Abstract Biodiversity loss and unequal access to nature limit both ecological knowledge and opportunities for experiential learning. Here I present a portable, power outlet–independent educational toolkit that integrates AI‐assisted bird detection (Haikubox, BirdNET‐Pi, Merlin Bird ID) with off‐the‐shelf sound‐recording and music‐creation hardware using Ableton Move. This interdisciplinary approach engages participants in active listening, outdoor exploration, and place‐based music‐making using locally recorded bird vocalizations. Self‐reflection from two case studies in Connecticut and California, USA, suggests that this approach can (1) broaden participation in biodiversity monitoring, (2) help demystify AI and acoustic sensing technologies, (3) generate biodiversity observations, and (4) offer an accessible model for integrating music into environmental education. By linking environmental justice, ecological monitoring, biodiversity gap‐filling, and critical engagement with who participates in biodiversity data collection, alongside creative expression, this approach offers a scalable strategy to reconnect with nature.
Abstract At the 2025 annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA), ESA Excellence in Ecology (EEE) Scholars presented their work in SYMP 08—From Local to Global, Uncovering Barriers and Societal Benefits of the Research Enterprise on August 12, 2025. This symposium highlighted the rich research investigations of three EEE scholars, exploring how academic, social, and political forces shape and challenge ecological research and practice around the world. These sessions centered on three guiding questions: (1) How can we frame the societal benefits of ecological research? (2) How can ecological research effectively contribute to natural resource management in the midst of limited resources and potential conflict? (3) How do ecologists incorporate equity and justice implications related to restoration or conservation research and outcomes? Through their presentations, the scholars highlighted the societal relevance of ecological research and discussed strategies for overcoming barriers related to data accessibility, community engagement, and competing management priorities across global contexts. Together, these talks offered insights into how ecologists can bridge science and society to promote more inclusive and effective ecological solutions.
Abstract This autoethnographic essay examines how participation in high‐performance sports became a transformative tool for managing the cognitive and emotional challenges associated with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) within the context of academic life. Drawing from my lived experience as a neurodivergent scientist, I reflect on the impact of pandemic‐induced isolation in 2020, which disrupted my long‐standing habit of physical activity and intensified my ADHD symptoms. The return to regular physical exertion through CrossFit and long‐distance running in 2021 marked a turning point in reclaiming mental clarity, emotional regulation, and research productivity. These practices provided not only a physiological outlet for excess energy but also a structured space of mental stillness in contrast to the overwhelming pace of academic demands. Through embodied discipline and the routine of early‐morning training, I discovered a sustainable strategy to navigate neurodivergence within the high‐pressure academic landscape. This narrative invites broader reflection on how personal coping strategies rooted in the body can intersect with questions of access, inclusion, and performance in scholarly environments.
Abstract Wildlife fieldwork underpins ecological and sustainable science, yet the labor conditions of those who conduct it remain uneven. Wildlife technicians routinely operate under hazardous conditions while working on short‐term contracts with limited job security, restricted decision‐making power, and insufficient structural protections. Despite the centrality of their role, technicians often lack formal mechanisms to influence safety standards and working conditions, which directly affects data quality, transparency, and the reliability of conservation outcomes, and ultimately shapes environmental decision‐making and sustainable management. Strengthening labor conditions can enhance safety, reduce bias in data collection, and support the integrity of field‐based sustainable research.
Although authorship is central to the career advancement of many ecologists, the processes used to assign authorship credit on papers are not always clear, ethical, or equitable. We developed the concept of authorship climate (perceptions of fairness related to procedures, communication practices, and outcomes of authorship decisions) and measured it using a survey of early‐career scientists from four fields across U.S. Ph.D.‐granting institutions. The results pointed to important differences in authorship climate perceptions across fields, career stages, and demographics. This paper provides an overview of the results, especially for the field of biology that encompasses ecology, and provides recommendations for improving authorship climate for ecologists.
Knowing about species interactions is essential for ecological research, conservation efforts, resource management, and maintaining healthy ecosystems, but many of these, such as reports of predation, may not always be published in easily located resources—if they are published at all. Finding and collating such information is challenging, given the wide range of often poorly indexed outlets and social media where these are available. We performed an in‐depth literature review of predation data on Iguana iguana (Linnaeus, 1758) and compared our results with two recently published reviews. We identified 158 reported incidences of I. iguana predation from 35 different journals, ten books, and a conference presentation, a total of 91 different sources, compared with 66 and 69 incidences reported in the earlier overviews. We confirmed a total of 108 unique predator species of I. iguana , of which 102 had been reported prior to the 2023 reviews. The earlier reviews retrieved only 56 (54.9%) and 59 (57.8%) predator species, respectively. While the results of our survey increase the number of species known to prey on I. iguana , they also highlight that conducting comprehensive reviews of species interactions is challenging, and that the most commonly used outlets, such as Google Scholar, Herpetological Review , and Herpetology Notes , provide access to a narrower range of observations than those actually available with additional searching. Especially, reports lacking the scientific name of I. iguana were less likely to be identified, indicating the importance of using binomina in titles. We urge compilers of ecology‐ or morphology‐themed reviews (e.g., species as predator or prey, behavioral observations, diseases and parasites, phenotypic aberrations) to use an extra dose of due diligence when assembling their materials and to consult sources well beyond the commonly used outlets.
