In 2025, the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science hosted its 14th Annual Public Lecture, marking fourteen years of connecting the public with the scientific research that shapes how we conserve wildlife and critical habitats. This year’s theme, “Biotechnology for Conservation Success” highlighted the emerging field of de-extinction and the science involved in reviving species that have disappeared. The La Kretz Center welcomed Ben Novak, Lead Scientist at Revive & Restore, as our 2025 speaker, as well as UCLA professor and panel discussant Monica Medina. The event was lively and interactive, featuring an engaging Q&A session and the rare opportunity for participants to see a specimen from the UCLA Dickey Museum of Passenger Pigeon, an iconic bird that was hunted to extinction in the early 1900s.
In his presentation, Novak described how biotechnology offers new, sometimes controversal strategies to address the unprecedented biodiversity crisis driven by disease, climate change, and invasive species. As he explained, conventional conservation tools are struggling to keep pace with these accelerating threats, creating an opening for biotechnology to augment existing approaches and potentially achieve new conservation successes. He highlighted Revive & Restore’s progress toward developing proxy species resembling the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) as well as their proven success using cloning techniques to boost genetic diversity in endangered species such as the Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes). Novak’s clear explanation of the complex biotechnological processes involved in this work helped demystify a topic that remains both innovative and controversial within the conservation community.
Below is a link to Ben Novak’s full presentation:
True to the spirit of the Public Lecture series, the evening emphasized dialogue between scientists and the public. The Q&A session was moderated by Brad Shaffer and featured a panel that included Novak and Monica Medina, a new member of the UCLA conservation genomics faculty. Audience members engaged directly with the panelists, gaining insights from researchers with diverse perspectives on today’s conservation challenges.
Following the discussion, the La Kretz Center introduced a group of UCLA researchers, including undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars—whose work has been supported by the Center, including Ryan Buck, Jill Carpenter, Devon DeRaad, Janine Fischer, Lily Rivas, Erica Ro, Anna Ongjoco, and Likhitha Yettela. After brief introductions, each of these aspiring young scholars talked with members of the public,inviting attendees to explore their work with the help of interactive displays and live specimens while enjoying refreshments and making new connections across the conservation community.
The 14th Annual Public Lecture brought together nature enthusiasts, scientists, and supporters for an afternoon dedicated to advancing conservation science. The La Kretz Center extends its sincere gratitude to the donors, speakers, and UCLA researchers whose contributions made the event a success, and looks forward to continuing its mission of fostering innovation and public engagement in conservation research.
