In This Issue: President Trump Signs Executive Order Directing Agencies to Use Emergency Provisions of Environmental Laws to Speed COVID-19 Economic Recovery Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduce bills to reform NEPA permitting. COVID-19 Delays Competition for NEON Management Battelle Memorial Institute will continue to manage NEON in the interim. Congress Bipartisan Senate Committee…

by Osvaldo Sala, ESA President One of the central roles of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) is to represent its members in front of different bodies at the national and international levels. While single voices face difficulties in reaching target audiences, communications are enhanced when articulated through a professional society. ESA plays the double role of not only communicating…

In honor of Kendra Chan by Jasjeet Dhanota, SEEDS Co-President with Kendra Chan, UC Davis (2014–2015)   The Ecological Society of America’s SEEDS program (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability) is proud to announce a major gift from Ms. Vicki Moore in honor of her daughter, Kendra Chan, to support SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapters, which are active on over…

by Osvaldo Sala, President, and Catherine O’Riordan, Executive Director One of the strengths of the ESA organization is the ability to adapt to challenges in our programs and in our science. Like most other organizations responding to the pandemic, ESA moved to virtual operations in March and the DC office is temporarily closed. Staff continues to work from home while…

by Benjamin S. Halpern1,2, Julien Brun1, Amber Budden1, Marty Downs1, Carrie V. Kappel1, and Julia S. Stewart Lowndes1 1National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 2Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA When the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) started shutting down its research labs on March…

In This Issue: Letter to the community Racism and prejudice continue to harm scientists, future scientists, and the communities we serve. ESA leaders echo the message of these protests: Black lives matter. Webinar: Invasive Species Policy and COVID-19 Webinar recording and related resources posted online. Ecology of COVID-19 blog series ESA guest blogs explore the evolutionary biology of the coronavirus,…

Dear ecological community, We reach out to you today in sadness and solidarity. Recent acts of violence against the Black community as seen in the horrific killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, have sparked protests across the United States. They underscore the long history of racism and discrimination in our country. Racism and prejudice continue to harm…

by National Ecological Observatory Network When humans can’t get to the field for ecological research, could the robots take over? When humans can’t get to the field for ecological research, could the robots take over? COVID-19 has limited the ability of ecologists to get to the field to collect samples and check instruments in many parts of the world. While…

Dear ESA Member, ESA will be holding a totally virtual Annual Meeting this year from August 3–6 in response to the pandemic. The virtual meeting will provide an opportunity for you to join colleagues and leaders from across the field for four days of inspiration and community focused on your research and your career as each of us looks ahead…

In This Issue: Pandemic Response House Legislation Includes Funding for Science, Wildlife Disease The latest coronavirus bill includes $125 million for NSF. Webinar: Invasive Species Policy and COVID-19 Speakers will explore how ecological research can inform policy and contribute knowledge to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species. National Science Board Unveils Visions 2030 Report, Charts Impacts of COVID-19…

The National Science Foundation’s Biological Science’s Advisory Committee (BIO AC) held a virtual, abbreviated meeting April 30 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The committee, composed of biological and ecological scientists from across the research enterprise, typically meets twice a year for a two-day in-person meeting. Here are some of the highlights from that meeting relevant to the ecological science community: COVID-19…

The National Science Board (NSB), the oversight body for all of NSF who serve as independent science advisors to the president and Congress, met May 5 and 6. The meeting marked the full board’s first meeting held during the coronavirus pandemic. The marquee item on the agency was the release of the NSB Visions 2030 report, which charts a path…