Environmental Studies Sr. Lab Technician bpoloni1@saddelback.edu (949) 348-6169 |
Matt Yurko Ecological Restoration Instructor Environmental Studies Associate Faculty myurko@saddleback.edu |
Ecological Restoration Program
| Course ID | Title | Units |
| ECOL 201 | Ecological Restoration Techniques | 4.0 |
| ECOL 202 | Advanced Ecological Restoration Techniques | 4.0 |
| ENV 1 | Introduction to Environmental Studies | 3.0 |
| ENV 18 | Introduction to Ecology | 4.0 |
Select a minimum of 13 units from the following restricted electives:
| ENV 24 | Natural History of California | 3.0 |
| ENV 105 | Environmental Studies Internship | 2.0 |
| CWE 180* | Cooperative Work Experience | 1.0-2.0 |
| ENV 123 | Water and Soil Conservation | 3.0 |
| GEOG/GIS 110 | Introduction to Geographic Systems (GIS) | 2.0 |
| HORT 166 | Ornamental Native Plants | 1.5 |
| HORT 113 | Soils and Fertilizers | 3.0 |
| HORT 116 | Irrigation Systems | 3.0 |
| ENV 202 | Green Living | 2.0 |
For a Total of 28 Units
*Course has a prerequisite or recommended preparation; see course description in catalog
For additional information about the Ecological Restoration Certificate please contact our staff and refer to the course catalog here.
Gainful Employment Disclosure Statement
Federal regulations require higher education institutions to disclose information regarding the success of its students in certificate programs that lead to employment.
The information includes graduation rates, estimated education costs, median debt of students who completed programs, and other information designed to help students make better-informed choices about colleges and universities they select.