Good buddies of Nepenthes! Pitcher plants are not ruthless predators but friendly neighbors for a lot of other little creatures, offering them food, shelter and toilet; and their poops benefit the plant in return! Nepenthes related fauna are just so adorable 💚

Note about all-caps punctuation that I did not realize!

For state-specific NSF info cards, find your state here: bit.ly/NSF_bystate

✨My essay in @thelancet.bsky.social this week has made the front page!✨ (I didn’t know about this 🤗) ‘Reflect, Collaborate and Listen’ looks at why doctors don’t listen and the urgent need to rebalance the power dynamic in the patient - doctor relationship. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

It's not just fdr. One of the things the epa did not long after it was formed was document the nation's pollution via photography. That can seem frivolous, but generations of Americans have no idea why the EPA was necessary. This broke a million views when we published it in 2017

Women in STEM are having their work and bios removed from government websites. One woman started womeninstemus.blogspot.com?m=1 to document these “lost works” for future generations. They are taking submissions! Please share #womeninstem

Roses are red, Violets are blue. I still get my seasonal covid and flu vaccines, and I think you should too. #healthpolicyvalentines

A few weeks ago I trash talked myself right into an art challenge with Franz by saying I was going to draw 3 nudibranchs for every crab because we need MORE nudibranchs and LESS crabs... So today I present to you, TRIPLE the nudis to Franz's crabs. #Invertebrates #SciArt #TradArt

JOB: Conservation Data Analyst, @bcparksfdn.bsky.social * Full-time, salary $58k-64k/yr * Based in Vancouver, hybrid * "... use geospatial technology and other analytical tools..." * No deadline given and no date posted. I suppose apply ASAP? lnkd.in/grVGCtCy #ConservationJobs #GISJobs

I am one of millions of Americans who take an anti-anxiety drug. (Technically, I take two; we'll get to that in a moment). I did not suspect I had any issues with anxiety until about the last year of my PhD.

The world is on fire, so this observation is inconsequential, but... I'm in P-card Training and most of the "weird" examples of purchases are clearly Ecologists (field scientists; e.g., bug containers, lingerie bags for samples). I love that we collectively keep purchasing on their toes.

No beach pictures without horses...

Crane Beach, Ipswich Massachusetts

For the 79% of heterosexual married women whose legal married name doesn’t match your birth certificate or passport, get ready to have your voting rights frozen. Yes, read that again. No, that is not hyperbole. Act now.

If you see this, quote post with a beach photo from your gallery. Or not. But I'd like to see what you have. When I searched "beach" in my phone, all I got was a bad video of a storm blowing in on Cayuga Lake this July. So instead, have a sunset photo from Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica back in 2012.

The #2025MMM DIVISIONS!!!

NEW MSc POSITION! We're starting a new study system on eastern small footed bats in Ontario. Please share widely and/or apply if you're interested in foraging ecology, bats, and conservation! Link to application is here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Some #moths have specially structured wing scales to make light reflect off the wing like the surface is curved! This makes their dead leaf camouflage even better! (I think this link should work, but if it doesn't let me know): www.cell.com/current-biol...

I have had a TON of people asking how they can help...here is what would help us the most right now: SHARE SHARE SHARE SHARE SHARE! Tell us why you #standupforscience2025! Send flyers to your colleagues and labs! Change your bluesky banner! Tell your professional orgs and departments!

A quick resistance task: 1. Google Gulf of Mexico 2. “Gulf of America" is the top 3. Click on the three little dots to the right of it 4. Select "Send Feedback" 5. Click on "Gulf Of America" 6. Select "Inaccurate content" 7. Select "Incorrect" and type in "The correct name is “Gulf of Mexico"

And WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT EATING THE GELS? (brought to you by my TA today, who fortunately said it in a clearly joking way, but still got the death stare and "NO" as a response bc there are some things you must show no weakness about when teaching a 1st-year undergrad lab)

Utricularia inflata, the swollen bladderwort. Unfortunate common name for a strange lovely hongry plant

6/N So when I publish on sexual dimorphism, or use male/female as a factor in my stats (which I do a LOT), I am simplifying, setting aside a small minority to focus on overall tendencies of the majority. That's okay for stickleback, but its not ethical when applied to humans.

Apps are due FRIDAY for the Science IRL grant We're funding projects that tackle humanity's big science-centric problems, while reaching people who are NOT engaging with science. Bring me your creative, unique projects that put science where there currently is none. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

YOUR HELP NEEDED: Today a Federal judge in R.I. ordered the Trump admin to re-start all federal grant payments. If you've got a federal contract, and your funding is *still* frozen despite that order, please let us know here. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/u...

Nature valentines. Thanks to my Patrons for keeping me drawing www.patreon.com/birdandmoon

Earth & Life Sciences Academics communicating the new EO about indirect rates, imma need you to improve yer messaging- maybe don't say "If I get a million dollar grant, my uni gets another $700k to keep the lights on & water running" bc isn't going to get the traction you think it is-

If your boss or company tells you to do something unethical: don't say yes. Make them write it down.

If you think the proposed cuts to American science are because science is unpopular, this are wrong. DON'T BELIEVE THEM. 1. 76% of Americans express trust in scientists, more than for police officers and school principals (Pew). 2. 80% say federal funding of science is vital to our nation (STAC)

1. Today the NIH director issued a new directive slashing overhead rates to 15%. I want to provide some context on what that means and why it matters. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...

Are you a PhD student whose funding is in jeopardy because of recent executive actions, or a faculty member in a program dealing with these considerations? @mkhaw.bsky.social and I want to hear from you @chronicle.com. DM or email! #AcademicSky #PhDSky #HigherEd

Check this thread. This hearing is about getting it plain and clear to the American people that even former trump officials think that what's happening with the politicization and weaponization of science and technology is an absolutely terrible idea on every level.

Dr. Joan Murrell Owens focused on button #corals for her #research! ocean.si.edu/human-connec... #28DaysOfBlackSTEMHistory #BlackHistoryMonth

I was out trying to get more photos of short eared owls with the golden sunlit field as a background when I noticed their much smaller cousin at the top of this tree. #owls #birds #canada #nature #wildlife #photography #wildlifephotography #birding #nikon #photographersunited

IMPORTANT: Coyotes frolicking in the snow content.

UNMUTE for baby noises! Stick around for mother - pup kisses!!! the best news youll see today!!

If you have been calling your Senators about various thing you want them to oppose, this is an excellent chance to call them and thank them for voting the way you wanted them to on this one (assuming they did)

According to a senior CDC official, some of the pages that were removed on Friday have been reinstated due to backlash from the scientific community and the public. Keep speaking up, it matters!

I confess to being quiet today and avoiding the news and social media by digging into older raw files to see what I have missed. This shot from my favorite lake in North Central Ontario is one. I will be back here after ice-out. #photography #EastCoastKin #landscapephotography

That NSF is combing through grants for keywords like gender, equity, scientific literacy, etc, in order to cancel those grants, is frustrating when you consider that Broader Impacts ARE A REQUIREMENT OF GETTING THE GRANT. In case you're not familiar, here are examples 🧪 new.nsf.gov/funding/lear...

I've already decided that if any of the government sites I need for a class go down, I'm not trying to come up with a work-around...students are just going to get a history lesson about taxpayer-funded research in the US until I run out of steam or class is over

Reminder! Science IRL mini-grant applications are due February 14! These grants are to support IN PERSON science communication projects in the US that reach science disinterested people, and ideally encourage concrete action in the audience. Apply here! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

one small, sincere thing I'd like to say about what's happening now is: every trans person who's paying attention is going to be deeply affected by the way we're being targeted. even if they're not showing it to you. be patient and kind with us.

I've heard a number of people say, "I live in a safe blue district/state--there's no point in calling my reps since they're already on the right side." Yes, there is: You can call and insist that they be among the loudest voices on the issues you care about, since they can afford to be.

To update people on the NSF PRFB situation: despite the court challenge and rescinding the original memo, the NSF has continued to comply with the executive order. They have not communicated with us at all and our paychecks are still canceled indefinitely. I know people who cannot pay their rent.

If you're calling congress about RFK or grant disbursements, you need to call about this, too. It's not any less of an outrage. We don't leave these kids behind.

To expand on this, right now ~200 postdoc fellows directly funded by NSF are locked out of their salary &research funds right before the first of the month. No doubt other NSF funded grads &postdocs are affected as well. All requests for funds put in before the freeze are slowly being cancelled