🌍 Ecology

• 🐦The Surprising Importance of Bird Nest Architecture

  Explore how birds' nest designs reveal an evolutionary arms race driven by the cunning strategies of brood parasites like cuckoos.

• 🧬What Is Organism-Centered Evolution?

  Explore how organisms evolve beyond genetics, delving into forces like epigenetics and cultural behaviors that shape their development and adaptation.

• 🌾Terraced Rice Field, Yunnan, China, photo by Thierry Bornier

  A captivating fusion of cultivation and topography is beautifully showcased in the terraced rice fields of Yunnan, China.

• 🌳Tree gender and pollen counts

  Exploring the unintended consequences of urban landscaping choices on seasonal allergies and pollen distribution.

• 🌿Marginalia

  Reflecting on Wendell Berry's thoughts about the importance of margins and wildness in our lives.

• 🌱Behold, the Planimal!

  I'm not sure why, but this news has been the source of untold instant-messaging-expressed joy among certain of my friends this week.

• 🌱Another one bites the dust

  Dirt-eating is a peculiar practice that connects nutrition, soil health, and cultural history.

• 🐾This Is Why I Subscribe to the Invasive Species Twitter Feed

  A fascinating insight into how trained dogs like Ofira can help combat invasive species, along with a reflection on the sensory experiences of labradors in our world.

• 🐦Mix CD | Birdsongs/Songbirds

  A heartfelt gift for a passionate birdwatcher, this 60th birthday compilation includes 60 songs celebrating various bird species and offers a unique auditory experience of the avian world.

• 🌄Viewing the City’s Places of Interest in Springtime, by Yao Lu

  Yao Lu's striking photography intertwines art and environmental commentary, highlighting the ecological shifts in China.

• 🌱The dignity of plants

  An exploration of the ethical considerations surrounding genetic modification and the dignity of plants in Switzerland.

• 🦫Would I be making a stronger statement with willow?

  A comedic take on a beaver grappling with artistic integrity while constructing his dam.