Early Care & Education Gardening
We are the Early Care & Education Gardening team for the 2023-2024 school year. Our team is focused on developing a safe, accessible, and sustainable garden at the UCLA Krieger…
Projects
Effects of artificial lighting at night on bats in Los Angeles County
Awardee: Lily Rivas, undergraduate student at UCLA under the IoES program pursuing an Environmental Science B.S. and a minor in Conservation Biology.
Effects of interspecific competition on Stephens’ kangaroo rat habitat selection
Awardee: Janine Fischer, Ph.D. candidate co-advised by Dr. Grether and Dr. Shier at UCLA, who is interested in how aggressive interference between species influences their coexistence and habitat use.
Exploring schoolyard greening in the Los Angeles Unified School District
Schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) are frequently characterized by a high percentage of concrete and asphalt, with little greenspace or tree cover. The lack of green…
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.
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…
Plastic Policy Investigation
We are the Plastic Policy Investigation team for the 2023-2024 school year. Our team is conducting a study that seeks to assess the existing levels of adherence to the UCLA…
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…