California eDNA Atlas
World Genome Academy
We put portable DNA sequencing in students' hands — so they can read the living world around them, one sample at a time.
We put portable DNA sequencing in students' hands — so they can read the living world around them, one sample at a time.
Launching Summer 2026
Our alpha pilot starts this summer
We're launching with our first cohort of high-school students at Venice High School (LAUSD) — collecting soil and water samples, sequencing DNA on portable Oxford Nanopore devices, and learning to read the living world around them. Then we grow, school by school and partner by partner.
What We Do
One toolkit, one loop: sample, sequence, map, discover. We're piloting it across three kinds of place — soil, water, and farms — each putting a portable sequencer in new hands.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is the genetic material that living things shed into soil, water, and air — reading it reveals what lives in a place without ever having to see or disturb it.
Soil Sentinels
K-12 students collect and sequence soil DNA from schoolyard to watershed. 8-week modules aligned with NGSS standards.
Water Observers
Students and coastal partners sample water-borne eDNA to track aquatic biodiversity — a context we're building toward as the program grows beyond the pilot.
Farm Genome Network
Farms and students sequence soil microbiomes to guide regenerative practices — part of where the network is headed as we expand.
How WGA Works
From field sample to species map in four steps — no central lab, no data silos.
Collect
Students and researchers gather water, soil, or air samples from field sites across California. Each sample is GPS-tagged and logged in the Atlas.
Sequence
Portable MinION sequencers extract environmental DNA on-site. No lab required — results start streaming within hours of collection.
Upload
Sequence data flows to the federated Atlas through FAIR-compliant pipelines. Every contributor retains ownership; every record is traceable.
Discover
The Atlas maps species presence across ecosystems. Researchers query the network; educators build lessons from living data; policymakers track biodiversity trends.
Pick Your Role in the Network
We sequence soil in Fresno schoolyards, kelp forests off Monterey, and farmland across the Central Valley. Every role below puts real DNA data on the California eDNA Atlas.
I'm a teacher
Request a field kit, access NGSS-aligned lesson plans, and connect your classroom to the Atlas.
Start teaching with eDNA I'm a farmer
Monitor soil health with DNA sequencing, join the agricultural cooperative, and benchmark against regional data.
Join the cooperative
I'm a researcher
Access federated datasets, contribute field protocols, and partner on multi-site studies.
Partner with WGAI'm curious
Explore the map, read community stories, and discover what lives in the soil, water, and air near you.
Explore the AtlasWhy California
California is a biodiversity hotspot spanning 9 Jepson ecoregions — from Sierra Nevada snowmelt streams to Monterey kelp forests. No other state combines this density of farms, coastline, research institutions, and public funding for environmental science. It's where we're starting.
Learn more about our geography →Map What Matters
Every sample contributes to a living picture of California's biological diversity. Whether you're running a classroom, a farm, or a research lab — your data joins a federated network that no single institution could build alone. Explore the data governance behind it on our Data Portal.
Request a field kitJoin the network
Get updates on new sampling sites, curriculum modules, and partnership opportunities.
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