CDFW Conservation Lecture Series Archive

Panelists: Ann-Marie Benz of the California Native Plant Society; Constance Taylor, a conservation specialist of the California Invasive Plant Council; and Lila Higgins of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Date/Time: December 12, 2025, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Description: This lecture will highlight practical actions anyone can take, such as planting native species, removing invasive plants and joining community science projects and other activities in your local community. Presenters will provide a toolbox of resources and organizations that will help participants save biodiversity wherever they live. Whether you’re a gardener, educator, hunter, angler, outdoor enthusiast or someone who simply cares about California’s natural heritage, this session will inspire you to take everyday steps that make a lasting impact for wildlife and wild places.

Learn about California’s extraordinary biodiversity. With the highest number of species found in any state (including over 30% of all plant and vertebrate species found in the U.S), California is one of 36 global biodiversity hotspots. Tragically, the state’s biodiversity is also threatened by human encroachment, climate change, invasive species, and pollution. In this lecture, we discuss California’s imperiled biodiversity and what is being done to help conserve it. Topics include the Atlas of the Biodiversity of California, a book published by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that includes a collection of maps, stunning photographs, and artistic illustrations — all depicting the state's rich diversity of plant and animal species. We also discuss the state’s 30x30 initiative to conserve 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. The 30x30 initiative will help meet three overarching objectives: conserve and restore the state’s biodiversity, expand access to nature, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change.

This lecture is focused on ways in which people are working together to understand, safeguard, and create equitable opportunities to access and enjoy California’s urban biodiversity and green spaces. Join us to hear from three experts from across California sharing about their local urban biodiversity (including bats!) and the actions they are taking to connect communities to the biodiversity and green spaces around them, improving the health and wellness for both people and nature.

Lecture links coming soon!

In honor of Pollinator Week, we will be celebrating California’s pollinators. While honey bees are an important managed pollinator for California’s agriculture there are thousands of other species of pollinators in our state. This presentation will be an exploration into the vast diversity of California pollinators, from bees to flies to birds and even bats! This lecture will also highlight key pollinator projects being implemented by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. 

VIDEO link will be provided soon

The CALeDNA program amasses tens of thousands of environmental collections that are used in grassroots research projects to explore biodiversity composition and change across the whole tree of life. The techniques CALeDNA uses that have become quite standard -- eDNA metabarcoding and qPCR -- can also illuminate what underpins these patterns of composition and change. By integrating CALeDNA data from different projects and with other observations from iNaturalist to satellites, we are developing exciting insights to advance ecological knowledge and enable nature-based solutions. In this presentation, I'll share eDNA-based findings on how habitats reassemble after disturbances like aquatic invasive species or wildfire, how eDNA biodiversity surveys are assisting practitioners in natural areas management and innovation. Because of its utility, eDNA science needs to be shared in new ways that are more accessible than publications. I will also present new tools for sharing eDNA results so we can help each other biomonitor and gain insights in real-time. 

VIDEO link will be provided soon