Abstracts are due this Friday for the upcoming Pacific Estuarine Research Society annual meeting held from April 23–25 in Newport Oregon. If you haven't attended before, these meetings are a great place to meet west coast/estuarine researchers and practitioners! pers-cerf.org/pers-2026/

It's been a wild few weeks overseeing the construction of an experimental marsh creation project in the Fraser River Estuary. This project aims to accelerate accretionary processes, encouraging the river to build a marsh for us. We are testing exclosures, planting, and different low-tech structures.

So sorry to hear that Rufus Guitar Shop is closing after more than 40 years. The number of music stores in Greater Vancouver is dwindling, yet they are irreplaceable in providing repairs, expertise, and a place to sit and try things. A reminder to support local businesses wherever possible!

Come work with us! We are seeking a tenure-track botanist, preferably in the areas of non-vascular, systematics, physiology or cell. Happy to answer questions. unbc.njoyn.com/CL/xweb/xweb... 🧪🌱 #botany

From IRES's Milind Kandlikar and @drdavidboyd.bsky.social : It is not too late for Carney to pivot, and redirect federal support from the industries of yesterday to the industries of tomorrow. vancouversun.com/opinion/op-e...

There is no greater remedy for a desk-bound, stir-crazy me than a walk in the Fraser Estuary. Even on a January evening during an atmospheric river.

In an effort to make my desk time more healthy, I have come across this free, intuitive, and extremely helpful little desktop app. Would highly recommend if you need something to remind you to take a break now and then! breaktimer.app

Thanks Ucluelet - a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Great news for us folks in New West, Burnaby, and Tri-Cities

In addition to those who are advocating for status-quo risk mitigation (dikes, pump stations), others point to the fact that this flood-prone area was Semá:th Xhotsa (Sumas Lake) historically. Evidence suggests it may be cheaper to restore the lake than to upgrade infrastructure.

BREAKING: Evacuation alerts issued for large parts of western Sumas Prairie. This includes large parts of Highway 1 and all bits west of the old Sumas lakebed. www.abbotsford.ca/city-hall/ne...

I have the same sentiment for Carney’s cuts to long-standing conservation funds. The act of cutting these programs may look good in the short term, but it is immensely challenging to regain that momentum again. And I’d argue less cross-effective. Funding stability is paramount.

"I was comfortable chairing an appointed body whose advice is considered but ultimately rejected—after all, no one elected us. I was not comfortable with the process becoming neglected or performative, and it had begun to feel that way to me.”

Pulled together some of my thoughts on AB - CAN agreement here. Simply put, this agreement is likely to deepen divides in the country, not heal them. open.substack.com/pub/stewartp...

If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features." There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.

NEW RESEARCH ALERT: Deer are destroying B.C. island ecosystems. Indigenous hunting could be the solution: thenarwhal.ca/bc-gulf-isla...

While PM Carney’s fast-tracking initiative has been touted as a response to U.S. President Trump’s trade war, critics have pointed out the projects are largely backed by foreign-owned corporations — and include substantial U.S. investment. @amandafollett.bsky.social reports. #uspoli #canpoli #LNG

To say I am livid with the cuts to conservation programs in the new Liberal/Carney budget is an understatement. “Fast tracking major projects while reducing DFO’s oversight and monitoring capacity is a double whammy, a recipe for disaster when it comes to wild salmon, their habitat, and fisheries”

NEW RESEARCH ALERT: Out today - Nature requires investment: Applying priority threat management to support biodiversity and climate targets - Camaclang - 2025 - Ecological Solutions and Evidence - Wiley Online Library besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

It's possible we might not need billionaire opinions on absolutely everything all the time billmckibben.substack.com/p/climate-ga...

Canadian researchers should be aware the there is a motion before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Research to force Tricouncils to hand over disaggregated peer review data on all applications: Applicant names, profiles, demographics Reviewers names, profiles, comments, and scores

Richmond is really stirring the pot here. The city is apparently not above instigating moral panic on the issue in a quest for allies. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/briti...

Job posting for a Research Data Coordinator with experience in research and project management to join Team Shrub of Prof. Isla Myers-Smith here at UBC Vancouver. I share my office with these folks and know they do wonderful work up in the tundra. See link below:

Months before catastrophic floods swept through an Alaska Native village on Sunday, the Trump administration canceled a $20 million grant meant to protect the community from extreme flooding. At the time, the EPA administrator said he was eliminating "wasteful DEI and Environmental Justice grants."

The reviewer crisis: data from the journal Biological Invasions: "Reviewer acceptance rates dropped steadily over the past two decades. Early-career researchers had the highest acceptance rates, while senior scholars were least likely to accept review invitations." link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Vancouver Island beggarticks (Bidens amplissima) is a threatened wetland plant mostly limited to coastal B.C. and, in my view, is severely understudied. My colleagues at UBC Botany, led by PhD student Megan Pawluk, just published a paper on distinguishing Bidens species via morphological traits.

I made a flyer! Know anyone in CA, OR, WA, or BC who might be interested in collecting mushrooms for research purposes? #mycology #citizenscience Please share widely! 🧪 🍄‍🟫 🌲 A PDF version can be found here: drive.proton.me/urls/W1MM4FG...

Ripened seeds of wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) and water parsnip (Sium suave). It’s that time of year!

One of the highlights of digging through old grey literature is the hand-drawn illustrations. These drawings were included in "Estuarine Habitat Management: a Prospectus for Tilbury Slough" by Dorcey et al. (1983).

Beautiful day for vegetation, elevation, and sediment surveys in the Skeena Estuary, territory of the Gitxaała, Kitsumkalum, Ts’msyen and Lax Kw’Alaams Nations.

Thanks @ainsliecruickshank.bsky.social & @thenarwhal.ca for spotlighting some of the important research and restoration work I am a part of in the Lower Fraser!

NEW: Extraordinary footage has emerged of the huge tsunami that hit Russia’s remote Kamchatka peninsula after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake on July 30th. (🎥 Doni Nikz)

Every now and then you stumble across a news headline that brightens your day.

Another day working in the Fraser, another reminder that we still don’t have any form of vessel wake management in this important estuary.

The Narwhal is suing the RCMP for unlawfully arresting a photojournalist, Amber Bracken, for doing her job in Wetʼsuwetʼen. Canadian taxpayers are funding the RCMP's legal defence; our non-profit newsroom relies on reader support to uphold freedom of the press. More in the thread 👇

Traffic jam on the overpass into #vancouver yesterday afternoon… 😂 🪿 🪿 🪿 www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/...

As someone who has spent years working on Xwe’etay (Lasqueti Island), this article resonates deeply: “there is [now] hard, factual evidence showing Indigenous people have been on the island for more than 300 generations.” www.timescolonist.com/islander/in-...

These fragrant white bog orchids (Platanthera dilatata) always seem out of place in a tidal marsh. Today I smelled their sweet aroma long before I saw them.

Published an op-ed the other day--fast-tracking actions to protect lands, waters, fish, and wildlife. BC and Canadian policies are rushing natural resource extraction forward--there is a parallel need to fast-track safeguards of lands and waters. vancouversun.com/opinion/op-e...

Looks like it’s cattail pollen season again!

Not a bad setting for checking off some of my comprehensive exam readings!

New paper on the contributions of different marine sectors to underwater noise pollution within endangered Southern Resident killer whale habitat, highlighting potential impacts of vessel activity on acoustic habitat quality #SRKW www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Each spring this large dove tree/handkerchief tree (Davidia involucrata) at Edmonds & Griffiths is the highlight of my morning commute. Native to the montane forests of China, this tree is named for its pair of showy white bracts.

can i do a referendum making it illegal for people to say "western alienation" when they aren't actually referring to the most heavily populated and most western part of the country

We need to stop treating the Fraser River like a junkyard and hold polluters accountable. The Queen of Sidney and Marpole rail trestle bridge have both gone up in flames in less than a year. Both unused & neglected.

These days I’m mostly wading through tidal marshes to net juvenile salmon, but today I was pleasantly distracted by this stunning patch of shooting star (Primula pauciflora var. macrocarpum) at Tilbury Island. One of the earliest plants to flower in the estuary!

🌱Plant distributions are frequently in disequilibrium with their environment, which can bias species distribution models. This latest review looks at methods used to reduce bias 🧪 🌏

Given the rapidly evolving political landscape in the United States and reports of individuals encountering difficulties crossing the border, CAUT strongly recommends that academic staff travel to the U.S. only if essential and necessary. Read more: www.caut.ca/latest/2025/...

We’re hiring! See details below.