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.

[imagely id=”3″]

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.

[imagely id=”4″]

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.

On Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, ESA Executive Director Catherine O’Riordan and Public Affairs Manager Mayda Nathan joined nearly 300 participants in Washington, D.C., for the Day of Action to Save NASA Science. Organized by the Planetary Society and supported by 20 partner organizations and science societies, including ESA, the event brought scientists, professionals and enthusiasts to Capitol Hill to discuss the critical role NASA science plays in advancing ecological research and understanding life on Earth.

ESA’s participation was driven by concern over the FY 2026 President’s budget request, which proposes unprecedented cuts to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate — nearly 47% overall, with Earth Science slashed by 53%. These cuts would severely impact programs that provide essential data for ecological research, like Landsat, which offers the longest continuous space-based record of Earth’s land in existence. Landsat data are foundational for monitoring land cover change, forest health, water use and ecosystem dynamics, among a myriad other uses beyond ecology. In our Hill meetings with congressional staffers, we drove home the message that the proposed restructuring of the next Landsat mission could disrupt this critical resource.

The Hill Day was also an opportunity to highlight the importance of funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF), whose mission complements NASA’s. Together, these agencies support fundamental research that informs policy, conservation efforts and our understanding of the planet’s biomes.

Despite the backdrop of the government shutdown, Hill day participants met with nearly 250 congressional offices, urging lawmakers to reject the proposed cuts. The good news is that the introduced appropriations bills from both the House and Senate largely do that, maintaining steady overall funding for NASA (though the House bill proposes a devastating 23% cut to NSF).

We are grateful to the Planetary Society and fellow partner organizations for making this event possible. ESA remains committed to advocating for robust federal support of ecological and Earth science research. NASA and NSF play vital roles in enabling the data, tools and discoveries that help ecologists explore the complex interactions shaping our planet — and informing decisions that affect its future.