Douglas fir seedling in a burn scar growing out of a burned decaying log that was probably also a Doug fir at one point.

The simple reason those girls are dead is because the position that would've prevented it was RIFed in FEB 2025. It was my job at CENTCOM as the Senior Advisor for CHMR & the Civil Environment Lead to QA/QC these. I was no longer there to do it. That's why these girls are dead. 1/

thinned stand on the left, with its unthinned neighbor on the right 🤌

As job application season for eco/enviro fields is upon us, I will remind you that giving thorough and thoughtful responses to reference requests for those who did good work for you is one of the best ways that you can invest in the future.

I can understand that there may be other national priorities that push agendas and investment, but I want to be really clear that if science is your priority, the ONLY way to make good investments is to listen to the community of scientists about their priorities.

NASA science is usually strongly driven by peer review & community-derived priorities. That's how we (as a country) know we're investing in "great science." That includes basic & applied research. Dictates coming down from the administration, bypassing that process, are not how we do "great science"

DOGE-boys-to-prison pipeline needs to happen

Reminder that this is intended. Literally. The person in charge of implementing POTUS agenda, Russell Vought, said one of his stated goals is to traumatize federal employees.

Spring blooms in the valley

BREAKING NEWS: Just now, we secured a court order on behalf of our multistate coalition: the judge ruled from the bench that healthcare decisions must stay with families and their providers, not the government. #orpol

I decided to change something in how I'm processing this data so I'm going back through the ~20 stations I've already processed to make those changes, and I know doing this now is going to save me headaches in the long run but I'm soooo over it. I want to be making progress again!!

Welp. That's a thing that is happening.

First trillium bloom of the spring

For my fellow creek freaks

“I feel somewhat embarrassed to admit how tempting this is.” You should. “In our culture, preferring an algorithm to a trainee feels like a betrayal of the academic mission.” It is.

This is, to put it mildly, a double standard. This guy was part of a government that encouraged online social media figures to engage in routine harassment of government employees to the point that many were fired or went into hiding. Some of it was done by Elon Musk, this guy's boss.

Happy #FieldworkFriday! The mountains around here are finally getting some snow! So when a critical relay station for Mt. St. Helens needed work, we had to bring out the big toys. It took a UTV with snow tracks (and a little bit of snow shoeing) to get to REDMT.

Working through my annual IT security and counterintelligence trainings, and it’s just hilarious that prominent people in our government are openly violating nearly all these regulations with no consequence, while im being told I could face prison time if i send an email wrong

This would fund the US Forest Service research branch for 36 years

For comparison's sake, the entire National Park Service costs $3 billion - a year.

A remarkable Columbia Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton kezeri) at home beneath a waterfall in Oregon Coast Range #herps

Really neat coastal trail that made me feel like I was back in Florida for a while.

The many moods of the Oregon Coast

🙃🫠🙃🫠

An in situ Larch Mountain Salamander (Plethodon larselli) from last night

Too much to love on the coast

Who else loves canyon wrens? #birds #wildlife #nature

This reminds me of something Toni Morrison wrote.

Some exciting news to share: very soon, NOAA Research will be hiring new federal employees into science positions across the agency! A couple of notes: 1) They will only be open on USAJobs for seven days. 2) Multiple positions at different sites may be in one posting. (1/2)

HEY‼️ Come work with my team this summer! We're hiring 2 crew leads and at least 4 crew members to work on ecological research projects across OR, WA, and CA. Postings below 👇

welp, someone (not me!) finally put this database out into the wild... it's as bad as you thought it was, if not worse.

Obligatory acknowledgement of The Horrors aside, I saw my first (adult) great gray owl yesterday! Probably one half of the pair that had a nest in the same area last year. Such incredible birds 🦉

The cuts to existing programs and graduate research fellowships have a pattern: the Trump Administration is dismantling our ability to study ecology, biodiversity science, and climate research: They’re putting Silicon Valley billionaires above studying Earth’s life support system.

How ‘bout that— somewhat unsettling Cold War era R&D find. And yes wow the art 😬

MAKE AN EMERGENCY DONATION to Trans Continental Pipeline right now. They are a Colorado based org that helps trans people relocate there and they are overwhelmed with requests. CO borders KS, and TCP has the infrastructure to help get people out. GO DONATE. tcpipeline.org

This is genuinely horrific

June 8, 1980 Headwaters of the Green River, Skamania County Closing this thread tonight on a brighter note — a first hint of life returning. An avalanche lily pokes through the blast deposit. Others would follow. Resilience in the face of impossible odds. Cheers!

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #PowerPose. I think that fits this pileated woodpecker. I photographed it in the woods behind my house. There are a pair of them that I see all the time. #photography #wildlife #wildlifephotography #woodpeckers #birds

A sphinx moth came to slurp at a desert lily as we were watching the sunset over the Anza Borrego badlands.

Come work in the Blue Mountains with my amazing coworkers this summer!!

The U.S. Forest Service documented this vegetation plot near Spirit Lake in 1979—a careful species-level inventory of an old-growth forest. After May 18, 1980, they returned to the same coordinates and put up another marker. Same spot. Different planet.

I’d appreciate if folks could share this seasonal forestry (non-fire) position, based at any BLM office in California, with current/former students (or anyone else who may be interested!): www.usajobs.gov/job/857451400

SNOW!!!

Meanwhile regular shmucks like me get to search 5 different poorly-designed websites, take screenshots of each one, and fill out a form just to ultimately purchase 10 t-posts from the hardware store down the street.

to add to this: -DOGE dismantled on Day 1 of the next administration; former DOGE employees tried for treason -blanket hiring authority for all -increased retention and relocation incentives

Some mossy green forests and a waterfall to ease your Sunday Scaries

Why didn't anyone ever tell me how charming Canada jays are? I would have gone to visit them years ago if I had known!

Post a tree you photographed.

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!! I'm so grateful to know so many incredible women in ecology that I call mentors, friends, and colleagues. I would not be the scientist or person that I am without their leadership and support.

yes these people are that petty. they also think they can impose culture by force and fear. they think that if they take down the pride flag, then Americans will forget LGBTQ history. if they take down slavery exhibits, we will stop caring about Black civil rights. they are wrong. spectacularly so.