ESA News & Events

Last month, Ecological Society of America leaders and staff were among the 6,000+ attendees for the National Diversity in STEAM conference, hosted by SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ESA President Sharon Collinge, Diversity Committee Chair Carmen Cid, Diversity Committee member Conchi Rodriguez Fourquet, Professional Programs Coordinator Sandra Del Rio,…

by Lin Meng, Council Speaker The ESA Governing Board 2022 Fall Meeting was held from Nov. 1 to 2, 2022, at the ESA office in Washington, DC. The board members and ESA staff discussed past ESA activities, decisions to be made, current opportunities and plans for ESA. I was excited to attend the Governing Board meeting for the first time…

From ESA President Sharon Collinge – seeking your ideas: As I launch into a year as ESA President, I am looking forward to collaborating with everyone in the ESA community to advance our mission. In addition to continuing our focus on making ESA more inclusive through DEIJ activities, I am seeking your ideas to advance the ESA Visioning Project, a…

Whenever we do a search for the word “diversity” in ecology journals, many articles pop up focusing on “biodiversity” but rarely does one refer to “human diversity” in ecology. The fact that ecologists focus their research and teaching on biodiversity conservation but rarely include “human diversity” in their discussion prompts us to elevate the discussion of the human dimension in…

You’re probably excited to be seeing colleagues for the first time in a long time at our first in-person meeting in three years—we certainly are. But you might also be nervous about being around so many people at the same time in enclosed spaces, especially now that there are recent upticks in COVID-19 cases (including BA.5). We take the health…

In spring 2022, the ESA SEEDS program took a regional field trip to the NEON field sites in Puerto Rico. It was the first SEEDS in-person event since September 2019, when SEEDS hosted a Leadership Meeting at the Virginia Coastal Reserve.

This letter is provided by the leadership of ESA’s Black Ecologists Section and supported by ESA. The ESA Black Ecologists Section and the Ecological Society of America would like to celebrate Black History Month and the many contributions of past and present Black ecologists and environmentalists. We are thankful for all the Black scientists who helped advance the field of…

In the strongest possible terms, the Ecological Society of America condemns the recent bomb threats aimed at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The disruption to normal campus life adds fear, stress and enormous strain as colleges try to operate safely during the pandemic. It is especially egregious during Black History month when we reflect on the sacrifices and achievements…

The world lost a dedicated scientist and enthusiastic spokesperson for the environment with the passing of Tom Lovejoy. His optimism, generosity, and compassion inspired an amazing spectrum of ecologists, conservation biologists, economists, politicians, celebrities, and students.

As you may recall, ESA formally made the latest in a series of changes to our Bylaws, as recommended by the Governing Board and adopted by the ESA Council last August. Overall, the goal of these changes in our Bylaws is to enhance participation of members in leadership roles and to add transparency to ESA decision-making processes. The new Bylaws…

ESA Governing Board Fall Meeting 16-17 November 2021 by President Dennis Ojima The ESA Governing Board (GB) met in November to consider a number of issues that are determining how professional societies will operate in the future. Some of these issues are a reflection on how the pandemic has affected society at large, but other issues are emerging rapidly after…

We are concerned by the recent news report on sexual misconduct associated with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). We commend the courageous women who came forward to share their experiences and hold the perpetrators accountable. For ecologists, this situation hits us close to home because many of the women targeted are colleagues in our field. In the short term,…