Ecological Society of Australia

We love seeing all the entries to the annual Threatened Species Bake Off!

Each year, hundreds of bakers of all ages take part in the competition, baking an edible creation that looks like a threatened animal or plant to raise awareness and kick-start action.

😍 Which is your favourite? #TSBakeOff

🐠 More on the category: From the floodplains of Arnhem Land to the colossal Great Barrier Reef, water is as much a part of the Australian psyche as the red dust of our interior. We welcome images of the fauna that depend in some way on these watery worlds. ⁠Submissions: tinyurl.com/56pyy6t4

Photo comp: Water world

Past entries of the Water World category of our Ecology in Action photography competition to give you some inspiration! 📸⁠
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Have you entered yet? Entries close October 5- submit yours today: tinyurl.com/56pyy6t4
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#photography #wildlifephotography #marinelife #turtle #seahorse #frog #ecology

Reminder to register for free speed mentoring for early career ecologists 🦇 Jump online to check out the range of mentors available: tinyurl.com/bderjjxj Registration closes October 12 #mentoring #ecology

📸 @shoniepon1 on IG | Shona Elliot-Kerr is a quantitative ecologist and Holsworth recipient currently studying rainbow skink 🦎

It’s all fun and games until you drop your only survey pencil… in tall grass 😳😂

For all of you out in the field, what piece of gear have you used the most this season?

#ecology #biologist #relatable #oops #fail #funny #fieldwork

The October intake of our free mentoring for early career ecologists is now open for registration! 🦇

You've got questions and they've got the answers! (They'll try their best 😅) Jump online to apply and check out the range of mentors available: tinyurl.com/bderjjxj

#mentoring #mentor #ecology

Photo by Hugh Percival Image description: Mysterious red orchids against a dark background

Photo by Corinne Schlierenzauer Image description: Fungi glowing bright green in the dark

Photo by John Van Der Heul Image description: Immature Oligonema verrucosum, this is a myxomycete (eg: a slime mold) They are primarily saprotrophic, meaning they feed on decaying organic matter, such as dead leaves, wood, and other plant materials. They help break down complex organic compounds, recycling nutrients like carbon and nitrogen back into the soil, which supports plant growth.

Photo by Sue Jaggar Image description: Dew drops on a small white and pink flower seen close up

🌺 A little more about the category: Images depicting the plant, bacterial, fungi and lichen species found in Australia and its territories. These can be marine, freshwater or terrestrial species but preference will be given to images that depict endemism within these groups. ⁠

#macrophotography

Photo Comp: Branching Out Photo by Emma English Image description: A strikingly bright waratah flower

Photo by Sarah Wahjudi Image description: visceral image of fungi growing

Photo by John Van Der Heul Image description: Clastoderma debaryanum is a myxomycete generally only about 700um tall. They are protists with amoeboid and spore-forming stages. They play a vital role in ecosystems by decomposing organic matter, aiding nutrient cycling. Myxomycetes also play a role in competing against some soilborne plant pathogens.

Photo by Marcia Riederer Image description: A pretty pink wax flower

Past entries of the Branching Out category of our Ecology in Action photography competition to give you some inspiration! 📸⁠
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Have you entered yet? Entries close October 5- submit yours today: www.ecolsoc.org.au/opportunitie...

#photographycompetition #ecology #wildoz #naturephotography #flowers

In Ecology Matters all your burning questions will be answered. Like, 'What do ecologists do?', 'How do they end up studying obscure species?', and, 'What are their hopes and concerns for the future?'

Special thanks to former ESA team member Grace Heathcote for bringing this to life.

Ecology Matters

ICYMI We're publishing a book! 🦜

Across 30 essays and stunning imagery, Australian ecologists share their feelings and thoughts about why nature truly matters.

The book is available for pre-order through @csiropublishing.bsky.social now: www.publish.csiro.au/book/8205

#ecology #WildOZ #nature

Two short mushrooms with fuzzy white stems and rounded blue caps nestled together on a log. The blue caps are covered in thousands of tiny white warts, giving the appearance that the mushrooms are covered in an ethereal, glistening frost. Photo by Stephen Axford.

Peach-coloured fan-shaped fungi of different sizes growing in a cluster on a log. Their delicate, radiating gills are prominently visible. Photo by Stephen Axford.

Three hot pink mushrooms with slender stems and conical caps, set against a dark background. The gills beneath the caps are clearly visible and a lighter colour of pink. Photo by Stephen Axford.

A cluster of bioluminescent fungi glowing an eerie green in the dark. The mushrooms have broad, flat caps with gills along the underside that are illuminated by their own light. Photo by Stephen Axford.

Step into the surreal and spectacular world of fungi with these beautiful photos from Stephen Axford 🍄✨

1) Coprinopsis pulchricaerulia
2) Crepidotus cf. boninensis
3) Marasmius sp.
4) Omphalotus nidiformis

#FungiFriday #PlanetFungi

Powerful Owlet watching me.
#brisbane #birds #wildoz

Blunt greenhoods (Pterostylis curta) - Genoa River, East Gippsland, VIC - spring orchids 2025.

Blunt greenhoods (Pterostylis curta) sharing a secret near the Genoa River, East Gippsland, VIC.

Large numbers of this impressive greenhood orchid are up and flowering in mossy roadside verges this spring after good winter rainfall.

#orchids #inthefield #spring #ozplants #greenhoods

Phishing attack 🐟

@jessandquinn.bsky.social curing our Monday blues 😂

#marinebiology #marinebiologist #funny #viral #wfh

Don't forget to apply for our ESA2025 travel grants! Whether you're a student, travelling with little ones, early on in your career or more- we've got you covered 🐸 www.ecolsoc.org.au/grants-award...

The closing date for the Ecological Impact Awards has just been extended - but get in quick⁠!
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In 2025, *two* different awards will be available 🦜⁠
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Apply online before the new closing date of Sep 14: www.ecolsoc.org.au/grants-award...
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#ecology #awards #ecologicalimpact

You might be onto something! 🦜

Image of the Albany windfarm from sw Western Australia. The turbines are on the right of the image, marching towards the horizon, standing tall and dramatic above the low green coastal health. A silver and grey ocean appears on the left, below thickly textured grey clouds. A thin ribbon of coastal path winds through the left of the image.

Good morning!

If you missed our @ecolsocaus.bsky.social Hot Topics online forum a couple of weeks ago, the good news is that you watch all the talks here for free!

🌏🧪#wildoz
kaigi.eventsair.com/esa-hot-topi...

Congrats Eamonn! Can't wait for your plenary presentation 👏

Wattles aren’t just beautiful — they’re essential. They’ve long been used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for food, medicine, tools, and as seasonal indicators.

And fun fact: each Aussie banknote features a different species of wattle!

#NationalWattleDay

Happy National Wattle Day! 💛💚

Did you know Australia is home to nearly 1,000 species of wattle?

From Golden Wattle, our national floral emblem (Acacia pycnantha), to the rare pink-purple blooms of Acacia purpureopetala, wattles are as diverse as the landscapes they grow in.

#NationalWattleDay

‘It’s a huge honour to receive this award. Past awardees are ecologists I’ve drawn inspiration from and looked up to,’ he said.

👏 Hear more at Dr Wooster's plenary presentation at #ESA2025!

Dr Eamonn Wooster, an independent fellowship at Charles Sturt University, stands in front of a leafy tree.

🎉 Congratulations to Dr Eamonn Wooster – 2025 Next Generation #Ecologist Award Winner!

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr Wooster has been recognised for his outstanding work exploring how animals respond to risk in human-altered environments, with powerful implications for predator-prey dynamics.

Don't forget to apply for our ESA2025 travel grants! Whether you're a student, travelling with little ones, early on in your career or more- we've got you covered 🐸 www.ecolsoc.org.au/grants-award...

Happens all the time 😂

🎥 @jamesandjosietravel on IG

#ecology #birds #wildoz #birdlife #viral #funny #cockatoo

'Ecology in Action' Photography Competition - Ecological Society of Australia Entries are NOW OPEN for the 2025 ‘Ecology in Action’ Photography Competition Highlighting Australian biodiversity and ecosystems, and the role of ecologists in unravelling their mysteries 2025 Catego...

Enter now and help us showcase the wild heart of Australian ecology:
📅 Deadline: 5 October 2025
📍 Enter at: tinyurl.com/56pyy6t4

#WorldPhotographyDay #ecology #WildOz #NaturePhotography

Categories are:

🧑‍🔬 Out Standing in the Field – Ecologists in Action
🌌 Beneath Southern Skies – Unique Landscapes
🦘 Niches & Hollows – Terrestrial Fauna
🌊 Water World – Coastal & Marine Fauna
🌱 Branching Out – Native Flora
⚠️ NEW for 2025: Biodiversity on the Brink – Threatened species & ecosystems

📸 Snap to it — Entries for the ESA's 2025 ‘Ecology in Action’ Photography Competition are now open! We're calling on all nature lovers and storytellers to capture the beauty of Australia’s unique ecosystems and the work ecologists do to protect them.

#WorldPhotographyDay #NaturePhotography

Only one more sleep to go now 👀📸