Ben Goldfarb
@bengoldfarb.bsky.social
Independent conservation journalist writing a book about fish. Author of CROSSINGS, on #roadecology, and EAGER, on beaver belief.
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Ben Goldfarb
@bengoldfarb.bsky.social
· Nov 15
To new Bluesky peeps: I'm currently working on another book, on the organisms nearest my heart. It's fundamentally about fish as engineers—both of ecosystems & human affairs—and how we revitalize their roles in our waterscapes & lives. If this aligns with your interests & expertise, cast me a line!
To me the thing that makes ENCOUNTERS impossible to replicate today is how guarded everyone is around the media. You’d have to go through a half-dozen PIOs just to *talk* to the head of BuRec, let alone take him rafting down the Colorado!’
I've been reading a lot of John McPhee this month, and his miraculous work (like "Encounters with the Archdruid") seems so very far away from anything that could get published these days except in a niche way.
February 12, 2026 at 1:46 AM
To me the thing that makes ENCOUNTERS impossible to replicate today is how guarded everyone is around the media. You’d have to go through a half-dozen PIOs just to *talk* to the head of BuRec, let alone take him rafting down the Colorado!’
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
Over on threads someone just use ai;dr and we all need to adopt that right quick
February 11, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Over on threads someone just use ai;dr and we all need to adopt that right quick
CROSSINGS assumes its rightful place on a shelf of books by and about history’s most consequential white guys 🫡
I’ve been reading Presidential biographies in the order of their elections. Currently reading McKinley’s. Here’s what’s on my bookshelf
February 11, 2026 at 4:37 PM
CROSSINGS assumes its rightful place on a shelf of books by and about history’s most consequential white guys 🫡
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
How about most recent writing about floodplains?
www.kuow.org/stories/the-...
www.kuow.org/stories/the-...
The Stillaguamish Tribe gives its river north of Seattle room to roam
“Now the river can connect to its floodplain like it hasn't in 140 years.”
www.kuow.org
February 10, 2026 at 2:00 AM
How about most recent writing about floodplains?
www.kuow.org/stories/the-...
www.kuow.org/stories/the-...
Best writing, academic or popular, about floodplains?
February 10, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Best writing, academic or popular, about floodplains?
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
How understanding Alligator Gars can help Mississippi River floodplain restoration! @nfwfnews.bsky.social
New conservation story: gardenandgun.com/feature/in-p...
New conservation story: gardenandgun.com/feature/in-p...
In Pursuit of Alligator Gar, the Ancient Giant of the Shallows
The prehistoric fish with a toothy grin is fueling floodplain restoration efforts on the Mississippi River
gardenandgun.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:46 PM
How understanding Alligator Gars can help Mississippi River floodplain restoration! @nfwfnews.bsky.social
New conservation story: gardenandgun.com/feature/in-p...
New conservation story: gardenandgun.com/feature/in-p...
Dangit, this story gives me goodwill toward the Pats. Anyway, Hawks by a billion.
This is a great piece. Loved this anecdote.
February 8, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Dangit, this story gives me goodwill toward the Pats. Anyway, Hawks by a billion.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
TREES OF ACADIA comes out this spring and can be pre-ordered. Book tour planning underway - stops in Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Winter Harbor, Northeast Harbor..and a harbor near you?
I am so panicked that people are going to stop buying books right now. And I don’t just say this because I have a book coming out in April. I am saying this also because indie bookstores are doing a lot of protest support work and need the business. And my friends have books coming out too.
Please buy books that are coming out this year.
Doesn’t have to be mine. But there is a stellar release calendar this year especially of Black writers and it would be a shame if one of the fascist victories was people not buying those books (from the indies that are in the fight with us). #BookSky
Doesn’t have to be mine. But there is a stellar release calendar this year especially of Black writers and it would be a shame if one of the fascist victories was people not buying those books (from the indies that are in the fight with us). #BookSky
February 8, 2026 at 1:09 PM
TREES OF ACADIA comes out this spring and can be pre-ordered. Book tour planning underway - stops in Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Winter Harbor, Northeast Harbor..and a harbor near you?
Yes, daily.
Many of us buy animal toys for kids, but have you considered the beaver?!
February 7, 2026 at 3:39 AM
Yes, daily.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
Anyway just bookmark this for the next time the Administration tries to shut town another offshore wind farm by saying that they're protecting whales
Friday night news dump: Trump just opened a marine national monument to commercial fishing.
Environmentalists worry that fishing in the area could damage sensitive ecosystems and habitats for endangered whales and other species. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/c...
Environmentalists worry that fishing in the area could damage sensitive ecosystems and habitats for endangered whales and other species. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/c...
Trump Opens Marine National Monument in Atlantic to Commercial Fishing
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:03 AM
Anyway just bookmark this for the next time the Administration tries to shut town another offshore wind farm by saying that they're protecting whales
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
A+ ad placement on ESPN’s trade tracker
February 4, 2026 at 9:50 PM
A+ ad placement on ESPN’s trade tracker
The latest hilarious example of the Abundance Agenda being coopted to support crackpottery: an abundance of electricity being used to run an abundance of desalination plants to dump an abundance of water back in Lakes Powell & Mead to support an abundance of powerboating!
via @landdesk.bsky.social.
via @landdesk.bsky.social.
February 6, 2026 at 8:52 PM
The latest hilarious example of the Abundance Agenda being coopted to support crackpottery: an abundance of electricity being used to run an abundance of desalination plants to dump an abundance of water back in Lakes Powell & Mead to support an abundance of powerboating!
via @landdesk.bsky.social.
via @landdesk.bsky.social.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
I can't believe I'm saying this, but GRIZZLED comes out in <30 days! I keep waiting for an asteroid to strike! It's felt like it would never happen for so long, I don't know what to do now that I'm here! It's going to be exclamation points from here on out, friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🧪
🐻GRIZZLED🐻: Love Letters to 50 of North America's Least Understood Animals
Def the biggest & most personal project of my career. Featuring artwork & foreword by Joel Sartore, as well as insights from a bajillion amazing scientists. 🧪
❤️🔥I HOPE YOU LOVE IT❤️🔥
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804002...
Def the biggest & most personal project of my career. Featuring artwork & foreword by Joel Sartore, as well as insights from a bajillion amazing scientists. 🧪
❤️🔥I HOPE YOU LOVE IT❤️🔥
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804002...
Grizzled by Jason Bittel: 9781426223358 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Funny, fascinating, and scientifically grounded, this charming book reveals unknown details about 50 well-known animals. Effortlessly readable, Grizzled reintroduces nature lovers to species they th...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:14 PM
I can't believe I'm saying this, but GRIZZLED comes out in <30 days! I keep waiting for an asteroid to strike! It's felt like it would never happen for so long, I don't know what to do now that I'm here! It's going to be exclamation points from here on out, friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🧪
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
Excited to have this one out after over a decade of work. Strong evidence for why migration matters for ungulates.
New study on mule deer in Wyoming reveals that migration is critical to maintain a robust population. I got the chance to chat with lead author Anna Ortega and @wyokauffman.bsky.social about their recent @currentbiology.bsky.social research: www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/02...
Migration Pays Off: Study Links Long-Distance Movement of Mule Deer to Robust Population Growth
Ungulate migration has fascinated people for millennia. In the Western United States, ungulates such as elk, bison and mule deer migrate each spring and fall, navigating snow, predators and human infr...
www.uwyo.edu
February 5, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Excited to have this one out after over a decade of work. Strong evidence for why migration matters for ungulates.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
🌊I have a new gig. 🌊
Introducing: OCEAN EMPIRE, my new column about U.S ocean policy and foreign affairs for @sciencepolitics.bsky.social.
We are a brand new online magazine housed at Georgetown University. I'm thrilled to bring in-depth news analysis about what's happening to 70% of our planet.
Introducing: OCEAN EMPIRE, my new column about U.S ocean policy and foreign affairs for @sciencepolitics.bsky.social.
We are a brand new online magazine housed at Georgetown University. I'm thrilled to bring in-depth news analysis about what's happening to 70% of our planet.
Ocean Empire - Science Politics
Introducing a new column breaking down seismic shifts in ocean policy and explaining why they matter.
sciencepolitics.org
February 5, 2026 at 7:54 PM
🌊I have a new gig. 🌊
Introducing: OCEAN EMPIRE, my new column about U.S ocean policy and foreign affairs for @sciencepolitics.bsky.social.
We are a brand new online magazine housed at Georgetown University. I'm thrilled to bring in-depth news analysis about what's happening to 70% of our planet.
Introducing: OCEAN EMPIRE, my new column about U.S ocean policy and foreign affairs for @sciencepolitics.bsky.social.
We are a brand new online magazine housed at Georgetown University. I'm thrilled to bring in-depth news analysis about what's happening to 70% of our planet.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
A12. #ParkChat Book Club meets soon on Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter (@bengoldfarb.bsky.social). The book focuses on the ecological importance of beavers (nature's engineers). Our first meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 17 then Mar. 17 at 5 PM Pacific. DM me for deets.
February 5, 2026 at 3:02 AM
A12. #ParkChat Book Club meets soon on Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter (@bengoldfarb.bsky.social). The book focuses on the ecological importance of beavers (nature's engineers). Our first meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 17 then Mar. 17 at 5 PM Pacific. DM me for deets.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
Trouble on the Elwha: Trump’s Budget Cuts Undermine Iconic Salmon Restoration Project --- by @nickengelfried.bsky.social for @therevelator.org therevelator.org/elwha-trump-...
Trouble on the Elwha: Trump’s Budget Cuts Undermine Iconic Salmon Restoration Project • The Revelator
A staffing exodus at Olympic National Park has put salmon recovery efforts in jeopardy.
therevelator.org
February 2, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Trouble on the Elwha: Trump’s Budget Cuts Undermine Iconic Salmon Restoration Project --- by @nickengelfried.bsky.social for @therevelator.org therevelator.org/elwha-trump-...
Favorite papers, articles, podcast episodes, etc., about how fish produce or respond to sound? Thanks!
(And yes I read/enjoyed @amorinakingdon.bsky.social’s excellent book on this topic!)
(And yes I read/enjoyed @amorinakingdon.bsky.social’s excellent book on this topic!)
February 2, 2026 at 8:24 PM
Favorite papers, articles, podcast episodes, etc., about how fish produce or respond to sound? Thanks!
(And yes I read/enjoyed @amorinakingdon.bsky.social’s excellent book on this topic!)
(And yes I read/enjoyed @amorinakingdon.bsky.social’s excellent book on this topic!)
Happy #WorldWetlandsDay to the real MVPs.
February 2, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Happy #WorldWetlandsDay to the real MVPs.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
This is a post about animal excrement and the English language.
bull$#!% = nonsense/lies
chicken$#!% = petty or cowardly
horse$#!% = nonsense/lies
dog$#!%= low quality
ape$#!% = wild
bat$#!%= crazy
Ordered above from oldest to newest: bull$#!% (1914), bat$#!% (1971).
bull$#!% = nonsense/lies
chicken$#!% = petty or cowardly
horse$#!% = nonsense/lies
dog$#!%= low quality
ape$#!% = wild
bat$#!%= crazy
Ordered above from oldest to newest: bull$#!% (1914), bat$#!% (1971).
February 2, 2026 at 3:23 PM
This is a post about animal excrement and the English language.
bull$#!% = nonsense/lies
chicken$#!% = petty or cowardly
horse$#!% = nonsense/lies
dog$#!%= low quality
ape$#!% = wild
bat$#!%= crazy
Ordered above from oldest to newest: bull$#!% (1914), bat$#!% (1971).
bull$#!% = nonsense/lies
chicken$#!% = petty or cowardly
horse$#!% = nonsense/lies
dog$#!%= low quality
ape$#!% = wild
bat$#!%= crazy
Ordered above from oldest to newest: bull$#!% (1914), bat$#!% (1971).
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
A Minnesota woman observing ICE agents in her car was cornered on one-way streets. An agent approached, called her by name—citing facial recognition. Days later, her Global Entry and TSA privileges were revoked, with no explanation.
How ICE Already Knows Who Minneapolis Protesters Are
www.nytimes.com
January 30, 2026 at 11:55 AM
A Minnesota woman observing ICE agents in her car was cornered on one-way streets. An agent approached, called her by name—citing facial recognition. Days later, her Global Entry and TSA privileges were revoked, with no explanation.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
"In theater" is a military term that refers to a wartime theater of operations. ICE and CBP agents are in Minnesota, which is one of the United States. The enemy in this military operation are citizens of Minnesotans and the United States.
Q: Can you be specific about how many ICE and CBP agents are currently operating in the state?
HOMAN: 3,000. There's been some rotations. They've been in theater a long time. Day after day, can't eat in restaurants, people spin on you, blowing whistles at you. But my main focus now is draw down
HOMAN: 3,000. There's been some rotations. They've been in theater a long time. Day after day, can't eat in restaurants, people spin on you, blowing whistles at you. But my main focus now is draw down
January 29, 2026 at 5:59 PM
"In theater" is a military term that refers to a wartime theater of operations. ICE and CBP agents are in Minnesota, which is one of the United States. The enemy in this military operation are citizens of Minnesotans and the United States.
Reposted by Ben Goldfarb
"I'm coming to Boston and I'm bringing hell with me."
--Homan in February
"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March
"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman
--Homan in February
"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March
"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman
Homan: "I begged for the last two months on TV for the rhetoric to stop. I said in March -- if the rhetoric doesn't stop, there is gonna be bloodshed. And there has been. I wish I wasn't right. I don't want to see anybody die."
January 29, 2026 at 3:32 PM
"I'm coming to Boston and I'm bringing hell with me."
--Homan in February
"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March
"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman
--Homan in February
"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March
"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman