Amy Dickman

This essay by @erikhane.bsky.social is both terrible and lovely - showing the best of people as well as the worst of them. We are all living in dark times, and we need everyone to have the bravery to tackle hate and build a stronger and more compassionate future

Who was Alex Pretti, the nurse shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis? Two witnesses said in court filings that the victim did not brandish a gun, refuting claims by the Trump administration.

Feeling bad for the many Americans I know who are suffering through MAGA US right now. It is truly dystopian and chilling - I look forward to when people are finally held truly accountable (and hopefully jailed!) for their actions or complicity in all this horror www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...

Conservation’s unfinished business Conservation often presents itself as a technical enterprise: how much land to protect, which species to prioritize, what policies deliver results. A recent paper in Nature argues that this framing mi...

Great to have @mongabay.com coverage of our recent paper, led by Moreangels Mbizah and with many amazing co-authors, on the structural inequities in conservation. Important things to keep talking about! news.mongabay.com/2026/01/cons...

I presume it will diminish their voice, at least in terms of state authority representatives etc - obviously Americans can still contribute in other capacities (including I would think NGOs), but it does reduce the power of the US in those discussions and votes, which seems odd

God it's embarrassing, they are being so spineless, and have been for far too long 😟

Text reads: Oxford Biology Annual Lecture, 16 December 17:15, Life and Mind Building, Oxford & Online. Image of several elephants walking in a close group

Join us for our annual lecture on 16 December! We will delve into the wonders of animal seismic senses, from spider webs to elephant rumbles, with Dr Beth Mortimer 🐘🕷️

16 December 17:15, in the Life and Mind Building, Oxford & online 👇
www.biology.ox.ac.uk/event/biolog...

Agree re nuance - and the monetisation is interesting. I understand the discomfort, but I don't think monetary value reduces or replaces other value, it's just additive. There are many reasons to conserve wildlife, but money is important too, not least to avoid habitat conversion to other uses.

Following the Black Lives Matter movement, researchers found that systemic racism and exclusion shape conservation, disproportionately impacting BIPOC communities, especially in the Global South.

Discover the framework for more inclusive conservation👉
doi.org/10.1038/s415...

@biology.ox.ac.uk

Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United

This seems like a spectacularly bad move in terms of international cooperation around key (real) threats such as climate breakdown & biodiversity loss, amongst others, but does anyone know what it actually means in practice if US withdraws from say IUCN?
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United

And this - withdrawing from IPBES, IUCN, IPCC & plenty more - as if climate breakdown in particular isn't one of the most existential threats facing the US, as well as the rest of the world..... www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

US immigration officer fatally shoots woman in Minneapolis Trump says the woman was attempting to run over ICE agents. Local leaders disagree.

It's terrifying to see what has happened to the US in just under a year (though brewing for longer). ICE inhumanity & apparent disregard for law or truth, Venezuela, threats about Greenland, & authorities amplifying false narratives. 3 more years seems a very long time www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

You too!

A new study of camera trap data from Tanzania’s vast Selous–Nyerere ecosystem reveals it’s a leopard stronghold, with 3.8 – 8.1 leopards per 100 km².

Researchers call for strategic, evidence-based monitoring of key sites to guide conservation.

👉 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

Apparently he'd worn through his sixth set of molars, he couldn't digest food any more, though I've also read he ended up with gut torsion. Either way, it's interesting that no-one mentions things like the loss of genes, knowledge etc for a natural death, while they are central for a hunted elephant

Thanks @alexmorss.bsky.social, great to see you on here!

I agree with the unsavoury feeling, but it depends who those people are & their priorities. What if the funds from that hunting paid for a school, a clinic, anti-poaching? Does an unsavoury feeling trump those realities? It's where it get's complicated - who gets to choose?

A framework for addressing racial and related inequities in conservation - Nature This Perspective proposes a new framework to support the inclusion of Black, Indigenous and people of colour in conservation initiatives.

Excited to have this @nature.com paper out, on addressing social & racial inequities in #conservation, as part of an amazing team led by the indomitable Moreangels Mbizah www.nature.com/articles/s41...

So I have heard, that's good news!

Craig the beer-ambassador elephant dies aged 54 The peace-loving pachyderm and lager promoter was an icon of successful conservation, say officials.

It's fascinating how when an older male elephant starves to death, the narrative is all about the success of their lives & the conservation effort, but if an old tusker had been trophy hunted, I suspect it'd all be about loss of genes, knowledge etc. Double standards? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

OK, new year, time to really try out BlueSky and see how it compares to X! Happy New Year everyone!

Community Camera Trapping: A Novel Method for Encouraging Human–Big Cat Coexistence on Human‐Dominated Land Human–wildlife conflict poses a major threat to conservation and livelihoods. Here, we outline two innovative approaches: one where local people monitor wildlife on their land using camera-traps and ....

Great to have our paper out on community-camera-trapping: an innovative conservation incentive approach where local communities monitor their wildlife & generate points, which are translated into locally-chosen community benefits onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

COO Vacancy | Lion Landscapes We are seeking an experienced, results-driven Chief Operating Officer (COO) to enhance our operational impacts and efficiency and help drive our mission forward across multiple landscapes.

We at Lion Landscapes are looking for a passionate and effective Chief Operating Officer, to help us deliver great community-based conservation. Please share widely! www.lionlandscapes.org/coo-vacancy

This all seems like a lot of Colossal hype, over some slightly gene-edited grey wolves.....I worry that it means people will think we can 'tech' ourselves out of the extinction crisis. Reducing threats like conflict & habitat loss is much more critical but sadly less sexy www.msn.com/en-gb/news/w...

Oxford book launch @wildcru.bsky.social @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social 23/4 5.30-7PM.
Talk & readings, guest perspectives, signed copies available to buy & free Malawi Mountain Gin samples

Register: forms.gle/NW61TATYeMBR...

@pelagic.bsky.social @iccs.bsky.social @amydickman.bsky.social

🌳 🌿 🌍🦤🧪🦊📚💙

Priceless

Chain-link fencing protects livestock from big cat attacks in Tanzania: Study NAIROBI ― For the last two decades, Matambire Mgemaa, a pastoralist in southern Tanzania in the environs of Ruaha National Park, nighttime has meant staying vigilant to protect his goats, sheep and ca...

Great to have our paper on fortified livestock enclosures covered by @mongabay.bsky.social & featuring some of our Tanzanian staff. These enclosures are important for reducing human-wildlife conflict, though not enough alone news.mongabay.com/2025/03/chai...

Butchering of the terms ‘conservation’ and ‘extinction’ in hunting debates is a disservice t... Following the failed campaign to ban trophy hunting imports into the UK, the hunting industry seems to have renewed confidence in its messaging. This is partly because the anti-hunting movement has bu...

Hi all, I've been feeling like the new kid in class, not quite sure how to start a conversation! But saw this link so seemed worth posting, highlighting the importance of facts in #conservation, even with contested issues www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...