POSTDOC JOB AD: I'm hiring a Bayesian ecologist to build a (IMO, extremely fun) model of humpback whale spatiotemporal dynamics in California 2-year position starting fall 2026. in-person in Santa Cruz; collab w with Mevin Hooten's lab at UT Austin. ask me Qs or apply: recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF02003

Less than 1 month left to submit abstracts for what is always the *best* conference on climate change impacts on biodiversity. Intimate conference size but truly global participation; highly recommend for 1st-timers and returnees.

🚨🚨🚨 And THREE stood up! Penn has joined MIT & Brown in rejecting Trump’s loyalty oath compact. When we join together and fight back, WE WIN! No amount of federal bribery is worth surrendering the freedom to question, explore, and dissent. LET’S GO! #DefendHigherEd @aaup-penn.bsky.social

🪶🌎🧪 New research on birds and wildfire by IBP and our partners at NPS and UCLA. You can read about it here: birdpop.org/pages/bl... (@mwtingley.bsky.social)

I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below. It's especially for journalists covering this story! Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.

Some problems have simple solutions. This new “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” is one. The answer is simply saying no. Simple does not mean easy. But Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, Vanderbilt, Univ of AZ, UPenn, USC, UT Austin & UVA must understand what they’ll lose if they sign on.

Farewell to Jane Goodall 🌿 A pioneering scientist whose groundbreaking work with primates transformed how we understand ourselves. She showed how research and advocacy can unite, inspiring generations.

The GRFP announcement from NSF cuts out an entire cohort of 2nd year students from consideration, without warning. This is so deeply unfair that it warrants a formal protest from the scientific community. If someone wants to work with me to craft an open letter and solicit signatures, LMK.

There is so much in the news cycle these days that the complete dismantling of the Forest Service -- so *our* forests can be auctioned off to Big TImber -- is unfortunately getting little air play. But if this happens, US landscapes may be almost unrecognizable in a decade, and never coming back. 🌍

For @cassalalia.bsky.social, a Crested Jayshrike! Thanks so much for the #Waymakers donation! To donate and request a bird: act.theyoungcenter.org/a/birdsbeyon... . Include your bsky name if you want a ping! Every dollar helps support unaccompanied immigrant kids in the US! 🎨🪶 #SciArt #BirdArt

A bunch of wonderful scientists are working to study how the LA fires in January impacted our local nature. We had a great time working with @brookejarvis.bsky.social and @nytimes.com on this beautiful article. feat. @kendallcalhoun.bsky.social @ltkelly.bsky.social et al.

As one can imagine, I have some thoughts. Here’s a thread no one asked for: 1. SCIENCE IN THE US IS POLITICAL. No matter how much you want to ignore that fact, it is supported by taxpayer dollars and is therefore, political by nature. 2. BUT it has had bipartisan support for decades, which…

"The Roadless Rule Explained: How the Last Unbroken Forests Could Be Lost Forever. For 25 years it has protected 59 million acres of wild forest. The latest repeal puts them all at risk." 🌏 morethanjustparks.substack.com/p/the-roadle...

Are you planning on attending the @amornith.bsky.social (American Ornithological Society) #AOS25 meeting in St. Louis this year? I'm making a Starter Pack of attendees so we can easily follow each other. Attending the meeting and want on the list? Comment here or DM me! go.bsky.app/3dybD1a

NEW: A federal judge has demanded NSF explain in court how the UCLA grant suspensions are not in violation of her June order that restored grants to UC scientists

😑

Birds are dinosaurs who shrugged off a couple apocalypses. Some eat bone marrow. Some drink nectar. They outswim fish in the sea. They smile politely at gravity’s demands. ‬ ‪I am grateful to see them. I am grateful to feed them. I am grateful to know them.‬

It's incredibly distressing, because - my lab needs funding but look, realistically, I'll be okay - but the entire generation of people who were going to move into this research space are just completely orphaned. There's no way to start a lab on this now. Funders need to pivot back to funding.

One thing very few people know, even in the climate-health research space, is that - in addition to NIH / NSF / NASA / EPA blocking any new research on climate change and health - all the philanthropies have decided to take NGO-shaped roles rather than fund research, and so they aren't stepping in.

I normally think about #fire from an ecological perspective, so really enjoyed thinking about the role of fire in the evolutionary past and future with @ltkelly.bsky.social. Take a look, it's a short read!

This is a pretty good article, with comments from @weatherwest.bsky.social and me. abcnews.go.com/US/extreme-w...

It is difficult to describe just how disastrous it would be if just-released NOAA budget proposal (or even large portions) were to be enacted: It would involve a wholesale dismantling (decimation, really) of entities relevant to weather, climate, & ocean research & prediction.

Oh you've never heard of piculets before? The mini woodpeckers? Well here ya go- have a Rufous Piculet. Your life is now that much cuter. You're welcome. 📷 Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok, eBird

In a time when support for junior scientists is disappearing, how can you plan for a career in STEM? I think it starts by thinking of science as a big map with many routes and destinations, instead of a pipeline. 🧪 scienceforeveryone.science/p/career-pla...

It’s destroying our future.

The bottom line with the proposed cuts to NSF is to cut the number of working scientists and disappear opportunities to train new scientists. This is a PROPOSED budget to Congress. Call your reps.

Goodbye REUs, goodbye GRFPs, goodbye CAREERs (which ironically I just finished writing today). This is the end of the road for all early-career scientists. If you aren't enraged you aren't paying attention.

There are 2 previous historical cases of countries destroying their science and universities, crippling them for decades: Lysenkoism in the USSR and Nazi Germany. The Trump administration will be the 3rd. It's not just budgets but research, institutions, expertise, and training the next generation.

In case you couldn't bear to read all the way to the end (understandable), here is the proposed picture for the BIO Directorate.

While we are all reeling from the budget and its major cuts to NASA, NIH, USGS, etc. I want to also draw attention to this little nugget about State Wildlife Grants, which is the mechanism for funding State Wildlife Action Plans. Eliminating SWG will destroy state natural resource agencies.

So, so shortsighted, so wrong, so stupid

Registration for #AOS25 is now open! Register early & save! We have an outstanding lineup of keynote & plenary speakers; highly engaging networking & social events planned; exciting bird walks; a 5K Fun Walk/Walk/Ride; a Silent Auction & more! Join us! meeting.americanornithology.org/participate/...

They blame pollution but cut the EPA and clean air and water regulations. They blame poor nutrition but cut SNAP and programs to bring local produce to schools. They blame increased screen time while destroying public infrastructure that connects people. All while they take millions off healthcare.

New paper! Collaborative work to synthesize ideas about climate-change driven species redistribution -- it took 2 years, but we're super excited to see it out! @afredston.bsky.social has all the details below.

Meanwhile, DOJ lawyers are threatening medical journals for not providing adequate "viewpoint diversity" and for misinforming their readership, which I suppose means not publishing enough of the stupid shit that RFK Jr., JB, etc. keep saying. This is an outrageous First Amendment violation.

A recent paper claims, opposed to what conservation science has known for decades, that there is no evidence that foxes and cats were a major driver of Australia's mammal extinctions. Turns out there are quite a few issues here. Strap in for a looong thread 🧪 academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...

This is terrible news & just one part of a bigger picture. Prepare yourself for ongoing updates about the “reduction in force” this month and more again in April. Talk to your community about it. They may not believe it at first - it sounds unbelievable! But we must bear witness & explain.

Forty-seven scientific societies have signed a letter organized by the @ucsusa.bsky.social urging Congress to protect federally funded research and federal scientists: www.ucsusa.org/about/news/s...

Just another typical late winter season in the Pyrocene -- "Wildfires rage across the Carolinas...More than 175 wildfires burning across SC and additional fires in NC... Much of eastern US seaboard under increased fire risk." www.yahoo.com/news/wildfir...

“This is very clearly not what you want to do if you want to remove the fat,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources and UCLA. “This is what you would do if you want to purposefully kneecap a well-functioning public agency."

Briefly putting on my hat as @asn-amnat.bsky.social President: The ASN Council has just distributed an updated message to the American Society of Naturalists members with information about actions that can be undertaken to advocate for science, and scientists, within the US:

"This feels like the early days of the pandemic, except there's less I can do about it", a colleague told me yesterday. Yep. One thing you *can* do is outreach. My sense is that the majority of the country doesn't yet understand the scale or the stakes of what is happening. We have to tell them:

Attention Scientists! Check this out! A thing you can do that's useful and likely in your wheelhouse!

Ornithological societies partnered years ago to build affinity “flocks” to support members of diverse identities (race, ethnicity, disability, career stage, etc.), based in part on the 2SLGBTQIA+ affinity group I currently lead. The NSF funding is no longer an option so they’re crowd-sourcing:

Stephen Pyne: "I would like to think that these recent fires might be horrific enough to serve as a catalyst, but I’ve thought that for a couple of decades as urban conflagrations have built up in magnitude and damages."

If you're looking for cool new gear & want to help support our work, visit our new store on Bonfire- www.bonfire.com/store/the-in... ! Check out this new Great Gray Owl design by @tinylongwing.bsky.social. This comes in a t-shirt or crewneck sweatshirt. We also have a logo hoodie & tote bag. 🪶

If you are in danger unless you comply with a regime, you are in danger whether you comply or not

The first ever US national nature assessment has been terminated and its USGCRP and DOI webpages have been removed. A PDF of the zeroth order draft is still available here: review.globalchange.gov/system/files...