Bunny-pocalypse Image depicting the spread of rabbits in Australia from Alves, et al. 2021 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND). In 1859, a wealthy English settler named Thomas Austin imported 24 European rabbits into Australia as game for shooting parties. This seemingly small event would soon reshape the continent. Thomas Austin was a member
The numbers are in, and it’s official: we are losing the fight to save the many endangered species on our planet. Despite a growing number of global voices highlighting the importance of preserving biodiversity to worldwide human health and food security, the WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022 estimated we’ve lost 69% of monitored wildlife populations,
Picture this: you find yourself strolling into a small, crowded shop in downtown Hong Kong. As you cross the threshold, a barrage of strange sights and smells attacks your nose and vision. As you turn your gaze to the walls, you notice shelves upon shelves of animal parts, mysterious fungi, and dubious bunches of dried
When I think about the suburban USA the main image that comes to mind is a bright, prim, proper, and trimmed yard with fresh turf and maybe a berm with a rose bush. However, in recent years, there has been a push to move away from these cookie-cutter landscapes and toward a more natural or
I spent last summer far from Athens, Georgia, as an intern at the Caño Palma Biological Station in Costa Rica. A small station nestled in the lush jungle of eastern Costa Rica, Caño Palma conducts a variety of long-term wildlife surveying efforts, with the biggest and longest conservation project studying nesting sea turtles. Volunteers and
West Virginia is home to the newest national park, New River Gorge, known for its world class white water rafting. It is also home to some of the worst drinking water in the United States. The juxtaposition of the two could not be more clear. Old habits die hard, and in a state where an
Every spring, graduate students at the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia organize a short weekly seminar around an interesting theme. This year, the theme is “Machine Learning for Ecologistsâ€. At first glance, machine learning may not seem very related to a discipline mostly concerned with the distribution and abundance of organisms,
When you think of farm animals, what comes to your mind? Cows, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep, horses, and so on? Each animal on the farm serves a key role in providing us with food or resources to use. But before we industrialized and invested into the farming industry, these animals were found in the wild.
I grew up on Ferngully, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, the Wild Thornberrys, Studio Ghibli movies, and Avatar the Last Airbender. The theme of the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment has been entrenched in me for most of my life. Furthermore, it is the foundation of One Health, an approach emphasizing collaboration between human
What ecosystem do you think about when you see the state of Georgia? Was it the sprawling forests you see on nearly every drive you make? If it was, this is likely because Georgia's land is nearly 70% forested and is one of the top states that contributes to the logging industry. Georgia is made
There is a certain art to finding fireflies, and it comes down to understanding suitable habitats for common species in your area. As a child, you may have turned off your house lights and used a flashlight to attract fireflies, desperate to catch a glimpse of these bioluminescent creatures. These flashing beetles generate a sense
Trees are all over, above us and below us. They connect soil to the atmosphere. They create forests and confer their beauty on our city. In Athens we have the tree that famously owns itself, a white oak. Maybe you've taken a stroll through Oconee Forest Park or noticed the smell of the woods on
