Collin V (he/him)
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collinvb.bsky.social
Collin V (he/him)
@collinvb.bsky.social
85 followers 140 following 49 posts
Biodiversity | science policy | sustainability | equity | cute animals | pokemon

Visiting Scholar @ the Virginia Museum of Natural History | let's talk about ecosystem services!
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Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
richardkbroughton.bsky.social
New paper! Bird nests (Wood Warblers) are hubs of invertebrate biodiversity on forest floor, hosting more species/individuals than leaf litter. Probably due to heat & food detritus. Losing Wood Warblers = ecological networks lost. #ornithology
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Bird nests support a diverse, dynamic and distinctive macroarthropod community on the forest floor
Nests built by vertebrates, such as birds and mammals, constitute diverse microhabitats that are inhabited by many arthropod taxa and represent important hubs of local biodiversity. Compared to leaf...
resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
March 6, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
cdnsciencepub.com
On March 9, 11 AM ET, join Canadian Science Publishing and the Canadian Centre for Evidence-Informed Conservation Centre (Carleton University) for a webinar on Indigenous knowledge and environmental decisions. Register now: https://ow.ly/jZl350YkxaR

#IndigenousKnowledge #Webinar Steven J Cooke
Webinar banner showing four experts discussing Indigenous knowledge in environmental decision-making, scheduled for March 9, 2026, 11 AM to 12 PM EDT.
March 3, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
mnseagrant.bsky.social
Grad students & recent alums: Only 2 days left to apply for the MN Sea Grant Science & Policy Fellowship! 🌊

🔹 $55k stipend + $2.5k for prof dev
🔹 Work with MN DNR, MDH & more
🔹 Real-world water policy impact

Deadline: Feb 5 at 11:59 PM CT. ⏳

Apply on eSeaGrant: z.umn.edu/mnsg_science...
February 3, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
lenasun.bsky.social
NEW: South Carolina’s measles outbreak is country’s largest in more than 25 years. But its falling vaccination coverage + rising religious exemptions from school requirements don’t make it an outlier. My story. Gift link. 1/3
wapo.st/4rttZRg
What South Carolina’s soaring measles outbreak means for the rest of the U.S.
More than 840 measles infections have been reported in South Carolina, surpassing the tally in Texas last year. Public health experts say it shows the risks when vaccination coverage falls.
wapo.st
January 31, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
volcanojw.bsky.social
Do you care about the future of the US NSF and science in general? The agency is seeking feedback on the draft Strategic Plan. www.nsf.gov/od/updates/n...
NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan
www.nsf.gov
January 13, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
jenna-m-norton.bsky.social
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is seeking input on Federal policy updates to accelerate the American scientific enterprise.

This is your chance to give some feedback on how the past ~10 months have gone for science.
www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

I plan to highlight:
Notice of Request for Information; Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on Federal policy updates that aim to accelerate the American scientific enterprise, enable groundbreaking...
www.federalregister.gov
December 4, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
zsofiahorvath.bsky.social
In our new review in WIREs WATER, we synthesize knowledge on ecosystem (dis)services, multifunctionality, and trade‐offs in urban ponds and highlight garden ponds as a specific subtype that deserves more attention
🏙️🔵🏡
doi.org/10.1002/wat2...
@epcn.bsky.social
Urban Ponds and the Emerging Role of Garden Ponds: Ecosystem Services and Disservices, Multifunctionality, and Trade‐Offs
Urban ponds and garden ponds—a specific subset of the former, usually located in private gardens—are both typical examples of ponds in the urban landscape. They deliver multiple ecosystem services bu...
doi.org
November 19, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
ecoforecast.bsky.social
The next seminar in the Statistical Methods webinar series hosted with the @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social Statistical Ecology Section is on November 3 at noon US ET.

Richard Schuster will present on “Decision support using the {prioritizr} R package”
prioritizr.net

Register at: bit.ly/3H9A3wt
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: EFI-ESA Stats Seminar: prioritizr R package. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
This Statistical Methods seminar by the Ecological Forecasting Initiative and the Ecological Society of America Statistical Ecology Section is hosting Dr. Richard Schuster from Nature Conservancy of C...
bit.ly
October 20, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
pammcelwee.bsky.social
The US Academic Alliance for the IPCC (USAA-IPCC) and @agu.org will host webinar TOMORROW at 1pm EST on how to be an expert reviewer for @ipcc.bsky.social reports. Please register & learn how to improve science policy assessments like upcoming Special Report on #ClimateChange and Cities!
QR code to sign up for a webinar on reviewing for IPCC reports. https://agu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FwfGqOFrS8yOpxPxNToZag#/registration
October 14, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
aaamodeo.bsky.social
My Department (Biology) at @dartmouthartsci.bsky.social is hiring this year! We have an opening for a Tenure Track Cell and/or Molecular biologist (broadly defined).

Please share with your trainees/labmates/friends and reach out if you have questions.

apply.interfolio.com/171625
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
August 14, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
stervander.com
Join us as Assistant #Curator of Vertebrates @ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿NMS! Large collections of #birds & #mammals + very active specimen prep = cool place! The ad doesn't say, but I say there's a good chance of prolongation beyond 1y. Hurry up and apply/spread the word: careers.nms.ac.uk/job/748553!

🪶🧪 #museumjobs #job
Yours truly and our mounted Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis) specimen The bird collection store, busy with visiting researchers, mounts, and in the background our volunteers who capture data from the specimen labels. It's not always this packed, but we do have a fair number of volunteers and visitors. Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in trays in the cabinets. The collections spaces are pretty new, fresh, and functional, which is not always the case for museum collections... A tray of African raptor eggs to illustrate the breadth of the bird collection, which holds som 70K skin specimens, 60K egg clutches, and 10K skeletons.
August 12, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
alexwenzel.bsky.social
Academic workers at state schools: Do not use your institutional email for union matters.
katestarbird.bsky.social Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Aug 6
If anyone is curious about the current list of search terms being used by right wing activist organizations to harass university professors, here's a public records request I received today from Mike Howell of the Heritage Foundation. Not intimidating or meant to curtail by my speech at all, right?
Email from the "PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE" to Kate Starbird asking for all emails from Jan 1 2021 through July 30 2025 with any of the following keywords: "diversity and inclusion" "DEIA" "DEI" "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging" "DEIB" "gender identity" "racial preference" "ESG" "organizational equity" "intersectionality" "anti-racism" "critical race theory" "LGBTQ+" "transgender" "cisgender" "gender ideology" "white privilege" "privilege walk" "cultural humility" "equity audit" "restorative justice" "racial equity" "implicit bias" "microaggressions" "inclusive pedagogy" "identity-based oppression" "systems of oppression" "queer" "non-binary" "sexuality" “Trump” “fascist”
August 7, 2025 at 1:01 AM
collinvb.bsky.social
It's been 10ish years but sure, I can be a "dinosaur expert" 😅

(Taking bets on how long before a kid shows me up on dino facts)
July 25, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
markuseichhorn.bsky.social
Are you a researcher 5+ years post-PhD and interested in moving to Ireland? We have a new scheme which will support relocation and start-up costs.
Global Talent Ireland - Research Ireland
Global Talent Ireland aims to attract exceptional mid-career and established researchers from across the globe to Ireland. Researchers funded through this programme are required to transfer their rese...
www.researchireland.ie
July 22, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
davidho.bsky.social
Some good news. 🪶
Little spotted kiwi found on New Zealand's mainland for first time in 50 years
"I'm not sure how to express how thrilling this rediscovery is for the conservation world," an expert says.
www.rnz.co.nz
July 16, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
daveyfwright.bsky.social
As someone from a low-income, blue-collar background who improbably navigated the rungs of academia to be here, this article speaks important truths. I've mostly been happy along my journey despite various struggles because I viewed the alternative scenario worse, but it wasn't easy. I've been lucky
Too poor to science: How wealth determines who succeeds in STEM
From student to researcher, a career in science can come with a high price tag. This Perspective explores how persistent financial barriers limit who can succeed in science, revealing how wealth shape...
journals.plos.org
July 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
iyadrahwan.bsky.social
It is with great pleasure that I share MAXMINDS 2.0, a new Max Planck program to support scholars in danger of displacement by war or natural disasters, and who have limited access to resources and institutional support.

If you know affected scholars, please share.

www.maxminds.mpg.de
MAXMINDS 2.0 Homepage
MAXMINDS 2.0
www.maxminds.mpg.de
July 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM
collinvb.bsky.social
Yesterday I had a paper rejected (after 3 months of sitting on the editor's desk) that assesses whether research is addressing local priorities for ecosystem services. Why? Because including services derived from interviews with land managers was seen as a "questionable" methods choice. I-- um... hm
July 8, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
sarahmackattack.bsky.social
Last night at Moth Night, we saw a lot more than moths. The highlight was happening upon this beaver absolutely chowing down on some wood, corn on the cob style. You’re gonna want to put your sound on for this one.
July 6, 2025 at 2:22 PM
collinvb.bsky.social
Goes without saying, but...

what a f*cking week.
July 3, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
agawande.bsky.social
STAGGERING: This new study of 133 countries is the first to estimate the impact of all USAID’s work. In 2 decades, it has saved *92M* lives. Current cuts, if not reversed, are forecast to cost up to *14M* lives thru 2030. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
July 1, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
johnrhutchinson.bsky.social
And *anyone* interested in #ICVM2025:
You can still register (costs as low as $75 US) and virtually attend! It's a heck of a bargain, to be able to see hundreds of presentations across >3 weeks!
www.xcdsystem.com/icvm/program...
ICVM 2025
www.xcdsystem.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
hpsvanessa.bsky.social
Louder for those at the back, whenever I hear an academic say "I used copilot/chatGPT to [insert routine bit of our job] to save time" I hear "I lack the most fundamental core skills required to do my job".
jbyoder.org Jeremy Yoder says no war @jbyoder.org · Jul 1
Cannot emphasize enough that, if you dislike doing the things academics do (reading, writing, developing and expressing opinions about things you've read) enough to try to make a chatbot do them for you, there are lots of actual humans who would be happy to take that unpleasant job off your hands
joshshepperd.bsky.social Josh Shepperd @joshshepperd.bsky.social · Jul 1
Got gossip from a managing editor pal of a journal that a few reviewers used ChatGPT to write their assessments for them, and didn't even conceal it. I'll say it again - it won't be the neoliberal administrators that take down the humanities. It'll be humanities professors who've stopped reading.
July 2, 2025 at 6:35 AM
collinvb.bsky.social
I worked as a contractor at USAID for over 3.5 years supporting food security and climate adaptation programs and advancing youth inclusion to provide the next generation with good economic opportunities. The work we did saved lives and made the world safer. Without it... well, we'll see...
cwebbonline.com Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · Jul 1
Today, USAID shuts down.

Experts say this could lead to 14 million deaths by 2030—including 4.5 million babies and children under 5.

Let’s not forget, Trump recently let a warehouse full of food aid rot rather than feed the hungry.

This isn’t America first. It’s America heartless.
July 1, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Reposted by Collin V (he/him)
christianelliott.me
NASA just won an Emmy for our live broadcast of the total solar eclipse last year. We produced a documentary film about the James Webb Space Telescope that's out in theaters and on Netflix. We have podcasts, we write feature stories. People wear the agency logo on t-shirts. We're still getting cut.
michaelhobbes.bsky.social Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · Jun 30
You hear this a lot on the left but it isn't true. USAID did not "fail to tell its story to Americans," the right targeted the agency with lies and misinformation.

Ultimately this narrative turns conservative attacks into even more calls for the left to reform.
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/29/o...
I Worked at U.S.A.I.D. for Over 8 Years. This Is Our Biggest Failure. I worked for U.S.A.I.D. in East Africa over the past eight and a half years, selling the story of American foreign aid to people in Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya. Our inability to tell this same story to Americans is our great failure. It is what put the agency into the Department of Government Efficiency’s wood chipper first. It’s what allows Secretary of State Marco Rubio to get away with insisting that lifesaving humanitarian aid would continue while the administration drastically slashed its funding. And it’s what I fear will let this presidency cast the deaths from the next preventable catastrophe as unstoppable or inevitable.
June 30, 2025 at 5:25 PM