Fellow ecologists, you may recall that our annual reports cover our major stories, successes and highlights, in a celebration of our community and our science. Historically, the Past President has taken this opportunity to comment on items in the report that have been especially noteworthy.

As 2025 Past President Shahid Naeem noted in his message last year, this has been an especially challenging time for science and scientists in the United States, especially in the broader environmental field. These challenges include funding for our critical work and for programs that societies like ours foster to create opportunity for everyone who would want to work in the field.

At ESA, we have met those challenges head-on. And while I would have loved for my term as President to have had less existential challenges to address, these times really showed what ESA is made of. I’m proud of the work that we accomplished during my term. We are a creative, strong, resilient and committed group of people. I think this report shows just how committed we remained to our mission.

Supporting All Ecologists in Our Membership

Supporting the professional aspirations of all ecologists has been a key pillar at ESA for years, and this commitment is reflected in our strategic plans. Programs we initiated or sustained in the areas of ensuring equitable pathways in ecology careers only grew despite challenging circumstances.

Together, these initiatives reflect a strategic approach to equity and inclusion that integrates workforce support, student engagement, and professional recognition into the core functions of the Society rather than treating them as standalone efforts.

Highlights:

• More than 150 members applied for certification as professional ecologists, helping us near 1,000 total professionals in the program. We further reached out to practitioners by initiating an organizational membership category that allows companies, agencies, departments or other nonprofits to join the Society to enjoy bulk benefits and directly engage with our leadership.
  
  
• We provided more than $60,000 in assistance to students, early career scientists and professionals at under-resourced institutions to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting in Baltimore.
  
  
• For U.S. federal scientists who lost their jobs as well as researchers (including students) whose funding was terminated, we created free and low-cost ways to remain engaged with the Society. A series of virtual events in the spring that were designed to help ecologists in need of new career opportunities culminated in a career fair in Baltimore, with employers openly recruiting as part of Career Central.
  
  
• Our award-winning SEEDS program (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability) flourished, growing to more than 50 active chapters in good standing across the United States. In addition to programs they self-managed at their own campuses, SEEDS students joined a nationwide BioBlitz competition to apply more of their knowledge; were able to participate in field trips to the University of Virginia’s Coastal Research Center and University of Colorado Boulder’s Mountain Research Station; and leaders were invited to the annual SEEDS Leadership Meeting at the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, where they were introduced to carbon credits and economic futures in the field.
  
  
• Our work with the National Ecological Observatory Network added a new dimension as we engaged with employers across industries to identify training opportunities for the entry-level ecological workforce.
  
  
• The ESA community stepped up in a big way, raising more than $40,000 to inaugurate the Bazzaz-Pickett Award for mentoring, and nearly $200,000 to complete the initial funding goal for the Equity & Excellence in Ecology Endowment.

A Vibrant Community of Knowledge and Practice

We strengthen the science of ecology by supporting the ability of people to do the science of ecology, whether in research, education or practice, and by sharing their work publicly through traditional publishing, conferences, educational activities and media engagement. These ESA activities support career growth, develop leaders and build community.

Building this way resulted in a banner year: Submissions and published papers increased, manuscript turnaround times were reduced, regional meetings grew, and we officially launched the first collection in our newest journal, Earth Stewardship.

Highlights:

• In response to cuts by the U.S. federal government, we expanded programming around career development and funding for the 2,500 ecologists who joined us in Baltimore for the Annual Meeting.
  
  
• We held 24 virtual training events and 11 career exploration events, serving as many as 1,500 attendees. These included contributions from the membership, including a very popular workshop series on quantitative methods produced by the Black Ecologists Section, and regular research webinars by the Asian Ecology Section. The Statistical Ecology Section’s ongoing series with the Ecological Forecasting Initiative continued to support hundreds of scientists eager to work on their quantitative skills.

• Other events explored new areas of research and practice, like nature finance and biodiversity credit markets, through webinars and an in-person course. We also put focus on science communication and environmental humanities in addition to more traditional scientific and technical skills.
  
• Members responding to the needs of members and supporting the next generation of ecologists resulted in our largest Mid-Atlantic Chapter meeting in history (nearly 200 submitted abstracts).

• In response to new policy challenges, we held more advocacy-focused events than ever. For example, we welcomed the recipients of our 2025 Graduate Student Policy Award to ESA Headquarters in Washington DC to prep for a busy day on Capitol Hill, where they explained the importance of research funding and scientifically sound policy.

• Water cooler chats hosted by our education staff covered topics ranging from applications of the 4DEE Framework, to teaching at community colleges, to meeting the challenges posed by new government policies.
  
• We bolstered the publishing program through investments in infrastructure and open science. We implemented new data editor roles, launched an Editorial Fellows program, expanded our partnership with Dryad for data publication across the journal portfolio, and formalized policies on data availability and artificial intelligence in publishing. These actions strengthened editorial quality and ensured compliance with evolving standards while managing increased submission volume.

A Healthy, Stable Society

“Operational excellence” is an important priority for ESA, and you may have noticed the emphasis we have placed on sound governance and business management in recent years. In particular, one of the changes I have seen pay dividends is strengthening the voice of the sections and chapters through re-imagining of the ESA Council, and their inclusion in Governing Board meetings. This relatively new structure not only provides a more direct voice for members in Governing Board issues, but also provides a clearer pathway into a variety of ESA leadership positions. We seek to be responsible stewards through transparency, participatory leadership and relevant, meaningful engagement with our members.

Having initiated and nurtured many of these governance improvements, former ESA Executive Director Catherine O’Riordan also retired in 2025. Catherine joined us in 2018 and helped us navigate the challenges of the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021 while keeping us oriented toward a desired future state where all ecologists could find professional satisfaction with ESA. Catherine left us in a sound financial position, with new, growing programs and refined processes that will continue to serve us into the future.

Highlights:

• Members now enjoy a more equitable experience across the Society; the ESA Council formalized processes that ensure every section and chapter meets minimum levels of activity every year, and is well-governed with clear roles for volunteer leaders. This change is important because the sections and chapters provide a gateway to the Society as a whole, and we want to ensure that any new (or long-time!) member has a welcoming home the moment they walk in the door.
  
  
• And to help the sections and chapters better serve their members, the Council requested and the Governing Board approved raising the dues of each regular member by $2 per group they join. This means more travel grants, more student awards, and better in-person events.
  
  
• The Governing Board approved a change to our Bylaws to permit officers of the Society to be elected by a single slate, which allows the Governing Board to seek and rigorously vet candidates who best align with ESA strategic priorities. This change reflects a growing trend in professional societies’ selection of officers.
  
  
• We completed the third year of our SPRINT program, which allows 4% of our unrestricted financial reserve to be spent on special projects, with an emphasis on revenue generation. SPRINT funding supported the EEE Scholars, our growing professional development portfolio, the editorial fellows and engagement with professionals in emerging professional sectors.
  
  
• And we have been able to keep programs healthy despite losses in grant dollars: 2025 broke every previously existing fundraising record, with more than $300,000 raised, providing critical support to our programs.

Click images to view full size

By Sageland Collaborative
July 14, 2026

Sageland Collaborative is a non-profit organization based in Salt Lake City, Utah that connects people, wildlife and landscapes through hands-on restoration activities.

As the landscapes that we know and love rapidly change in the face of human development, Sageland Collaborative works alongside volunteers, landowners, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations to turn science into on-the-ground action.

For over 30 years, Sageland has engaged volunteers and partners across the West through a variety of community science programs. Through these programs, we’re able to create landscape-level change for the wildlife that unite us.

Volunteers can get involved by counting shorebirds at Great Salt Lake, sharing photos of pollinating insects to iNaturalist, surveying wetlands for cryptic amphibians, building low-tech structures to improve stream health and restoring fences to improve migration pathways for deer and pronghorn.

Every dollar raised ensures that Sageland Collaborative’s restoration efforts are science-based and rooted in community.

To learn more about Sageland Collaborative and get involved, visit their website at sagelandcollaborative.org, and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

ESA is accepting expressions of interest from members to receive an ESA “observer status” badge to attend the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), which will take place Oct. 19–30, 2026, in Yerevan, Armenia.

Learn more about the Convention on Biological Diversity

ESA may be able to issue a limited number of “observer status” badges to ESA members. Those receiving a badge would not be formally representing ESA. This summer, the UN will inform ESA about the number of observer badges it will provide.

Members would be responsible for all associated travel costs and expenses to attend COP17 if offered an ESA badge. Additionally, those selected to receive a badge would be required to meet all vaccine and other requirements set by the COP17 organizers and the host country and to submit any information that organizers request to register recipients, such as passport information.

Please complete this form to express your interest in receiving an ESA badge.

The Ecological Society of America (ESA) welcomes Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST) as an organizational member of the Society.

“We launched our organizational membership to build better bridges with employers in the private and public sectors,” said ESA President Peter Groffman. “WEST’s staff and leadership have long been prominent in ESA, and the Society is glad to be able to deepen the relationship as we work together to support the science of ecology.”

“Many individual WEST Staff, from one of our Founders, Dr. Dale Strickland, to current junior and senior level staff, have grown through their engagement with ESA”, said WEST CEO, Clayton Derby.  “WEST is proud to expand this relationship beyond the individual to the corporate level and to be the first organizational member of the Society.”

ESA’s organizational memberships include memberships and certification applications for members of their staff; exhibits and recognition at our in-person events; promotional emails to the Society’s mailing list; direct interactions with ESA’s leadership; and recruitment benefits, among opportunities unique to organizational members.

WEST was founded in 1990 with the vision of combining ecology and statistics to solve natural resource challenges. What began as a small consultancy has grown into one of the most respected environmental and statistical consulting firms in North America, and many of the folks on the WEST team have been important members and leaders in ESA.

We sought out WEST as a member thanks to the long history of involvement between WEST’s founders and leadership—especially Dale Strickland—in the Society’s work. While the company emerged as a leader in environmental consulting, staff were also helping to guide ESA’s certification program and strategy for engaging with private sector scientists under the Extending the Tent initiative.

Thank you to WEST Co-Founder Dale Strickland and CEO Clayton Derby for bringing us together—we look forward to working with them and the many professional ecologists at WEST to support the science of ecology!

Your Organization Could Be Next!

We invite other companies, agencies and departments to join ESA as organizational members! Membership associates your identity with ours and shows that the science of ecology is foremost in your work. Clients, partners and stakeholders can trust that your staff are well-networked among their peers, and that they have access to the most cutting-edge research and applied methods in the field.Learn more and get started, or contact membership@esa.org with any questions.

From March 2 through May 31, anyone can review the draft assessment and share input through the public comment portal or by participating in virtual or in-person engagement events hosted across the country.

What is The Nature Record?

The Nature Record examines the status, trends and future of nature in the United States, and how changes in nature are shaping our lives, communities, and economy. Nature influences the air we breathe, the water we drink, the homes we build, the stability of our climate, the health of our brains and bodies, and the strength of our local economies. Even for those who don’t focus on  environmental issues every day, these connections are constant and deeply woven into daily life.

The Nature Record is an independent team of nearly 200 leading scientists, researchers, experts, and practitioners. Their work is rooted in science, guided by communities, and enriched by public participation. Together, they’re creating a clear, accessible picture of nature across the nation and the role it plays in everything from local economies to public health and community resilience.

How to participate

The Nature Record team invites individuals, organizations, and communities to review the draft Assessment and share their perspectives. You can engage in several ways:

• Submit comments through the online public comment portal
• Participate in virtual engagement events featuring Assessment authors
• Attend in‑person events hosted in communities across the United States

The draft assessment, event listings, and more information are available on The Nature Record website.

Attend an upcoming event or tune into a webinar to learn more from Nature Record authors about the Assessment contents:

April 1 | 12 – 1:30 PM PT

Webinar: How Do Changes in Nature Shape Our Lives (Part 1)?
Virtual
Learn more & register

April 15 | 12 – 1:30 PM PT

Webinar: How Do Changes in Nature Shape Our Lives (Part 2)?
Virtual
Learn more & register

April 22 | Dallas, TX

EarthX 2026
Hilton Anatole
Learn more

April 26 | Bismarck, ND

Public Engagement Event
North Dakota’s Gateway to Science
Learn more

April 29 | 12 – 1:30 PM PT

Webinar: Taking Action to Improve Nature for All
Virtual
Learn more & register

May 7 | Tupper Lake, NY

Public Engagement Event
The W!ld Center
Learn more

May 14 | San Diego, CA

Public Engagement Event
San Diego Natural History Museum
Learn more

July 12 | Milwaukee, WI

2026 North American Congress for Conservation & Restoration
The Baird Center
Learn more

Figures That Use Images From Other Sources

We strongly discourage using extraneous illustrations in figures. A label that consists of words conveys meaning more clearly than a stock picture. Any illustration that is used must allow licensing under the least restrictive license available for the journal publication (Open Access, including for commercial reuse). The journal publication licenses do not permit sublicensing of materials in the paper. If using images, documentation of the image’s source and license must be provided with the submission and confirmed by ESA staff. The use of public domain images is encouraged if images are necessary, and source and license information for these images must be provided for confirmation. More information is available in our author guidelines for each journal.

Data and Code Availability

At the initial submission and revised version stages, ESA’s open research policy requires that authors disclose their data and code availability plans. New code strings created by authors of the submission must be provided for peer review. Data must be provided on an approved data repository if the paper is accepted, with limited exceptions for sensitive species and human data. Data and code necessary to replicate the paper’s tables, figures and conclusions must be published when the paper is accepted (before the paper’s publication). Please review this policy and ensure compliance with the requirements for each submission stage.

Relatedly, we are pleased to announce that we have expanded our partnership with the Dryad data repository. Authors that publish in ESA journals can deposit their associated data and code packages in Dryad at no cost (up to 10 GB; materials must be curated by Dryad after January 1, 2026 to qualify for fee coverage under ESA sponsorship). Using Dryad will ensure compliance with ESA’s open research policies, and all datasets are curated by Dryad to ensure they are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR). We encourage you to explore Dryad’s services and consider this option for data and code archiving purposes.

Early last fall, I let then-President Stephanie Hampton know that, after more than 25 years in association management — and the past eight as Executive Director of ESA — I would retire in early 2026. I am deeply proud of all that we have accomplished together during my time at ESA. Our staff, in close partnership with committees, the Governing Board, and our donors has not only strengthened existing programs, but also launched new initiatives that advance our mission. The board has asked me to provide a more detailed perspective of my time with ESA in a Bulletin article, so what follows are just a few highlights.

When I joined ESA in 2018, one of our priorities was a comprehensive review of the Society’s governance. Two rounds of bylaw changes later, ESA has a governance structure that is well-positioned to guide it into its second century. The Council was reimagined as a representative body that advises the board and amplifies the voices of our sections and chapters — the heart of our membership. Council has since launched four new sections and two new chapters, bringing us to a total of 44 affinity groups where members can connect and find community.

Other major accomplishments of the past eight years include:

• We completed a visionary report shaping ESA’s direction for the next decade, supported by our current strategic plan to guide implementation.
• Invested reserve funds to launch new programs, including a new journal and expanded professional development opportunities for ecologists in academia, government, and the private sector.
• Evolved our Annual Meeting to better serve our members, with friendlier formats and new career programming.
• Renewed our publishing partnership with Wiley, ensuring continued excellence across our portfolio.
• Strengthened ESA’s contributions to science policy and major government initiatives.
• Expanded opportunities to advance diversity and inclusion across the society.

I am grateful to the Board, our incredibly dedicated staff, and the countless volunteers, members, and donors – we have achieved so much together. I would especially like to thank the 10 presidents that I served with for their guidance, leadership and support. They include Rich Pouyat, Laura Heunneke, Osvaldo Sala, Kathie Weathers, Dennis Ojima, Sharon Collinge, Shahid Naeem, Stephanie Hampton, Peter Groffman, and Rese Cloyd. And a special call out to our amazing staff, many of whom are in the photos below.

Serving as ESA’s Executive Director has been both an honor and a privilege. I look forward to finding opportunities to continue my commitment to healthy ecosystems and a clean environment through organizations in my community. I leave ESA in good hands with volunteer and staff leadership that is passionate and cares for the future of the Society. They will build on our momentum and lead ESA into its next chapter.

This is a unique opportunity for ecologists and other scientists to help ensure that this assessment reflects the best available science and informs decisions that matter for biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being.

Who They’re Looking For:

Experts in areas such as:

• Ecology or evolutionary biology
• Biodiversity, ecosystem services, and environmental change
• Agriculture
• Conservation-relevant biophysical sciences
• Climate adaptation and mitigation
• Environmental social science and human-nature interactions
• Science communication

Important Details:

The review committee will include 12–16 volunteer experts.

Individuals who contributed to the United by Nature assessment (authors, chapter leads, advisory board members, etc.) are not eligible.

Submit nominations by December 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET

Ready to make an impact? Learn more and submit nominations through the National Academies’ website.

The crowds came. The Indigenous peoples staked their claims to representation and rights to land. The connection between biodiversity and climate change is a priority topic in this “Amazon COP”, as are synergies across the three Rio Conventions – which together address the interconnected challenges of climate change, desertification and biodiversity loss.

The negative biodiversity impacts of climate change have been multiplying, leading to not only loss of species, but loss of species functions in essential ecosystems. But preserving biodiversity is not just something we need to do for its own (incredible) value. Protecting and maintaining biodiversity is also part of the solution to achieving a stable climate. Healthy forests keep carbon stored and out of the atmosphere. But the role that forest carbon sinks play in climate change is at stake with continued deforestation, and that is why there has been a lot of talk about including biodiversity and ecosystem integrity in decisions related to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

In addition to biodiversity itself, Indigenous and traditional forest communities’ stewardship of the land is being highlighted, and their rights are to be part of the discussions. They have for centuries known how to conserve the land and respect biodiversity, and now, as their lives and livelihoods are at risk of disappearing, they must have a seat at the table.

We enter week 2 of COP30 with two thematic days focusing on “planetary and community stewardship — centering on forests, oceans, and biodiversity, while spotlighting Indigenous peoples, Local and traditional communities” and other sustainability issues. This is the time for ESA to keep an eye on the negotiations and support civil society on their demands. I will report back on outcomes!

Disclaimer: Opinions are solely those of the guest contributor and not an official ESA policy or position.