UCLA high school volunteer wins state science fair
He runs cross country. He’s on the speech and debate team. He struggles with Spanish class at times. His favorite band is The Killers. He’s also doing scientific research to…
La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science
News
Award winning La Kretz postdocs
At the 2017 annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, La Kretz Postdoc Alex Pivovaroff was the co-recipient of the Plant, Cell & Environment Award for the best oral…
Ten UCLA student conservation projects funded through the La Kretz Center/Stunt Ranch Reserve Small Grant Program
The UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science and the UC Natural Reserve System Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve are pleased to announce this year’s grant recipients for…
Clothing Color May Affect Local Animal Behavior
It has long been established that even the most innocuous of human activities can impact animal behavior. From birds mimicking phone ringtones to grins triggering aggressive responses from primates, people…
A tale of two cities in a hotter world: Los Angeles and Beijing
Brad Shaffer, La Kretz Center Director, discusses how climate change will affect biodiversity in two of the greatest cities in the world, Los Angeles and Beijing.
The search for the Southern rubber boa
High in the San Jacinto Mountains about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, a secret slithers. Uncovering it takes watchful eyes, long nights and perseverance. But for UCLA’s Jesse Grismer, the…
The search for the Southern rubber boa
UCLA researchers use genetics to find out whether the elusive snake is an endangered species
La Kretz Center breaks ground for new building at Field Station
Say goodbye to our old (and definitely on its last legs) garage. On September 29, the La Kretz Center broke ground for a new accessory structure at its Field Station…
Experts discuss 100 years of change, look toward future of National Parks
Malibuites were treated to an engaging presentation April 23 during Pepperdine: Our National Parks at 100: Confronting Change and Committing to Science, presented by UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science in collaboration with Pepperdine University.
Study by La Kretz postdoc finds that anthropogenic nitrogen deposition may contribute to nonnative plant invasion
A paper published by La Kretz postdoc Justin Valliere after a 5-year study found that nitrogen deposition may increase native shrub loss and subsequent plant invasion during extreme droughts in…
Smithsonian magazine: Surprising reason the turtle learned to hide its head
“Given that there are only two neck vertebrae, they’re doing an awful lot of reconstructing,” said Brad Shaffer, an evolutionary biologist at UCLA not involved in the new study. However, he…
Study designed in La Kretz Center workshop included in Conservation Biology’s top papers list
UCLA research on the role of behavioral ecology in improving wildlife conservation and management was cited as one of the most popular papers in a top science journal. “A systematic survey of…