Ecological Innovation: From the Canopy to the Canyon lands
Fri, Oct 03
|EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum
This year, our Dinner with a Scientist will feature Colorado Mesa University professor Denita Weeks, PhD, who will share how her DNA sequencing work helped Team Limelight Rainforest, a CMU-led group, win 1st place in the international XPrize Rainforest Competition (and $5 million in prize funds).
Time & Location
Oct 03, 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum, 1400 N 7th St, Grand Junction, CO 81501, USA
About the Event
This year, our Dinner with a Scientist will feature Colorado Mesa University professor Denita Weeks, PhD, who will share how her DNA sequencing work helped Team Limelight Rainforest, a CMU-led group, win 1st place in the international XPrize Rainforest Competition (and $5 million in prize funds).
Team Limelight developed a platform to rapidly survey rainforest biodiversity using drone-delivered devices that integrated environmental DNA, bioacoustics, AI, and other novel tools. She will also highlight how innovations developed through that global effort are now being adapted for use in local conservation projects across western Colorado. Dinner is included in the ticket price, along with access to a silent auction with proceeds supporting youth enrollment in science programs at EUREKA! and in the field through our outdoor Environmental Institute. We thank you in advance for your continued support!