Erin is a South Florida native who has called Key Largo home since she was 15 and now leads the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center. She holds a B.S. from Florida International University with a focus on education, team management, and biodiversity conservation, and earned her M.S. in biology from West Liberty University. Erin has conducted research on freshwater species and is a published biologist with a passion for wildlife conservation and community engagement. In her current role, she combines science and outreach to protect native and migratory birds across the Florida Keys.

Lets dive into what conservation genetics is and how it can help us combat ecological problems like invasive species! After a brief presentation, participants are welcome to take part in extracting DNA from a strawberry and see how we can use DNA to find out what invasive lionfish are eating.