I've somehow gotten myself into a situation where either I must send #furry art (SFW, don't worry) to a professor or take the lower-division...

I've somehow gotten myself into a situation where either I must send #furry art (SFW, don't worry) to a professor or take the lower-division version of their course. Seems like a #furrystruggles

Context about that last comment: I know many ecologists who originally thought they wanted to be wildlife biologists, but then got...

Context about that last comment: I know many ecologists who originally thought they wanted to be wildlife biologists, but then got interested in plants. I’ve been gradually heading in the same direction.

To the natural science inclined residents of the Fediverse:Have you heard about Flora Manuals? I discovered them in a natural history class...

To the natural science inclined residents of the Fediverse:
Have you heard about Flora Manuals? I discovered them in a natural history class a few days ago and I’ve since fallen in love with botany! I’ve always thought plants were cool, but being able to identify and learn about species in a way that feels logical is paradigm shifting. Normal field guides pale in comparison!
Anyways, this is another step on my way down the career choice pipeline from “wildlife biologist” to “ecologist”.

From a discussion with a friend, something that may be relatable: "I'm not antisocial, I'm just thinking about clades of fish all the time!"

From a discussion with a friend, something that may be relatable: "I'm not antisocial, I'm just thinking about clades of fish all the time!"

I'm rapidly falling in love with open research and data! All human scientific knowledge could be freely accessible to everyone forever! It's...

I'm rapidly falling in love with open research and data! All human scientific knowledge could be freely accessible to everyone forever! It's so COOOOOL! It's like open-source software but for my field!

I'm literally (figuratively) "hairbun" on the right in this XKCD comic, as shown by my last few minutes of activity on Mastodon....

I'm literally (figuratively) "hairbun" on the right in this XKCD comic, as shown by my last few minutes of activity on Mastodon. 😂​
https://xkcd.com/1610/

re: Slightly Political Critique of Corporations Regarding Recycling and PackagingI hear that some European countries do a better job of...

re: Slightly Political Critique of Corporations Regarding Recycling and Packaging

I hear that some European countries do a better job of requiring companies to account for the disposal of their products. That sounds like a great idea! I'd like to know more about how well this has worked.

Slightly Political Critique of Corporations Regarding Recycling and PackagingI just bought a bunch of camping gear for an upcoming trip......

Slightly Political Critique of Corporations Regarding Recycling and Packaging

I just bought a bunch of camping gear for an upcoming trip... And I just spent a staggering amount of time figuring out which #packaging goes into which bin. My jurisdiction is one of the few in the United States that does a good job at #recycling materials and doesn't just sneak stuff into the landfill, so it mattered to get it right. At first, I felt ashamed that this was difficult for me, even though I consider myself a well-educated citizen. But this attitude is akin to blaming climate change on individuals: having a low carbon footprint in a high carbon society is practically impossible. We can't change without the system, so our responsibility is to act for a #sustainable society. Likewise, companies wrongly offload the work of responsibly disposing of their excessive packaging on individuals. Instead, all packaging should be recyclable by default and indicate where it should go into a multi-stream recycling program

I just ran across a super cool paper! This is also about #climatechange and #globalwarming, but it should be more fun to read this...

I just ran across a super cool paper! This is also about #climatechange and #globalwarming, but it should be more fun to read this time.
Wolves help mitigate the impacts of climate change!
In Yellowstone National Park (where, I swear, half of all predator-related studies happen —it's such a cool place!), wolves provide a stable source of food for scavengers year-round. Before the wolf reintroduction, these scavenger species relied heavily on animals that died of starvation during the winter. Wolves are becoming increasingly important as a food source for these species as climate change is reducing "winter kill" due to milder winters.
Furthermore, in Isle Royale, wolves were found to stabilize moose populations in fluctuating climactic conditions, compared to after the wolves disappeared.
#wolves #wolf #predator #trophiccascades #ClimateResilience #biodiversity
Read more:
https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.ucsc.edu/dist/0/1412/files/2022/08/sala2006.pdf

Some papers on ecosystem...

Some papers on ecosystem collapse:
https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/conl.12348
https://www.permacultuurnederland.org/permacultuurtk/scheffer2001.pdf
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/41149695.pdf?casa_token=cdczwfuqD1kAAAAA:kXLWBXf4tfKAH0WyTYS385Xd5nXbd3siF7bhdZkNzPu06r08sIfm4yikDvje8HQ3Yfnh2IuipqzDffZL_QzeMxw9oew7fdbwQLvTu1iFL9wRTCKFOBPV

Sharks safeguarding CO2 stores:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c7463aaa9ab95163e8c3c2e/t/5cc2db9f9b747a7da236d03e/1556274083113/Atwood-et-al.-2015.pdf

Forests and Hydrology
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1600-0889.2007.00251.x

This is all a lot more complex than I discussed in the original post. I'd be thrilled to go into an in-depth discussion of the science behind these processes! However, I initially aimed to communicate the broader principle behind the detail.

Assuming that the planetary issues we face are limited to an increase in global temperatures, as the term #globalwarming implies, is a...

Assuming that the planetary issues we face are limited to an increase in global temperatures, as the term #globalwarming implies, is a dangerous underestimation of the dire seriousness of the #climatecrisis and biodiversity crisis. #climatechange means increasing global temperatures, as the current #heatwave makes abundantly clear. However, this is only a piece of the puzzle. Humans are barreling toward global ecosystem collapse, which is akin to throwing a wrench not only into the earth's thermostat but the entire planetary life support system. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the stable temperatures required for civilization, and many other critical resources are ecosystem services. These result from the abundance and #biodiversity of life on earth. Please don't underestimate how our current civilization is destroying this fragile system. Remember that killing sharks releases CO2, and cutting forests dries up rivers. It's all connected.
(Citations in replies)

I just returned from a 4-day backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains and am experiencing "wilderness withdrawal symptoms." Civilization...

I just returned from a 4-day backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains and am experiencing "wilderness withdrawal symptoms." Civilization seems a whole lot more crazy after a few days away from it! Let this be a reminder that it's worth spending some time out there in nature — I think it gives an essential perspective on things we take for granted, both good and bad.

#outdoors #outdoor #recreation #nature #backpacking #hiking #travel #wilderness #rockymountains

Intense climate change commentsLet's talk about the under-recognized horror of climate change for a moment.A terrifying recent study found...

Intense climate change comments

Let's talk about the under-recognized horror of climate change for a moment.
A terrifying recent study found that 61,000 people died in Europe last year from heat waves (1).
But that's just Europe, and just heat related deaths. What is the total cost of climate change?

According to the 2012 report (2), global warming was causing 400,000 yearly deaths around 2010. Broader carbon-intensive energy systems and related activities were estimated to cause 4.5 million deaths per year and a 1.7% loss in global GDP. That was over 10 years ago! The same report predicted climate change related deaths would climb to 6 million (700,000 directly due to climate) by 2030, alongside a 3% GDP hit.

The cost of climate inaction is greater than the cost of climate remediation (2). Why aren't governments acting? Unimaginable numbers of people are already dying — climate inaction is unacceptable!

#climatecrisis #climatechange
(1): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02419-z
(2): https://daraint.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/CVM2ndEd-FrontMatter.pdf

Fun Animal Fact!Some octopi species use halved coconut shells as a form of portable shelter! They can carry the shells with them for...

Fun Animal Fact!

Some octopi species use halved coconut shells as a form of portable shelter! They can carry the shells with them for significant distances, ready to hide within when danger arises. This is a great example of invertebrate intelligence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUN6c5yWJhQ

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(09)01914-9.pdf

Meet Akala, my new (furry) OC!This is my first time putting any significant effort into a drawing. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm...

Meet Akala, my new (furry) OC!
This is my first time putting any significant effort into a drawing. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm happy with the result, and I had a lot of fun!
Some info: this character lives in a solarpunk world in the far future, where humans (including anthros) and nature coexist in harmony. She's part of a group of people who responsibly and humanely hunt large mammals for sustenance, contributing (alongside regular predators) to a trophic cascade that keeps the ecosystem in balance.
I'm very interested in the idea of furry characters symbolically bridging the perceived gap between humans and the natural world. This character reflects that interest!
#furry #art #myart #OC #anthro #solarpunk #scifi #furryart