Increasing the Beneficial use of Organic Waste in California
Background California’s dairy industry has a long and rich history. It stands today as the largest dairy state with some of the most unique laws and regulations in the country.…
Projects
Influence of Previous Exposure on Seed Preference in the endangered Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus)
Awardee: Brigit Harvey. Brigit is testing whether the critically endangered Pacific pocket mouse can be trained to consume the seeds of invasive species found across the San Diego County landscape to increase their foraging options in the wild.
Landscape genomic analyses of four endangered California reptile and amphibian species
The La Kretz Center is partnering with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to generate genomic data to inform species listing decisions under the US Endangered Species Act.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) is the largest natural history museum west of the Rocky Mountains, and serves a critical role in research and outreach for…
Natural Justice
Osceola Ward, class of 2017 Project summary: For his leadership project, Osceola is volunteering with the outdoor education organization Outward Bound Adventures to design and implement an African-American history curriculum…
Our National Parks at 100: Confronting Change & Committing to Science
Dr. Ray Sauvajot Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Director
Planning and Feasibility Analysis for a Field Station at Tejon Ranch
Students: Thomas Arndt, Benjamin Dryer, Alison Guse, Carolyn Rondina, Linh Trinh Advisor: Brad Shaffer Client: Tejon Ranch Conservancy
Quantifying Watershed Health for the Los Angeles River
Background: The Los Angeles River Watershed is an ecologically and economically vital expanse covering over 800 square miles of Southern California that is home to approximately nine million people. The…
Reducing Rodenticide Use on UCLA Campus through the Use of Alternative Sustainable Methods
Our goals are to reduce the usage of rodenticide on campus which can have deleterious effects on the local ecosystems. To do this we have piloted a pest-proof trash collector…
Research
Our fellows work in research teams to advance skills and solve environmental problems through hands-on experience.
Toward a conservation physiology of Californian flora: assessing drought vulnerability across species and ecosystems
Awardee: Camila Medeiros. 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 chance scenarios.
U.S. National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) manages the most pristine, biologically intact parklands in the country, making it one of the La Kretz Center’s key partners. Surrounded by Los Angeles and…