This morning in Biddeford, Maine, a 26-year-old man said goodbye to his wife and daughter and left for work. Moments later he was dead, shot in the head by ICE agents, the second man ICE has killed in six days. ICE is killing our neighbors. ICE cannot be reformed. Abolish ICE.

Have you ever wondered why there's such a lack of ectomycorrhizal-affiliated tree seedlings under mountain laurel thickets? Read all about it! This is also my first first-author publication 🥳 authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

Plant-soil feedbacks affect hardwood regeneration in mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) thickets

Ericaceous thickets inhibit hardwood regeneration, particularly of ectomycorrhizal tree species, yet mechanisms underlying effects of the ericaceous s…

authors.elsevier.com

Hearing "This study is an excellent contribution to the literature!" from a reviewer after major revisions is very heartening! Feeling ready to tackle the next manuscript 😄

Lots of good papers coming out in the mycorrhizal-mediated PSF/CDD space these days. I'm gonna have to take a few weeks off from lab and field work to catch up!

Novel Nymphs Reading

ALT: Novel Nymphs Reading

static.klipy.com

Has anybody imported tree cores into the US and can give me some pointers on paperwork? 🌎🧪

Here's an exciting new publication from my research group! We analyzed long-term demographic data from two forests in the Cumberland Plateau and found that species composition changes align with tree mycorrhizal association www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Tree compositional change in upland hardwood forests aligns with mycorrhizal type

Long-term monitoring in the eastern United States has documented widespread declines in fire-adapted oaks (Quercus spp.) and concurrent increases in m…

sciencedirect.com

This is my first time going through the peer-review process as first author. Reviewer #2 was the harshest but I've gotta say, they make good points. I appreciate that they're making the paper better

One of the big issues I think Nashville has right now is the lack of shade around town. The sun beats down here and the lack of shade makes most roads unwalkable. The way cars super-heat in uncovered lots and the reflection off roads makes driving miserable too.

We’re launching the 2026 International Summer School on Complex Systems in Earth System 🌍 Explore resilience, tipping points, and climate dynamics through lectures, discussions, and hands-on work. 📍 Tsinghua University 📅 Aug 3–15, 2026 Deadline: June 15

One of the best things about public transit is not having to find parking. Today I met up with a friend at a cafe where there were only 3 free parking spots, and the rest were $12/hour. For reference, and all-day bus pass is $4. Obviously a better price, not to mention the savings on gas.

Trying to revise a paper that I converted from PDF to word, this is awful. I'd rather just do edits in red pen and retype the whole thing than deal with this formatting nightmare.

Penn State Biology is hiring! We have an opening for a tenure-line faculty position in plant biology - if you'd like to pursue awesome science in a supportive and interdisciplinary community of researchers, consider applying! psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Ac...

Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Plant Biology

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

I wish I could have a hobby. All work all the time is miserable. Considering starting over as a barista.

Please spread this widely!

Happy late Earth Day! My university's environmental science club picked up about 5 bags of trash from our local wetland to celebrate

Academics, did you use time in your PhD program to target a dream job? I'm interested in a small niche and would have to start incorporating things outside of my advisor's expertise to build the right resume. I don't know if that's a good idea if I want to graduate on time. Advice appreciated :)

Has anyone studied provoking societal change through social/cultural capital? E.g. are people more likely to use native plants for landscaping if they see someone they respect/admire doing it? Will more people adopt zero waste practices if they see attractive people modelling those practices?

“NSF Plant Biology Act.” H.R. 7949 www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c... This bill would expand NSF funding for plant and microbial biology grants with $150 million authorized each year from FY2026 through 2031. Reach out to your representatives. www.house.gov/representati...

hozzl@hozzl.com · 5mo ago

Bill Alert! US House Bill HR 7949 - NSF Plant Biology Act https://hozzl.com/p/bill/congress-119-bill-number-hr-7949?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=autopost&utm_campaign=bill&utm_content=post The NSF Plant Biology Act, designated as H.R. 7949 in the 119th Congress and introduced on March 16, 2026...

The mountain azaleas are blooming, 5-lined skinks are running around, and leaf-out is in full swing! Fingers crossed we get some rain soon because I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the mushrooms 🍄

I'm seeing a lot of newly planted street trees around Nashville, and none of them are invasive species (I checked)! Plus, the trees planted on my street last year are doing well. Things are really moving in the right direction here

Is anyone else cautiously optimistic about the silver linings of gas prices? I'm hoping this is what gets the average suburbanite to choose any form of transit other than massive SUVs/pickups. Maybe plastics won't be the cheap default packaging if prices stay high. Anything's possible

I now have a paper in review that cites another one of my papers that is also in review. Feeling very academic 😎

Revising figures in R you made a year ago when you're at the very end of writing a manuscript is like deciphering hieroglyphics

We had a university-wide power outage starting Saturday that PIs weren't informed of until Sunday. Lost a ton of samples, the other campus across town was also affected, and no reason has been given. At this point I think incompetence must be a requirement for administrative positions.

Always sad when you hear from an old classmate and it turns out they just want you to join an MLM.

Has anyone else noticed the lack of studies looking into why AM seedlings are less inhibited by ericaceous shrubs than ECM seedlings? I've collected a few citations showing that pattern, but none have measured root colonization by AM or looked at the community composition/structure changes

Nashville's public transit has improved so much in the four years I've lived here that the bus has actually become a commute option for me! Thanks Freddie @freddieoconnell.bsky.social

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

The long-awaited @robertmoor.com In Trees: An Exploration comes out Apr 7! I've been looking forward to this book since reading Moor's brilliant On Trails. I just preordered. You can, too. Support an excellent author & have something great to look forward to. www.publishersweekly.com/9781476739250

In Trees: An Exploration by Robert Moor

Journalist Moor (On Trails) defines trees as “a way of being” in this impassioned examination of their history and biology. Sinc...

publishersweekly.com

What a delight it is to come across people you know while browsing literature outside of your field. It's like finding an easter egg