[ECOLOG-L] camera trap study finds rich carnivore community on U.S. islands

[Erik Hoffner]

Interesting new study from Wisconsin that has a lot to say about island
biogeography, carnivore distribution, mysterious martens, and more:

https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/camera-traps-find-rich-community-of-carnivores-on-apostle-islands/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] journalist seeking comment re: Calif forest management

[Erik Hoffner]

I'm seeking comments from scientists reacting to Trump's announcement today
charging that forest management there is 'disgraceful' and is therefore
implicated in 2018's catastrophic fires:

"President Trump sent a tweet Wednesday morning announcing that he has
ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency not to send funding to
California to assist in the aftermath of deadly wildfires.

"Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires
that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen," Mr. Trump wrote.
"Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA
to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!"

Please contact me directly, Erik Hoffner 

Thanks!

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Trafficking in bats

[Erik Hoffner]

This is nuts, also the second link says  "This pipistrellus javanicus bat
is farm bred, with a certain number released into their natural habitat to
ensure their population remains stable."

Is that a good idea? Who's ensuring these bats are disease free and that
they know how to live in nature?

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com



On Sat, Dec 29, 2018 at 2:56 PM David Duffy  wrote:

> Several companies are selling dead bats of various species. I am not sure
> of the size of the market or what impact it may have. Also bats host
> several virus. While the specimens appear to come mounted behind glass, if
> they are removed or repurposed (e.g. MacBeth Act 4, Scene 1), is there any
> chance of novel routes of transmission to humans?
>
> Do we really want to encourage North American markets to vacuum up a
> parade of new species from the tropics?
>
> Season's Greetings,
>
> David Duffy
>
>
>
> https://realbutterflygifts.com/insects/rhinolophus-lepidus-refulgens?fbclid=IwAR05MjmymSQBhrMnbpM509V44MBzZHvpxGXDuY8RBh-Gu0S4hHpLRm23_X8
>
>
> https://www.greenearthstores.com/?p=pSingle&sku=00213887102&fbclid=IwAR3FiOUxWLXG-sY7YpXMOi6fOzTplFXlj8sPN4nJEVHOhBxTgVz4k0i2L9c#stock
>
> --
> David Duffy Ph.D.
> Professor and Director
> 戴大偉 (Dài Dàwěi)
> Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit/Makamakaʻāinana
> Department of Botany
> University of Hawaii/*Ke Kulanui o Hawaiʻi*
> 3190 Maile Way
> Honolulu Hawaii 96822 USA
> 1-808-956-8218
>

[ECOLOG-L] monitor forest biodiversity w/ bioacoustics: new paper in Science

[Erik Hoffner]

Here's a new paper in Science by the team at Mongabay in partnership with
Conservation Letters/TNC about bioacoustics:


   - *Recording and analyzing forest soundscapes can be an effective way of
   monitoring changes in animal communities in tropical forests and human
   presence, researchers say in a new commentary published in Science.*
   - *Bioacoustics, which can be used to cover a vast range of animal
   groups over large landscapes, can also fill the gap between the bird’s-eye
   view of satellites and the finer focus of on-the-ground surveys, to give a
   clearer picture of animal population trends over large landscapes.*
   - *Moreover, bioacoustics has the potential to be an important tool in
   assessing what’s working and what’s not working in conservation, such as to
   monitor forests maintained by companies under certification or
   zero-deforestation commitments.*
   - *The researchers have called for improvements in processing and
   analysis of huge acoustic data sets, which at the moment are the major
   bottlenecks in soundscape research.*

Full story:

https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/eavesdrop-on-forest-sounds-to-effectively-monitor-biodiversity-researchers-say/

Please share!

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] as N. America salamander pandemic looms, researchers rush to test vulnerability

[Erik Hoffner]

The U.S. is home to more salamander species than any other country but if
Bsal makes landfall, all bets are off...latest in Mongabay's series on the
salamander situation:


   - *Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), the “salamander-eating”
   fungus, was first described in 2013 after it had almost entirely killed off
   populations of fire salamanders in Europe. Researchers believe it spread
   there from Asia via the pet trade.*
   - *Researchers have yet to detect it in North America, but are very
   worried about its impacts if it arrives. The U.S. is home to more
   salamander species than any other country, many of which belong to families
   that are known to be particularly susceptible to the disease.*

Full story:
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/as-a-pandemic-looms-researchers-rush-to-test-salamander-vulnerability/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] wild Kemp's sea turtle hatchlings survived a NYC summer

[Erik Hoffner]

Did you hear about this? Maybe not since it was underreported, the
researchers tried to keep it quiet to protect the nest, it's a super sweet
story on our podcast this week, I want a batch of baby Kemp's Ridleys in my
broom closet too!

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/12/audio-the-true-story-of-how-96-critically-endangered-sea-turtle-hatchlings-survived-new-york-city/

Please forward to anyone who might enjoy it,

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] Papua New Guinea agroforestry supports conservation & development goals

[Erik Hoffner]

New from the Mongabay series on agroforestry worldwide showing that some
kinds of agriculture can be good for biodiversity, poverty alleviation,
climate mitigation, and also direct conservation of rainforests and reefs:


   - *Agroforestry produces a wide array of products for farmers, from
   betel nut to coconut and cacao, and is seen as a tool to address the
   country’s issues of rapid population growth and shrinking land resources.*
   - *The diverse and predictable harvest provided by agroforestry also
   allows the community of Gildipasi the additional luxury of putting aside
   nearby areas of forest for conservation: 2,000 hectares (4,940 acres) of
   forested areas and a marine zone have been protected in the last 18 years.*

Great pictures and a full report:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/agroforestry-supports-food-security-and-conservation-in-papua-new-guinea/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] Google searches reveal public interest in conservation is rising

[Erik Hoffner]

New peer reviewed paper published in *Frontiers of Ecology* by the team at
Mongabay will be useful for folks teaching/communicating about conservation
and biodiversity issues:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/google-searches-reveal-public-interest-in-conservation-is-rising/


   - *The number of Google searches for conservation-related topics has
   been increasing since 2004, a new study has found.*
   - *In fact, interest in both conservation and climate change-related
   topics seem to be tightly linked and rising similarly.*
   - *While the rise in Google searches for conservation-related terms
   doesn’t necessarily translate to increased support for conservation, what
   it does suggest is that conservationists must continue to communicate their
   results to reach all the people interested in conservation and
   environmental issues, researchers say.*
   - *The study’s co-author, Rhett A. Butler, is Mongabay’s founder and
   CEO, while lead author Zuzana Burivalova was also the lead researcher on
   Mongabay’s Conservation Effectiveness series published in 2017-18.*

Please share.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] E.O. Wilson geeks out on potential for ecosystem research, mapping bees of the world

[Erik Hoffner]

There's a "tremendous potential for deep studies of the nature of
ecosystems...this is the next big thing...when we get into it we're going
to find new laws and principles [akin] to what moved molecular biology
along so quickly once the main fundamentals were discovered, I think that's
going to happen with ecosystem science in the coming decades," he said.

Mongabay podcast repeat guest and conservation biology legend EO Wilson
called our host this week to check in about his ambitious Half-Earth global
biodiversity initiative and geek out about ecosystem research, listen here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/audio-a-half-earth-progress-report-from-e-o-wilson/

He also talks about his team's work of currently mapping all of the easily
conserved or already conserved/managed/mixed-use natural areas, a group
which is also engaged in mapping the ranges of all the world's 6000 bee
species, given the import of pollinators to biodiversity.

Listen at the link above or subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast on Android
, the
Google Podcasts app,

, Apple Podcasts
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, RSS
, Castbox

, Pocket Casts , and via Spotify. Or listen to all our
episodes via the Mongabay website here
 on the podcast homepage.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] Haiti might lose all primary forest by 2035, mass extinction underway

[Erik Hoffner]

New analysis of satellite and aerial photography:
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/haiti-may-lose-all-primary-forest-by-2035-mass-extinction-underway/

Summarized:


   - *Analysis of satellite imagery and aerial photographs indicate that
   all of Haiti’s remaining primary forest will disappear in less than two
   decades if current deforestation rates continue. Results indicate primary
   forest cover in Haiti shrank from 4.4 percent in 1988 to just 0.32 percent
   in 2016, and that 42 of Haiti’s 50 largest mountains have lost all of their
   primary forest cover.*
   - *These forests are home to endangered animals found nowhere else in
   the world; researchers say the country is already experiencing a mass
   extinction event due to habitat loss.*
   - *Deforestation-intensified flooding has also been implicated in
   thousands of human deaths.*
   - *Researchers say Haiti’s forest loss is driven largely by charcoal
   production and agriculture.*

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] salamanders: will US trade ban stop a deadly plague?

[Erik Hoffner]

Latest in Mongabay's new series on Bsal & salamanders:


   - *The U.S. is home to the world’s highest diversity of salamander
   species, many of which are thought to be susceptible to Bsal infection. So
   far, scientists haven’t detected the pathogen in North America, but many
   believe it’s just a matter of time until it gets here unless drastic action
   is taken.*
   - *In response, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service imposed a ban on the
   trade of 201 species of salamander species in 2016. However, the recent
   discovery that frogs can also carry Bsal led to an outcry from scientists
   urging government to ban the import of all salamander and frog species.*
   - *However, many hobbyists think a total ban is overkill. They instead
   favor a “clean trade” in which some imported animals would tested for Bsal.*

Full feature:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/can-trade-bans-stop-a-deadly-salamander-plague-from-invading-the-us/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] emperor penguin research @ McMurdo

[Erik Hoffner]

What's it like to work in Antarctica at McMurdo Station? The Mongabay
podcast rang repeat guest Dr Michelle LaRue who just got back to the great
big ice for her 6th tour to hear what her team is studying relative to
emperor penguins and what it's like doing this sort of work:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/audio-documenting-emperor-penguin-populations-a-dispatch-from-antarctica/

Hit the green play button at the link above or find/subscribe via Android
, the
Google Podcasts app

, Apple Podcasts
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, RSS
, Castbox

, Pocket Casts , via Spotify etc.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] Trapper turned conservationist Bill Wood dies

[Erik Hoffner]

An obit for one of the key people at Island Conservation:

   - *Bill Wood, a trapper who turned his expertise to save scores of
   species from extinction, died October 10, 2018 at the age of 84.*
   - *Bill worked for Island Conservation for almost two decades, hunting
   and trapping invasive species on remote islands.*
   - *Bill directly and personally saved over 180 animals and plant species
   from extinction though his work.*

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/trapper-turned-conservationist-bill-wood-obituary/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] frogs and chytrid disease: update from Honduras

[Erik Hoffner]

On the Mongabay podcast this week we speak with Dr Jonathan Kolby about his
frog study and rescue work, and he shared some good news about what his
center is learning about adults being more resistant and how that's
informed their strategies to keep frog populations in Cusuco Park healthy,
click the "Play" button here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/audio-racing-to-save-the-worlds-amazing-frogs-with-jonathan-kolby/

We also discuss the recent news of resistance found in Panama, and he plays
some frog calls they've recorded too.

One can subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast on Android
, Google Play
, Apple
Podcasts
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, RSS
, and via Spotify. Or listen to all our
episodes via the Mongabay website here 
on the podcast homepage.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Fate of the Amazon is on the ballot in Brazil

[Erik Hoffner]

Wrong link! Sorry, here 'tis:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/fate-of-the-amazon-is-on-the-ballot-in-brazils-presidential-election-commentary/

New at Mongabay today: "Jair Bolsonaro [has] promised that, if elected, he
> would shut down Brazil’s environmental ministry, relax environmental law
> enforcement and licensing, open indigenous reserves to mining, and back out
> of the Paris climate accord...international NGOs, such as Greenpeace and
> WWF, would be banned from the country. The damage these policies could do
> is extreme."
>
> A study by the Mongabay commentary’s authors estimates that Brazilian
> deforestation and carbon emissions under Bolsonaro’s policies would cause
> unprecedented Amazon forest loss, and contribute to destabilizing the
> global climate.
>
> The scientists' full analysis here:
>
>
> https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/5-bird-species-lose-protections-more-at-risk-in-new-indonesia-decree/
>
> Erik
>
> --
>
> www.erikhoffner.com
>
>

[ECOLOG-L] Fate of the Amazon is on the ballot in Brazil

[Erik Hoffner]

New at Mongabay today: "Jair Bolsonaro [has] promised that, if elected, he
would shut down Brazil’s environmental ministry, relax environmental law
enforcement and licensing, open indigenous reserves to mining, and back out
of the Paris climate accord...international NGOs, such as Greenpeace and
WWF, would be banned from the country. The damage these policies could do
is extreme."

A study by the Mongabay commentary’s authors estimates that Brazilian
deforestation and carbon emissions under Bolsonaro’s policies would cause
unprecedented Amazon forest loss, and contribute to destabilizing the
global climate.

The scientists' full analysis here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/5-bird-species-lose-protections-more-at-risk-in-new-indonesia-decree/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

Re: [ECOLOG-L] The Future of ECOLOG-L

[Erik Hoffner]

Good news, thanks Jon and ESA for taking it on, and thank you Dr. Inouye
for your tireless service connecting the denizens of this email list!

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com



On Wed, Oct 17, 2018 at 11:53 AM Jonathan Miller  wrote:

> Hello ECOLOG-L subscribers,
>
> You may have seen a few posts by me over the last several months, since
> I joined ESA as director of membership and communications in June. Most
> of what I've shared so far has been business of the Society that may
> have broader community interest.
>
> What I'm sharing now concerns all ECOLOG-L subscribers.
>
> Several months ago, ECOLOG-L founder Dr. David Inouye, a longstanding
> and distinguished member of ESA, requested that the Society take over
> administration of ECOLOG-L on a full-time basis. Since that time, we at
> ESA HQ have been working with Dr. Inouye and the technical team at the
> University of Maryland to sketch out a smooth transition plan.
>
> ESA is proud to be stepping in to support the ECOLOG-L community on its
> own platform, Ecologists Collaborating Online (ECO). It is our intention
> to ensure a seamless transition from the University of Maryland server
> to our own, and we look forward to providing this crucial service for
> the ecological community going forward.
>
> Currently, there are no actions that you will need to take: On
> approximately Nov. 12, 2018, the ECOLOG-L archives will be migrated to
> ECO, as will all user accounts, and ECOLOG-L itself will be shut down by
> the University of Maryland.
>
> We will be sharing more details about the transition, including what you
> can expect to see on ECO, over the next several weeks. If you have any
> specific questions, please contact j...@esa.org.
>

[ECOLOG-L] research on bats and Ebola

[Erik Hoffner]

New Mongabay podcast features Sarah Olson of WCS: with Ebola very much in
the news lately

we
thought it good to check in with an expert whose main focus is great ape
health to talk about humans and ecology too. Chimpanzees and gorillas are
just as susceptible to the Ebola virus as humans, but it might all come
down to the hammer-headed fruit bat, which is believed to be a potential
“reservoir” of the Ebola virus.

Olson is part of a study in the Republic of the Congo that seeks to
understand how the virus is transmitted from carriers like hammer-headed
fruit bats to other wildlife and humans.

While the study aims to discover the mechanisms that trigger outbreaks of
Ebola, Olson also says why this research is about much more than human and
wildlife health:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/audio-how-an-african-bat-might-help-us-prevent-future-ebola-outbreaks/

Listen at the link above or subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast on Android
, the Google
Podcasts

 app, Apple Podcasts
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, RSS
, Castbox
, Pocket
Casts , via Spotify , or
wherever you listen to podcasts.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] Sumatran rhino breeding plan poised for re-evaluation and relaunch.

[Erik Hoffner]

Part 4 and final piece in Mongabay's new series on the initial failures and
eventual success of a breeding effort for the critically endangered rhino
now making news for the amount of money raised to turn the tide and save
the species:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/the-rhino-reckoning/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] sick salamander series

[Erik Hoffner]

For the interest of folks working on amphibians and imported diseases,
Mongabay has a new series focused on North American sallies and the effort
to head off an epidemic of Bsal, here's the latest feature:


   - *Sometime around 2008, a mysterious disease started killing off the
   Netherlands’ fire salamanders. Three years later, 96 percent were dead.*
   - *The disease turned out to be Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans
   (Bsal), a relative of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
   (Bd) that has been implicated in the decline or extinction of some 200 frog
   species around the world.*
   - *Scientists think Bsal originated in Asia and spread to Europe through
   the pet trade. And they believe it’s only matter of time before it gets to
   the U.S. – the world’s hotspot of salamander diversity, where nearly half
   of all species may be susceptible.*
   - *Now, scientists are in a race against time to find the fungus as soon
   as possible after it gets here in the hopes that quickly enacted
   quarantines may stop, or at least slow, its spread.*

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/09/on-the-hunt-for-a-silent-salamander-killer/

Please share with colleagues and students who love herps.

Next in the series, a report from the Southeast US.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] How social sciences can help save species

[Erik Hoffner]

Univ. of Oxford//Institute for Conservation Research at San Diego Zoo
fellow Diogo Verissimo designs programs that change human behavior as a
means of combating the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products.

Check out Mongabay's new conversation with him about this work and how it
boosts the conservation sciences:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/09/audio-how-the-social-sciences-can-help-
conservationists-save-the-planet/

Listen at the link above or subscribe to the Mongabay podcast on Android
, Google Play
, Apple
Podcasts
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, RSS
, and via Spotify. Listen to all our
episodes via the Mongabay website here 
on the podcast homepage.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] Washington Post: agroforestry as solution for people, biodiversity, climate

[Erik Hoffner]

For the interest of folks working on forestry, biodiversity and
agriculture, I mashed up what I have learned about the science, culture,
and carbon capturing assets of agroforestry from publishing a series on it
at Mongabay.com for an op-ed @ Washington Post yesterday:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/09/11/agroforestry

I thought this and/or the Mongabay series which it links to would be
helpful to members of this email list in some way.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] 2019 major conservation/biology/environment conferences?

[Erik Hoffner]

Does anyone know if there's an online list of important 2019 meetings and
conferences like those hitched to the SCB, ATBC, IUCN, UNEP? I'm looking at
all those but there are certainly other associations not on my radar,
appreciate any leads,

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] ‘Godfather of Biodiversity’ ~ it’s time to man age Earth as a system

[Erik Hoffner]

Tom Lovejoy, the fellow that coined the term biological diversity is the
guest for the Mongabay Newscast this week:


   - *Lovejoy joined the Mongabay Newscast to talk about how deforestation
   and the impacts of climate change could trigger dieback in the Amazon and
   other tropical forests, causing them to shift into non-forest ecosystems,
   as well as the other trends impacting the world’s biodiversity he’s most
   concerned about.*
   - *He says it’s time for a paradigmatic shift in how we approach the
   conservation of the natural world: “We really have got to the point now
   where we need to think about managing the entire planet as a combined
   physical and biological system.”*

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/09/audio-the-godfather-of-biodiversity-on-why-its-time-to-manage-earth-as-a-system/

Listen at the link above or subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast on Android
, Google
Play ,
Apple
Podcasts
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, RSS
, or via Spotify. Or listen to all our
episodes via the Mongabay website here
 on the podcast homepage.

Thanks,

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] study: Earth has more trees now than 35 years ago

[Erik Hoffner]

A rare piece of good sounding news, though not without caveats:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/earth-has-more-trees-now-than-35-years-ago/

It was published in Nature.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] Do lemurs make medicine?

[Erik Hoffner]

Researchers writing in the journal Primates describe lemurs using
millipedes to perhaps treat infections, both external and internal:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/millipedes-might-soothe-itchy-lemurs-research-finds/

It would appear to be in line with news of orangutans using plants, this
late 2017 story went pretty viral:

Orangutans process plants into medicine, study finds
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/12/orangutans-process-plants-into-medicine-study-finds/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] how beavers matter

[Erik Hoffner]

The latest Mongabay podcast dives deep with beavers and shares some very
good info and charming reintroduction stories too, beavers are on the
rebound around the world thanks to conservationists who are helping bring
this keystone species back.

Hit the green play button here to hear:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/08/audio-beavers-matter-more-than-you-think/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] indigenous peoples cleared even more cloud forests than we have cleared today.

[Erik Hoffner]

Here's Mongabay's take on a recent paper in *Nature Ecology & Evolution:*

*Researchers are looking into the past to help ensure a future for tropical
forests*

*A study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution earlier this month found
that, prior to the arrival of European colonists, indigenous peoples in the
cloud forests of Ecuador cleared even more of the forests than we have
cleared today.*

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/researchers-are-looking-into-the-past-to-help-ensure-a-future-for-tropical-forests/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] New tagging tech for great white shark tracking

[Erik Hoffner]

Last week I joined a research team studying juvenile great white sharks
just offshore of Long Island, New York, an area that has been identified as
a great white ‘nursery.’ Some of the technology being deployed via tags on
sharks for this study will return unprecedented information on the species.
Here's a series of images from the program and of this particular shark’s
capture and release,

https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2018/07/new-tagging-tech-for-great-white-shark-tracking-in-new-york-waters/

Click thru to the full report to hear what biophysical studies the team is
also measuring, from the animals' stress and nutrition levels, to DNA,
hormone profiles, toxicology, etc.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

Re: [ECOLOG-L] the Big Biology podcast

[Erik Hoffner]

Good question Sam, and thanks for the endorsement of the Mongabay Newscast,
Garth, this week's show I think is a good advert for what we're doing:

*Is your drone stressing the wildlife out?*
In this episode we discuss the increasing use of drones by wildlife lovers,
researchers, and businesses, how that might be stressing animals out, and
how drone hobbyists can make a meaningful contribution to science while
avoiding the harassment of wildlife:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/audio-how-to-use-drones-without-stressing-wildlife/

Other podcasts I like and were not already mentioned include Speak up for
Blue (marine science) Inquiring Minds (wide ranging science interviews) Sea
Change Radio (sustainability) Living Planet (global environment) and For
the Wild (interviews with scientists & envi advocates).

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com


On Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 3:03 PM, Garth Covernton  wrote:

> For science podcasts, a few with varying amounts of ecological content I
> recommend the following:
>
> Hakai Magazine Audio Edition, Mongabay Newscast, Nature Podcast, Science
> Magazine Podcast, Science Vs., Scientific American Podcast, and terrestrial.
>
> Best,
>
> Garth.
>
> On Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 11:43 AM Samuel Raasch 
> wrote:
>
>> Awesome, can't wait to listen. I was just complaining to a colleague
>> about the (perceived) lack of good podcasts that focus on
>> conservation/biology/ecology. Good luck! Anyone else have favorite science
>> podcasts (other than RadioLab or Startalk) that this listserv should check
>> out?
>>
>> *Sam Raasch*
>>
>> *Clean Fairfax Council*https://www.linkedin.com/in/samraasch/
>> sraasc...@gmail.com
>> 202-253-0570
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 9:24 AM Lynn B. Martin  wrote:
>>
>>> Please spread the word about Big Biology (www.bigbiology.org), a
>>> podcast hosted by Dr. Art Woods
>>> from the University of Montana and Dr. Marty Martin from the University
>>> of South Florida.  Our goal is to
>>> discuss some of the big ideas in biology with experts in the field, but
>>> in a fun and engaging way for a
>>> broad audience.
>>>
>>> We're up to episode 6 right now, having talked to Carl Zimmer about the
>>> future of biology, Barbara Han
>>> about predicting disease epidemics, Jon Harrison and Jim Brown about
>>> scaling, Sheila Patek about fast
>>> movements in shrimp, Denis Noble about randomness, and Robert Dudley
>>> about why primates consume
>>> alcohol.  Next up is Massimo Pigliucci on phenotypic plasticity and
>>> niche construction.  In the coming
>>> weeks, we'll also be posting episodes with Fred Tauber, an immunologist
>>> covering the concept of self,
>>> Vinnie Cassone on time-keeping in animals, Sara Walker on a universal
>>> theory of life, and Patty Brennan
>>> on genital evolution.
>>>
>>> Please check it out and let us know what you think on our Facebook page,
>>> or just spread the word over
>>> Twitter and your other social media favorites.
>>>
>>> We're also very interested to learn what big biology is to you and who
>>> you'd like to hear on an episode,
>>> so share your ideas directly with us via email or post them to our
>>> Facebook page
>>> (https://www.facebook.com/BigBiologypodcast/).
>>>
>>> We hope you like it!
>>> Marty and Art
>>>
>>

[ECOLOG-L] How to use drones without stressing wildlife?

[Erik Hoffner]

Marine biologist Alicia Amerson is trying to bring all drone users (aka
'pilots') up to speed about how to avoid harassing wildlife, check out her
interview on the current episode of Mongabay's podcast:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/audio-how-to-use-drones-without-stressing-wildlife/

Most researchers know about these issues but as she states, *hobbyists are
using drones too aggressively to get exciting shots of birds and whales*
etc, but says that *hobbyists can legitimately aid good science and
research* and just need training and orientation.

She's got a book and online course all about it, and is a good interviewee
that we enjoyed having on the show, just click the play at the link above
or subscribe for free on Android
, Google
Play ,
iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, RSS
, and via Spotify. Or listen to all our
episodes via the Mongabay website here
 on the podcast homepage.

*It's a huge issue!* As she says, it's a big lift right now to educate the
public and researchers alike about their use vs wildlife before Amazon.com
etc fill our skies with pizza toting copters:

*“I want to hit the panic button and create policy” before we have
drone-based delivery services by companies like Amazon and Uber “and look
and collect data to make sure that we understand what populations are using
the skies before we release all of these drones into our world. And so you
have to create best practices and policies before all this really gets out
of control.”*

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] new evidence that fig trees are titans of diversity

[Erik Hoffner]

"Biologist David Mackay got a surprise when he began studying the birds
visiting fig trees in his native Australia: While he expected to see plenty
of species coming to eat the figs, he didn’t expect the insect eaters to
outnumber them two-to-one."

Details:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/scientists-reveal-yet-another-reason-fig-trees-are-titans-of-biodiversity/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Those rare success stories...

[Erik Hoffner]

Good to hear advice shared, here's some more via a very recent Mongabay
followup to that 2017 Mongabay article folks are citing,
‘Not all doom and gloom’: Q&A with conservation job market researchers
- *Intense competition, a flood of unpaid internships, a prevalence of
short-term work, high student-loan debt: young conservationists are
reporting a tough, rough time in the job market.*
- *A recent study in Conservation Biology attempts to uncover some concrete
data on the hard-to-quantify conservation job market in an effort to help
students prepare themselves for the competitive hunt for paid employment.*
- *Mongabay interviewed study co-authors Jane Lucas, who is now doing a
postdoc at the University of Idaho, and Evan Gora, who is now doing a
postdoc at the University of Louisville, to hear what they learned.*
- *Their advice: *
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/not-all-doom-and-gloom-qa-with-conservation-job-market-researchers/

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com


On Wed, Jul 4, 2018 at 4:34 PM, Kristopher Keane <
kristopher-ke...@utulsa.edu> wrote:

> Hello Ecologgers!
>
> I know this thread was originally meant for conservation in the tropics,
> but I think it is indicative of many other areas of biology as well. The
> main thing I would like to add is that teaching biology is becoming a more
> viable pathway for many, including myself. And because almost all teaching
> positions offer summers off, no matter where your job is you can usually
> escape to another part of the world to do research. Perhaps this is too
> much of a compromise for some who desire to live and research full time in
> remote locations. It has enabled me to find consistent and well-salaried
> employment, time for research, and the opportunity to instill a love for
> biology in others.
>
> Because I started my career as a high school teacher in Northern
> California, I had time during the summer to do a wildlife
> conservation/ecology internship halfway across the country (Oklahoma). The
> researchers running the internship helped me get into grad school there.
> They told me that "serious biology programs are free"  (usually through TA
> positions that cover tuition). Thus, my tuition was waived and I received a
> small stipend, while fulfilling duties as a teaching assistant. I highly
> recommend graduate school as long as you don't have to pay for it.
> Personally, I have never encountered a situation in which my education has
> worked against me.
>
> Because of my strong educational background (and CA teaching credential),
> I ended up getting a job as a Science Coordinator/Instructional Coach for a
> K-12 school district back in Northern California. This job gave me the
> opportunity to engage younger students (grades 7-12) in cool research
> projects. And I still had summers off to continue my own research, albeit
> without institutional backing. Additionally, in California there seems to
> be strong demand for community college professors (mostly adjunct positions
> teaching intro bio and anatomy/physiology). With a PhD and an extensive
> teaching background, I have been able to land a few part-time positions
> locally.
>
> Currently, I am just starting as an assistant prof at a tiny,
> non-traditional pre-med college, with an emphasis on teaching. The two
> major benefits I have seen in pursuing a more education-focused route for
> me are:
> 1) being a K-12 science coach/teacher pays better than a postdoc in most
> places (my PhD and corresponding units boosted my salary by about
> ~$9000/year)
> 2) I've only had to live in 2 places (with a young family it would be
> difficult to move to a new place with no friends or family).
>
> Of course these could be drawbacks as well! In any case, I just want to
> emphasize teaching as a viable academic career choice, even at the K-12
> level. I know many middle and high school teachers who incorporate personal
> research projects into their classroom. Here's one awesome example
> .
>
> I hope this serves as an optimistic example!
>
> Regards,
>
> Kit
> --
> *Kit T. Keane, Ph.D.*
> Assistant Professor of Biology
> California Northstate University 
> College of Health Sciences 
> Twitter: @kitkeane 
>
>
>
>

[ECOLOG-L] Investing in indigenous communities best way to protect forests, report finds

[Erik Hoffner]

A new report from an NGO and the UN's top official on indigenous affairs
adds to the growing body of evidence that indigenous peoples are the best
protectors of the forests they call home,

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/investing-in-indigenous-communities-most-
efficient-way-to-protect-forests-report-finds/

The rate of deforestation on customary lands is half what it is elsewhere,
the report finds.

Please share!

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] conservation job market researchers say: "not all doom and gloom"

[Erik Hoffner]

Mongabay interviewed two study co-authors Jane Lucas, who is now doing a
postdoc at the University of Idaho, and Evan Gora, who is now doing a
postdoc at the University of Louisville, to hear *what they learned about
the conservation job market from their recent study in Conservation Biology*
,

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/not-all-doom-and-gloom-qa-with-conservation-job-market-researchers/

...the pair attempted to uncover some concrete data on the hard-to-quantify
conservation job market in an effort to help students prepare themselves
for the competitive hunt for paid employment.

With all the unpaid internships, a prevalence of short-term work, high
student-loan debt...young conservationists are reporting a tough time in
the job market.

So, we hope this provides jobseekers some good advice and support.

*Please share with your students, friends, colleagues especially if they're
looking for a great job in conservation.*

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] bringing science & indigenous knowledge together

[Erik Hoffner]

The new episode of Mongabay's podcast interviews the director of Snowchange
about climate science, indigenous knowledge, and bringing those together in
the IPCC process and more.

Snowchange does peer reviewed publishing with its indigenous partners, is
writing part of the next IPCC report (AR6) and is also engaging in large
scale ecological restoration in the Arctic, with a very interesting funding
model.

Click the green play button here (or find/subscribe via Android
, Google
Play ,
iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, or via Spotify) ~

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/audio-the-dialogue-between
-science-and-indigenous-knowledge/

...his remarks on their bringing solar projects to remote indigenous Arctic
groups to empower communities and how it helps women and kids/education
also particularly interesting.

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] new area of bioacoustics research proposed

[Erik Hoffner]

Hello ECOLOG folks, on the new episode of Mongabay's podcast, Marshall U's
Dr. Anne Axel makes a pitch for a new area of research, soundscape
phenology, and plays recordings from Madagascar's dry forests to support
that thesis, listen here via the green 'play' button,

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/audio-how-soundscapes-are-helping-us-better-understand-animal-behavior-and-landscape-ecology/

This is a preview of her keynote address at the *biennial Ecoacoustics
Congress that happens next week in Brisbane*.

If you like what you hear, one can subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast on
Android ,
Google
Play ,
iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, RSS
, and via Spotify. Or listen to all our
episodes via the Mongabay website here
 on the podcast homepage.

Thanks,

Erik

[ECOLOG-L] cool seabird research volunteer opportunity, Northeast US

[Erik Hoffner]

Update: If you want to be part of this 50 year seabird study this summer,
there are still slots open banding chicks and documenting nest success,
call Research Team Leader Helen Hays at 860-460-0749 to learn more and hear
about the dates and logistics. I've been out to Great Gull Island to help
with this study, it's a singular experience! Erik

--

ATT anyone who likes birds/conservation/research and is in the eastern US,
you'd be interested in this coastal ecology/seabird biology opportunity:

Want to spend time studying rare and endangered seabirds on an island
biological research station that has made major discoveries in the last 50
years as part of *one of the longest running ornithological studies in the
world*?

Pls forward to colleagues/students, this station is a fantastic place for
budding bio/enviro/ornithology undergrads to see a conservation science
project up close and contribute to it. I had a great time out there
counting nests & eggs with a bunch of great volunteers and tens of
thousands of seabirds on just a few acres in the Atlantic.

The research team leader needs more volunteers in late June and all of July
for banding chicks.

Lots of students, bird watchers, citizen scientists, etc go there to help
out. Free room and board, free boat ride from Niantic, CT, incredible views
and sea air, etc. Cell reception, rustic conditions.

Here's an article I wrote about it for Sierra magazine plus 18 images from
a recent trip:

http://www.sierraclub.org/ sierra/2016-3-may-june/green- life/great-gull
-island


For details and to volunteer, contact Ann Pacheco 

Best wishes,

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] science/envi journalism internship w/ Mongabay, June 1 application deadline

[Erik Hoffner]

Interns work directly with a top Mongabay contributing writer/editor to
gain envi journalism skills, and you can do this internship from anywhere
at hours convenient to you, and one comes out of it with a list of articles
published at Mongabay.com for our 30 million global readers, which helps
one get further paid writing gigs and jobs.

Details here,

https://mongabay.org/programs/news/interns/

Please share, only a few days left to apply,

Erik

--

www.erikhoffner.com

[ECOLOG-L] Global Forest Watch's new tech fellowship

[Erik Hoffner]

Mongabay.com uses Global Forest Watch extensively for its global forest
cover reporting, it's a very cool remote sensing program synthesizing
satellite data and it updates constantly (hear their director Crystal Davis
talking about it on the Mongabay podcast here

).
If you know someone who'd like to be part of this and learn some cool
skills, read on/forward along:
===
*Global Forest Watch (the remote sensing forest monitor group) and World
Resources Institute just launched the first-ever GFW Tech Fellowship*. The
program will run from July-December 2018. Fellows will participate in
regular online meetings and trainings, and will receive tips and techniques
to effectively train and share knowledge with others. In September 2018 the
cohort will come together in Washington, D.C. for a three-day tech camp.

Who are we looking for?
Tech innovators, journalists, conservationists, campaigners, law
enforcement officers, lawyers, scientists, analysts, cartographers and
indigenous leaders who are committed to expanding their forest monitoring
experience and sharing this knowledge with others in their networks.

Read all the requirements, how-to-apply, and the perks of being the first
GFW Tech Fellow here

http://wri-indonesia.org/en/blog/first-ever-gfw-tech-fellows
hip-now-open-applications
===


Erik

--

Commentator's Curse: my new magazine essay arguing for quieter sports
experiences here

[ECOLOG-L] marine protected areas as 'hope spots' - Sylvia Earle

[Erik Hoffner]

The latest Mongabay podcast features celebrated American marine biologist
Sylvia Earle, who's spent a year of her life underwater and was a key
scientific aide to Obama: check out her pitch for 'Hope Spots' and nominate
such a marine place that her group should put on the map, just click on the
green play button here,

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/audio-sylvia-earle-on-why-
we-must-act-now-to-save-the-oceans/

Erik

--

Commentator's Curse: my new magazine essay arguing for quieter sports
experiences here

[ECOLOG-L] seabird research vol opportunity Northeast US

[Erik Hoffner]

 ATT anyone who likes birds/conservation/research and is in the eastern US,
you'd be interested in this coastal ecology/seabird biology opportunity:

Want to spend time studying rare and endangered seabirds on an island
biological research station that has made major discoveries in the last 50
years as part of one of the longest running ornithological studies in the
world?

Pls forward to colleagues/students, this station is a fantastic place for
budding bio/enviro/ornithology undergrads to see a conservation science
project up close and contribute to it. I had a great time out there
counting nests & eggs with a bunch of great volunteers and tens of
thousands of seabirds on just a few acres in the Atlantic.

The research team leader needs more volunteers in late June and all of July
for banding chicks.

Lots of students, bird watchers, citizen scientists, etc go there to help
out. Free room and board, free boat ride from Niantic, CT, incredible views
and sea air, etc. Cell reception, rustic conditions.

Here's an article I wrote about it for Sierra magazine plus 18 images from
a recent trip:

http://www.sierraclub.org/ sierra/2016-3-may-june/green- life/great-gull
-island


For details and to volunteer, contact Ann Pacheco 

Best wishes,

Erik

[ECOLOG-L] Technology & Conservation event in Seattle

[Erik Hoffner]

Folks in/near Seattle, please join us if you are free, and forward along as
appropriate:

Advance in technology have opened up a new world of possibilities for
conservation efforts. Join Mongabay.com founder, Rhett Butler; founding
editor of Mongabay's Wildtech, Dr. Suzanne Palminteri; Seattle Audubon's
Conservation Manager, Dr. Megan Friesen; and Acaté Amazon Conservation
co-founder and president, Dr. Christopher Herndon in a facilitated
discussion about how cutting edge technologies from bioacoustics to
artificial intelligence and remote sensing can be used to protect wildlife
around the world. Learn more and register on the event page:

https://my.seattleaudubon.org/event/technology-and-conservation-with-mongabay/e180201

Erik

[ECOLOG-L] research station in VZ under assault

[Erik Hoffner]

Venezuela is in crisis and an unfolding situation at a research station
provides the latest example, much research has been done there and is at
risk (including on  climate change & the brown spider monkey, a critically
endangered primate whose core forest habitat is within the forest):

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/crisis-in-venezuela-caparo-experimental-station-invaded-by-200-farmers/


   - *The Caparo Forest Reserve in Barinas state, Venezuela, created in
   1961, covers almost 175,000 hectares (432,000 acres). The Caparo
   Experimental Station, located within the reserve, encompasses 7,000
   hectares (17,300 acres) and has been under the administration of the
   Universidad de Los Andes (ULA) since 1982 for scientific research and
   education.*

Please share.

See also from VZ recently at Mongabay:

- Gold find prompts forest invasion by 3,000 miners, military raid

- Maduro seeks sell off of Venezuela’s natural resources to escape debt

Thanks,

Erik

--

Commentator's Curse: my new magazine essay arguing for quieter sports
experiences here

[ECOLOG-L] China’s Belt and Road poised to transform the Eart h, but at what cost?

[Erik Hoffner]

This project will affect natural areas all over Asia,

- *The BRI is the largest infrastructure initiative in human history, and
includes the Silk Road Economic Belt, a land transportation route running
from China to Southern Europe via Central Asia and the Middle East, and the
21st Century Maritime Silk Road, a sea route connecting the port of
Shanghai to Venice, Italy, via India and Africa.*
- *The potential environmental impacts of the mega-construction program
could be severe, warn analysts. China has committed to BRI environmental
and sustainability standards, at least on paper, but the sheer size of the
initiative, along with China’s past environmental record and its autocratic
institutions, are cause for deep concern.*
Full story here,

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/04/chinas-belt-and-road-poised-to-transform-the-earth-but-at-what-cost/

Mongabay will be tracking this project closely.

Erik

[ECOLOG-L] abuse allegations at top conservation group

[Erik Hoffner]

Conservation International (CI) is one of the largest conservation
non-profits in the world, with more than 1,000 employees globally and
nearly three decades of history.

*Calls for change in handling abuse allegations at top conservation group *

   - *Information provided to Mongabay shows a history of employees at CI
   who feel twice victimized — first by what they describe as “bullying and
   harassment,” and a second time by consequences if they report up.*
   - *Although CI advertises myriad policies about workplace ethics and
   protections, many say they are still afraid to speak up for fear of
   retaliation.*
   - *Staff also say that they are crippled by uncertainty about privacy
   rights and fear possibly destroying their careers or being branded a
   “troublemaker.” Despite that, staff have found ways to tell management time
   and again that not enough is being done to protect people in their
   organization.*

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/04/calls-for-change-in-handling-abuse-allegations-at-top-conservation-group/

Erik

--

Commentator's Curse: read my new magazine essay arguing for quieter sports
experiences here

[ECOLOG-L] ‘Annihilation trawling’ could doom inshore ecosy stems

[Erik Hoffner]

It used to be that bycatch was a mistake, but now trawlers in some regions
are hoovering up everything from seahorses to baitfish and tiny crabs to
grind up to feed to farmed fish and chicken:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/annihilation-trawling-qa-with-marine-biologist-amanda-vincent/

Erik

--

Commentator's Curse: read my new magazine essay arguing for quieter sports
experiences here

[ECOLOG-L] Postdoc Computer Vision for Tropical Forests

[Erik Hoffner]

A key associate of Mongabay.com, Heinz Award-winner Greg Asner, who's
currently mapping the world's reefs for our Reefscape project (hear him
describe this work here
)
and tropical forests, is looking to grow his lab, really cool opportunity
to be on the cutting edge of spatial ecology and tech:

*A postdoctoral research position is available for a computer vision or
machine learning expert to develop and apply algorithms to high resolution
satellite imagery of tropical forest canopies.  The planned study involves
the use of high-quality, high-spatial resolution satellite data (0.8m –
3.7m VNIR) from Planet (formerly Planet Labs) and Carnegie Airborne
Observatory LiDAR data to map tropical forest stocks and emissions in
support of science and conservation efforts led by project partner: the
Erol Foundation.  *

Details: https://bit.ly/2DRh2s2

Erik

--

Commentator's Curse: read my new magazine essay arguing for quieter sports
experiences here

[ECOLOG-L] Blue Mind and Sandhill crane migration time

[Erik Hoffner]

 Marine biologist Wallace "J" Nichols is on the new Mongabay Newscast
talking about his bestselling book about the importance of water in our
lives, "Blue Mind" (neuroscience shows an incredible human benefit of being
on/near/in water), and his upcoming movie of the same theme, plus he
discusses his pioneering work on sea turtle conservation, press play here,
J starts at about minute 5, essential listening for *World Water Day
tomorrow*:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/audio-exploring-humanitys-
deep-connection-to-water-plus-the-sounds-of-the-sandhill-crane-migration/

*Plus two bioacoustics researchers discuss their phenology work in NE's
Platte River, recording Sandhill cranes and chorus frogs* to show envi
change over time.

The *cranes are in high migration mode now* so it's a good time to tune
into the show to hear recordings of what it's like right now on the Platte,
such lovely sounds!

Erik

--

Commentator's Curse: read my new magazine essay arguing for quieter sports
experiences here

[ECOLOG-L] Amazon forest-to-savannah tipping point could be far closer than thought

[Erik Hoffner]

Hi all, an important new op-ed at Mongabay by the guy who coined the term
'biological diversity' in 1980 (Tom Lovejoy) and his colleague Carlos Nobre
about the swathes of Amazonia switching from forest to savannah, and what
can be done, restoration is a big part of it:

*Noted Amazon scientists Tom Lovejoy and Carlos Nobre argue that it is
critical to build in a margin of safety by keeping Amazon deforestation
below 20 percent.*

Read the story here  and do comment if you feel
moved,

Erik


--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Trump administration proposes to eliminate the USGS Biological Survey Unit

[Erik Hoffner]

Yes, the list of agencies and programs targeted for destruction is long and
largely aimed at deregulation or are otherwise pro-industry. Each time the
trumps put a list like this forward, the US Congress fails to act. So far
it's been more a statement of intent than an actual agenda, but as noted in
the story, they're not constrained this time by the stop gap funding
measures of the past, "Having cut a deal earlier this month to increase
agency spending over the next two years, lawmakers expect in March to
approve formal appropriations bills that will allow them to re-order agency
priorities." So, it is more likely than in the past, but I still wouldn't
rank its chances as being high.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

On Mon, Feb 26, 2018 at 10:48 AM, Leila Hadj-Chikh 
wrote:

> Call to Arms! The Trump administration plans to eliminate the Biological
> Survey Unit:
>
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-has-long-
> vowed-to-slash-government-now-the-knives-are-finally-coming-
> out/2018/02/26/b2d8c5ac-10f3-11e8-9570-29c9830535e5_story.html
> 
>
> Leila
>

[ECOLOG-L] Is anyone going to save the Sumatran rhino?

[Erik Hoffner]

There are between 30 and 100 Sumatran rhinos left in the world, and
Mongabay hired a reporter to travel in Indonesia where all but 2 of them
are relegated, and we're currently booking this writer onto radio shows to
discuss his findings, and wonder out loud when/if Pres. Jokowi is going to
act in time to save them.

*I'm interested to hear from anyone on this email list* who can suggest a
contact at any large radio media outlets in the SE Asia/Australia region
who'd like to have this very informed guest on a show of theirs. He also is
the Radical Conservation writer for the Guardian.

This is the story: *Time is running out for this Critically Endangered
species. So why aren’t we doing more? *

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/11/is-anyone-going-to-save-the-sumatran-rhino/

Suggestions are welcome, even if you don't know the producers of the show,
ideas are sought. Thanks,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Ecuador announces new national park in the Andes

[Erik Hoffner]

Río Negro-Sopladora National Park comprises more than 30,000 ha of
almost-intact alpine plateaus and forests in Ecuador’s Andes and will
protect an estimated 546 species of plants and animals.

** This is the kind of news you can get via Mongabay's once-weekly
newsletter, just put your address in the blanks right here

and you'll never miss a story! **

View this week's email blast below rounding up everything from new peer
reviewed research and species discoveries to indigenous forest protection
in Indonesia by way of religion.

If you're too busy to keep up with all the conservation news, *we summarize
our whole week's coverage like this every Thursday* so you can quickly see
what's been happening and click on what you'd like to learn more about.

If you also like social media we're @Mongabay
 on all the platforms, but email is the
surest way for you to see our latest coverage.

*See also below for a taste: *an inspring story of *reducing humpback ship
strikes in Panama*, a new mapping system helps tease apart deforestation
and agriculture in the DRC, and much more! Sign up here
 to get this or individualized alerts
on topics most interesting to you in your inbox each Thursday:

The new Río Negro-Sopladora National Park comprises more than 30,000
hectares of almost-intact alpine plateaus and forests


FEATURED

Trumping Colombia’s peace: U.S. drug war threatens fragile accord, forests

by *Sean Mowbray* [02/05/2018]
-
President Donald Trump has brought new tension to U.S.-Colombian relations,
threatening to cut crucial funding at a pivotal moment in Colombia’s peace
process and to decertify that agreement for a perceived failure to tackle
the drug trade.
- According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Colombian coca production
has risen to an all-time high, with around 90 percent of cocaine entering
the U.S. coming from that Latin American country.
- U.S. officials blame the cocaine resurgence on Colombia’s decision to
halt aerial spraying of Monsanto’s glyphosate herbicide – a controversial
tactic considered to have serious health and environmental impacts by some,
but rejected by others.
- Now, with Colombia’s fragile internal truce taking hold, the Trump
administration’s stance – reminiscent of the War on Drugs strategy of the
80s and 90s – could be a great hindrance to peace, with knock-on negative
effects for Colombia’s rural population and world-renowned biodiversity.


Safe spaces: Tackling sexual harassment in science

by *Carinya Sharples* [02/05/2018]
-
Through this 3-month long investigation, Mongabay examined a variety of
common situations in sciences where people are victimized by uneven power
dynamics and abuses of authority in the sciences across the Americas.
- Most of those who spoke to Mongabay for this story asked to remain
anonymous for fear of serious repercussions for their career.
- Though those interviewed were based throughout the Americas, Mongabay has
received other tips from around the world describing a wide variety of
abuses of power.


Maps tease apart complex relationship between agriculture and deforestation
in DRC

by *John C. Cannon* [02/02/2018]
-
A team from the University of Maryland’s GLAD laboratory has analyzed
satellite images of the Democratic Republic of Congo to identify different
elements of the “rural complex” — where many of the DRC’s subsistence
farmers live.
- Their new maps and visualizations allow scientists and land-use planners
to pinpoint areas where the cycle of shifting cultivation is contained, and
where it is causing new deforestation.
- The team and many experts believe that enhanced understanding of the
rural complex could help establish baselines that further inform
multi-pronged approaches to forest conservation and development, such as
REDD+.


NEWS

Ecuador announces a new national park in the Andes

by *Valeria Sorgato* [02/07/2018]
- The new Río Negro-Sopladora National Park comprises more than 30,000
hectares of almost-intact alpine plateaus and forests in Ecuador’s Andes
and will protect an estimated 546 species of plants and animals.
- In July 20

[ECOLOG-L] aerial lab monitoring ecosystems like never before

[Erik Hoffner]

Here's a discussion of cutting-edge remote sensing technologies used to
monitor ecosystems like rainforests and coral reefs on the new episode of
the Mongabay podcast, listen here,

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/audio-the-cutting-edge-
technologies-allowing-us-to-monitor-ecosystems-like-never-before/

Our first guest is Greg Asner, who leads the Carnegie Airborne Observatory
(CAO) at Stanford University’s Carnegie Institution for Science. Asner
invented a technique he calls ” *“airborne laser-guided imaging
spectroscopy"* that utilizes imaging spectrometers mounted on the Carnegie
Airborne Observatory airplane to produce highly detailed data on large and
complex ecosystems like tropical forests. The thing can also 'see'
underwater to map reefs, can differentiate rainforest tree species, and
even ID sea turtle spp as they swim at the surface.

Asner and his colleague Clare LeDuff will be documenting the progress of a
new project called Reefscape

on Mongabay, and he’ll tell us about that project to map the world's reefs
and likely discover many unknown ones too, in addition to explaining the
technologies he’s using to monitor the world’s rainforests.

Our second guest is Mitch Aide, the principal investigator at the
University of Puerto Rico’s Tropical Community Ecology Lab. In this Field
Notes segment, Aide plays a few of the audio recordings he’s uploaded to
Arbimon as part of his recent research and explains how these recordings
are used to examine species richness in tropical forests.

Please share with colleagues or students interested in acoustic ecology,
spatial ecology, and tech solutions for environmental issues.

Thanks,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] conservation's #metoo problem: academia to the lab, field and beyond

[Erik Hoffner]

New at Mongabay, we highlight the struggles of people in the conservation
field who face harassment:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/safe-spaces-tackling-
sexual-harassment-in-science/

   - *Through this 3-month long investigation, Mongabay examined a variety
   of common situations in sciences where people are victimized by uneven
   power dynamics and abuses of authority in the sciences across the Americas.*
   - *Most of those who spoke to Mongabay for this story asked to remain
   anonymous for fear of serious repercussions for their career.*
   - *Though those interviewed were based throughout the Americas, Mongabay
   has received other tips from around the world describing a wide variety of
   abuses of power.*

Please share with colleagues who track issues like these, and thanks,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] seeking tips: harassment by authority figures in conservation field

[Erik Hoffner]

Mongabay editor Genevieve Belmaker is seeking tips
 (anonymous is
ok) on cases of harassment or abuse by authority figures in the conservation
field. Email her directly  or for greater
anonymity, find/follow her on Twitter
 and send her a
direct message.

One can also send secure tips to Mongabay "ATT Genevieve" via encrypted
email, instructions here:

https://www.mongabay.com/story-tips/

Please do not send tips to me, and please do not send tips to the ECOLOG
email list by mistake, either.

Thanks in advance,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Summer REU - Coral Reef Ecology

[Erik Hoffner]

Reasons like those mentioned by Mitch and Carola are why this published by
Mongabay was among our top 10 most read articles of 2017:

A rich person’s profession? Young conservationists struggle to make it
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/08/a-rich-persons-profession-young-conservationists-struggle-to-make-it/

   - *Mongabay interviewed young conservationists about their experiences
   launching their careers.*
   - *Many of them related similar stories of having to reconsider their
   career choice as a result of the conservation sector’s tight job market,
   high educational and experience requirements, and often-temporary
   entry-level jobs.*
   - *To meet prospective employers’ demands for experience, many graduates
   become stuck in full-time unpaid internships or long-term volunteering.*
   - *As a result of these trends, the field of conservation may be
   hemorrhaging passionate, qualified, and innovative young people.*

The Guardian reprinted it and it got even more comment and discussion there.

Huge issue.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

On Mon, Jan 29, 2018 at 10:13 PM, cruzan  wrote:

> Whether they are listed as for profit or not they seem to be charging
> quite a lot of money for their classes - someone is profiting from that. I
> think students will generally do much better taking field courses with
> faculty from accredited universities. I don't think EcoLog should be
> advertising ecotuourism opportunities.
>
> On 1/29/2018 6:13 PM, Carola Haas wrote:
>
> I looked on the IRS website and elsewhere, and ITEC is at least truly a
> registered non-profit.
>  https://nonprofitlocator.org/organizations/fl/gainesville/
> 593434081-institute-for-tropical-ecology-and-conservation-incorporated
>
> I don’t begrudge organizations who take people on “eco-vacations” for a
> fee that allows the organizations to continue useful conservation,
> research, or education work.  But I do agree that the differences should be
> made clearer to students. It’s one thing for wealthy retirees to pay for
> these trips, something else entirely for full-time students. Many students
> get discouraged thinking that they will not be able to compete against
> other students with fancy tropical experiences that they have paid for.
> Students, employers can tell the difference and there are lots of great
> opportunities to gain research experience without paying for it (sometimes
> not in such exotic locales, but if you build a good resume in a more
> mundane place you’ll be more competitive for paid internships in more
> exciting places!).  For those who have plenty of disposable income, though,
> some of these ecotourism classes may be lots of fun, and may actually be
> good learning experiences.  But I definitely support John’s point below,
> that if you are hoping that these credits will count towards a degree
> elsewhere, make sure to get that approved through your home institution
> ahead of time!
>
> =c
>
>
> Carola A. Haas
> Professor, Wildlife Ecology
> Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Conservation
> 112 Cheatham Hall (MC 0321)
> 310 West Campus Drive, Virginia
> 
> Tech
> Blacksburg, VA 24061
> cah...@vt.edu
> 540-231-9269 <(540)%20231-9269>
> http://www.fishwild.vt.edu/faculty/haas.htm
>
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 29, 2018, at 2:29 PM, John A.  wrote:
>
>I have to agree that using “REU” for these courses is both misleading
> and disingenuous.  I’ve read through three of these course descriptions and
> I can’t find “REU” or corresponding words anywhere in the text.
>
>Given this, it’s more than fair to ask exactly what “REU” is supposed
> to mean here.  As Mitch Cruzan noted, there is a federal REU program
> (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) which has been advertised on this
> list by several major universities, including UNM, University of Minnesota,
> CUNY, and others.  By contrast, this “Institute” seems to be run out of a
> private residence in the north suburbs of Gainesville, with no apparent
> university connection.
>
>The fact that we have to question the basics of a post like this raises
> a lot of red flags for me.  I think Ecolog would be much improved if
> misleading advertisements like these simply weren’t posted here at all.  If
> I were an undergraduate I’d be confused about whether this “institute” is
> legitimate and whether any "credits" would actually transfer to my home
> university.  Undergraduates and young professionals would be better served
> if this sort of deceptive material wasn't circulated to the list.
>
>
>- J. A.
>
>
>
> --
> --
> Mitch Cruzan
> Professor of Biology
> Portland State University
> PO Box 751
> Portland, OR 97207 USA
> Web: http://web.pdx.edu/~cruzan/
> --
>

[ECOLOG-L] Dr. David Suzuki: indigenous knowledge is critical for human survival

[Erik Hoffner]

An interesting listen, the iconic ecologist, author and TV presenter Dr
Suzuki talks about science from the age of Sputnik forward, climate action
in CA vs US and in combo with, also the import of bringing scientists and
indigenous wisdomkeepers together, as he's planning to do in BC in May:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/audio-david-suzuki-on-
why-indigenous-knowledge-is-critical-for-human-survival/

Please share with your students and colleagues! Folks can subscribe to the
Mongabay Newscast on Android
, Google Play
,
iTunes
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, or RSS
.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Haiti is beautiful and ecologically important, Mr Trump

[Erik Hoffner]

A nice roundup from Mongabay.com today about just some of the ways that
Haiti (and the other places he maligns) are not sewer holes:

*Haiti’s botanical diversity was described as “one of the richest” in the
Caribbean by the US Forest Service in a report for USAID in 2010:*

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/haitis-most-popular-ecotourism-destinations/

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Rainforests 2017: the year in review plus huge Brazil dam news

[Erik Hoffner]

Hello all, Mongabay's founder/CEO/lead expert on rainforest issues has
created an in depth review of all that happened rainforest wise in 2017,
good bad and otherwise per science, activism, and policy:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/rainforests-the-year-in-review-2017/

...despite being an oft quoted expert on these issues, the topic is too
huge for one man and he asks that folks add developments he missed via the
comment function at the bottom of the article.

Also of note, *this is huge news, Brazil has announced an end to its era of
mega dam building* in the Amazon:

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/brazil-announces-end-
to-amazon-mega-dam-building-policy/

Thanks for reading this far, and happy 2018 all,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Mongabay's top 10 positive environmental/science stories of 2017

[Erik Hoffner]

Looking for some optimism for the New Year? Have a look, here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/12/top-10-happy-environmental-stories-of-2017/

   - *Throughout 2017, scientists discovered new populations of rare
   wildlife, and rediscovered some species that were previously thought to be
   extinct.*
   - *Some countries created large marine protected areas, while a few
   others granted land rights to indigenous communities.*
   - *In 2017, we also saw the ever-increasing potential of technology to
   improve conservation monitoring and efforts.*

Happy and healthy 2018 to you all,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Fwd: [ECOLOG-L] Life Advice

[Erik Hoffner]

Yes, I'd be happy to chime in about that, Emily and Adam, though I left
college with a multidisciplinary envi degree and an interest in many fields
which I tried out, from education to advocacy, before settling in
publishing. My sense is that you two need to hear from some folks of a more
hard science background.

But, if you have not read this feature at Mongabay about young conservation
scientists trying to make their way into a career, yet, definitely do and
especially read the comments at bottom since there's a lot of commiseration
but also advice,

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/08/a-rich-persons-profession-young-conservationists-struggle-to-make-it/

It was one of our most popular and important stories of 2017 at Mongabay
(it was republished in full at the Guardian too, see the comments on that
version also), it's a universal issue of trying to make a way thru debt to
find work in a challenging job market, but the conservation field is
tighter than many other job markets, so it does take some strategy and
advice from folks who've been there.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

On Thu, Dec 28, 2017 at 8:28 AM, Emily Diaz  wrote:

> I'm on the same boat as Adam, though I'm a student in South Florida
> instead. If someone currently in the field could offer guidance to us it
> would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
>
> Emily Diaz
>
> -- Forwarded message --
> From: "Adam Schultz" 
> Date: Dec 28, 2017 2:55 AM
> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Life Advice
> To: 
> Cc:
>
> Hello,
>
> I am a college student in South Dakota studying biology and environmental
> science, currently in my last year. I have been a part of this email list
> for about a little less than a year now, and recieve many promising emails
> everyday that help me to continue my own optimism towards my future field.
> One thing that I do not see, however, and would really appreciate guidance
> on, is advice on where I should go from my current position. How might I go
> about getting said guidance, or if possible, can anyone reading this
> provide any helpful insight? Thank you very much!
>
> Adam T Schultz
>
>
>

[ECOLOG-L] Indian agroforestry benefits biodiversity and crop yields

[Erik Hoffner]

I'm editing a new series for Mongabay.com on agroforestry--a global
phenomenon with 1 billion + acres under cultivation, here's the latest in
the series I just published about farmers who are developing multi-tier ag
with everything from bananas and betel nut trees bordering rice paddies to
mitigate effects of their climate warmed state of W. Bengal, India:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/12/agroforestry-boosts-rice-a
nd-biodiversity-in-india/

I sent this writer there to learn about it, was very cool to hear about the
300 varieties of heirloom rice these farmers are reviving too, plus the
uses of Sesbania, bamboo, agati, water spinach, bitter gourd and custard
apple they are developing.

*Check out the old ritual they do at the beginning of the piece calling a
diversity of birds to their fields to help them control pests organically. *

And come they do, from the nearby Kulik Bird Sanctuary: *Asian openbill
storks (**Anastomus oscitans**), cormorants, herons and egrets arrive to
join the bee-eaters, drongos, and owls* devouring bugs, mice, and rats
alike.

Rest of the features from Brazil & Kenya so far are here
 at the series
aggregator page if you are curious, this is the main 'explainer'

piece
we did that lays out the gigatons of carbon that agroforestry sequesters
annually, the incredible size of its current scope (equal to Canada in
area), etc.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] anthropogenic Allee effect (AAE)

[Erik Hoffner]

New at Mongabay:

Hunting and trade can push even abundant wildlife populations to the brink

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/12/a-vicious-cycle-towards-extinction-hunting-and-trade-can-push-even-abundant-wildlife-populations-to-the-brink/


   - *Researchers at the University of Queensland looked at something
   called the anthropogenic Allee effect (AAE), a theory that proposes a
   critical population level threshold below which the likelihood of a species
   going extinct increases substantially due to rising prices for rare animals
   incentivizing more hunting.*
   - *Using mathematical models to determine how quickly wildlife
   populations can decrease as prices for animal products rise in response to
   animal scarcity, the researchers found that the population thresholds
   proposed by AAE theory can drastically underestimate extinction risks.*
   - *While these findings would appear to call into question the
   biological sustainability of trophy hunting, the debate over trophy hunting
   is typically centered on social and economic outcomes.*

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Camera traps reveal surprises in Peru

[Erik Hoffner]

An interesting read (and watch):

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/12/camera-traps-reveal-surprises-in-peru/


   - *Scientists set 72 camera traps and audio recorders to compare
   biodiversity across certified forested areas and forests that are not
   certified for sustainable use.*
   - *The first few images reveal the presence of jaguars, pumas,
   jaguarundis, tapirs, red deer, tufted capuchins and even bush dogs, which
   are elusive and difficult to find.*

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Impossibility of outreach

[Erik Hoffner]

Joe's point is key, Mongabay wrote about this in August and then the
Guardian republished it in full despite its length:

*A rich person’s profession? Young conservationists struggle to make it*

   - *Mongabay interviewed young conservationists about their experiences
   launching their careers.*
   - *Many of them related similar stories of having to reconsider their
   career choice as a result of the conservation sector’s tight job market,
   high educational and experience requirements, and often-temporary
   entry-level jobs.*
   - *To meet prospective employers’ demands for experience, many graduates
   become stuck in full-time unpaid internships or long-term volunteering.*
   - *As a result of these trends, the field of conservation may be
   hemorrhaging passionate, qualified, and innovative young people.*

Full feature here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/08/a-rich-persons-profession-young-conservationists-struggle-to-make-it/

The 82 comments skew this way:

*"As a twenty-something with a Cambridge masters in Conservation, the
unpaid internships, the rejections... this was such a needed article. Helps
me understand that I'm not alone, and it's not my fault that I couldn't
land a conservation job. Thank you!"*

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

On Mon, Dec 4, 2017 at 4:15 PM, Robert Ripple 
wrote:

> Joe Desisto,
>
> Amen. I personally know several recent MS grads who have left the field or
> are waiting tables. They’ve never been able to get more than temp jobs in
> the field despite sound backgrounds from good schools. I think university
> departments and the profession need to think about the consequences of
> churning out so many grads for a limited number of paid positions. This
> shouldn’t be a field for the independently wealthy. And it’s hard to commit
> to a PhD program when the prospects for an MS are rough.
>
> Regards,
>
> Bob Ripple
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Dec 4, 2017, at 1:12 PM, Joseph Desisto 
> wrote:
>
> I think I am in your target audience -- recent graduate with experience in
> entomology and outreach, still with a fair amount of time on my hands. I
> did not open your original request because it seems like the majority of
> postings on this listserv are people asking me to do unpaid work, and I
> stopped opening those the second I graduated and had to look for an actual
> job.
>
> Young ecologists are generally too busy looking for paid work to be very
> interested in volunteer opportunities, especially in the current job
> market. I know many skilled, experienced young environmental scientists and
> biologists who have left the field because they couldn't find someone who
> would actually pay them for their time. I may be joining them soon. How can
> I justify traveling to do unpaid work for someone I don't know, who won't
> offer me a paid position anytime soon? I understand you don't have funding,
> but I don't have funding either.
>
> When I do volunteer work, which is infrequent, I help with projects such
> as bioblitzes in my local area run by people I know personally, like former
> professors and classmates, or others who specifically ask me because they
> know and value my skill set. I read their emails, regardless of length,
> because their emails say "Dear Joe" right at the top. I also volunteer for
> causes that are outside my profession, like political advocacy. So my
> advice would be, find individual people in your region whose skills you
> value. Reach out to them personally, and explain how the project is a) for
> a good cause, and b) beneficial to them, the people whose time you are
> requesting.
>
> Don't expect people to come to you, and don't treat volunteering as a
> privilege where the benefits are obvious -- that's presumptuous and
> insulting. Maybe offer to introduce them to other scientists who are
> influential and/or hiring? Letting them participate in the event for free
> is a good idea, but networking is about more than just being in a room full
> of other professionals. I'm sure there are also amateur entomologists in
> your area who would be happy to help, maybe at the local Entomological
> Society. Frame it as an invitation to an exciting event, rather than a
> request for unpaid labor, but understand that unpaid labor is exactly what
> you're asking for so when people are unenthusiastic, don't take it
> personally. I realize this sounds like a lot of work to do without funds,
> but frankly, you're asking other people to do a lot of work without funds,
> so that's the way it goes. If all else fails, you'd be surprised what
> people will do for a good pizza.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> Best,
>
> Joe DeSisto
>
> On Mon, Dec 4, 2017 at 11:52 AM, Aaron T. Dossey 
> wrote:
>
>>
>> It seems simply stating the size of the event would make the remaining
>> opportunities you describe obvious.  I can't really write a thesis on an

Re: [ECOLOG-L] author retracts WaPo letter Re: extinction

[Erik Hoffner]

Right, Ian, that was my word, but the point is that the writer doesn't
stand by what his name is on, anymore.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here
<http://www.erikhoffner.com/>

*tw: @erikhoffner <https://twitter.com/ErikHoffner>*

On Sat, Dec 2, 2017 at 2:18 PM, Ian Medeiros  wrote:

> Erik, I don't see the word "retract" anywhere in Pyron's statement. (Nor
> "withdraw," "repudiate," etc.)
>
> Furthermore, I find it hard to square "the headlines inserted for the
> piece for publication said ... that 'we should only worry about preserving
> biodiversity when it helps us.' I did not write these words" (statement on
> lab website) with "Conservation is needed for ourselves and only ourselves"
> (original article).
>
> Ian
>
> On Sat, Dec 2, 2017 at 11:50 AM, Erik Hoffner 
> wrote:
>
>> Thought folks would like to see that the author of that letter has
>> explained himself and  admitted he needed to run it by his colleagues
>> before publishing, blamed WaPo, too, for the heated headline, see here:
>>
>> http://colubroid.org/
>>
>> Did this group's letter, below, get printed?
>>
>> Erik
>>
>> --
>>
>> See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here
>> <http://www.erikhoffner.com/>
>>
>> *tw: @erikhoffner <https://twitter.com/ErikHoffner>*
>>
>> On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 3:39 PM, David Inouye  wrote:
>>
>>> Many thanks for sharing the link to our petition on ecolog. I wonder,
>>> however, whether it would be possible to correct the link on the website?
>>> Someone accidentaly deleted the original file, and the best solution we
>>> found was to create a new one. If possible, this is the only link that
>>> should appear on ecolog: https://goo.gl/E1i83Z
>>>
>>> No information has been lost, it’s just annoying for people to need to
>>> write to me asking for the right link.
>>>
>>> Thanks a lot for your help, and best wishes!!
>>>
>>> Alex
>>>
>>> —
>>> Alexandre Antonelli, PhD
>>> Professor in Systematics and Biodiversity
>>> Director, Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre <http://www.ggbc.gu.se>
>>> Wallenberg Academy Fellow
>>> <https://www.wallenberg.com/kaw/en/research/history-can-tell-us-how-sensitive-species-are-climate-change>
>>> |  Future Research Leader
>>> <https://www.euraxess.se/jobs/funding/ssf-individual-grants-future-research-leaders>
>>>
>>> Young Academy of Sweden <http://www.sverigesungaakademi.se/> | Royal
>>> Society of Arts and Sciences <http://www.kvvs.se/>
>>> co-PI, Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
>>> <http://www.becc.lu.se/>
>>> Scientific Curator, Gothenburg Botanical Garden
>>> <http://www.botaniska.se/>
>>> Science advisor, Universeum Science Centre <https://www.universeum.se>
>>> Chairman and co-Founder, BioNote <http://bionote.xyz/>
>>>
>>> *Delivery address: *Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre
>>> Box 461, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
>>> *Visiting address:* University of Gothenburg <http://www.gu.se>
>>> Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences <http://www.bioenv.gu.se>
>>> Carl Skottsbergs gata 22B, Göteborg, Sweden
>>>
>>> *Lab homepage* <http://antonelli-lab.net/> |  Twitter
>>> <https://twitter.com/antonelli_lab> |  Google scholar
>>> <https://scholar.google.se/citations?user=KYbhJxMJ&hl=en> | Facebook
>>> <https://www.facebook.com/alexandre.antonelli.7>
>>> E-mail:  alexandre.antone...@bioenv.gu.se
>>> Phone: + 46 (0) 703 989570
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
>
> Ian D. Medeiros
>
> Department of Biology
> Duke University
> Durham, NC, USA
>
>
>

[ECOLOG-L] author retracts WaPo letter Re: extinction

[Erik Hoffner]

Thought folks would like to see that the author of that letter has
explained himself and  admitted he needed to run it by his colleagues
before publishing, blamed WaPo, too, for the heated headline, see here:

http://colubroid.org/

Did this group's letter, below, get printed?

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

On Fri, Dec 1, 2017 at 3:39 PM, David Inouye  wrote:

> Many thanks for sharing the link to our petition on ecolog. I wonder,
> however, whether it would be possible to correct the link on the website?
> Someone accidentaly deleted the original file, and the best solution we
> found was to create a new one. If possible, this is the only link that
> should appear on ecolog: https://goo.gl/E1i83Z
>
> No information has been lost, it’s just annoying for people to need to
> write to me asking for the right link.
>
> Thanks a lot for your help, and best wishes!!
>
> Alex
>
> —
> Alexandre Antonelli, PhD
> Professor in Systematics and Biodiversity
> Director, Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre 
> Wallenberg Academy Fellow
> 
> |  Future Research Leader
> 
>
> Young Academy of Sweden  | Royal
> Society of Arts and Sciences 
> co-PI, Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
> 
> Scientific Curator, Gothenburg Botanical Garden 
> Science advisor, Universeum Science Centre 
> Chairman and co-Founder, BioNote 
>
> *Delivery address: *Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre
> Box 461, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
> *Visiting address:* University of Gothenburg 
> Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences 
> Carl Skottsbergs gata 22B, Göteborg, Sweden
>
> *Lab homepage*  |  Twitter
>  |  Google scholar
>  | Facebook
> 
> E-mail:  alexandre.antone...@bioenv.gu.se
> Phone: + 46 (0) 703 989570
>
>
>

[ECOLOG-L] how do big conservation NGOs use science to make decisions?

[Erik Hoffner]

Latest in Mongabay's conservation effectiveness series, please have a look
and leave a comment if you have anything to add, or subtract ~

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/11/experience-or-evidence-how-do-big-conservation-ngos-make-decisions/


   - *Scientists have been urging conservation NGOs to make decisions based
   on scientific evidence.*
   - *However, the big conservation NGOs run into many problems in trying
   to use the available science. Doing impact evaluations of their own
   projects is also hard and expensive, sources from the big conservation NGOs
   say.*
   - *For their work to be effective, the conservation community needs to
   develop a common understanding of what credible evidence means, how to best
   use different strands of evidence, and how organizations can evaluate their
   work and create evidence that others can use, experts across the
   conservation spectrum seem to agree.*

...and please share with your colleagues, would be great to hear from lots
of people about this.

Erik
Mongabay

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] US faces science brain drain

[Erik Hoffner]

Interesting: France and Germany offering to be a new 'home' to climate
scientists who are struggling under Trump in the US, at the same time
climate researchers who might want to enter the US to work are
reconsidering that move:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/11/should-i-stay-or-
should-i-go-is-u-s-facing-a-climate-scientist-brain-drain/

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Jane Goodall on animals as individuals, trophy hunting for conservation, and more

[Erik Hoffner]

Mongabay advisor Dr. Goodall appears on the new podcast episode, the
conversation begins with her thoughts about the recent research supporting
her 60 year old thesis that animals are individuals and then ranges into a
diversity of conservation topics, listen here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/11/audio-dr-jane-goodall-on-being-proven-right-about-animals-having-personalities-plus-updates-direct-from-cop23/

*“Quite honestly I think almost everybody recognized that animals have
personalities, whether they were in the wild or whether they weren’t,”
Goodall tells Butler. “And it was just science saying, ‘Well we can’t prove
it therefore it’s better we don’t accept it.’”*

Also a report from the convention center in Bonn with our reporter at COP23.

Please pass it along to anyone who would take an interest in Dr. Goodall's
work!

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to subscribe to the Mongabay
Newscast!* You don’t want to miss the next episode, when we’ll have
best-selling author Margaret Atwood on the program* to discuss her
conservation-minded comic book series *Angel Catbird*
 and
much, much more. You can subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast on Android
, Google Play
,
iTunes
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, or RSS
.

Best wishes,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] new bioacoustics research on gas drilling in Amazon & Minamata Disease on the rise

[Erik Hoffner]

On the Mongabay podcast this week, we speak with a researcher about her
findings of impacts on wildlife from fracking in Peru's rainforest, plus we
speak with a Goldman Prize winner about her ongoing effort to cut mercury
pollution and the troubling rise of Minamata Disease in some countries from
the toxic chemical:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/11/audio-impacts-of-gas-drill
ing-on-wildlife-in-peru-and-a-goldman-prize-winner-on-mercury-contamination/

Please tell your podcast/science/environment-oriented students about it!

Anyone can subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast for free via Android
, Google Play
,
iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, or RSS
.

Best,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] new agroforestry series at Mongabay

[Erik Hoffner]

I'm the editor of a new yearlong series for Mongabay.com on the global
reach of agroforestry--which nowadays covers over 1 billion hectares, the
size of Canada, and removes .73 gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere
annually and which benefits food security and biodiversity--the first
feature shares the ways this is a potentially key solution for the climate,
the environment, and communities:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/10/agroforestry-an-increasing
ly-popular-solution-for-a-hot-hungry-world/

Please tell interested students or colleagues about it.

I will be publishing a new feature to the series in the coming days about
agroforestry taking hold in agricultural areas adjacent to Brazil's
incredibly diverse Atlantic Forest, which is benefiting both people and
biodiversity. All features in the series will be available here
.

Best wishes,

Erik

--

Editor and Content Strategist
Mongabay.com

[ECOLOG-L] Amazon bat foraging vs fragmentation and Indonesian rainforests for sale

[Erik Hoffner]

Greetings all, here's new audio for you in case you want to learn how
Indonesia's rainforests were converted to *palm oil* by a corps of
profit-seeking local officials (from minute 6 on) and we also discuss a
great *acoustic study of bat foraging in the Amazon, as it is affected by
forest fragmentation* (from minute 27 on if you want to skip ahead), with
the study's author, listen here ~

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/10/audio-indonesian-
rainforests-for-sale-and-bat-calls-of-the-amazon/

...and/or subscribe via  Android
, Google
Play ,
iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, or RSS
.

Have a great weekend,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Can tech drive conservation? recording of 9/27 Commonwealth Club event

[Erik Hoffner]

Last month I mentioned on this email list a live program Mongabay.com was
hosting in the Bay Area, several folks said they'd like to see it:

On September 27, 2017, Mongabay hosted a program at the Commonwealth Club
of California in San Francisco about new ways advanced technology is aiding
conservation efforts worldwide, from remote sensing to drones, camera traps
and AI. Moderated by Mongabay Founder and CEO, Rhett Butler, the panel
featured Topher White, Founder and CEO of Rainforest Connection, the
Director of Global Forest Watch, Crystal Davis, and Virgil Zetterlind,
Director of Protected Seas and Chief Technology Officer for Conserve.IO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO1BTYtU2GI

For more articles and features on this topic, please visit Mongabay's
technology in conservation news site, WildTech, www.wildtech.mongabay.com.

Best,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Tragedy of the common: extinction crisis think piece

[Erik Hoffner]

The wonderful Canadian natural history writer JB MacKinnon argues that the
extinction crisis extends far beyond rare and endangered species in the new
issue of Pacific Standard,

https://psmag.com/magazine/tragedy-of-the-common

...a fantastic US magazine that's won the National Magazine Award two years
in a row.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Indonesia's rainforest for sale: 9 month investigation results

[Erik Hoffner]

If you've ever looked for explanations for what underpins so much of
Indonesia's rapid loss of critical rainforests, have a look at Mongabay's 9
month collaborative investigation of corrupt officials in the post Suharto
era, who've been gaming the political system to convert vast swaths of
rainforest and communal lands into personal profit making palm
plantations, *Indonesia
for Sale,* it just launched today.

Here's the background

on
the series along with a gorgeous and devastating video explainer, and here
is report #1, just a few hours old...

*The palm oil fiefdom*
*A politician in Borneo turned his district into a sea of oil palm. Did it
benefit the people who elected him, or the members of his family?*

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/10/the-palm-oil-fiefdom/

Erik

--

Editor and Content Strategist
Mongabay.com

[ECOLOG-L] Javan rhino communication and forest conservation

[Erik Hoffner]

The new Mongabay podcast episode features *Javan rhino communication* with
the co-author of a new paper that relies on camera trap footage of this
extremely difficult-to-observe species (from minute 24 on), here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/10/audio-taking-a-closer-
look-at-the-evidence-for-conservation-effectiveness/

...and also we have a conversation with Princeton University's Zuzana
Burivalova about her new analysis for Mongabay about the *general lack of
evidence for the overall success of green forestry certification schemes*
like FSC (from minute 5 on).

The good news is that these schemes do seem to work in terms of the
environmental goals, but evidence that they are good for people and profit
is slim, and she calls for more academic attention to these areas.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Does forest certification really work? New Mongabay report

[Erik Hoffner]

Mongabay's first report from our new 'what works in conservation' series
reveals that the evidence for the success of timber certification schemes
like Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is both mixed and weak:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/does-forest-certification-really-work/

We paired a Princeton PhD ecologist with a Mongabay staff writer and tasked
them with reviewing the available evidence in hundreds of peer reviewed
studies, and the result of months of work is that while it appears that the
FSC leads to better environmental outcomes, it's failing at the other parts
of its 'triple bottom line' i.e. people and profit. See the handy
infographic within the article for more, each square is a representative
study you can click thru to.

The main finding is that more evidence is needed, and so in their
discussion at the end, the team calls for more studies, esp of the impacts
of certification on workers and local communities, which are extremely
limited to date.

Our team:

- Zuzana Burivalova, PhD ecologist at Princeton in NJ, has been thinking
hard about the findings' implications, i.e. what does it mean for people
and planet if FSC etc cannot deliver and ultimately fail, we had her on our
podcast recently following our interview with Paul Simon, it begins at
minute 31 here


- Shreya Dasgupta, Mongabay staff writer based in Bangalore

- Mike Gaworecki, editor for the project and Mongabay staff writer based in
NYC

Please leave your thoughts and reactions in the comments section at bottom
of the article
,
and thanks all,

Erik

--

Editor and Content Strategist
Mongabay.com

[ECOLOG-L] Hall of Fame musician talks people, planet, and pipelines

[Erik Hoffner]

Canada Hall of Fame musician Bruce Cockburn appears on the latest Mongabay
podcast, he talks about how he got interested in ecology and also climate
change and how the British Columbia pipeline opposition is the inspiration
for one of the songs on his new record, plus fascism, corporate power and
more, head to the link below, press the green play button,

"I don't think you can fix the world in a way that will please
shareholders. I don't think those things are compatible'"

*https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/audio-legendary-musician-bruce-cockburn-on-music-activism-and-hope/
*

Subscribe to the show via Android
, Google
Play ,
iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, or RSS
.

Best,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] What conservation techniques work best? In-depth Mongabay series starts

[Erik Hoffner]

Mongabay has paired a Princeton PhD tropical ecologist with two of our
staff writers to produce a new series investigating some of the most
popular conservation interventions based upon published evidence:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/what-works-in-conservation-in-depth-series-starts-next-week/

The findings are quite interesting!

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] new camera trap strategy for small/fast moving creatures

[Erik Hoffner]

New at Mongabay, this system created for hummingbirds may be applicable to
other such creatures:

- *To solve the logistical challenge of filming hummingbirds, researchers
have developed a mechanical camera trap trigger system that separates the
camera from the sensors that detect an animal’s movement or heat.*
- *The independent positioning of multiple sensors enables users to detect
small, fast-moving animals before they reach the camera and to adapt to
immediate surroundings, such as vegetation that can trigger unwanted
photos.*
- *The do-it-yourself nature of the circuit, powered by AA batteries, keeps
it low-cost, long-lasting, and easy to recharge for those with some
knowledge of wiring and electronics.*

Read about this team's findings in their "Ecology and Evolution" article
and see pics of the system here,

https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2017/09/rethinking-camera-traps-for-small-fast-elusive/

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] technology and conservation, a powerful combo

[Erik Hoffner]

New Mongabay podcast episode just published talks about remote sensing, AI,
and more as relates to conservation, first guest is a young Nat Geo
Explorer and engineer whose NGO startup repurposes used cell phones to
become ears in the forest to prevent illegal logging and to track the
movements of animals via their remote distributed sensing and AI:


   - *Our first guest is Topher White, the founder of Rainforest
   Connection, a nonprofit based in San Francisco that has deployed upcycled
   cell phones in tropical forests around the world to provide real-time
   monitoring of forests and wildlife.*

Second guest talks about atomically precise manufacturing's applications
for conservation, AI and more.

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/audio-technologies-that-boost-conservation-efforts-right-now-and-in-the-future/

Our chat with the Rainforest Connection founder begins at minute 6.

Give a listen and subscribe if you like what you hear!

Erik

--

Mongabay.com

*twitter: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Can tech drive conservation? Live conversation 9/27 Bay Area/Commonwealth Club

[Erik Hoffner]

Mongabay.com is hosting a high level panel for a national US audience at
the Commonwealth Club of California about tech in conservation, please plan
to join us or alert colleagues of yours in northern California so that they
can, here are the speakers,

Rhett Butler, Founder and CEO, Mongabay
Topher White, Founder and CEO, Rainforest Connection
Crystal Davis, Director, Global Forest Watch
Virgil Zetterlind, Director, Protected Seas; Chief Technology Office,
Conserve.IO

Full details on the September 27/San Francisco based program here:

https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2017-09-27/can-technology-drive-conservation

Mongabay is an 18-year old global nonprofit environmental news service
which regularly covers the latest stories about people and planet, with a
special focus on conservation tech in our WildTech
 section, with stories like this new one,

App combines computer vision and crowdsourcing to explore Earth’s
biodiversity, one photo at a time


Hope you can join us, or please alert a friend to join us, and thanks,

Erik

--

Editor and Content Strategist
Mongabay.com

[ECOLOG-L] pobblebonks! acoustic monitoring in Victoria reveals success of wetland rewetting

[Erik Hoffner]

Very interesting project profiled on this week's episode of the Mongabay
podcast, from minute 24 on we speak to the President of the Australasian
Ecoacoustics Congress about her field recordings of pobblebonk (aka banjo)
frogs, plumed whistling ducks, bitterns, and more, who've flocked in to
rewetted marshes, and whose presence helps her measure success of the
intervention: without acoustic techniques, she could never document this,
since the rarest ones are only present or active late at night:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/08/audio-a-rare-earth-mine-in-madagascar-triggers-concerns-for-locals-and-lemurs/

Jo Wood is an Environmental Water Project Officer with the Goulburn Broken
Catchment Authority in Victoria, Australia. This Field Notes segment is
particularly interesting because we’ve spoken with a number of researchers
on this podcast who use bioacoustics to study changes to the environment in
order to inform conservation measures, but Wood is the first researcher
we’ve spoken with who uses bioacoustics specifically to monitor the
effectiveness of a particular conservation intervention that’s already been
deployed. Wood plays for us the calls of a number of indicator species
whose presence, or lack thereof, helps signal the overall health of the
wetlands ecosystems where she works.

You can subscribe to our podcast on Android
, Google
Play ,
iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, or RSS
.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

Re: [ECOLOG-L] Young conservationists are struggling to make it

[Erik Hoffner]

Thanks Judith, yes, many commenters have also made the point at our
Facebook page or Twitter that the way environmental groups are funded leads
to short term priorities, 2-3 projects pinned to grants, etc, and not on
organizational/professional capacity building that you get from developing
new voices, thinkers, and leaders. There are some great fellowships out
there though, like the Envi Leadership Program:

https://elpnet.org/what-we-do

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here
<http://www.erikhoffner.com/>

*tw: @erikhoffner <https://twitter.com/ErikHoffner>*

On Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 9:25 AM, Judith Weis 
wrote:

> It needs more committed people in the general public supporting
> environmental groups with their money so that the groups can enlarge their
> staff. Most people give lip service to the environment, but it is not high
> on their priority list.
> --
> *From:* Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news <
> ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> on behalf of Erik Hoffner <
> erik.hoff...@gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, August 16, 2017 3:04:38 PM
> *To:* ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU
> *Subject:* [ECOLOG-L] Young conservationists are struggling to make it
>
> Hi ECOLOGgers, thought you'd be interested in this, at Mongabay we
> interviewed young people trying to get a career in conservation started,
> and they report that it's tough out there: "Nika Levikov swore she would
> never work as a waitress again. But, today — with a master’s degree in
> conservation science from Imperial College London — she’s taking orders,
> delivering drinks, and cleaning tables to support herself..."
>
> *A rich person’s profession? Young conservationists struggle to make it*
>
>
>- *Mongabay interviewed young conservationists about their experiences
>launching their careers.*
>- *Many of them related similar stories of having to reconsider their
>career choice as a result of the conservation sector’s tight job market,
>high educational and experience requirements, and often-temporary
>entry-level jobs.*
>- *To meet prospective employers’ demands for experience, many
>graduates become stuck in full-time unpaid internships or long-term
>volunteering.*
>- *As a result of these trends, the field of conservation may be
>hemorrhaging passionate, qualified, and innovative young people.*
>
> https://news.mongabay.com/2017/08/a-rich-persons-profession-
> young-conservationists-struggle-to-make-it/
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2017%2F08%2Fa-rich-persons-profession-young-conservationists-struggle-to-make-it%2F&data=02%7C01%7Cjweis%40newark.rutgers.edu%7C85c94a1575e94870bef708d4e51ace4d%7Cb92d2b234d35447093ff69aca6632ffe%7C1%7C0%7C636385350688399432&sdata=PhGCrlj7BS7%2BUPJeIr1kVHcAMeqUv%2FbIxvE6xulcsNY%3D&reserved=0>
>
> Luckily some do make it, but it does make you wonder what the conservation
> movement needs to do in order to have a vital next generation.
>
> Erik
>
> --
>
> Editor and Content Strategist
> Mongabay.com
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2FMongabay.com&data=02%7C01%7Cjweis%40newark.rutgers.edu%7C85c94a1575e94870bef708d4e51ace4d%7Cb92d2b234d35447093ff69aca6632ffe%7C1%7C0%7C636385350688399432&sdata=AhY1TNyujDs3%2Boy5NGViSAvD4ZFIVsrAzUMbnMdhOAU%3D&reserved=0>
>
>
>

[ECOLOG-L] Young conservationists are struggling to make it

[Erik Hoffner]

Hi ECOLOGgers, thought you'd be interested in this, at Mongabay we
interviewed young people trying to get a career in conservation started,
and they report that it's tough out there: "Nika Levikov swore she would
never work as a waitress again. But, today — with a master’s degree in
conservation science from Imperial College London — she’s taking orders,
delivering drinks, and cleaning tables to support herself..."

*A rich person’s profession? Young conservationists struggle to make it*


   - *Mongabay interviewed young conservationists about their experiences
   launching their careers.*
   - *Many of them related similar stories of having to reconsider their
   career choice as a result of the conservation sector’s tight job market,
   high educational and experience requirements, and often-temporary
   entry-level jobs.*
   - *To meet prospective employers’ demands for experience, many graduates
   become stuck in full-time unpaid internships or long-term volunteering.*
   - *As a result of these trends, the field of conservation may be
   hemorrhaging passionate, qualified, and innovative young people.*

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/08/a-rich-persons-profession-
young-conservationists-struggle-to-make-it/

Luckily some do make it, but it does make you wonder what the conservation
movement needs to do in order to have a vital next generation.

Erik

--

Editor and Content Strategist
Mongabay.com

[ECOLOG-L] Smithsonian Panama looking for Staff Scientists. Applications open.

[Erik Hoffner]

Interesting looking opportunities for folks on this email list perhaps...

--

Editor and Content Strategist
Mongabay.com

Is this email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser
.



Smithsonian Panama is looking for Staff Scientists. Review of applications
will begin on 15 November 2017.

More information, including answers to frequently asked questions will be
posted at:

http://www.stri.si.edu/recruiter/users/jobs.php?id=184

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City,
Panama, is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the
understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare,
trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes
conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of
tropical ecosystems. Website: http://stri.si.edu. Promo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9JDSIwBegk
friend on Facebook <#m_5513009598774576353_m_231916414731421651_>
|
forward to a friend

[ECOLOG-L] The American pika: A case study in wildlife acclimating to climate change

[Erik Hoffner]

As a former resident of the Rocky Mountains who loved seeing these
critters, it's a nice thing to know that the American pika is proving to be
more adaptable than we thought, in the face of climate change ~

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/08/the-american-pika-a-case-study-in-wildlife-acclimating-to-climate-change/

New research from the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Taiwanese ecology and discussing the global dam building boom

[Erik Hoffner]

Latest podcast from Mongabay shares the nature and sounds of Taiwan from a
cool frog (Rhacophorus moltrechtpi) to reef life of the corals of Penghu
(which this acoustic educator is documenting together with biologists) and
bat echolocation calls...listen here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/07/audio-global-megadam-activism-and-the-sounds-of-nature-in-taiwan/

Plus a discussion with the author of a popular recent article at Mongabay
about opposition to the global hydropower boom.

If you enjoy this, you can subscribe to the podcast on Android
, Google
Play ,
iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, or via RSS
.

Thx,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] researchers analyze best techniques for road-kill mitigation

[Erik Hoffner]

A team reviewed 50 papers and found that although the most effective
road-kill reduction measures can be the most costly, they have high returns
on investment:

https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2017/07/researchers-analyze-roadkill-mitigation-efforts/

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] wildlife jam: DJ Ecotone mixes sounds of lemurs, birds and more into music that's inspiring kids

[Erik Hoffner]

On the new episode of the Mongabay Newscast we have a fun listen for you,
this DJ (and Nat Geo Explorer/TV host) knows what an ecotone is for sure,
being an avid birder and ecologist from his early days:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/07/audio-a-wildlife-dj-
and-a-childrens-book-author-inspiring-the-next-generation-
of-conservationists/

...hear about his process and what he sees as the future for this kind of
science communication.

We also speak with primatologist Cleve Hicks who authored a new children's
book, "A Rhino to the Rescue: A Tale of Conservation and Adventure" about
kids and conservation.

If you like this podcast, pls subscribe via iTunes

or whomever and leave us a review, that helps us improve and find new
listeners!

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Camera trapping in trees: new methods shared

[Erik Hoffner]

New roundup up of how teams are using camera traps in canopies to get
incredible documentation of arboreal life (def look at these pictures) and
it shares solutions to various challenges—including leaf-triggered photos,
high humidity, and insect infestation—facing researchers interested in
surveying and monitoring vertebrate communities in the canopy:

https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2017/07/camera-trapping-in-the-trees/

Some of these same researchers were recently highlighted in this Mongabay
interview  about
conservation comic books.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] bio acoustic study of montane birds in Puerto Rico: Mongabay

[Erik Hoffner]

On the latest Mongabay podcast we had bio acoustic ecologist Marconi Campos
Cerqueira join us for our latest Field Notes segment. Cerqueira recently
completed a study that used bioacoustic monitoring to examine shifts in
bird ranges driven by climate change in the mountains of Puerto Rico, and
he shared his findings and some of his recordings of these very cool birds,
too

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/06/audio-the-fight-to-save-indonesias-leuser-ecosystem/

Please listen, share, and subscribe if you like what you hear! via Android
, Google
Play 
, iTunes

, Stitcher , TuneIn
, or whatever app you
use for podcast subscriptions.

He talks about his work in Brazil with this methodology and with other
creatures and shares its many advantages.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] less affluent countries more dedicated to wildlife conservation than rich ones

[Erik Hoffner]

There are varying levels of commitment to conserving threatened species by
nations around the world, and research published in the journal Global
Ecology and Conservation last month suggests that rich, developed countries
are frequently doing the least, in case you missed it, here's Mongabay's
take:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/06/research-suggests-less-affluent-countries-more-dedicated-to-wildlife-conservation-than-rich-countries/

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] update on Amazon Reef discovery

[Erik Hoffner]

Listen while you work: here's a rundown on why the newly discovered
rhodolith/sponge/coral reef is very cool and more resilient than others,
and the threats it already faces from BP and Total, from Mongabay's latest
podcast,

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/06/audio-activists-determined-to-protect-newly-discovered-amazon-reef-from-oil-drilling/

...scroll down and press play! Then a conversation about envi journalism in
Latin America with the successful Mongabay-Latam team follows that at
minute 25. Pls enjoy, subscribe, and/or review the show via Android
, Google
Play ,
iTunes
,
Stitcher , TuneIn
, or RSS
, and let me know if you have ideas for
future editions of the show.

Thx,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] Scientists urged not to publish locations of endangered species

[Erik Hoffner]

Interesting, in case you missed it in Science a couple weeks ago:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/endangered-species-scientists-urged-not-publish-location-poachers-find-hunt-kill-animals-chinese-a7763156.html

“Our research permits demand that location records be uploaded to
open-access government wildlife atlases. Soon after uploading records,
people seeking the rare worm-lizard were caught trespassing, upsetting
farmers, damaging important rocky outcrop habitats, and jeopardising
scientist-farmer relationships that have taken years to establish. The
scientists have called on others to follow the lead of publications such as
Zootaxa, which will publish taxonomic descriptions of new species but
without any location information."

Mongabay published a nice interview about this issue a few years ago:
https://news.mongabay.com/2011/12/the-dark-side-of-new-species-discovery/
...good to see some scientists making more noise about this.

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

[ECOLOG-L] rich countries must start paying for tropical forest conservation

[Erik Hoffner]

That's the message author Frances Seymour delivers on this week's Mongabay
Newscast, listen here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/audio-frances-seymour-on-why-rich-nations-need-to-start-paying-up-to-protect-the-worlds-tropical-forests/

   - Seymour shares her thoughts on why now is such an opportune moment for
   this issue, whether or not the large-scale investment necessary to protect
   the world’s tropical forests shows signs of materializing any time soon,
   and which countries are leading the forest conservation charge.
   - We also welcome Mongabay editor Glenn Scherer back to the program to
   answer a question from Newscast listener Brian Platt about which 'good
   news' stories are worth talking about more in these tough times for
   environmental and conservation news.
   - All that and the top news on this episode of the Mongabay Newscast.


--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *

Re: [ECOLOG-L] IUCN overestimating ranges for threatened spp?

[Erik Hoffner]

Mongabay recently published an article about a new study by Ramesh et al
<https://news.mongabay.com/2017/04/overestimated-range-maps-used-for-endemic-birds-in-indias-western-ghats-lead-to-underestimated-threats-study-finds/>
questioning IUCN's methods of estimating species ranges, which has
implications for the Red List, and this past week the director of the Red
List, Craig Hilton-Taylor, responded with a op-ed/commentary at Mongabay
which boiled down to this point:

   -
   - -- But just as it is important to embrace cutting-edge technologies,
   it is also fundamental to respect the rigorous system for assessing
   extinction risk for the Red List. Ramesh et al. made a fundamental error by
   confusing two definitions normally used in assessments.


However, there were also some areas of common ground with Ramesh et al
highlighted by the author, read the full IUCN response here:

https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/an-evolving-iucn-red-list-needs-to-be-both-innovative-and-rigorous/

Erik


On Fri, Apr 28, 2017 at 10:37 AM, Erik Hoffner 
wrote:

A new feature was published just too late for inclusion in the Mongabay
> weekly email newsletter below that just went out, but I think it is of high
> interest to folks on this email list since the methodology of the Red List
> is called into question by this new study:
>
> *Overestimated range maps for endemic birds in India’s Western Ghats lead
> to underestimated threats, study finds*
>
> https://news.mongabay.com/2017/04/overestimated-range-
> maps-used-for-endemic-birds-in-indias-western-ghats-lead-
> to-underestimated-threats-study-finds/
>
> Erik
>
> -- Forwarded message --
> From: Mongabay Newsletter 
>
>
>
> * FEATURED* 
>
> Conserving Congo’s wild places on a shoestring
> <http://Mongabay.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=848232611d&e=e26e3b91f2>
> by *William Clowes* [04/25/2017]
>
> <http://Mongabay.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=baa0c5fb06&e=e26e3b91f2>-
> The park operates on a budget so small they can hardly afford to patrol the
> 76,000 hectares (188,000 acres) of mangroves, waterways, beach and ocean.
> - Though the beach and savannah portions of the park are partially
> protected areas, a handful of communities have continuously lived there
> since long before the park’s creation.
> - Park officials and rangers face the difficult task of protecting the
> vast area with just a handful of rangers and are up against generations of
> ingrained practices by residents, such as poaching turtles and their eggs.
>
>
> Namibia’s low cost, sustainable solution to seabird bycatch
> <http://Mongabay.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=caccb0de1f&e=e26e3b91f2>
> by *William H. Funk* [04/25/2017]
>
> <http://Mongabay.us14.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=f31df22056&e=e26e3b91f2>-
> Accidental take of marine animals by commercial fisheries is a serious
> global environmental problem, with 40 percent of the world’s ocean fishing
> totals disposed of as bycatch annually.
> - Roughly 63 billion pounds of unwanted wildlife — seabirds, marine
> mammals and sea turtles, countless fish species, rays, and cephalopods —
> are killed as bycatch due to the swallowing of baited hooks or entanglement
> in nets.
> - Nambia, once known as the “world’s worst fishery” regarding avian
> bycatch is addressing the problem. It has installed “bird-scaring” lines on
> the nation’s 70 trawlers and on its 12 longline fishing vessels, and has
> also adopted other low cost methods to minimize avian bycatch, which once
> killed more than 30,000 birds annually.
> - The Meme Itumbapo Women’s Group, known for its seashell necklaces and
> other jewelry, is now sustainably manufacturing and supplying the
> bird-scaring lines from their headquarters “Bird’s Paradise,” in Walvis
> Bay, Namibia. The hope is that these combined efforts will reduce avian
> bycatch by 85-90 percent in the near future.
>
> *Get daily Mongabay news updates
> <http://mongabay.us14.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=c0c4a535da&e=e26e3b91f2>*
>
> Our topic-based news alerts allow you to get daily or weekly notifications
> via email about topics you select.
>
> The land is forever: Rodrigo Tot wins Goldman Prize for land-title quest
> <http://Mongabay.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=652e434351&e=e26e3b91f2>
> by *Sandra Cuffe* [04/24/2017]
>
> <http://Mongabay.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=80161fe385606408293ae0e51&id=c1c128f447&e=e26e3b91f2>-
> Rodrigo Tot is one of this year’s winn

[ECOLOG-L] Amazon soil study question

[Erik Hoffner]

Greetings, I received an email at my desk here at Mongabay.com about a
study that a landscape planner in Australia is hoping to find a reference
for, or a link to, anyone know where to point this fellow?

"Years back (>10) I read a study that was completed in the Amazon Rain
Forest.

>From memory - they were looking at how long it took for ground temperatures
to return to pre-clearing temps after clearing for subsistence farming.

The result was, 'as long as it took for the full canopy to regrow.'

Does anyone there know of this study and point me to it?

Sorry not much to go on."

Thanks in advance for any citations or links,

Erik

--

See my latest writing and photojournalism projects here


*tw: @erikhoffner *