Michael
@thecorvallisbirder.bsky.social
Fisheries biologist working with the Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife, monitoring coastal fall Chinook. Birder, forager, all-around amateur naturalist and photographer.
Reposted by Michael
An environmental scientist’s analysis reveals who will win and who will lose in the push to put federal land into private hands
www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...
Who benefits—and who loses—when public lands go private
An environmental scientist’s analysis reveals who will win and who will lose in the push to put federal land into private hands
www.scientificamerican.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:32 PM
An environmental scientist’s analysis reveals who will win and who will lose in the push to put federal land into private hands
www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-...
Reposted by Michael
Cephalopods are an odd bunch, and that's saying something considering they are molluscs! #LetsChangeThat
February 17, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Cephalopods are an odd bunch, and that's saying something considering they are molluscs! #LetsChangeThat
Reposted by Michael
"Colorado lost 26 percent of staff from the Interior and Agriculture departments, while New Mexico lost 22 percent and Nevada 19 percent."
Trump is gutting public lands staffing and opening up millions of acres to drilling and mining.
American public lands belong to the American people. Full stop.
Trump is gutting public lands staffing and opening up millions of acres to drilling and mining.
American public lands belong to the American people. Full stop.
Public lands staff in Western states hit hard by Trump admin cutbacks
A new analysis looked at staffing data across 11 states.
www.eenews.net
February 17, 2026 at 3:55 PM
"Colorado lost 26 percent of staff from the Interior and Agriculture departments, while New Mexico lost 22 percent and Nevada 19 percent."
Trump is gutting public lands staffing and opening up millions of acres to drilling and mining.
American public lands belong to the American people. Full stop.
Trump is gutting public lands staffing and opening up millions of acres to drilling and mining.
American public lands belong to the American people. Full stop.
Heat pumps are magic. Like, I know how they work, and mine still seems like magic.
Heat pumps! ✨ This engineering marvel uses electricity to efficiently move heat from one place to another. It reduces the need to use polluting fuels like oil and natural gas for heating and less efficient air conditioners for cooling.
Learn more! 👉 https://drawdown.org/explorer/use-heat-pumps
Learn more! 👉 https://drawdown.org/explorer/use-heat-pumps
February 17, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Heat pumps are magic. Like, I know how they work, and mine still seems like magic.
Reposted by Michael
I'm staying on this, since it's not breaking through enough.
This is the stupidest, most dangerous thing Trump is doing. It affects the entire world and it's irreversible.
#ClimateCrisis
This is the stupidest, most dangerous thing Trump is doing. It affects the entire world and it's irreversible.
#ClimateCrisis
With the EPA killing the “endangerment finding,” the U.S. will have no laws on the books that enforce how efficient passenger vehicles should be. If the decision holds, it could increase U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of global climate change, by 10% over the next 30 years.
With Latest Rollback, the U.S. Essentially Has No Clean-Car Rules
The E.P.A.’s killing of the “endangerment finding” caps a year of deregulation that is likely to make cars thirstier for gas and less competitive globally, experts say.
trib.al
February 16, 2026 at 6:32 PM
I'm staying on this, since it's not breaking through enough.
This is the stupidest, most dangerous thing Trump is doing. It affects the entire world and it's irreversible.
#ClimateCrisis
This is the stupidest, most dangerous thing Trump is doing. It affects the entire world and it's irreversible.
#ClimateCrisis
Reposted by Michael
Krystle Hickman is on a quest to document hundreds of species of native bees, which are under threat by climate change and habitat loss, some of it caused by the more recognizable and agriculturally valued honey bee — an invasive species.
A photographer’s quest to document native bees includes an annual search along the California-Oregon border
Since 2021, she’s traveled annually to the Oregon-California border to look for a critically endangered bee last seen in 2006 – Bombus franklini, or Franklin’s bumblebee.
www.opb.org
February 15, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Krystle Hickman is on a quest to document hundreds of species of native bees, which are under threat by climate change and habitat loss, some of it caused by the more recognizable and agriculturally valued honey bee — an invasive species.
Reposted by Michael
The Project 2025 author is using millions of dollars in USAID money for his own security detail.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
Exclusive: White House uses USAID funds for budget director Vought's security, documents show
The White House budget office is using millions of dollars from the former U.S. foreign aid agency to pay for the security detail of Russell Vought, President Donald Trump's budget chief and an archit...
www.reuters.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:46 PM
The Project 2025 author is using millions of dollars in USAID money for his own security detail.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
It is estimated that 762,000 people have *already died* as a result of Elon Musk and Russell Vought’s obscene murder of USAID, including more than 500,000 children.
Vought is a mass murderer.
Reposted by Michael
"Warnings of ‘Permanent’ Damage to People and Planet as Trump EPA Set to Repeal Key Climate Rule" by @brettwilkins.bsky.social for @commondreams.org:
www.commondreams.org/news/warning...
www.commondreams.org/news/warning...
Warnings of 'Permanent' Damage to People and Planet as Trump EPA Set to Repeal Key Climate Rule | Common Dreams
One critic blasted the impending move as "an obvious example of what happens when a corrupt administration and fossil fuel interests are allowed to run amok."
www.commondreams.org
February 12, 2026 at 11:46 PM
"Warnings of ‘Permanent’ Damage to People and Planet as Trump EPA Set to Repeal Key Climate Rule" by @brettwilkins.bsky.social for @commondreams.org:
www.commondreams.org/news/warning...
www.commondreams.org/news/warning...
For today's #BirdoftheDay, I went for the alt theme of #Everyday bird. This noisy Steller's Jay and its friends and family are residents in my neighborhood park. #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
February 12, 2026 at 10:39 PM
For today's #BirdoftheDay, I went for the alt theme of #Everyday bird. This noisy Steller's Jay and its friends and family are residents in my neighborhood park. #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
Once upon a time, Bald Eagles had fewer than 500 breeding pairs left in the wild. Now, they are a species of "least concern" by IUCN. Common enough that I see them nearly daily, and don't necessarily take time to appreciate them. But a group posed so nicely for me! #Nature #Birds #Oregon
February 12, 2026 at 3:20 AM
Reposted by Michael
if we do, in some grim future, give up and decide to cede the entire practice of reporting to LLMs generating stories from their inherently out-of-date training models, we will miss huge amounts of often exceedingly important information. to an extent that I believe would rapidly turn deadly.
February 11, 2026 at 8:24 PM
if we do, in some grim future, give up and decide to cede the entire practice of reporting to LLMs generating stories from their inherently out-of-date training models, we will miss huge amounts of often exceedingly important information. to an extent that I believe would rapidly turn deadly.
Another two photos for today's #BirdoftheDay. The first one, a Belted Kingfisher, covers both #WaterBirds and #Blue, and with that second theme I couldn't help but post a fabulous Lazuli Bunting. #Birds #Nature #Photography #PNWBirding #Oregon
February 11, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Another two photos for today's #BirdoftheDay. The first one, a Belted Kingfisher, covers both #WaterBirds and #Blue, and with that second theme I couldn't help but post a fabulous Lazuli Bunting. #Birds #Nature #Photography #PNWBirding #Oregon
For the #BirdoftheDay theme of #OddCouples (two birds in one shot), here's a couple shots. See alt text for descriptions. #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #Oregon
February 10, 2026 at 5:43 PM
For the #BirdoftheDay theme of #OddCouples (two birds in one shot), here's a couple shots. See alt text for descriptions. #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #Oregon
Reposted by Michael
States can step in to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, and automakers will likely keep trying to reduce emissions to remain competitive in the global market. In the meantime, more Americans will die from air pollution and climate change because of the Trump regime.
Exclusive | Trump to Repeal Landmark Climate Finding in Huge Regulatory Rollback
The move would reverse a legal determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health.
www.wsj.com
February 10, 2026 at 6:37 AM
States can step in to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, and automakers will likely keep trying to reduce emissions to remain competitive in the global market. In the meantime, more Americans will die from air pollution and climate change because of the Trump regime.
For a good #StareDown, there's nothing quite like an Owl. Like this Burrowing Owl, which seems to be giving me the most disdainful look it can manage. #BirdoftheDay #Nature #Photography #Birds #Owls #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
February 9, 2026 at 8:14 PM
For a good #StareDown, there's nothing quite like an Owl. Like this Burrowing Owl, which seems to be giving me the most disdainful look it can manage. #BirdoftheDay #Nature #Photography #Birds #Owls #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
Reposted by Michael
The U.S. Senate is considering legislation this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow, that could overturn long-standing protections and open the door to copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, one of the most intact boreal ecosystems in the Lower 48.
February 9, 2026 at 7:27 PM
The U.S. Senate is considering legislation this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow, that could overturn long-standing protections and open the door to copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, one of the most intact boreal ecosystems in the Lower 48.
A little late to the #BirdoftheDay party today, but the theme of #posted is timely, as I just captured this Prairie Falcon on a post in a farm field on Friday. When it took off, I discovered it was carrying rodent prey as well! #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
February 8, 2026 at 9:24 PM
A little late to the #BirdoftheDay party today, but the theme of #posted is timely, as I just captured this Prairie Falcon on a post in a farm field on Friday. When it took off, I discovered it was carrying rodent prey as well! #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
Reposted by Michael
The agency’s plan would narrow water quality reviews and eliminate one of the few ways that tribes can their enforce treaty rights, shares Grist.
buff.ly/7CAdxrz
buff.ly/7CAdxrz
An EPA proposal would make it harder for tribes to protect their water - High Country News
The agency’s plan would narrow water quality reviews and eliminate one of the few ways that tribes can their enforce treaty rights.
www.hcn.org
February 8, 2026 at 3:52 PM
The agency’s plan would narrow water quality reviews and eliminate one of the few ways that tribes can their enforce treaty rights, shares Grist.
buff.ly/7CAdxrz
buff.ly/7CAdxrz
This feels like such an almost photo; I like the composition and the pose I was able to capture, of two Horned Larks sparring in the air. But it was at the absolute edge of my lens' range, so it's much softer than I'd like. @aba.org #Nature #Photography #Birds #WillametteValley
February 8, 2026 at 1:17 AM
This feels like such an almost photo; I like the composition and the pose I was able to capture, of two Horned Larks sparring in the air. But it was at the absolute edge of my lens' range, so it's much softer than I'd like. @aba.org #Nature #Photography #Birds #WillametteValley
Was over in the farmlands across the river again yesterday, one of my winter birding haunts. The fog had come down thick again, but I managed some decent raptor shots anyway! #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
February 8, 2026 at 1:14 AM
Was over in the farmlands across the river again yesterday, one of my winter birding haunts. The fog had come down thick again, but I managed some decent raptor shots anyway! #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
For the #BirdoftheDay, I managed to capture this Spotted Towhee in a moment of #Serenity (a rare thing with Sparrows); possibly it is contemplating which apple to eat next. #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
February 7, 2026 at 5:19 PM
For the #BirdoftheDay, I managed to capture this Spotted Towhee in a moment of #Serenity (a rare thing with Sparrows); possibly it is contemplating which apple to eat next. #Nature #Photography #Birds #PNWBirding #WillametteValley #Oregon
A masterful combination of old words and current events.
"The Stranger's Case," William Shakespeare Sir Thomas Moore: Act II Scene 4
___
Imagine that you see the wretched strangers,
Their babies at their backs and their poor luggage,
Plodding to the ports and costs for transportation ...
___
Imagine that you see the wretched strangers,
Their babies at their backs and their poor luggage,
Plodding to the ports and costs for transportation ...
February 7, 2026 at 5:14 PM
A masterful combination of old words and current events.
Reposted by Michael
It really pays to remind ourselves frequently that this whole immigration "crisis" is made up out of whole cloth. There was no emergency,danger or problem, only a demagogue stirring up racist grievances for political advantage.
February 7, 2026 at 3:38 AM
It really pays to remind ourselves frequently that this whole immigration "crisis" is made up out of whole cloth. There was no emergency,danger or problem, only a demagogue stirring up racist grievances for political advantage.
Since it's on old farmland, my local wildlife refuge has some old fruit trees around. In one spot, an apple proves to be a draw for many of the local sparrows and finches in the late winter. Here, a Golden-Crowned Sparrow pauses before flitting up to the tree. #Nature #Photography #Birds #Oregon
February 4, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Since it's on old farmland, my local wildlife refuge has some old fruit trees around. In one spot, an apple proves to be a draw for many of the local sparrows and finches in the late winter. Here, a Golden-Crowned Sparrow pauses before flitting up to the tree. #Nature #Photography #Birds #Oregon