Marco Festa-Bianchet 🇨🇦

Spent a couple of days in and near Canberra, visiting friends from my sabbatical at ANU 7 years back. Was welcomed by a welcome swallow at Jerrambomberra wetland.

one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.

The CNRS is breaking free from the Web of Science From January 1st 2026, the CNRS will cut access to one of the largest commercial bibliometric databases, Clarivate Analytics'

The CNRS is breaking free from the Web of Science

www.cnrs.fr/en/update/cn...

French farm has €90,000 worth of escargot snails stolen The break-in was "a real blow", says L'Escargot Des Grands Crus, which was preparing deliveries for the holiday season.

Slow yet slimy news
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Photo of conifer trees at sunset

Did an interview with a B.C. TV morning show today about Christmas trees and climate change. I’m disappointed that they used the headline and banner “Climate change a disaster for Christmas trees”. This is what leads deniers to accuse scientists of hysteria, and the rest of us to doubt the news.

Sask. conservationists say trend of live-baiting snowy owls for photos endangers the birds | CBC News Saskatchewan wildlife watchers are worried snowy owls are being put in danger as photographers use live bait to lure them closer for better pictures.

Folks, don't do this.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.

My bro took this vid of urban coyotes in Edmonton eating apples. Strong clues as to how municipalities can reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Grente: killing wolves reduces livestock attacks in France, with much variability. Attack reduction is usually over short temporal (2-3 mo) and spatial (a few km) scales. Much stronger effects of multiple VS single removals. peercommunityjournal.org/articles/10....

Carney’s Alberta pipeline deal weakens climate policies | The Narwhal Prime Minister Mark Carney’s ‘grand bargain’ isn’t just about an Alberta pipeline —it also proposes rolling back a host of climate policies

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith have signed an agreement to advance Alberta’s pipeline dreams — and weaken some pollution laws. Here’s what you need to know:
thenarwhal.ca/carney-alber...

Steven, cross the floor. I did not vote Liberal to get a conservative gov't corrupted by fossil fuel money.

This is a must read 👇 👀

Liberal MP Steven Guilbeault resigns from cabinet after Carney, Smith sign energy deal Mr. Guilbeault is a career environmentalist who has been serving as the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture

Glad to see that someone maintains a minimum of principle. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Canada's environmental 'laws' are now officially a joke.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

La Colombie-Britannique ne pourra pas empêcher un nouveau pipeline sur son territoire Le gouvernement Carney s’entend aussi avec l’Alberta pour oublier son projet de plafonner les GES des énergies fossiles.

Une décision qui passera très mal au tribunal de l’histoire

Il est faux de penser que ça ne nous arrivera pas au Québec. Carney vient de se donner une méchante marge de manœuvre et de signer un désengagement majeur dans la lutte aux changements climatiques.

www.ledevoir.com/politique/ca...

Coexistence Conundrum: Should Lethal Management be Part of Coexistence? || Ep. 3 Podcast Episode · The Hunter Conservationist Podcast · 2025-11-24 · 41m

podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

Uhm, I dunno Aerin, many good points but also a lot of bait-and-switch here. Indeed, this is complicated, but not just the way these authors suggest.

News Release: Call for Ethics Investigation into Minister Todd Loewen - Alberta Wilderness Association November 24, 2025 Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) and Exposed Wildlife Conservancy are asking the Ethics...

🚨 We’ve called for an ethics investigation into Alberta Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen.

Read the full news release here: albertawilderness.ca/news-release...

Long-term research takes long-term commitment, long-term thinking and long-term funding.
Congratulations Bob!

Australian stinkbugs in Sydney

N.L. asks Deloitte to carry out review after 'incorrect' citations found in $1.6M provincial health plan | CBC News The Newfoundland and Labrador government says it's been in contact with the private company responsible for a new report meant to guide the province into the future, which was found to contain fake ci...

ChatGPT fake citations in a 1.6M$ report! Absurdly unprofessional by Deloitte, NL gov't should sue for a full refund. I expect in a few years this too may be seen as 'normal'. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

It was, although my main job was to trap ground squirrels.

Back in 1976 I helped Dave Moyles trap dippers on this river using a mistnet strung across it.

Applications due by Dec. 1st.

Check out the paper explaining what this is about, and also the database itself!

⚠️ Plus d'un an après l'annonce de projets pilotes, le gouvernement du Québec n'a toujours aucun échéancier de prévu.

Alors que nous attendons une stratégie complète pour la protection du caribou forestier depuis 2016, les coupes forestières continuent dans des zones prioritaires pour le caribou. ⚠️

Probably not

Officials to speak after grizzly bear attacks elementary school group in B.C. | CBC

This is horrible and very unusual, apparently the G-bear attacked a large group of people. Still very little known of what happened, I hope all those injured will recover. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Ord: interesting comic-book approach explaining evolution using the hunting-induced decrease in horn size of bighorn sheep at Ram Mountain 🧪
www.ordlab.unsw.edu.au/sites/defaul...
For the data, see onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...