Matt Clark 🌳🌄🏖️

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

Just a few quotes from the Declaration of Independence

Bending back the biodiversity loss curve of sharks and rays. The loss of sharks and rays to date has involved serial depletion of the largest, most evolutionary and functionally distinct species, and the increasing prevalence of smaller-bodied species that have benefited from release from predation.

New paper out today in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com by the #GlobalSharkTrends team: Bending back the curve of shark & ray biodiversity loss;
Read the paper here: rdcu.be/eZ9n9
@sfu.ca
@sfubiosciences.bsky.social
@earth2ocean.bsky.social

US court allows ICE to arrest and pepper-spray peaceful protestors in Minnesota

Appeals Court Stays Restrictions on Federal Tactics in Minnesota The Eighth Circuit granted the Trump administration’s request to block, at least for now, a lower court’s injunction limiting how federal agents interact with protesters in the state.

One court decision, two different headlines.

Guardian on the left, NY Times on the right. Which one more directly conveys information and the stakes to the reader?

The ENDOW project is seeking a Research Officer in Research Data Management to be based at the London School of Economics. - Oversee and extend our database covering geospatial, demographic, economic & social network data from 50+ communities in 30+ countries! - Contribute to research on the dynamics of social and economic inequality! - Join a stellar interdisciplinary team! - funded by the ESRC and the NSF [world map showing location of ENDOW communities; photos of some of the team members and some of the ENDOW communities showing their diversity

Research Officer in Research Data Management Salary from £43,277 to £48,220 pa inclusive of London allowance Fixed-term appointment for 18 months This research officer position is to work with Eleanor Power as part of the ongoing "ENDOW" project (Economic Networks and the Dynamics of Wealth Inequality), funded by the UKRI and US National Science Foundation. The research officer will be based in the Department of Methodology, a leading centre for research and education in social science research methods. While we expect this to be a full-time appointment, we are open to considering the possibility of a part-time appointment. The post entails overseeing and extending the database of the "ENDOW" project, which includes data from over fifty communities around the world, comprising economic, demographic, and social network data characterising each community, its resident households, and the individuals within them. The research officer will be responsible for the expansion of this database to include longitudinal data from each community site, implementing a robust data infrastructure to manage and curate this information. The research officer will work closely with Dr Power and data contributors to ensure data quality, standardisation, and appropriate governance. They will contribute to core analyses of the ENDOW project and develop tools and resources that will be of wide utility for the collection, curation, and analysis of cross-cultural data. This role is central to building the data infrastructure that will enable meaningful, productive comparisons across these diverse field sites and will ultimately serve as a resource for the broader scientific community. The successful candidate will: Have a completed PhD, be close to completing a PhD, or have other research experience that demonstrates the capability to produce independent original research Have experience with database design, data management and data governance Have experience with programming in R or Python

🚨Job alert! The ENDOW project is hiring a Research Officer in Research Database Management, to be based at @lsemethodology.bsky.social.

Oversee & expand our database & contribute to research on social & economic inequality.

Deadline 15 February. Share & reach out!
jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...

Yet another example of what happens if we allow LLMs to become a form of epistemic grounding for society.

Really fun to go on ABC News Australia to talk about @tom-pienkowski.bsky.social, @morenamills.bsky.social, and my new paper (along with several coauthors not on bluesky). See more here: www.nature.com/articles/s41....

@catalyzconserv.bsky.social
@sydney.edu.au
@ic-cep.bsky.social

'Blind spot': Researchers warn of hidden crisis undercutting environmental progress Experts say the issue may be far more widespread than is recognised — and we should be keeping track.

Also, see some great write-ups by SBS news: www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

and Oceanographic: oceanographicmagazine.com/news/conserv...

Conservation abandonment is a policy blind spot - Nature Ecology & Evolution Amidst the collective push to establish nature conservation initiatives, little attention has been paid to ensuring that they persist over time. The abandonment of conservation commitments is a blind ...

Out today in @natecoevo.nature.com 'Conservation abandonment is a policy blind spot'. Co-led by me and @tom-pienkowski.bsky.social as part of @catalyzconserv.bsky.social at @ic-cep.bsky.social & @imperialsci.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Plain language summary: What happens to large carnivores when human societies experience shocks? By Ranjini Murali, Altynai Adabaeva, Sixto Angulo, Rosario Arispe, Matthias Baumann, Arash Ghoddousi, Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi, Martin Jansen, Leili Khalatbari, Igor Khorozyan, Oswaldo Maillard,…

Check out @ranjmurali.bsky.social's new paper "Understanding multiple pathways of the impacts ofsocio-economic shocks on large carnivores" in plain language!
relationalthinkingblog.com/2025/09/18/p...

We seek an innovative scientist with a strong Earth sciences background and broad training in the mathematical, physical, or engineering sciences, whose work advances understanding of climate processes and informs strategies for adaptation. Areas of research interest include (but are not limited to): climate modeling; climate impacts on Earth/environmental system functions; extremes, feedbacks, and nonlinear processes driving climate risks; climate change impacts on ecosystems, infrastructure, or communities; and quantitative and computational approaches (e.g., data analytics, AI) applied to climate challenges.

We're hiring a climate scientist here at @umassboston.bsky.social in the School for the Environment! employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us... - more on the call in the image and its alt text. COME JOIN US! #climatescience

Zanzibar must act to conserve its natural & cultural heritage for the future (commentary) Zanzibar has a reputation as an island paradise in the Indian Ocean. Lying 20 kilometers (12 miles) off the East African mainland, it is governed as a semiautonomous zone of the United Republic of…

[COMMENTARY]

“Now is the time for Zanzibar’s government to reexamine past and future investment decisions to ensure they respect Zanzibar’s natural heritage and conserve it for future generations,” says a new op-ed.

** Views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.

Another nice write up on our letter in Science, this time through @mongabay.com and with some great images.

news.mongabay.com/2025/10/zanz...

Nice write-up by The Citizen on our recent letter in @science.org. They do a great job presenting the counterargument made by developers: www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/zan...

Redefine how the world measures progress!
🌍🧑‍🌾🌽🌎🌴🐬🌏🚵‍♀️🍄🌐👍

Join the Global Expert Consultation to develop
The Nature Relationship Index (NRI) @undp.org

<15 mins to make a difference
anu.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
> Deadline: Oct 15, 2025
> Background: rdcu.be/etpiQ

Human transformation of past terrestrial ecosystems - Nature Reviews Biodiversity Human actions have shaped ecosystems for thousands of years, and have profound effects on biodiversity and environmental processes. This Review explores the ways that humans have modified past ecosystems and the methods available for researchers to study these changes, as well as indicating how understanding historic change can inform conservation strategies.

Human transformation of past terrestrial ecosystems @natrevbiodiv.nature.com #anthromes 🌍🌐
doi.org/10.1038/s443...

Multi-generational vulture nests hold 700 years of human artifacts Crossbow bolts, sandals, slingshots, and more.

This is extremely cool: 700 years worth of archaeological artefacts being collected from old nests of bearded vultures (strong contender for the best vulture)

www.popsci.com/environment/...

Sharp rise in US whale entanglements after NOAA cut-backs - Oceanographic The NOAA has reported a steep increase in large whale deaths by entanglement in fishing gear, news that follows federal budget cut backs

Sharp rise in US whale entanglements after NOAA cut-backs oceanographicmagazine.com/news/sharp-r...

@ic-cep.bsky.social @imperialsci.bsky.social @imperiallifesci.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

Ngezi Vumawimbi Heritage Organization Our mission is to protect and help transmit to the next generation of Pembans the rich biodiversity and cultural heritage of Ngezi forest. We aim to connect the people living around the forest, and fu...

I don't know that this little letter will move the needle in any way, but the work done by the Ngezi Vumawimbi Heritage Organization certainly does. See their website here: www.ngeziforest.com

Tourism puts Zanzibari reserve at a crossroads The moist broadleaf forests located on the coasts of Tanzania and Kenya and on nearby archipelagos such as Zanzibar are highly fragmented hotspots of plant and animal diversity (1). On Pemba, the 988-...

Out in @science.org today. The Ngezi forest of Zanzibar is likely the most intact oldgrowth tropical dry forest in East Africa, if not the continent; it also houses tons of endemic species and gives resources to thousands of people. Bulldozers are waiting at its edge

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The features that make conservation scalable and durable aren't necessarily those that deliver the most environmental benefit at the level of individual sites!
@ic-cep.bsky.social @imperialsci.bsky.social @imperiallifesci.bsky.social

Diagnosing scaling bottlenecks in 10 community conservation initiatives in southern and eastern Africa Scaling area-based conservation, including initiatives led or comanaged by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, is a flagship goal of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Conserva....

Massive cross-institutional paper out today, bringing in almost 40 co-authors across 20 institutions and 9 countries 🌍. Led by @tom-pienkowski.bsky.social.
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

aerial and satellite imagery from before and after a river restoration project in central Idaho, USA

new paper, led by @nkolarik.bsky.social: monitoring outcomes of ecological restoration is challenging. Satellite imagery could help, but interpretation requires statistics that can identify breakpoints in messy time-series data. We provide a practical guide: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

@ic-cep.bsky.social @imperialsci.bsky.social @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

This project was a collaboration between our group at Imperial Collect London including @morenamills.bsky.social & @tom-pienkowski.bsky.social, local partners at Conservation South Africa, Meat Naturally, and @conservationorg.bsky.social, as well as others not on bluesky.

2) What people do with their animals further affects the environment. While tons of research focuses on the direct effects of climate and climate change on rangelands, we forget that climate also affects people's behavior. These secondary effects can be massive, but also predictable.

This is important for two reasons: 1) Poorer communities are more likely to sell cows during droughts to pay for food for the rest of the herd. This is disadvantageous. They're worth less when they're skinny and the market gets flooded with people doing the same. This is a sort of poverty trap.

New super cool paper out last week that you should definitely check out! 🚨😎🐮🌧️

We show that across space and time, economic wellbeing determines how communities respond to precipitation variability in South Africa:

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Our book is now available online at the African Books Collective here: africanbookscollective.com/books/mangro...

Reminder that 100% of proceeds to go mangrove conservation and education programs in Pemba, Tanzania.