December, 2024

Overall

• Sean was interviewed on Nature Insights, a podcast hosted by IPBES, the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service. IPBES, which is the biodiversity analogue of the well known IPCC, produces gold-standard, globally recognized summaries of the state of biodiversity especially at the intersection of nature and people. Sean was interviewed by science communicator (and former Hoban lab team member), Dr. Brit Garner. Also featured on the podcast is a colleague of Sean’s, Dr. Laura Bertola. The conversation covered: what is genetic diversity, how can we measure it, managing ex situ collections like botanic gardens, science-policy interface, and more. The 30 minute episode is here.
• Ash Hamilton and Dana Barry, two members of the Tree Conservation Biology team, recently returned from a month of fieldwork for the Endangered tree Quercus brandegeei, the arroyo oak. This tree is endemic to the southern portion of Baja Sur, Mexico. It is highly valuable for the local ecology, economy, and culture of the region. After weeks of planning and preparation from several members of the TCB and GTCP, Ash and Dana visited the sites where hundreds of seedlings had been planted over the past few years, through the efforts of local collaborators and the GTCP, in order to record seedling health and survival. They also spoke with local people about their interest in the tree and what motivated them to plant and care for it. They also collected acorns for next year’s planting, and for studying the genetic diversity of the seedlings, which will inform the collaboration’s future plans for collecting and restoration. Lastly, they participated in the third annual festival of the oaks, which engaged children and adults in games, arts, food, and storytelling, to celebrate this beautiful and iconic tree

​