This spring 2019 semester, our POSC 395 Policy Research Internship students researched the City of Los Angeles’ biodiversity strategy. They presented their extensive research and policy suggestions to our partner, the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience.

Lindsay Luchinsky shared this about her internship experience, “My role was to look at the processes of quantifying biodiversity, specifically when looking at ecosystem services. I learned how to communicate the various issues of biodiversity in a way that’s accessible to everyone, especially people without STEM degrees. This internship has given me the opportunity to foster connections between professionals, professors and students to address the issue.”

Project: Los Angeles’ Biodiversity Strategy: Policy Barriers & Possible Solutions

USC Students: Archanaa Lingan, Helen Williams, Lindsay Luchinsky, Maiah Gains-Richardson, Molly Waring and Monica Cantoran

Research Question: What are the policy barriers and opportunities for the City of Los Angeles to move forward its biodiversity strategy? The research includes a combination of field work, review of existing policies, and identification of best practices that promote healthy biodiversity. What are established best practices locally, nationally, and globally to enhance biodiversity in urban areas? How do these practices intersect with other urban policies such as green infrastructure, transportation, buildings?

Read the group’s research into urban biodiversity in Los Angeles here.

Watch the full video of their presentation here.