Connecting science to people, culture, and place: Building access to conservation genomics for Hawaiian high school students
Hawaiian birds are among the most endangered animals on Earth, with roughly 75% of native species already been lost to extinction. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA), I developed the Hawaiian High School Bird Genomics Program in collaboration with teachers from the ʻĀina-Informatics Network at the 'Iolani School, Kealakehe High School, and Hawaii Preparatory Academy to address both the urgent scientific need for genomic data on remaining species and the equally urgent need to build local conservation capacity in Hawaiʻi.
The program engages Hawaiian high school students and teachers in authentic genomic research using state-of-the-art Oxford Nanopore sequencing machines. Each summer, cohorts of up to 10 students participate in week long program including hands-on genome sequencing, introductory bioinformatics, visiting SDZWA breeding centers, and embarking on hikes to see birds in their native habitat. A smaller cohort of students continues into year-long mentored research projects, generating data that feeds into science fair presentations and peer-reviewed publications where they are credited as co-authors. To expand our reach, we also visit additional high schools during the school year and conduct week-long bird genome sequencing workshops.
To date, the program has reached up to 50 students annually and produced high-quality genomic datasets for priority species including the critically endangered palila and nēnē. These datasets directly inform SDZWA-led management decisions, population viability analyses, and biobanking strategy. The program has been covered by Hawaiʻi News Now, the Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald, and Maui Now. At its core, the program is built on a conviction that the people most connected to a place should be central to its conservation, and that the best science happens when research pipelines extend into the communities they serve.
The program engages Hawaiian high school students and teachers in authentic genomic research using state-of-the-art Oxford Nanopore sequencing machines. Each summer, cohorts of up to 10 students participate in week long program including hands-on genome sequencing, introductory bioinformatics, visiting SDZWA breeding centers, and embarking on hikes to see birds in their native habitat. A smaller cohort of students continues into year-long mentored research projects, generating data that feeds into science fair presentations and peer-reviewed publications where they are credited as co-authors. To expand our reach, we also visit additional high schools during the school year and conduct week-long bird genome sequencing workshops.
To date, the program has reached up to 50 students annually and produced high-quality genomic datasets for priority species including the critically endangered palila and nēnē. These datasets directly inform SDZWA-led management decisions, population viability analyses, and biobanking strategy. The program has been covered by Hawaiʻi News Now, the Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald, and Maui Now. At its core, the program is built on a conviction that the people most connected to a place should be central to its conservation, and that the best science happens when research pipelines extend into the communities they serve.
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