Hydraulic function and carbon metabolism of three southern California oak species
Awardee: Anna Ongjoco, Ph.D student co-advised by Dr. Elsa Ordway at UCLA and Dr. Leander Anderegg at UCSB.
Projects
Informing the future of the Santa Monica Airport
The City of Santa Monica Airport is uniquely situated in the midst of dense residential neighborhoods of Santa Monica and neighboring west Los Angeles. The airport opened in 1917 as…
Integrating Environmental DNA and Epigenetics as a Novel Approach for Age Classification of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a Model Organism.
Awardee: Madeleine Pacheco, first year PhD student in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department under the supervision of Dr. Paul Barber at UCLA.
Investigating blue carbon alternatives as possible offsets at the Aquarium of the Pacific
As one of the largest aquariums in the United States, the Aquarium of the Pacific wants to raise industry sustainability standards by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Since decarbonization…
Is Prey Availability a Factor in the Decline of a Bat Species in Southern California that is Synanthropic in the Rest of its Range?
Awardee: Jill Carpenter, Ph.D. candidate interested in the roosting and foraging ecology of bats, especially with regard to how various species navigate and utilize the human-altered landscapes of Southern California as well as what traits allow some species to persist while others decline.
Mapping the Ecological Legacy of Slavery and Plantations on St. Croix, USVI
Our team is collaborating with the Critical Ecology Lab to assess the impact of Danish colonial plantations on physical, chemical, and biotic aspects of St. Croix’s current ecology. St. Croix…
Prioritizing species reintroduction candidates for the California Islands
The California Islands are an archipelago located off of the coast of California and Baja California within the California Floristic Province (CFP). The islands, are a biodiversity hot-spot and home…
Restoring degraded forest landscapes in Mbalmayo, Cameroon
Forest landscapes in Cameroon provide critical environmental services at a local, regional, and global scale. But forest ecosystems in Mbalmayo, Cameroon are under immense strain from rapid urbanization and environmental…
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…
Using Vertical Gradients Of Urban Stressors to Characterize 3D Activity Of Mobile Urban Species
La Kretz postdoctoral researcher Dr. Joseph Curti is interested in the impacts that anthropogenic stressors have on urban bat species. Urbanization is a major force shaping modern distributions of native…
UCLA College Corps at Sage Hill
Since the fall of 2023, Sage Hill has had the privilege of hosting student-fellows from the UCLA College Corps Program. College Corps fellows have been a major force in restoring…
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…