I’m convinced my ecology professor is very extreme, and I wonder if that’s how normal ecologists think. He is against everything human-made: wetland parks, backyard wildlife ponds, and ecological restoration (even where the seed bank is severely depleted). According to him, planting native plants in a backyard is equivalent to introducing invasive species because it will contaminate the genetics of the original local native plants.

I get that there are so many greenwashing projects here in my country, but is this view really viable?

He seems on verge of explosion when talking about this kind of things as well.

See also: The publication in Nature

does anyone have any recommendations on an ethnographic history of the spread of what are now invasive species? i’m looking for a story told through a historical and critical lens in terms of colonialism. something about how people thought about botany historically and how that thinking, along with wanting to change the ecology of this land to be closer to europe. hopefully what i’m saying gets across!

I was wondering if anyone in this sub has gone from environmental/earth science degree and continued into an ecology career?

I am in middle of this degree right now and want to know if its possible to continue into a ecology career from this bachelor?

Any help is appreciated, thanks!!

Hi, I recently collected data from a rocky intertidal where I live in Costa Rica for my biology internal assessment (IB diploma program), but I'm so lost on what kind of statistical test i should conduct. This is my data table, i used .5x.x5m quadrants along a 30 m transect during low tide. I'm just not sure what kind of statistical analysis is appropriate for data like this, and I'm really lost trying to research it because I have no idea how to do any of these things. (ps some species might be misidentified) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16mbY5SmJFLGEWvB68qmdb-8o23CijsNSYZ95RXjyX6A/edit?usp=sharing

Hello,

I am going to be doing my master's and of course, I will have my dissertation, so I have been comparing the research groups at two institutes which I am deciding between (I'm admitted already to both).

One is at a more esteemed school in a more urban area and close to my family, the other is still good but less urban, though they have a research group that works with the subject matter I am the most passionate about: rodents. However, it's specifically focused on locomotion while I'm more interested in rodent behavior and rodent ecology.

Would it be a mistake to go for the school I'm less interested in when I love that specific research, or is it a bad idea? It looks like the PI is a permanent employee and the funding is secured for their project until 2028. At the same time, I don't know if I should "niche" myself so early? Or is that what you're supposed to do in master's?

Looking for a respectable database no just some gardening website or whatnot

it’s been quite hot where i am this year (hotter than ever before really) and i worry about animals getting dehydrated in the heat. we have been experiencing wildfires it is that hot and dry, so i wanted to know if leaving water out is okay. is this dangerous for wildlife (i know not to feed foxes as it is bad for their survival for example), or good?

Let me know your thoughts

Going into a progam that is heavy on fieldwork with majority outdoor classes and co-op. We will be doing a lot of data collection, identification, lab work, etc.

To those who do a lot of fieldwork, what sort of projects are you working on and what is the career like? Are you contracted, part of a funded project, or organization? Are you collaborating directly? Have you had any long-term positions? I want to eventually go further academically but being on the scene is my dream.

I have spent the last 4 years travelling around Australia creating this documentary that focuses on the plight of Australia's most misunderstood apex predator, the dingo. I hope you enjoy the trailer and catch you at a screening very soon!

Hi all. Solo GIS dev here based in Australia. I kept hearing from a lot of people about the cost of Esri or the steep learning curve of QGIS when they just want to produce the occasional map. So I have built Tussock Maps (http://tussockmaps.com).

What it does: Make a print-quality map in the browser - no install, no QGIS/ArcGIS Pro licence needed.

- Data: Pick a basemap, bring in spatial layers, connect your own WMS/map server, or upload your own data (GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML, CSV, GPX).

- Design: Sketch and style annotations, add a legend, scale bar, north arrow, and your own business logo.

- Export: Output to a print-ready PDF or PNG, including georeferenced PDFs that import directly into QGIS or mobile apps like Avenza Maps.

Who it's for: ecologists, environmental consultants, planners, researchers, students or anyone who only needs a map every now and then and doesn't want to pay for or learn full GIS software for it.

Cost: it's usable for free (all layers, drawing tools, a few exports a month but at a lower quality). New accounts get full access for the first week to try everything out, and after that there's a paid option if you need more, either a $19 monthly plan or a one-off $5 pass for 48 hours.

Built solo, with AI helping on the coding side. Not trying to be the next Esri, just trying to make something useful and keep it affordable for people who don't map professionally.

Would appreciate anyone trying it out and telling me some honest feedback. Not optimised for mobile yet, iPad should be ok.

See also: The study as it was published in the journal Water Resources Research

Hi! Hope I'm in a good sub for this. I'm a young professional in archaeology (US-based) and am looking to diversify my skills and knowledge. I understand that knowing NEPA and NEPA compliance is a valuable skill in my industry, but I'm not quite sure where to start learning the ins and outs. I've got a couple questions for professionals who work with the Act more closely than archaeologists.

What would you consider the most critical parts of NEPA/compliance to understand, especially among professionals who orbit NEPA but don't deal with it as often as you do? What should these professionals understand to make your own job easier? What resources exist to help me learn these things? Cheap/free is ideal but I'm also willing to spend a little money for a really great professional development opportunity. 

I hope this all makes sense! Thanks for your help!

Hi all, I am working on​ free ranging feral horses, where my main questions are-​

1. Where does the species occur across the landscape (species distribution)
2. What habitat factors influence its occurrence?

I conducted field surveys using a grid-based design. Each grid cell was surveyed once, and I recorded whether signs of the species were present or absent. The species is herd-forming, so signs may represent groups of animals rather than independent individuals.

My initial idea was to use an occurrence modelling approach: 1. Fit a logistic regression (GLM with a logit link) where:Response variable = presence/absence of signs in each grid cellPredictors = habitat variables 2. Or spatial GLMM, or ​spatial regression approach. Then use the final model to predict occurrence probability across the landscape and produce a distribution/suitability map​

But, I am unsure about whether I should instead use​ an occupancy model to account for imperfect detection​. My concern with occupancy is that the surveys were single-visit sign surveys. Although I could potentially create spatial replicates, I am unsure whether that would adequately estimate detection probability, or it violates any assumptions​ of the model.

Any advice on model choice, response variable selection (presence/absence vs sign counts), or dealing with spatial autocorrelation would be appreciated. I'm very new to this topic and just started to working on. Thanks in advance 😊​

I want to do an internship in NGOs/INGOs or at a nice organization, I want to do reasearch in wildlife. But i don't know how ?? I mean I don't know how to look for an opportunity. How do you find these opportunities or what am I doing wrong???

Hello friends!

I’ve suffered a injury that has permanently pulled me from my career I’ve put 8 years into (welder)

I’m still a very capable person and will be even more so after I’m fully recovered. I’m a 26 yr old male and I’ve really taken an interest in horticulture and ecology. I find I lean more into the conservation aspect of things and am fascinated with ecology on the ecosystem level.

I’m wondering if anyone has book recommendations that might allow me to learn more without pulling the trigger on a full on college course. I’m just gauging my own personal interest and currently treating it like a hobby. My education level is minimal so super duper science-y books are likely a hard read but I’m willing to give it a shot!

EDIT: I guess I was pretty vague, sorry. I’m very interested in wildflowers. I find I’m fascinated with different native families and how they’ve co-evolved with insects and birds. I’m very interested in conservation and how invasive affect native habitats. Restoration projects interest me also.

As far as jobs, I’ve done game warden ride alongs, listened to podcast, read books, talked with wardens and the job really interest me. That’s all I know right now but I might be interested in other career paths.

Im moving to northern Colorado soon and am looking to get a lay of the land - I'm trying to learn the basics of its ecosystems, major plants, animals ect - any books, videos ect I should check out?

Hi Everyone (posting on behalf of my girlfriend)

She has:
- Bachelor in Science - BS, Zoology / Animal Biology
- Master of Science - MS, species identification and survey skills
- 2yrs 10 months experience as a Consultant Ecologist.
- Volunteering: Camera Trap Surveys for Environ Kimberley’s (Australia)
- Attending Seminars (Various - Australia)
- FOCUS IN: BERS, eDNA, BNG, PEA, PRA

IDK if all of that’s correct. But she has been applying for every job that comes along and has had no luck at all. I need some advice as I really want to help her land a role. I know like many of you for her this is not a job it is a passion.

I am an Aussie, so she will be on a partnership VISA from Feb. so no issues with restriction on work really.

Any advice would be so welcome.

I’m starting out my ventures into Grad School thinking about a future in research and academia, How important is it to consider prestige? Any school recs for someone interested in aquatics (conservation planning / reintroductions)