From California to the Congo Basin, we use everything from advanced genomics to ancient tree rings to study the world’s complex, beautiful and dynamic ecosystems and how to protect them.
Magazine
Dr. Iroro Tanshi, recipient of the Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award, has been honored with the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in recognition of her extraordinary leadership in wildlife conservation and environmental advocacy.
Story
A new UCLA–NRDC report finds cities pay far more for water than agricultural districts, even as climate change exacerbates shortages across the Lower Colorado River Basin
Story
Hall’s research — from climate modeling to wildfire and water forecasting — is now among the most widely referenced in the world, earning him a place on the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list
Story
UCLA College’s new “Cabinet of Curiosities” podcast explores the fang-tastic North-South collaboration
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In the News
Headline
La Kretz Postdoc Ryan Buck spoke with Spectrum about his work gene sequencing California oak populations to build climate-resilient forests.
Profile
A UCLA professor is investigating why California’s oak populations are declining — and the answer might lie in their DNA.
Announcements
Our Annual Report showcases the research, programs, and events supported by the La Kretz Center and the Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Reserve in 2025. It also reflects on the legacy…
Headline
The UCLA Newsroom spoke with UCLA La Kretz Center Director Brad Shaffer about a few urban reptiles found locally and the important ecological roles they play.
Headline
La Kretz postdoc Timo Metz is first author of a new study that found animals returned to deforested land much more quickly than scientists originally thought.
Videos
UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and and UCLA’s Sustainable LA Grand Challenge recently hosted a virtual seminar addressing the historic wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in January 2025.…
Bird populations across the United States are plummeting at an alarming rate, with three billion birds lost since 1970, according to UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability professor Travis…
Centers
Take a video tour of one of University of California's true gems, a research station along a 10,000-foot elevation gradient in the eastern Sierra Nevada.
Publications