Jenny McKee
@jennymckee.bsky.social
Research Scientist @ University of Wyoming | PhD @wakeforest.bsky.social with #seabirds | freelance science journalist | she/her
Come be my (remote) work colleague! Dr. Ellen Aikens and Dr. @wyokauffman.bsky.social are hiring a postdoc to lead analyses on a new migration ecology and climate resilience project with 152 mule deer herds and >44 million GPS points! Apply by July 15th! eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
Post Doc Res Assoc - Aikens Lab
Postdoctoral Researcher — Migration Ecology and Climate Resilience in Mule Deer
eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com
Looking for your next great read? Check out Scott Weidensaul's newest book, The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet," which regales readers with stories of conservation wins. My latest for @audubon.org reviews the surprisingly hopeful book: www.audubon.org/magazine/sco...
Can Saving Birds Save the Planet? Scott Weidensaul’s Case for Hope and Resilience Amid a Dire Era of Bird Loss
In “The Return of the Oystercatcher,” the celebrated naturalist and author looks beyond the staggering decline of North American birds to highlight the hard-won victories that prove recovery is...
audubon.org
🎉 Welcome to the 2026 class of @aaas.org #MassMediaFellows! These 15 scientists will be sharpening their #SciComm skills with news outlets across the country this summer. We can’t wait to see the impact they’ll have! Learn more about 2026 class here: www.aaas.org/news/aaas-ma...
Can't wait to take a look at this tomorrow! There are impressive ungulate migrations across the western US! 🦌🫎
Jenny McKee@jennymckee.bsky.social · 5mo agoThe 6th volume of our USGS report series on #ungulate migrations in the Western United States is LIVE! The new vol. features 23 herds of mule deer, elk, & pronghorn, bringing the series total to 237 unique herds—a huge feat. Check out the report & download free data! pubs.usgs.gov/publication/...
Every wonder how deer, elk, and pronghorns use habitat across the annual cycle? This report should be a treasure trove of info for ungulates in the US. 🌍 🧪
Jenny McKee@jennymckee.bsky.social · 5mo agoThe 6th volume of our USGS report series on #ungulate migrations in the Western United States is LIVE! The new vol. features 23 herds of mule deer, elk, & pronghorn, bringing the series total to 237 unique herds—a huge feat. Check out the report & download free data! pubs.usgs.gov/publication/...
The 6th volume of our USGS report series on #ungulate migrations in the Western United States is LIVE! The new vol. features 23 herds of mule deer, elk, & pronghorn, bringing the series total to 237 unique herds—a huge feat. Check out the report & download free data! pubs.usgs.gov/publication/...
Jenny writes great popular science pieces, plus the research is cool 🌍🧪
Jenny McKee@jennymckee.bsky.social · 7mo agoNew study on mule deer in Wyoming reveals that migration is critical to maintain a robust population. I got the chance to chat with lead author Anna Ortega and @wyokauffman.bsky.social about their recent @currentbiology.bsky.social research: www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/02...
Excited to have this one out after over a decade of work. Strong evidence for why migration matters for ungulates.
Jenny McKee@jennymckee.bsky.social · 7mo agoNew study on mule deer in Wyoming reveals that migration is critical to maintain a robust population. I got the chance to chat with lead author Anna Ortega and @wyokauffman.bsky.social about their recent @currentbiology.bsky.social research: www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/02...
New study on mule deer in Wyoming reveals that migration is critical to maintain a robust population. I got the chance to chat with lead author Anna Ortega and @wyokauffman.bsky.social about their recent @currentbiology.bsky.social research: www.uwyo.edu/news/2026/02...
Migration Pays Off: Study Links Long-Distance Movement of Mule Deer to Robust Population Growth
Ungulate migration has fascinated people for millennia. In the Western United States, ungulates such as elk, bison and mule deer migrate each spring and fall, navigating snow, predators and human infr...
uwyo.edu
PhD lab still putting out papers on Nazca boobies in Galapagos 🧪🌍🪶 #Ornithology
Jenny McKee@jennymckee.bsky.social · 7mo agoThe latest @wakeforest.bsky.social @wfubiology.bsky.social Nazca booby research is LIVE! I helped lead data collection for this paper when I was a PhD student, but WFU alum '23 (now PhD student) @treyursillo.bsky.social led the analysis! 👏 Great work, Trey! doi.org/10.3389/fbir...
The latest @wakeforest.bsky.social @wfubiology.bsky.social Nazca booby research is LIVE! I helped lead data collection for this paper when I was a PhD student, but WFU alum '23 (now PhD student) @treyursillo.bsky.social led the analysis! 👏 Great work, Trey! doi.org/10.3389/fbir...
Frontiers | Sex-specific colony attendance before and during the fertilization window in Nazca boobies
Nazca boobies (Sula granti), a colonial pelagic seabird, face a tradeoff before egg production between foraging at sea and mating effort on land. All individ...
doi.org
TODAY is the deadline to submit public comment on Trump’s proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule, which would expose 45 million acres of national forest to permanent roads and their attendant environmental ills. Register your disapproval here: www.federalregister.gov/documents/20... #roadecology
Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation; National Forest System Lands
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is initiating an environmental impact statement (EIS) and rulemaking concerning management of inventoried roadless areas on approximately 44.7 million acres of Natio...
federalregister.gov
Applications are NOW OPEN for Smith Fellows conservation research Fellowships beginning in 2026! View the Proposal Guidelines and apply here: www.smithfellows.org/join-us
Become a Fellow — Smith Fellows
smithfellows.org
our paper on how light pollution affects bird vocal behavior is out today in Science!! w/ @brentpease.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
After a decade of carnage, we finally know what’s devastating sea stars along North America’s west coast. For the most in-depth coverage of this breakthrough finding, don't miss this piece by @craigwelch.bsky.social in @biographic.bsky.social 🔗 tinyurl.com/2bmjdjex
Unmasking the Sea Star Killer
After a decade of carnage, we finally know what’s devastating sea stars along North America’s West Coast. Does that mean scientists can save them?
tinyurl.com
I started reporting and writing this story in May 2024, then had a baby, then reported more to learn project updates, and FINALLY our story is live! Check it out to learn more about the decline of a common species, and an ambitious project trying to understand why. www.audubon.org/magazine/sol...
To Solve the Mallard's Mysterious Decline, Researchers Turn to Hi-Tech Trackers
Biologists are using the devices to better understand the bird's behavior and, ultimately, what might be driving our most common duck's population drop.
audubon.org
In March, the U.S. Air Force proposed to build a rocket landing site on remote Johnston Atoll, which formerly hosted a chemical weapon incineration plant and is now a seabird haven. Read my latest for @audubon.org about why this project would be so bad for wildlife: www.audubon.org/magazine/rem...
A Remote, Protected Seabird Paradise May Soon Host a Rocket Landing Site
The proposed U.S. Air Force project could disturb unique nesting habitat for multitudes of birds, including 10,000-plus Red-footed Boobies and more than a third of all Red-tailed Tropicbirds.
audubon.org
Wyoming deer are heading to the high country, some will travel up to 150 miles. Amazing - and necessary - movements across vast swaths of YOUR public lands. Follow along for weekly updates!
Wyoming Migration Initiative@wyo-migrations.bsky.social · last yr.Migration tracking week 2 🦌 #Deer665 trekked 40 miles north to a new stopover in her second week of migration. So far she’s migrated 92 miles in 15 days after leaving her Red Desert winter range — while pregnant with twins! #deer #Wyoming #wildlife #nature
A federal judge signaled plans to extend the freeze on mass layoffs across major federal agencies, citing concerns over the constitutionality of the Trump administration's actions. buff.ly/7sWn7bR #federalworkers #layoffs
Judge says she is inclined to further pause layoffs at most major agencies
RIF plans have been frozen for two weeks, but federal court suggests they are unconstitutional and implementation will remain prohibited indefinitely.
govexec.com
Hi #chemsky #scisky folks--I'd love to collect some community responses to this cut-back on GRFP awards for @cenmag.bsky.social story. If you have thoughts about the situation, please please get in touch--and share with your network! My DMs are open, and I'm also reachable by email or Signal :)
Emilio M Bruna@brunalab.bsky.social · last yr.Quick look at NSF GRFPs awarded 2021-2025. Overall 50% drop from 2024, with biggest absolute decreases in engineering, life sciences and chemistry. (sorry about the meh viz, in a hurry)
And yes. I know they are not real dire wolves. I know they are genetically modified grey wolves with a few tweaked genes. I know. I in fact wrote about this. Myself. teamtrash.substack.com/p/is-it-a-di...
Is it a Dire Wolf? Or a Gee Whiz Puppy?
The perils of a living PR stunt.
teamtrash.substack.com
Bethany Brookshire@beebrookshire.bsky.social · last yr.This is CHILLING, the secretary of the Interior is saying we don't need to worry about extinction anymore! Just call Colossal! They made dire wolves so they can take care of the wolf, or bear or whatever! Go get your trophies, we can clone more! www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
I recently published a short review of an adorable book about bird nests for @ababirds.bsky.social! www.aba.org/bird-nests-a...
Bird Nests Across the World - American Birding Association
Identifying birds can challenge any level of birder—especially those musically challenged, like myself, who struggle to name common species by their calls and chip notes. Toss in nonbreeding plumages ...
aba.org
was your vaccine-related NIH grant terminated? please reach out: @katherinejwu.12 on Signal
I worry that the focus on NOAA's weather predicting value is ignoring the millions of other ways NOAA researchers enrich communities and local economies. There are no oysters without NOAA. There are no blue crabs without NOAA. NOAA trains teachers. NOAA is the lifeblood of coastal communities.
can't believe it's 2025 and i'm stressed about tariffs and measles, like am i a character in an american girl book
The 5th volume of our USGS report series on #ungulate migrations across the Western U.S. is LIVE! I am so proud to have contributed to this huge effort that maps 36 new herds, bringing the total to 218 herds mapped—an incredible feat! 👏 Read the report & download data: pubs.usgs.gov/publication/...
When was the last record of the Eskimo Curlew? Of the Heath Hen? I wrote about eBird checklists that contain the last instances of extinct species. www.audubon.org/magazine/the...
These eBird Checklists Document Some of the Last Sightings of Extinct U.S. Species
As more and more "historical" checklists are added to the platform, birds we've lost now mingle with those still hanging on.
audubon.org
Volume 5 published, bringing the total to 218 mapped migration of ungulate herds across the American West. Tremendous effort by our team @USGS, Univ. of Wyoming, @uoregon.bsky.social and the many State and Tribal partners who have tracked animals across big landscapes. www.uwyo.edu/news/2025/02...
More Than 200 Big-Game Migrations Now Mapped Across American West
Wildlife managers, scientists and conservationists have a more complete ecological map of the American West with the release today (Thursday) of 36 new big-game migration routes by the U.S. Geological...
uwyo.edu
Hi all! Great to have so many new followers here! I'm Jenny, an ecologist and science writer. I'm currently on maternity leave, snuggling with our adorable son, Luke 😍
First paper published from my postdoc at University of Wyoming! We got into the nitty-gritty details of mapping #ungulate migrations, proposing & testing a useful way to analyze datasets that have infrequently collected GPS data: the Fixed Motion Variance method. Read more 👇 doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...
Estimating ungulate migration corridors from sparse movement data
Many ungulates migrate between distinct summer and winter ranges, and identifying, mapping, and conserving these migration corridors have become a focus of local, regional, and global conservation ef....
doi.org