Teaching & Training

The Stone Center at UC Berkeley teaches, trains and learns from students, faculty, and colleagues across campus and beyond to cultivate current and future generations of conservation leaders.

We are housed in the Rausser College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley. Rausser College has been an academic leader in the natural and social sciences for over 50 years. Critical to the Stone Center’s success is the ability to convene, teach, and learn from students and faculty in this world-class program. The college is ranked 3rd for environmental science graduate programs and 6th for undergraduate programs nationwide.

Image of 2025 Rausser College students and faculty

Academic Courses

Currently, we offer two courses in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management:

Conservation at the Crossroads - A seminar exploring the quickly evolving landscape of US conservation policy, with a focus on identifying more durable and effective approaches for the future.
American Keystones and their Stories - Co-instructed with faculty from the Graduate School of Journalism, this course investigates the evolving concept of "keystone species" (animals and plants that have played an outsized role in US history, ecology, and cultures), as well as storytelling approaches through ecological, cultural and economic lenses.

Image of a reseacher standing next to a livestock fence in Wyoming

Student Mentorship

We help train students outside of the classroom so that they can gain real-world experience in conservation. We do this through our Living Labs and we offer annual scholarships to graduate students (check back here for more scholarship info in January 2026).

Jill Tiefenthaler and UC Berkeley Dean David Ackerly sitting onstage at the National Geographic Society lecture

Workshops & Events

We provide the campus community with opportunities to learn from experts in the field through workshops, speaker series, and more. Recent events include a public lecture from Jill Tiefenthaler, Chief Executive Officer of the National Geographic Society, and a seminar with former United States Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Robert Bonnie.

NOTE: Rausser College of Natural Resources is currently recovering from an incident that has affected various College and department websites. Thank you for your patience while we work to restore normal service. This temporary site offers some resources and contact information.

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