Workshops for Biologists
Expert-led Workshops Focused on Amphibian Ecology and Habitat Conservation

For nearly two decades, the Laguna Foundation has partnered with herpetologists Dave Cook and Jeff Alvarez to offer hands-on, science-based training for professional biologists, resource managers, and students.

Our past workshops have included the Rare Pond Species Survey Techniques Workshop, the California Tiger Salamander Terrestrial Ecology Workshop, the Amphibians of the San Francisco Bay Area Workshop, and the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog Ecology & Conservation Workshop. Each year, these popular programs draw participants from across the West Coast to explore the ecology, conservation, and field techniques used to monitor and protect our region’s rare pond species.

California tiger salamander, Photo by Dave Cook	California Tiger Salamander Terrestrial Ecology Workshop Friday, March 6, 2026 Location: Laguna Environmental Center, plus local field trips $375. Registration required. This workshop provides practical training for professional biologists, resource managers, and students on the ecology, land use management, and regulations of the California tiger salamander (CTS). The morning lecture covers CTS biology, upland habitat use, migration patterns, roadway tunnel and pitfall trap design, approved survey protocols, and land management practices. In the afternoon, participants gain hands-on experience: constructing a pitfall trap and fence array and visiting three CTS tunnel systems along roadways.
	Rare Pond Species Survey Techniques Workshop Saturday and Sunday, March 7 and 8, 2026 Location: Laguna Environmental Center, plus local field trips by vanpool $525. Registration Required. This workshop provides practical training in aquatic survey techniques for the California tiger salamander, California red-legged frog, and Western pond turtle. These three rare and protected species often share pond habitats. The lecture covers their biology and ecology, life stage identification, state and federal regulations, and approved survey protocols. Afternoon and evening field sessions provide hands-on training, including dip net sampling for CTS larvae, evening spotlighting for frogs, and turtle visual encounter surveys and trapping.

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For more information, contact Maggie Hart, Outreach Manager
by email or calling (707) 527-9277 x 100

To join our Technical Workshop Advance Notification email list, please email: workshops@lagunafoundation.org

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