Planet Innovation Podcast
Planet Innovation is a podcast about business solutions to solve environmental problems. We bring uplifting conversations with scientists and entrepreneurs who are creating innovative solutions for the planet. This is…
Projects
Pollinator interaction at shared floral resources at Stunt Ranch Reserve
In collaboration with the UC Riverside Macrosystems project, Dr. Jenny Hazlehurst is studying how different pollinator species, especially hummingbirds and bees, interact at shared floral resources. She uses DNA metabarcoding…
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…
Stunt Ranch Reserve researchers study song sparrow adaptation to climate change
Maybellene Gamboa (Colorado State University) works on evolution and adaptation in Channel Island and mainland song sparrows in response to climate change to inform conservation management. She employs field and…
Sustainable Ebony Project
The goal of the program is to enhance ebony stocks through community engagement while collecting crucial data to refine techniques for production and management.
Toward a conservation physiology of Californian flora: assessing drought vulnerability across species and ecosystems
Awardee: Camila Medeiros, PhD Student. Camila's project aims to quantify the vulnerability of woody plant species to drought in key ecosystem types of California and model species’ relative sensitivities to drought under future climate change scenarios.
Urban ecology meets citizen science: monitoring reptile diversity and measuring landscape genetic connectivity in the Los Angeles area
Awardee: Erin Toffelmier, PhD Student. Erin is studying how some types of reptiles are able to live in urban environments while some are not and how we can help protect species that are negatively impacted by humans.
Using native plant gardens to preserve pollinator diversity in L.A.
Team: David Cook, Tien Ha, Melissa Ikeda, Kayla Smith, Arianna Wolff Advisor: Peter Kareiva Client: Theodore Payne Foundation
Using Pond Hydroperiod to Attenuate the Spread of Invasive Tiger Salamander Alleles
Awardee: Robert Cooper, PhD Student. Robert's research is focused on the recent hybridization between the threatened California tiger salamander and the non-native barred tiger salamander.
Biodiversity Restoration: Giving Sage Hill a Physical, Educational, and Digital Presence
Sage Hill, a biodiversity hotspot home to many California native plants, has huge potential to serve as an educational and recreational spot for the UCLA community, as well as a…
Citizen Scientist’s Message in a Bottle: Rapid eDNA assessments of marine biodiversity to evaluate the effectiveness of Los Angeles’ marine protected areas
Awardee: Zack Gold, graduate student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Zack is conducting a citizen science environmental DNA project to compare marine biodiversity inside and outside of coastal MPAs in Los Angeles County to understand how well fishing restrictions protect marine ecosystems.
Deploying Arable ‘PulsePod’ Sensors to Continuously and Remotely Monitor Plant Stress
Awardee: Alexandria Pivovaroff, Ph.D. Alexandria's research will remotely monitor plant stress using newly developed sensors to understand both short- and long-term responses.