This project will focus on three main areas: community ecology, seed banking dynamics, and the conservation horticulture of select endangered southeastern species, with a particular emphasis on Torreya taxifolia. A primary objective of this study is to develop a seed sterilization protocol aimed at eliminating the Fusarium pathogen directly within the embryo of T. taxifolia. Through somatic embryogenesis, this approach will support the cultivation of a Fusarium-free or resilient line of this critically endangered species.
Additional learning opportunities will include the planning and execution of population and demographic surveys for rare plants, hands-on experience in mapping rare plant populations with advanced GPS technology and managing data on rare plant collections. Additional experimental components will involve developing protocols for germination, propagation, seed processing, and trials on germination and desiccation tolerance. Mentees will engage in comprehensive project planning, experimental design, fieldwork, lab processing of field samples, data analysis, and reporting, offering a complete immersion into the practical and scientific aspects of plant conservation.

California Botanic Garden: Claremont, CA

Mentor: Dr. Naomi Fraga is the Director of Conservation Programs at California Botanic Garden (CalBG) and a Research Assistant Professor at Claremont Graduate University.

Mentor: Dr. Carrie Kiel is a Conservation Geneticist at CalBG and a Research Assistant Professor at Claremont Graduate University.

Mentor: Dr. Travis Columbus is a Research Scientist at California Botanic Garden and Professor of Botany at Claremont Graduate University.

Description: At the California Botanic Garden (CalBG) we investigate the diversification of plants from a number of different angles including phylogenetics, population genetics, biogeography, floristics, rare plant demography, and morphological studies. Our work has a special focus on a number of flowering plant lineages that are especially rich in western North America including Eriogonum (Polygonaceae), monkeyflowers (Phrymaceae), Astragalus (Fabaceae), Agave (Asparagaceae) and Cactaceae. Examples of projects a mentee could work on at CalBG include: 1) Conduct a population genetic study of Astragalus lentiginosus var. sesquimetralis (Sodaville milkvetch) in CA and NV. 2) Examine the genetic diversity found within seed collections of federally listed Astragalus magdalenae var. peirsonii (Peirson's milkvetch) in the Algodones Dunes. 3) Compare the genetic diversity of a restored population of Nitrophila mohavensis (Amargosa niterwort) with wild populations across its range. 4). Use genetic and morphological data to examine evolutionary relationships for narrowly endemic taxa in the genus Eriogonum (e.g. Eriogonum tiehmii and E. microtheca var. lacus-ursi)

The Morton Arboretum: Lisle, IL

Mentors: Dr. Silvia Alvarez-Clare is the Director of Global Tree Conservation at The Morton Arboretum. Kate Good, Global Tree Conservation Research Manager and species prioritization officer.

Description: The Global Tree Conservation Program (GTCP) team at the Morton Arboretum focuses on preventing the extinction of threatened tree species with a particular focus on oak ecosystems (genus Quercus). We work with local partners to conduct demographic studies, population surveys, ecological field experiments, seedling propagation trials, and spatial distribution models that inform needed conservation actions (e.g., ecological niche models, and potential distribution models). Participants will collaborate with the GTCP team by developing their research project within the context of one of our existing projects: (1) Incorporating threatened and rare oaks in restoration plantings in California, (2) Creating conservation groves for threatened oaks in Southeastern US, (3) Safeguarding threatened oak ecosystems in Mesoamerican cloud forests, or (4) Integrated conservation of the critically endangered shrub Guaiacum unijugum in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Although the participant should be based at Morton, he/she will travel to field locations to gather data and work with in situ partners. Our field sites are in southern California, Mexico, and Costa Rica. In addition to research, the student will learn about how to prioritize species for conservation action, conservation action planning, and communicating science to a broad audience.

Mentor: Dr. Sean Hoban is a Tree Conservation Biologist at The Morton Arboretum. His research focuses on gathering the knowledge about genetics, geography, and ecology of plants, to help foster species’ resilience in times of change.

Co-mentor: Emma Leavens is the Tree Conservation Biology Program Manager at The Morton Arboretum. She comes to this work with a background in restoration ecology and conservation organizing.

Description: The Tree Conservation Biology Program of The Morton Arboretum develops knowledge to help better conserve plants in the wild and in botanic gardens using the fields of genetics, biogeography, population biology, and computational biology. We advance knowledge on threatened and endangered species to further conservation actions by developing advice for land stewards, botanic gardens, and conservation policymakers to help foster species’ adaptive capacity. Mentee projects will likely include analysis of site conditions and management actions that support the survival of Juglans cinerea, a threatened tree species, health assessments of Juglans cinerea individuals and stewardship activities to ensure the survival of populations in the Midwest and elsewhere, and potentially contributing to the gathering of data from diverse sources to better understand genetic diversity using demographic and geographic data. This is the right lab for you if you have interests in species conservation, genetics, geography, data science/computer science, or species threat assessments. We also have a strong emphasis on teamwork and science communication.

San Diego Botanic Garden: San Diego, CA

Mentor: Dr. Colin Khoury is the Senior Director of Science and Conservation at the San Diego Botanic Garden. Colin's core interests include conservation science, crop diversity, food security, plant genetic resources, and crop wild relatives.

Mentor: Dr. Ari Novy is President and CEO of San Diego Botanic Garden and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies working at the intersection between institutional leadership, public policy, and on-the-ground plant conservation.

Mentor: Dr. Todd Michael is a Research Associate at the San Diego Botanic Garden and is a Research Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where his group focuses on the sequencing and analysis of plant genomes.

Co-Mentor: Dr. Ben Naman is the Director of Medicinal Plants Research at the San Diego Botanic Garden, working to better understand medicinal plants, their human health potential, and the connection between chemical ecology and pharmacology.

Co-Mentor: Rachel Sadowski is the Conservation Manager at the San Diego Botanic Garden, working to survey rare plants and conserve species and habitats across the region.

Description: San Diego Botanic Garden seeks mentees who are interested in multidisciplinary and multifaceted project experiences across one or more special rare plant project areas. Mentees will have the opportunity to engage in field botany, ex-situ conservation, conservation horticulture, lab-based genetic, genomic, and chemical analysis, and design of rare plant monitoring and management with the overriding goal of developing skill sets to move the needle on conservation efficacy. Mentees will integrate public education and communications into their projects through SDBG’s public outreach programs.

Conservation, genomic analysis, and propagation of rare California plants - Conservation of rare plants requires detailed methods for seed processing, viability testing, cold storage, and propagation, which are generally species-specific and in many cases insufficiently developed, in addition to monitoring of the species’ status in the wild, including their genetic and evolutionary trajectories. Projects will be conducted to develop or improve methods for the conservation and propagation of rare California plants. Mentees will learn and utilize a combination of horticultural, laboratory, bioinformatic, field botanical, and natural lands management skills to determine threats to rare plants and then design and test conservation interventions. Example projects in this area include: 1) developing successful germination protocols for rare manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.); 2) testing seed multiplication methods for rare California taxa such as Otay tarplant (Deinandra conjugens); and 3) Differentiating rare California native Asteraceae based on morphological and genetic information.

Conservation of rare wild relatives of food crops - The wild cousins of food crops are increasingly being used in plant breeding to improve the sustainability, climate resilience, and nutritional quality of the world’s food crops. But habitat destruction, invasive species, climate change, and other threats are quickly leading to their disappearance from their natural habitats. Mentees will learn and use a combination of botany, ecology, biogeography, and genetics methods to contribute to a better understanding of the identity, distribution, and conservation status of these crop wild relatives. Example projects include wild beans (Phaseolus), walnuts (Juglans), plums (Prunus), and several other fruit and nut tree species native to California.

Conservation and exploration of rare medicinal plants - San Diego Botanic Garden is creating a living collection of medicinal plants that can simultaneously serve conservation and human therapeutic goals. This work involves deep collaboration across the knowledge-holding and innovation pipeline from Indigenous ethnobotanists to drug commercialization entrepreneurs. This collection includes rare plants, primarily from the Southwestern US, that are used for or have potential for human therapeutics. Mentees will help build and catalog this collection and learn modern standards for ethical plant collecting and dissemination. Mentees may engage in projects to evaluate the genetics and metabolic production of plants under different growing conditions and geographies. Example projects include the analysis of Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon) for neurodegenerative diseases and Artemisia for antimalarial compounds.