The 2022 ESA & CSEE Joint Meeting in Montreal was the first in-person annual meeting since 2019, and like we’ve all probably experienced at recent re-convenings, it was truly a week of inspiration, learning, and connection! We were impressed with the volume of presentations, workshops, and sessions that emphasized the human dimensions of ecological systems, resilience, Indigenous knowledge, and welcoming…

In this issue: Congress Senate ratifies the Kigali Amendment that will reduce HFCs mainly used in air conditioning and appliances. Executive Branch Arati Prabhakar confirmed to be the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Courts Nature covers the Supreme Court’s War on Science. States Louisiana and the Army Corps of Engineers move closer to a…

From ESA President Sharon Collinge – seeking your ideas: As I launch into a year as ESA President, I am looking forward to collaborating with everyone in the ESA community to advance our mission. In addition to continuing our focus on making ESA more inclusive through DEIJ activities, I am seeking your ideas to advance the ESA Visioning Project, a…

In this issue: Congress Lawmakers are working to pass a short-term spending package to keep the government open in October. Executive Branch Domestic Climate Czar Gina McCarthy to leave the White House this week, Biden hires new climate advisors. States California passes climate legislation. International Australia passes first climate legislation since 2011. Scientific Community NAS reviews the U.S. Global Change…

In this issue: New Federal Guidelines for Scholarly Publishing OSTP directs agencies to update their public access policies. Biden Signs Climate Legislation Bill includes $369 billion in energy and climate spending. Congress Members of the House Science Committee urge the White House to increase its requested spending for the Department of Energy Office of Science in FY 2024 budget request….

Future Visioning Announcement from ESA President Dennis Ojima, President-Elect Sharon Collinge, and Past-President Kathleen Weathers In 2015, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) celebrated 100 years of successfully advancing the science and practice of ecology. Following a major governance review and bylaws revisions (effective January 2022), guided by the 2019 – 2022 strategic plan and with a new perspective, as…

When over 3,200 individuals from across the United States, Canada and around the globe convene for a scientific conference such as the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) meeting in Montreal, Quebec it takes an environmental toll: the energy required to power the planes, trains and automobiles people use to travel to and from the meeting. As one way to offset…

Whenever we do a search for the word “diversity” in ecology journals, many articles pop up focusing on “biodiversity” but rarely does one refer to “human diversity” in ecology. The fact that ecologists focus their research and teaching on biodiversity conservation but rarely include “human diversity” in their discussion prompts us to elevate the discussion of the human dimension in…

In this issue: Congress Passes NSF, Department of Energy Office of Science Reauthorization Bill The bill increases authorized funding for the National Science Foundation to $18.9 billion over the next five years. Senate Releases FY 2023 Spending Bills Bill includes an over 10% increase for discretionary, non-defense spending. Congress Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)…

You’re probably excited to be seeing colleagues for the first time in a long time at our first in-person meeting in three years—we certainly are. But you might also be nervous about being around so many people at the same time in enclosed spaces, especially now that there are recent upticks in COVID-19 cases (including BA.5). We take the health…

In this issue: Congress House is expected to pass all fiscal year 2023 spending bills before the August recess. Executive Branch Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management seeking comments on the definition of old growth forests. Courts Court strikes down Trump administration Endangered Species Act regulations. States Virginia Governor appoints former EPA Administrator to regulatory office. International IPBES releases…

Elise Gornish is a life member of ESA and a founder of the Ecological Restoration Section. She was elected an Early Career Fellow of the Society in 2019. In June, she published her first children’s book, what she believes is the first children’s book on ecological restoration. A Kids’ Guide to Ecological Restoration is available via Amazon. ESA: What was…