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matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ
@matthholden.bsky.social
2.3K followers 870 following 98 posts

Mathematician working in Ecology, Biodiversity Conservation, Fisheries, Natural Resource Management, Wildlife Trade, and Sustainability. Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland. President of the Resource Modeling Association #LGBTQSTEM he/they .. more

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Matthew Holden Jr. was an American political scientist.

Source: Wikipedia
Environmental science 52%
Geography 13%
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matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 13
My new paper on the #math of #wildlife friendly #agriculture. Reduce pesticides by using attractive "trap" plants to divert pests. But how many traps maximize yield? onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #MathSky #MathsToday #iteachmath 🌍 Accessible to undergrads @smbmathbiology.bsky.social
Figure of how the optimal trap plant proportion of the field varies with the attractiveness of the trap plant and how much yield is at risk by the pests

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· 5h
This isn’t just strategic, it’s responsible science:
β€’ Full model first β‡’ scrutiny & feedback
β€’ Applied results later + confidence it’s right
β€’ Two citable papers
β€’ Science people actually read
Full models belong in modelling journals (bonus points for society journals like NRM)
resourcemodeling.bsky.social Resource Modeling Association (RMA) @resourcemodeling.bsky.social Β· 5h
Stop burying models in supplements. Publish 2 papers instead:
(1) the full model, assumptions & derivations (in a modeling journal)
(2) applied, data-driven findings where they matter.
Natural Resource Modeling welcomes full model descriptions:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1939... #OpenScience 🌍
Natural Resource Modeling
Click on the title to browse this journal
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Matthew Holden

resourcemodeling.bsky.social
Resource Modeling Association (RMA) @resourcemodeling.bsky.social Β· 5h
Stop burying models in supplements. Publish 2 papers instead:
(1) the full model, assumptions & derivations (in a modeling journal)
(2) applied, data-driven findings where they matter.
Natural Resource Modeling welcomes full model descriptions:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1939... #OpenScience 🌍
Natural Resource Modeling
Click on the title to browse this journal
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· 28d
Prof Ben Burton’s public lecture β€œSome Very Queer #Mathematics” is now online, marking 75 years of the Turing Test and celebrating Alan Turing’s & LGBTQIA+ contributions to maths. @amermathsoc.bsky.social @chadtopaz.bsky.social @lgbtqstem.bsky.social #MathSky #ITeachMath #AcademicSky
UQ Turing Test Public Lecture: Some Very Queer Mathematics
YouTube video by UQ Science
www.youtube.com

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
Beautiful math predicts lingering periods of equilibrium dynamics when stochastically knocked close to the stable manifold of a saddle. Wonderful talk by shandelle Henson at #JMM2026 @jointmath.bsky.social on recognising saddles and cycles in ecological data.

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
Are you presenting on your students work at #jmm2026? remember to properly credit it and promote your student! Yun Kang did this really well in her awesome talk on the math of social insects! @jointmath.bsky.social

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
How do we achieve a better life while reducing emissions and energy consumption? Math! By Alexander Vaninski at #JMM2026 @jointmath.bsky.social. come join us 8am-5pm today in room 149 A for more math ecology, econ, disease and environmental talks.

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
Awesome talk on modeling illegal smuggling of wildlife and plant products at #JMM2026 @jointmath.bsky.social by Becky Epanchin Niell

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
Great talk by Suzanne Robertson on competition of mosquito disease vectors #JMM2026 @jointmath.bsky.social at the special session on modeling natural resources.

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
Come to our special session on modeling natural resources (ecology, diseases, environment, econ) at #JMM2026 room 149A today 8am-5pm @resourcemodeling.bsky.social @jointmath.bsky.social @amermathsoc.bsky.social first up climate + mosquitos + disease + ODEs by Michael Robert

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
For those who have never had Ethiopian. It's amazing. Lots of stews, eaten with a fermented flat bread called enjira. It's like a sourdough pancake made from a mix of teff & wheat flour. This place has a mild one that isn't as sour as the Eritrean version I'm more familiar with from back home.

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
bsky.app/profile/matt...
matthholden.bsky.social Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
Looking for food at #JMM2026. I recommend Family Ethiopian Restaurant, I visited last night. 5 min walk from convention centre. Vegetarian entrees start at $12! Fish Dulet, pictured, was excellently garlicky maps.app.goo.gl/B1bj2BGHCTop... @amermathsoc.bsky.social @jointmath.bsky.social

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
Looking for food at #JMM2026. I recommend Family Ethiopian Restaurant, I visited last night. 5 min walk from convention centre. Vegetarian entrees start at $12! Fish Dulet, pictured, was excellently garlicky maps.app.goo.gl/B1bj2BGHCTop... @amermathsoc.bsky.social @jointmath.bsky.social

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
Goals for day 1 at #JMM2026 1) eat good Ethiopian food 2) learn new #math 3) see cool math & street art 4) get over jetlag from Australia 5) acclimate to subzero temps. Accomplished 3/5 @jointmath.bsky.social @amermathsoc.bsky.social

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jan 5
You might be surprised how much impact an in person conversation with your representative can have. Take advantage of being in DC and do this!
courtneygibbons.phd Dr. Courtney Gibbons, FIFA laureate (she/her) @courtneygibbons.phd Β· Jan 4
Hey if you're in DC, you can just stop by your reps' offices. If you're leaving before the Hill Day after #JMM26 but want to go to the Capitol anyway, grab a few pals and go!

Take green/yellow to L'Enfant Plaza then blue/orange to Capitol Hill South.

Reposted by Matthew Holden

courtneygibbons.phd
Dr. Courtney Gibbons, FIFA laureate (she/her) @courtneygibbons.phd Β· Jan 4
Hey if you're in DC, you can just stop by your reps' offices. If you're leaving before the Hill Day after #JMM26 but want to go to the Capitol anyway, grab a few pals and go!

Take green/yellow to L'Enfant Plaza then blue/orange to Capitol Hill South.

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Nov 26
It's baffling why the Go8 (a group of 8 leading universities in Australia) endorsed a position to weaken environmental laws. Not only do we, the researchers at these universities, disagree, but our research shows it is a bad idea. In just one day, 90 Go8 researchers documented our opposition.
yungenchee.bsky.social Yung En Chee @yungenchee.bsky.social Β· Nov 25
We have no answers from our institutions as to why Go8 universities endorsed BCA's regressive EPBC recommendations

But 90 of us have signed an 'Independent statement on the Group of Eight’s position on EPBC Act reforms'

πŸ™ Prof Justine Bell-James for writing & coordinating the independent statement

Reposted by Euan G. Ritchie, Matthew Holden, Catherine J. Frieman

yungenchee.bsky.social
Yung En Chee @yungenchee.bsky.social Β· Nov 25
We have no answers from our institutions as to why Go8 universities endorsed BCA's regressive EPBC recommendations

But 90 of us have signed an 'Independent statement on the Group of Eight’s position on EPBC Act reforms'

πŸ™ Prof Justine Bell-James for writing & coordinating the independent statement
Independent statement on the Group of Eight’s position on EPBC Act reforms The federal Parliament is currently considering amendments to the flagship federal environmental legislation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (β€˜EPBC Act’). This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen environmental protections to reverse Australia’s current trajectory of extinctions and biodiversity loss. We are academics at the institutions in the Group of Eight (Go8), with expertise in biodiversity conservation science, climate science, policy, economics and law. We support amendments to the EPBC Act to strengthen protections for biodiversity and remove ministerial discretion and legal loopholes, in order to create a level playing field for businesses, and make environmental protection and recovery central to all decision-making processes under the Act. We note that the Go8 has signed a statement by the Business Council of Australia endorsing amendments that will weaken the Act’s protection for the environment. This statement does not reflect the world leading conservation research being carried out at our institutions. It also does not reflect the extensive evidence-based advice provided by experts based at Go8 institutions during the review and consultation processes over the past five years. We disagree with this statement, and the Go8’s endorsement of it. Signatories (in alphabetical order of family name) Professor Justine Bell-James The University of Queensland Emeritus Professor S Don Bradshaw The University of Western Australia Associate Professor Josephine Brown The University of Melbourne Honorary Associate Professor Peter Burnett Australian National University Professor Danielle Celermajer The University of Sydney Professor Iadine Chades Monash University Dr Yung En Chee The University of Melbourne Dr Shawan Chowdhury Monash University Dr Paul Close The University of Western Australia Associate Professor Carly Cook Monash University Professor Graeme Cumming The University of Western Australia Professor Saul Cunningham Australian National University Dr Christopher Cvitanovic UNSW Canberra Dr Nicholas Deal Monash University Associate Professor Angela Dean The University of Queensland Professor Emeritus Christopher Dickman The University of Sydney Professor Kingsley Dixon The University of Western Australia Associate Professor Daniel Dunn The University of Queensland Dr Megan Evans UNSW Canberra Signatories (in alphabetical order of family name) Dr JosΓ© R. Ferrer-Paris UNSW Sydney Associate Professor Anita Foerster Monash University Adjunct Professor Rob Fowler The University of Adelaide Emeritus Professor Alex Gardner The University of Western Australia Professor Christophe Gaudin The University of Western Australia Professor Andrea Gaynor The University of Western Australia Associate Professor Hedley Grantham University of New South Wales Professor Pauline Grierson The University of Western Australia Dr Liz Hicks The University of Melbourne Professor Dieter Hochuli The University of Sydney Professor Andy Hogg The Australian National University Dr Matthew Holden The University of Queensland Professor Stephen D. Hopper AC The University of Western Australia Dr Brad Jessup The University of Melbourne Laureate Professor David Keith UNSW Professor Richard Kingsford UNSW Sydney A/Professor Carissa Klein The University of Queensland Associate Professor Joanna Kyriakakis Monash University Emeritus Professor Hans Lambers The University of Western Australia Associate Professor Nina Lansbury The University of Queensland Dr Natasha LeBas The University of Western Australia Professor Sarah Legge The Australian National University Distinguished Professor David Lindenmayer The Australian National University Professor Catherine Lovelock The University of Queensland Professor Kristen Lyons The University of Queensland Professor Rosemary Lyster The University of Sydney Professor Andrew Macintosh Australian National University Dr Ray Maher The University of Queensland Professor Martine Maron The University of Queensland Professor Sharon Mascher The University of Western Australia Dr Helen Mayfield The University of Queensland Professor Michael McCarthy The University of Melbourne Associate Professor Phillipa McCormack The University of Adelaide Professor Matt McDonald The University of Queensland Signatories (in alphabetical order of family name) Professor Karen McNamara The University of Queensland Professor Jessica Meeuwig The University of Western Australia Professor Malte Meinshausen The University of Melbourne Professor Nicki Mitchell The University of Western Australia Dr Rachel Morgain University of Melbourne Professor Craig Moritz Australian National University Professor Emily Nicholson The University of Melbourne Professor David Pannell The University of Western Australia Dr Tina Parkhurst The University of Melbourne Professor Kirsten Parris The University of Melbourne Associate Professor Natasha Pauli The University of Western Australia Dr Alexandra Pavlova Monash University Professor Jacqueline Peel The University of Melbourne Professor Jamie Pittock Australian National University Dr Pieter Poot The University of Western Australia Professor Hugh Possingham The University of Queensland Professor John Quiggin The University of Queensland Dr Cristina Ramalho The University of Western Australia Professor Amanda Ridley The University of Western Australia Professor Cynthia Riginos The University of Queensland Professor David Schlosberg The University of Sydney Associate Professor Robyn Schofield The University of Melbourne Professor Leigh Simmons The University of Western Australia Professor Paul Sunnucks Monash University Professor Stephen Swearer The University of Western Australia Professor Erika Techera The University of Western Australia Associate Professor Joseph Tomkins The University of Western Australia Professor Erik Veneklaas The University of Western Australia Professor Peter Vesk The University of Melbourne Dr Ella Vines Monash University Dr Jessica Walsh Monash University Professor Glenda Wardle The University of Sydney Professor James Watson The University of Queensland Associate Professor Alexandra Wawryk The University of Adelaide Professor Brendan Wintle The University of Melbourne Dr Nerida Wilson The University of Western Australia

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Nov 25
Cute little spikey echidnas have massive poos! The size of a go card! The πŸ’© can also be detected by dogs. Let's turn πŸ’© into conservation solutions. Great talk by Kate Dutton-Regester at @uq-cbcs.bsky.social @brisbanetimes.bsky.social @qld.greens.org.au @hugepossum.bsky.social

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Nov 19
Don't post your preprint on SSRN (option at many journals). Google scholar often delists papers that have an SSRN preprint. Arxiv preprints are more prominent in scholar. @elsevierconnect.bsky.social @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social @academic-chatter.bsky.social eg. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Expand or better manage protected areas: A framework for minimizing extinction risk when threats are concentrated near edges
Several international agreements have called for the rapid expansion of protected areas to halt biodiversity declines. However, recent research has sh…
www.sciencedirect.com

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Nov 19
Love this Nesbit lecture by prof Ben Andrews on using the diffusion equation as a tool to understand geometry.

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Oct 23
Our new paper: If you get a bit more conservation $ should you expand a protected area or improve management? Past work suggests management is often more cost effective but we show when threats are concentrated near edges we find expanding may be optimal doi.org/10.1016/j.bi... 🌍
Redirecting
doi.org

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Lesley A. Hall, Matthew Holden

oldenoughtosay.com
madeline odent @oldenoughtosay.com Β· Oct 8
the answer to the trolley problem is not to pick who to sacrifice, it’s to dismantle the system that led to an unsafe trolley crossing.

if any part of your morality strategy involves picking a group to let die on a hill, throw the entire strategy out. it’s wrong.

Reposted by Hugh P. Possingham

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Sep 25
New blog: As a grant peer reviewer I consider Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) even if the scheme doesn't list EDI criteria. Key is to tie the selection criteria to EDI. This is how I do it mathemagicalconservation.wordpress.com/2025/09/23/a... @katehelmstedt.bsky.social @hugepossum.bsky.social
As a grant reviewer, how do you request Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, even if it isn’t an explicit selection criterion
Many funding schemes now include equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) as an explicit selection criterion. But what happens when it isn’t written into the rubric? Should applicants still consider …
mathemagicalconservation.wordpress.com

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Sep 16
Happy 4^ / 3^2 / 5^2 day!!! (3^2/ 4^2 / 5^2 for us weird Americans) Not too many days satisfy the Pythagorean thm. @amermathsoc.bsky.social @austms.bsky.social @stevenstrogatz.com @monsoon0.bsky.social ht Peter Baxter for noticing. Looking forward to coming back to the US for joint maths in Jan.

Reposted by Matthew Holden, Kate J. Helmstedt

matthras.bsky.social
Matt Mack @matthras.bsky.social Β· Aug 12
Ooh arXiv paper from @matthholden.bsky.social @katehelmstedt.bsky.social about embedding sustainability in undergraduate maths with case studies πŸ‘€ Looks very actionable!

arxiv.org/abs/2508.07594
Embedding Sustainability in Undergraduate Mathematics with Actionable Case Studies
There is a growing need to integrate sustainability into tertiary mathematics education given the urgency of addressing global environmental challenges. This paper presents four case studies from Aust...
arxiv.org

Reposted by Hugh P. Possingham, Julie L. Lockwood, Elena Litchman , and 1 more

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jul 17
Excited for our annual conference on modeling for ecology, biodiversity, sustainability, environment, water, energy, climate, fisheries, forestry, & ag. Love all the cool #math & stats used to save the world. Join us in Stellenbosch 2026. 🌍#MathSky @hugepossum.bsky.social @katehelmstedt.bsky.social
resourcemodeling.bsky.social Resource Modeling Association (RMA) @resourcemodeling.bsky.social Β· Jul 16
Announcement: The World Conference on Natural Resource Modeling 2026 will be in Stellenbosch, South Africa, set in the heart of Africa’s Cape Winelands (30 min uber from Cape Town Int. Airport) June 30 – July 3. Propose a special session & bring your friends here resourcemodeling.org/wcnrm2026-st...
WCNRM#2026 Stellenbosch, South Africa - Resource Modeling Association
resourcemodeling.org

Reposted by Hugh P. Possingham, Julie L. Lockwood, Elena Litchman

resourcemodeling.bsky.social
Resource Modeling Association (RMA) @resourcemodeling.bsky.social Β· Jul 16
Announcement: The World Conference on Natural Resource Modeling 2026 will be in Stellenbosch, South Africa, set in the heart of Africa’s Cape Winelands (30 min uber from Cape Town Int. Airport) June 30 – July 3. Propose a special session & bring your friends here resourcemodeling.org/wcnrm2026-st...
WCNRM#2026 Stellenbosch, South Africa - Resource Modeling Association
resourcemodeling.org

Reposted by Benjamin Jones, Matthew Holden

benjaminpope.bsky.social
Benjamin Pope @benjaminpope.bsky.social Β· Jul 7
getting in an arms race with LLMs over em-dashes by using dashes so long β€”β€”β€” so very long β€”β€”β€” that they have never appeared in training data

matthholden.bsky.social
Matthew Holden πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ @matthholden.bsky.social Β· Jul 1
Great work classifying ecosystems around the world to create an IUCN red list of ecosystems presented by Prof Emily Nicholson. Shows a small global decline in ecosystems but with extreme variation with some declining rapidly. 🌍
@aciucn.bsky.social @uq-cbcs.bsky.social