Robert Fletcher
@fletcherecology.bsky.social
Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology, University of Cambridge
(formerly Univ. Florida)
Working on ecology, conservation, and ornithology. Love telling a good story. Fond of maths. Husband and Dad.
https://www.fletcherlab.com/
(formerly Univ. Florida)
Working on ecology, conservation, and ornithology. Love telling a good story. Fond of maths. Husband and Dad.
https://www.fletcherlab.com/
Pinned
Spatial Ecology and Conservation Modeling
This textbook provides a foundation for modern applied ecology. It follows a rapidly changing field with updates of concepts, methods, and code.
link.springer.com
Really happy to share that the Second Edition of our book, "Spatial Ecology and Conservation Modeling", is now out and available online!
We provide a foundation for applied spatial ecology with a focus on learning-by-doing.
@camzoology.bsky.social @conservation.cam.ac.uk
We provide a foundation for applied spatial ecology with a focus on learning-by-doing.
@camzoology.bsky.social @conservation.cam.ac.uk
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
Was honored to get the call to be one of The Guardian’s Big Interviews in G2. A thorough and thoughtful piece that digs into the real fundaments of the AI bubble narrative.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Ed Zitron on big tech, backlash, boom and bust: ‘AI has taught us that people are excited to replace human beings’
His blunt, brash scepticism has made the podcaster and writer something of a cult figure. But as concern over large language models builds, he’s no longer the outsider he once was
www.theguardian.com
January 19, 2026 at 5:29 AM
Was honored to get the call to be one of The Guardian’s Big Interviews in G2. A thorough and thoughtful piece that digs into the real fundaments of the AI bubble narrative.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
Beautiful and incredible scenes from the centre of the Netherlands, a country with 1.5 times the density of people in the UK. A pack of 11 wolves roaming through the snow!
January 16, 2026 at 12:11 PM
Beautiful and incredible scenes from the centre of the Netherlands, a country with 1.5 times the density of people in the UK. A pack of 11 wolves roaming through the snow!
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
A great start to the new year: registration for the European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB 2026) is now officially open! Participants can take advantage of a special Early Bird discount, available until 31 March 2026. More on: eccb26leiden.eu/registration/
January 5, 2026 at 2:39 PM
A great start to the new year: registration for the European Congress of Conservation Biology (ECCB 2026) is now officially open! Participants can take advantage of a special Early Bird discount, available until 31 March 2026. More on: eccb26leiden.eu/registration/
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
World’s biggest buyers of Brazilian soy plan to exit the Amazon Soy Moratorium — a voluntary pact that kept deforestation-linked soy out of global supply chains for nearly 20 years.
Critics warn the move could reverse hard-won gains, especially in Mato Grosso, where deforestation is rising.
Critics warn the move could reverse hard-won gains, especially in Mato Grosso, where deforestation is rising.
Soy giants drop Amazon no-deforestation pledge as subsidies come under threat
The world’s largest buyers of Brazilian soy have announced a plan to exit from a landmark antideforestation agreement, the Amazon Soy Moratorium. The voluntary agreement between soy agribusinesses…
news.mongabay.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:48 AM
World’s biggest buyers of Brazilian soy plan to exit the Amazon Soy Moratorium — a voluntary pact that kept deforestation-linked soy out of global supply chains for nearly 20 years.
Critics warn the move could reverse hard-won gains, especially in Mato Grosso, where deforestation is rising.
Critics warn the move could reverse hard-won gains, especially in Mato Grosso, where deforestation is rising.
As someone trained as both a field ecologist and quantitative scientist, this tension runs deep for me. Some of my group are entrenched in the field whereas others work with models for a living.
‘I rarely get outside’: scientists ditch fieldwork in the age of AI www.nature.com/articles/d41...
1/4
‘I rarely get outside’: scientists ditch fieldwork in the age of AI www.nature.com/articles/d41...
1/4
Client Challenge
www.nature.com
January 11, 2026 at 3:14 PM
As someone trained as both a field ecologist and quantitative scientist, this tension runs deep for me. Some of my group are entrenched in the field whereas others work with models for a living.
‘I rarely get outside’: scientists ditch fieldwork in the age of AI www.nature.com/articles/d41...
1/4
‘I rarely get outside’: scientists ditch fieldwork in the age of AI www.nature.com/articles/d41...
1/4
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
It’s official: I’m joining the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability at the University of Iowa as an assistant prof starting Fall 2026!
I’ll be recruiting multiple grad students and postdocs to join my lab, so if you’re into disturbance ecology and conservation science… watch this space!
I’ll be recruiting multiple grad students and postdocs to join my lab, so if you’re into disturbance ecology and conservation science… watch this space!
January 3, 2026 at 3:36 PM
It’s official: I’m joining the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability at the University of Iowa as an assistant prof starting Fall 2026!
I’ll be recruiting multiple grad students and postdocs to join my lab, so if you’re into disturbance ecology and conservation science… watch this space!
I’ll be recruiting multiple grad students and postdocs to join my lab, so if you’re into disturbance ecology and conservation science… watch this space!
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
'Science is at its best when guided by curiosity, intuition, and the courage to explore ideas that others might overlook.'
In Profile: Kolby J. Jardine
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#PlantScience
In Profile: Kolby J. Jardine
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#PlantScience
January 5, 2026 at 7:03 PM
'Science is at its best when guided by curiosity, intuition, and the courage to explore ideas that others might overlook.'
In Profile: Kolby J. Jardine
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#PlantScience
In Profile: Kolby J. Jardine
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#PlantScience
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
Come and join me and my colleagues at the Department of Biology, #LundUniversity in #sweden! We have am open position as Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Biodiversity.
Apply here no later than February 11 2026:
https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:848749/type:job/where:4/apply:1
Apply here no later than February 11 2026:
https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:848749/type:job/where:4/apply:1
Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Biodiversity
The Department of Biology was established in 2010 through the merger of the Departments of Ecology, Cell and Organism Biology, Biological Undergraduate Education, and the Biological Museums. The depar
lu.varbi.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Come and join me and my colleagues at the Department of Biology, #LundUniversity in #sweden! We have am open position as Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Biodiversity.
Apply here no later than February 11 2026:
https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:848749/type:job/where:4/apply:1
Apply here no later than February 11 2026:
https://lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:848749/type:job/where:4/apply:1
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
2025 was the warmest year on record for Central England in a dataset that starts in 1659.
(Daily data available since 1772.)
www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadce...
(Daily data available since 1772.)
www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadce...
January 1, 2026 at 2:56 PM
2025 was the warmest year on record for Central England in a dataset that starts in 1659.
(Daily data available since 1772.)
www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadce...
(Daily data available since 1772.)
www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadce...
Happy New Year!
Here is a good news conservation story to start the year off right:
@camzoology.bsky.social @conservation.cam.ac.uk
youtu.be/cCBut3BAsCU?...
Here is a good news conservation story to start the year off right:
@camzoology.bsky.social @conservation.cam.ac.uk
youtu.be/cCBut3BAsCU?...
This Bird Is Evolving Right in Front of Us
YouTube video by Nature on PBS
youtu.be
January 1, 2026 at 9:56 AM
Happy New Year!
Here is a good news conservation story to start the year off right:
@camzoology.bsky.social @conservation.cam.ac.uk
youtu.be/cCBut3BAsCU?...
Here is a good news conservation story to start the year off right:
@camzoology.bsky.social @conservation.cam.ac.uk
youtu.be/cCBut3BAsCU?...
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
We are recruiting several PhD students. If you are interested in conservation conflicts, population ecology, quantitative ecology, or biodiversity, check these projects out (links in the thread, feel free to reach out):
December 28, 2025 at 11:36 PM
We are recruiting several PhD students. If you are interested in conservation conflicts, population ecology, quantitative ecology, or biodiversity, check these projects out (links in the thread, feel free to reach out):
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
Deer numbers have been rocketing in the UK and Ireland, causing *massive* damage to nature and society.
The solutions?
Eat wild venison instead of farmed meat, and reintroduce missing native predators like lynx.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The solutions?
Eat wild venison instead of farmed meat, and reintroduce missing native predators like lynx.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Why Britain has a deer problem
Deer numbers have rocketed over the last 40 years and particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.
www.bbc.com
December 26, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Deer numbers have been rocketing in the UK and Ireland, causing *massive* damage to nature and society.
The solutions?
Eat wild venison instead of farmed meat, and reintroduce missing native predators like lynx.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The solutions?
Eat wild venison instead of farmed meat, and reintroduce missing native predators like lynx.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
A comprehensive review building on the IPBES #InvasiveAlienSpecies Assessment reveals that numbers of alien species are increasing for all taxonomic groups and regions, and that this trend is likely to continue.
Read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.70058
Read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.70058
December 26, 2025 at 8:05 AM
A comprehensive review building on the IPBES #InvasiveAlienSpecies Assessment reveals that numbers of alien species are increasing for all taxonomic groups and regions, and that this trend is likely to continue.
Read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.70058
Read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.70058
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
As the EU’s deforestation-free regulation takes effect in 2026, companies will lean on satellite maps to prove their supply chains are compliant.
But a new review warns most maps can’t meet EUDR standards, risking misclassification in places where agroforestry and forests look alike.
But a new review warns most maps can’t meet EUDR standards, risking misclassification in places where agroforestry and forests look alike.
Researchers find concerning gaps in global maps used for EUDR compliance
A recent scientific review of forest maps used to ensure compliance with the European Union’s Regulation on Deforestation-free products, known as the EUDR, suggests that most may over- or…
news.mongabay.com
December 25, 2025 at 5:14 PM
As the EU’s deforestation-free regulation takes effect in 2026, companies will lean on satellite maps to prove their supply chains are compliant.
But a new review warns most maps can’t meet EUDR standards, risking misclassification in places where agroforestry and forests look alike.
But a new review warns most maps can’t meet EUDR standards, risking misclassification in places where agroforestry and forests look alike.
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
Just published: a cross-taxon synthesis of how #non-native species spread: from dispersal and #invasion fronts to Allee effects, human pathways, and predictive models. Understanding spread is key to management & policy.
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#bioinvasions #InvasiveSpecies 🧪🌍🌐
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#bioinvasions #InvasiveSpecies 🧪🌍🌐
December 24, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Just published: a cross-taxon synthesis of how #non-native species spread: from dispersal and #invasion fronts to Allee effects, human pathways, and predictive models. Understanding spread is key to management & policy.
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#bioinvasions #InvasiveSpecies 🧪🌍🌐
👉 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#bioinvasions #InvasiveSpecies 🧪🌍🌐
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
We're hiring! The Dept. of Environmental Conservation @umassamherst.bsky.social is looking for an Extension Professor in Biodiversity Conservation. Reviews start Feb 1. I am on the SC and absolutely love working in the ECo Dept. Come join us! DM me with questions. careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...
Details - Extension Assistant Professor - Biodiversity Conservation | Human Resources | UMass Amherst
careers.umass.edu
December 22, 2025 at 4:55 PM
We're hiring! The Dept. of Environmental Conservation @umassamherst.bsky.social is looking for an Extension Professor in Biodiversity Conservation. Reviews start Feb 1. I am on the SC and absolutely love working in the ECo Dept. Come join us! DM me with questions. careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-u...
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
🗞️ Great news!
A golden eagle has been spotted in northern England for the first time since 2015. Scientists working in the area report multiple sightings since April 2025.
Read more in Mongabay: https://ow.ly/eFb450XAvyN
A golden eagle has been spotted in northern England for the first time since 2015. Scientists working in the area report multiple sightings since April 2025.
Read more in Mongabay: https://ow.ly/eFb450XAvyN
December 20, 2025 at 4:45 PM
🗞️ Great news!
A golden eagle has been spotted in northern England for the first time since 2015. Scientists working in the area report multiple sightings since April 2025.
Read more in Mongabay: https://ow.ly/eFb450XAvyN
A golden eagle has been spotted in northern England for the first time since 2015. Scientists working in the area report multiple sightings since April 2025.
Read more in Mongabay: https://ow.ly/eFb450XAvyN
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
Our new review lays out a framework for understanding the social-ecological benefits of protected areas to their surroundings - just published in One Earth:
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101462
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101462
December 20, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Our new review lays out a framework for understanding the social-ecological benefits of protected areas to their surroundings - just published in One Earth:
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101462
www.cell.com/one-earth/ab...
doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101462
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
Elephants along with red deer, horses and wolves on the Spanish coast, not so long ago 🐘🦌🐎🐺🐾🇪🇸 #megafauna #lastinterglacial phys.org/news/2025-12...
Prehistoric elephant footprints documented for first time in Murcia's fossil dunes
An international team, involving researchers from the University of Seville, the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences in Granada and the University of Huelva, has identified the first fossilized ver...
phys.org
December 20, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Elephants along with red deer, horses and wolves on the Spanish coast, not so long ago 🐘🦌🐎🐺🐾🇪🇸 #megafauna #lastinterglacial phys.org/news/2025-12...
The fantastic Ellen Robertson at Univ. Florida is recruiting 2 PhD students to work in her lab.
Students would work with long-term data on two endangered species: The Snail Kite & Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
If thinking about a PhD, please take a close look! Below are details on the kite project:
Students would work with long-term data on two endangered species: The Snail Kite & Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
If thinking about a PhD, please take a close look! Below are details on the kite project:
December 19, 2025 at 8:10 PM
The fantastic Ellen Robertson at Univ. Florida is recruiting 2 PhD students to work in her lab.
Students would work with long-term data on two endangered species: The Snail Kite & Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
If thinking about a PhD, please take a close look! Below are details on the kite project:
Students would work with long-term data on two endangered species: The Snail Kite & Red-cockaded Woodpecker.
If thinking about a PhD, please take a close look! Below are details on the kite project:
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
New postdoctoral fellowship opportunity! Please pass along. Excited to announce the launch of the Tom Lovejoy Fellowship Program at the University of Arizona for innovative research to protect species, sustain ecosystems, and promote a thriving planet lovejoycenter.arizona.edu/lovejoy-fell... 🧪🌐🌾
December 19, 2025 at 6:11 PM
New postdoctoral fellowship opportunity! Please pass along. Excited to announce the launch of the Tom Lovejoy Fellowship Program at the University of Arizona for innovative research to protect species, sustain ecosystems, and promote a thriving planet lovejoycenter.arizona.edu/lovejoy-fell... 🧪🌐🌾
Really excited about what came in the mail today:
December 19, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Really excited about what came in the mail today:
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
A new PNAS paper finds that polarization increased immediately after the invention of smartphones and the advent of social media, which both appeared around the same year, 2008.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
December 14, 2025 at 5:29 PM
A new PNAS paper finds that polarization increased immediately after the invention of smartphones and the advent of social media, which both appeared around the same year, 2008.
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Go see Joe’s poster! He is doing fantastic work!
#BES2025
#BES2025
Excited for the BES Annual Meeting in Edinburgh this week, where I’ll be presenting our framework for forecasting human-wildlife conflict in near real-time!🏴
Looking forward to chatting more about human-wildlife conflict, elephants, forecasting and movement modelling.🐘
#BES2025
Looking forward to chatting more about human-wildlife conflict, elephants, forecasting and movement modelling.🐘
#BES2025
December 15, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Go see Joe’s poster! He is doing fantastic work!
#BES2025
#BES2025
Reposted by Robert Fletcher
One of the techniques the students learn to use on our #Wildlife #Conservation #MSc field course in #SouthAfrica is camera trapping to estimate mammal biodiversity. Sometimes the videos are more interesting than other times #leopard @uniofhull.bsky.social
December 15, 2025 at 7:03 AM
One of the techniques the students learn to use on our #Wildlife #Conservation #MSc field course in #SouthAfrica is camera trapping to estimate mammal biodiversity. Sometimes the videos are more interesting than other times #leopard @uniofhull.bsky.social