Animals, plants, and other organisms shed genetic waste into water, air, and soils, leaving behind an alphabet soup of life. Modern genetic tools are now unlocking the code of this environmental DNA, or ‘eDNA’, to monitor and study life all around the world. Remarkably, eDNA monitoring is now affordable and accessible enough for almost anyone to participate. This short course will provide a background on the nature of eDNA itself, its broad applications, and the basics of eDNA sampling for community groups and individuals interested in surveying Maine’s woods and waters.

Speaker: Dr. Michael Kinnison, Professor of Evolutionary Applications at the University of Maine.