CNPS Botanist Certification
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Upcoming Exams
August 9, 2024 in Davis, CA (Registration is Full)
About
Professional certification for field and consulting botanists is good for the profession and good for the environment. Certification helps ensure that the most qualified people conduct California’s environmental reviews and that our decision-makers have the information they need to make sound land-use decisions. That’s why CNPS and other leading botanical organizations have partnered to create a consulting botanist certification to formally recognize botanists that:
- Incorporate scientifically sound botanical principles in decision-making
- Meet a minimum set of standards in knowledge and experience
- Adhere to high ethical standards
Three levels of certification: Associate Field Botanist, Field Botanist, Consulting Botanist
Those botanists that have become certified have each passed rigorous examinations to determine their knowledge and experience. A total of four examinations have been developed to measure a botanist’s knowledge. Many of the test questions are based on years of experience, not from a course lecture. Two of the exams measure the botanist’s knowledge and skill at identifying the California flora. The remaining two exams measure the botanist’s knowledge of terminology, taxonomy, floristics, statistics, field measurement and survey methods, vegetation ecology, environmental regulations and processes, and everything else that field and/or consulting botanist working in California needs to know. The Certified Botanist has passed each exam with at least a score of 75%, as well as signing their name to a Botanist’s Code of Ethics that requires the Certified Botanist to hold and follow high professional standards in conduct.
Certified Associate Field Botanist
Associate Field Botanist certification demonstrates the botanist’s basic knowledge of the California flora and the ability to use dichotomous identification keys to determine a plant’s identity. The Associate Field Botanist also has a basic understanding of botanical terminology and field survey methods. They can be considered an apprentice to become a Certified Field Botanist. An Associate Field Botanist certification is awarded to those who have received a score between 60% and 74% on each exam.
Certified Field Botanist
The Field Botanist is competent in identifying native and naturalized plants found in California, and is able to use appropriate field survey methods and protocols that satisfy documentation and assessment requirements. They can identify the dominant and characteristic plants that compose the California flora and know how to identify those native and naturalized species that they may not be able to identify on sight. They have a good grasp of botanical terminology and know how to conduct field surveys and map plant occurrences and populations that are necessary for laboratory analyses and/or impact assessments. They can also monitor plant populations during and after construction, and perform monitoring of mitigation implementation (during and afterwards). The Certified Field Botanist knows how to characterize the botanical resources of a site and record their findings.
Certified Consulting Botanist
The Certified Consulting Botanist has satisfied all requirements of a Field Botanist, as well as demonstrated competence in document preparation, such as: describing baseline conditions of a study/project area, critically analyzing project-related impacts to botanical resources, developing feasible mitigation measures to avoid or compensate for identified impacts, and demonstrating a clear understanding of environmental laws and regulations pertaining to plants. They know how to research environmental policies and regulations that apply to a variety of projects and how to document the existing conditions of a project site or study area. The Certified Consulting Botanist knows how to assess project-related impacts to the botanical resources of the site and whether those impacts are considered signification pursuant to environmental regulations, whether they be federal, state, or local. They also can develop feasible mitigation measures to reduce any significant impacts to less-than-significant levels, and are adept at assisting clients through the environmental permitting process, at least as far as the botanical resources are concerned.
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Contact Us
For more information or for issues with your profile, contact us at botcert@cnps.org
Do you or a group want to become certified? Email us at botcert@cnps.org to let us know you are interested and your location.