Effects of Urbanization and Feral Cats on the Psychobiology of LA’s Most Abundant Lizard
Awardee: Colleen De Allaume, a third year Undergraduate Student in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department
Investigating Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis prevalence in a fragile vernal pool ecosystem
Awardee: Erica Ro, an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Conservation Biology, is broadly interested in urban ecology and conservation science.
The Endangered Species Act at 50
At the 13th annual Public Lecture hosted by the La Kretz Center, Drs. Cat Darst, Scott Morrison, and Brad Shaffer marked the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Endangered Species Act…
30 x 30: Conservation Science & Policy in Action
It was an honor to have guest lecturer Dr. Jennifer Norris at the 2023 UCLA La Kretz Center Public Lecture to speak about her work leading California’s 30×30 Initiative and…
Optimizing landscape connectivity to conserve endangered species threatened by disease
This project aims to determine optimal strategies for conserving endangered Yosemite Toads (Anaxyrus canorus). Populations of Yosemite toads (Anaxyrus canorus), endemic to the Sierra Nevada range in California, plummeted in…
From sea to summit: conservation genomics of threatened and alpine California butterflies
La Kretz postdoctoral researcher Dr. Zachary MacDonald is using a combination of whole-genome sequence data and forward-in-time landscape and environmental modelling to predict how changes to habitat suitability, habitat connectivity,…
UCLA La Kretz 2021 Annual Lecture
This event celebrates ten years of conservation research, featuring 3 minute lightening talks by each of our 13 past, current, and future La Kretz postdoctoral fellows. The presentations are followed…
California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP)
The CCGP is funded by the State of California, led by the UCLA/La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, and includes contributing scientists from all 10 UC campuses.
Western Pond Turtle at-risk species assessment
The western pond turtle is California’s only native freshwater turtle. The turtle’s numbers have been declining due to urbanization, limited water availability, and competition or predation from invasive species —…
Ecological and environmental impacts of the Woolsey fire
On November 8th, 2018 the Woolsey fire swept across the Santa Monica Mountains. It claimed 96,949 acres of undeveloped land in the mountains, making it the most extensive fire ever…
Biodiversity of native species in Los Angeles
La Kretz Postdoc Dr. Joscha Beninde is conducting a comparative landscape genomics study to understand how species survive and thrive in urban environments.
Science to safeguard species
UC Natural Reserve System research has laid the foundation for conserving species across the state. A prime example: UCLA professor Brad Shaffer’s work on California tiger salamanders was instrumental in…
