Conservation

🐾 Conservation, Research, & Curriculum Vitae

Juliette R. Dalicano

Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology Major, Global Disease Biology Minor | Undergraduate at UC Davis

I am an aspiring conservationist committed to bridging fieldwork, genetics, and education to protect biodiversity and inspire future generations.

I am a first-generation, low-income student from a highly urban Los Angeles, where outdoor spaces and science opportunities were often inaccessible growing up. Attending North Hollywood High School’s Zoo and Biological Sciences Magnet, located next to Griffith Park and the LA Zoo, opened the door to hands-on wildlife learning and ignited my passion for conservation. This unique experience helped me bridge the gap between urban life and the natural world, shaping my commitment to protect biodiversity and make science inclusive. Since then, I’ve worked with scientists, zookeepers, educators, and museum curators to protect endangered species, explore ecological questions, and communicate science in meaningful ways.

Still a student and continuously learning, I am expanding my skills and knowledge through research and hands-on experiences. I am actively looking to broaden my exposure to molecular, physiological, and ecological research techniques, as well as the range of taxa I work with. 

🐦 Conservation Science and Research 🐟

My first research experience was in biomedical science at the Saban Research Institute at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where I loved learning how research could improve human health and save lives. I found purpose in helping people through science, but my heart remained tethered to wildlife. That realization led me to carve a path that blends conservation biology with molecular tools.

As an undergraduate researcher in UC Davis' Genomic Variation Laboratory, in partnership with the UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology's Putah Creek Nest Box Network, I study how urbanization and climate change affect the diets and reproductive success of cavity-nesting songbirds. Using tools like eDNA metabarcoding, nest box monitoring, and insect sampling, I investigate how subtle shifts in habitat and food availability can ripple across ecosystems.

Through my work on the songbird project, I was invited to contribute to a second study developing a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel to perform parentage analysis in Chinook Salmon returning to Putah Creek, a restored waterway that flows through Davis. This project aims to determine whether a unique spawning run is emerging in the creek and to understand the environmental and individual factors driving reproductive success in salmon. 

I've also contributed to pollinator conservation at the Los Angeles Zoo, surveyed territory dynamics in hummingbirds, and supported native species education for local elementary students through UC Davis’ Kids into Discovering Science initiative.