Phil Levin

What Nature Teaches Us About Building The Nature Record How collaboration builds credibility and turns an assessment into a shared record

What tarantulas and toads taught me about collaboration — and how that lesson is shaping The Nature Record national assessment. A reflection on reciprocity, credibility, and the quiet leadership of our chapter leads as we head toward public review.
open.substack.com/pub/naturere...

What Nature Teaches Us About Building The Nature Record How collaboration builds credibility and turns an assessment into a shared record

What tarantulas and toads taught me about collaboration — and how that lesson is shaping The Nature Record national assessment. A reflection on reciprocity, credibility, and the quiet leadership of our chapter leads as we head toward public review.
open.substack.com/pub/naturere...

🔊 Announcing SCBNA's Public Engagement Series with The Nature Record!

🌎 Join our conversations on a national initiative preparing the first holistic assessment of U.S. lands, waters, and wildlife, and their benefits!

Learn about all 7 sessions & register here: scbnorthamerica.org/index.php/th...

Kicking off the new year with The Nature Record Overview Session #1! 🎉

Date: Monday, January 12, 2026
Time: 12 - 1:00 PM PST

Learn about why this assessment is needed now and how you can engage!

Register here! us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

A New Public Engagement Series to Shape Nature Together Join the conversation

We’re launching a new public engagement series. The Nature Record is a national assessment of the state of nature in the U.S.—our lands, waters, wildlife, and the benefits they provide. Join the conversation and register: open.substack.com/pub/naturere...

Please nominate your self and/or others to review the the United by Nature Assessment (formerly the US National Nature Assessment).
Spread the word.

What was once the US National Nature Assessment is now the United by Nature Assessment. These reports are only as good as the feedback they receive - nominations for expert reviewers is now open!

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking suggestions for experts to serve on an independent ad hoc committee that will conduct a technical review of the draft United by Nature assessment [nas.us8.list-manage.com] report. United by Nature has asked the National Academies to conduct this review of the draft assessment. The United by Nature assessment aims to provide a holistic evaluation of U.S. lands, waters, wildlife, and the benefits they provide. The review committee will consist of approximately 12–16 volunteer experts with relevant expertise. Suggested individuals may also be considered as potential peer reviewers for future publications stemming from this effort. Individuals who have served as contributors to the United by Nature assessment—including authors, chapter leads, advisory board members, technical contributors, or members of the secretariat—are not eligible to participate on the review committee. We are seeking nominations with expertise in the following areas: Ecology or evolutionary biology Biodiversity, ecosystem services, and environmental change Agriculture Conservation-relevant biophysical sciences Climate adaptation and mitigation Environmental social science and human-nature interactions Science communication Please submit suggestions by December 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.

@nationalacademies.org seeking experts by Dec 15 in
Ecology
Biodiversity, ecosys services, env change
Ag
Conservation biophysical sci
Climate adaptation & mitigation
Env social sci + human-nature interaction
SciComm
for a technical review of United by Nature
survey.alchemer.com/s3/8589587/R...

Review of the draft United by Nature assessment The United by Nature Assessment is designed to be “a holistic assessment of U.S. lands, waters, and wildlife, and the benefits they provide.

The National Academies is inviting nominations for experts to review the draft United by Nature assessment. Ecology, climate, conservation, social science, sci-comm + more. If someone comes to mind—maybe you—please nominate & please the word!

www.nationalacademies.org/projects/DEL...

Why Poetry Matters in a Time of Ecological Change The evidence of feeling

Why does poetry matter in a time of ecological change?
Because science tells us what’s happening — but poetry reminds us why it matters. 🌿

It helps us feel our belonging to place, and that feeling fuels action.

Read my United by Nature Substack piece:
🔗 unitedbynature.substack.com/p/why-poetry...

How a Chapter is Born Plus, a theme song on what it feels like to be a draft

Right now, nearly 200 authors across the country are crafting the second drafts of their chapters for a first-of-its-kind assessment of how nature supports life in the United States. This is the story of how it all comes together (there’s even a song!) open.substack.com/pub/unitedby...

Seeing the Universe in a Leaf A story about the connections between people and the natural world

🌿 What if a single leaf could remind us of our place in the universe?

My latest post on Substack. Check it out and follow us there ! 🙏

open.substack.com/pub/unitedby...

Opinion | A Sitcom Star and the King of England Walk Into a Fire Ceremony

Rainn Wilson from The Office: "About six years ago, during my daily practice of sitting in my underwear and sending out angry tweets to climate science deniers, I looked at myself in the mirror and decided it was time to be more than a keyboard warrior." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/o...

Inspired by Nature: 10 Powerful New Memoirs and Biographies • The Revelator These new books showcase moments where embracing nature led to personal discoveries or scientific breakthroughs.

Inspired by Nature: 10 Powerful New Memoirs and Biographies • The Revelator 🧪🌎

Scientists’ role in defending democracy The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...

When democracy falters, science is among the first casualties—truth silenced, data erased, expertise sidelined. But history shows us: scientists can build independent institutions that preserve truth, counter misinformation, and defend both knowledge and democracy. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A century‑and‑a‑half of urbanization (from ~7% in 1810 to ~83% in 2020) has amplified a generational loss of nature connection. Richardson links parental disconnection to child connectedness—suggesting family-based interventions could help restore our bond with nature. 🌳 www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/6/...

A century‑and‑a‑half of urbanization (from ~7% in 1810 to ~83% in 2020) has amplified a generational loss of nature connection. Richardson links parental disconnection to child connectedness—suggesting family-based interventions could help restore our bond with nature. 🌳 www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/6/...

NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency NASA’s charter clearly states the agency should study planet Earth, however.

Studying the Earth is literally in the authorizing charter of NASA and always been part of their mission…

arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...

Scientists’ role in defending democracy The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...

When democracy falters, science is among the first casualties—truth silenced, data erased, expertise sidelined. But history shows us: scientists can build independent institutions that preserve truth, counter misinformation, and defend both knowledge and democracy. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

We are so excited to share this
cover reveal of THE NATURE OF OUR TIMES:
Poems on America’s Lands, Waters, Wildlife, and other Natural Wonders Edited by Luisa A. Igloria, Aileen Cassinetto,
and David Hassler; Foreword by Phil Levin.
Forthcoming from Paloma Press on 18 September, 2025...

The @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social needs your input on a collective research agenda for actionable ecological science. Are you attending #ESA2025 in Baltimore? Join us on Monday August 11 for a community discussion about how we can help solve urgent socioenvironmental problems with sound science.

I’m joining UW EarthLab as Interim Executive Director. Same mission as always—helping people & nature thrive—just with more meetings. @EarthLab to United by Nature (weareunitedbynature.org), I’m still chasing the big questions. Why I said yes earthlab in link below ➡️

Why Now: Reflections on Joining EarthLab | EarthLab

We're thrilled to welcome @phillevin.bsky.social, PhD to the EarthLab team! Phil has been a long-time leader in the field of nature and health and served as Director of the first-ever National Nature Assessment. Welcome, Dr. Levin!

earthlab.uw.edu/2025/08/why-...

Week 28 July 28 - Aug 1, 2025 - failing down the garden path

Each Friday I summarize what happened in science 🧪& higher ed. This was Week 28:

- $300M frozen at UCLA + updates on university “deals”
- jobs report, Bureau of Labor Statistics firing & data quality fears
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting shutting down

+ more at buttondown.com/liminalcreat...

Nature doesn’t live in a PDF—and neither should our vision for it. Deep thanks to the Esri team for helping turn the United by Nature assessment into something interactive, beautiful, and alive. This partnership gives me hope.

Science and Democracy Under Siege Documenting Six Months of the Trump Administration’s Destructive Actions

We are six months into the second Trump administration and the scale and severity of its assault on our nation's science and democracy has been unrelenting.

Today, @ucs.org releases a detailed assessment of the damage so far and where we go from here: www.ucs.org/resources/sc... #ProtectScience

Nature doesn’t live in a PDF—and neither should our vision for it. Deep thanks to the Esri team for helping turn the United by Nature assessment into something interactive, beautiful, and alive. This partnership gives me hope.

Let’s do this, people Abstract. Science is a labor of love. That’s why I got into the business after a childhood obsessed with animals. Here, I offer a few scenes along my own w

Wonderful piece by Emmett Duffy. Science is a sacred obligation—and a team sport. It thrives on curiosity, humility, and the wisdom of crowds. Let’s keep exploring, questioning, and building a better world together. Let’s do this, people!
doi.org/10.1093/ices...

A line graph of world newspaper coverage of climate change or global warming from 2004 to 2025 in continents around the world.

Newspaper coverage of climate change around the globe dropped 6% from May to June 2025 -- and by 28% compared to June 2024, despite increasing frequency and severity of climate-fueled extreme weather events.

Read more from the @media-climate.bsky.social here: mecco.colorado.edu/summaries/is...

Honored to give the Opening Plenary at this year’s ESA meeting. Drawing on work with the United by Nature initiative, I’ll explore how radical amazement—deep awe evoked by nature—can guide and spark transformative action. Hope to see you there! Weareunitedbynature.org