Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Jul 11

A few weeks late, but very pleased to share this new piece on biodiversity credits, led by Sven Wunder and Sophus zu Ermgassen: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Biodiversity Credits: An Overview of the Current State, Future Opportunities, and Potential Pitfalls

Biodiversity credits are an emerging vehicle for pro-environmental financing, yet much uncertainty remains around how and when they could boost biodiversity conservation. Here we define what biodiver...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Jun 19

We had a brilliant week at #ICCB2025. Congrats to @yfchung.bsky.social for making the shortlist for best student talk! And thanks to the superb organising committee and all the volunteers 🙏 Loved catching up with so many wonderful colleagues; safe travels home to all

A group of conference attendees (from the Maron Lab) with a fig tree in the background

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Jun 18

Outrageous views of noisy pitta and buff-banded rails at the #ICCB2025 conference bird walk this morning - thanks @coorongdan.bsky.social for your excellent co-guiding!

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Jun 18

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

Queensland's last carbon neutral council to lose title after leaving federal program

Queensland's only certified carbon neutral council will lose that title as it prepares to pull out of a federal government scheme it has concerns with.

www.abc.net.au

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Dan Rogers @coorongdan.bsky.social · Jun 16

@martinemaron.bsky.social squeezing How To Fix Offsets (paraphrasing) into 3 minutes. Exceptionally I might add. Key message for me was applying absolute, rather than net gain, the latter inevitably leading to more loss. Standing room only I might add! #ICCB2025 @iccb2025.bsky.social

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Jun 12

www.abc.net.au/news/science...

Farmers wanting to sell tiny dragons' last known holdout left in limbo

The home of the only wild population of Victorian grassland earless dragons is no longer viable as a private farm, but governments are unwilling to buy the land for conservation.

www.abc.net.au

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Yi Fei @yfchung.bsky.social · May 30

First publication from my PhD is out!
Do private land conservation policies and programs adequately consider climate change?🌿🌡️

Read: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Huge thanks to my advisors Jonathan Rhodes,
@martinemaron.bsky.social, and Michael Drielsma, and to amazing funding partners

Do private land conservation policies and programs adequately consider climate change?

Accelerating climate change is threatening both biodiversity and the effectiveness of conservation policy. Policy mechanisms like voluntary conservati…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · May 26

The fight for Woogaroo Forest: new housing could silence some of Queensland’s ‘virtuoso songbirds’

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Megan Evans @megcevans.bsky.social · May 8

Join me at UNSW Canberra School of Business! We're looking for a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in #Economics to deliver undergraduate and postgraduate economics teaching and research #academicjobs #academicsky external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au/cw/en/job/53...

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Canberra

Looking to make an impact through teaching and research at an internationally accredited (AACSB and AHRI) business school? This role will offer you the opportunity to do just that.

external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au

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Yung En Chee @yungenchee.bsky.social · Apr 24

All so horribly familiar from Australia—the laboratory for corporate-friendly environmental policies

"At present, builders are supposed to follow a “mitigation hierarchy”: avoid, minimise, mitigate, offset.
...
The new bill scratches all that, jumping straight to option 4: offsetting."

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Apr 15

Allowing forests to regrow and regenerate is a great way to restore habitat - new research from Hannah Thomas estimates the habitat values of regrowth for threatened species in Qld theconversation.com/allowing-for...

Allowing forests to regrow and regenerate is a great way to restore habitat

New research found regrowth in Queensland provided valuable habitat after 15 years, on average, with some species benefiting from trees as young as 3 years of age.

theconversation.com

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Margaret Stanley @ecostanley.bsky.social · Mar 28

FULLY-FUNDED NZ PhD @aucklanduni.bsky.social on role of bird dispersal in weed spread from residential gardens. Great team working on understanding emerging weeds & prevention. Closes 30th April. Full details: stanleylab.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/opportunities/ Funding: Bioprotection Aotearoa 🌏🧪🌱

Fruit of tree privet - environmental weed in New Zealand

Bangalow palm seedling in forest - invasive weed in New Zealand

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Megan Evans @megcevans.bsky.social · Apr 6

Why isn't nature an issue this federal election? Simple really - because both major parties are totally captured by and beholden to polluting industries, notably fossil gas and farmed salmon. #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Australia is in an extinction crisis – why isn’t it an issue at this election?

Some of the country’s most loved native species, including the koala and the hairy-nosed wombat, are on the brink. Is this their last chance at survival?

www.theguardian.com

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Adam Morton @adammorton.bsky.social · Apr 6

Guardian Australia has launched a series about nature and threatened species. It's called Last Chance: The extinction crisis the Australian federal election is ignoring. Includes videos, news and comment pieces.

Here's a preview of what it's about:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4kQ...

Last chance: the extinction crisis this election is ignoring

YouTube video by Guardian Australia

www.youtube.com

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Biodiversity Council @biodivcouncil.bsky.social · Apr 2

We welcome today's policy commitment to allocate 1% of the federal budget to nature care by
@greens.org.au It's what Australian nature needs. See what some of our experts had to say about the commitments.
biodiversitycouncil.org.au/news/biodive...

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Dr Christina N. Zdenek @cnzdenek.bsky.social · Apr 1

Thanks, @euanritchie.bsky.social & @martinemaron.bsky.social and John for this powerful article & msg to our leaders. Pleased the #PalmCockatooProject could provide the lead image. This tree sadly burned to ash. 1 of many b/c of bad fire. To help palmies: www.peopleforwildlife.org/theapudthama...

Palm Cockatoo Project | People For Wildlife

People For Wildlife are working to save the Palm Cockatoo bird in Apudthama Cape York.

www.peopleforwildlife.org

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Apr 1

New by @euanritchie.bsky.social John Woinarski and me: Australians want nature protected. These 3 environmental problems should be top of the next government’s to-do list theconversation.com/australians-...

Australians want nature protected. These 3 environmental problems should be top of the next government’s to-do list

Three experts consider what’s required to protect and conserve Australia’s natural wonders, from fighting invaders to stopping habitat loss and saving species.

theconversation.com

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Professor Euan Ritchie @euanritchie.bsky.social · Apr 1

Australia’s wildlife and environments are world renowned, but in deep, deep trouble. What’s urgently needed, and entirely possible, to begin turning things around? In the lead up to the federal election we discuss what Australia’s next government can and must do theconversation.com/australians-....

Australians want nature protected. These 3 environmental problems should be top of the next government’s to-do list

Three experts consider what’s required to protect and conserve Australia’s natural wonders, from fighting invaders to stopping habitat loss and saving species.

theconversation.com

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Nature Reviews Biodiversity @natrevbiodiv.nature.com · Mar 19

March issue: Review led by
@martinemaron.bsky.social evaluating the efficacy of biodiversity offsets and, despite their limitations, the role they can play in conservation.
Web link: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Free to read and download throughout 2025!

Conceptual model explaining the mitigation hierarchy in biodiversity offset design.

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Mar 5

Looking for a PhD in birds and woodlands? We have a funded project available to those eligible to apply as a domestic student (in Australia) @uq-cbcs.bsky.social - message me if interested!

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Nature Reviews Biodiversity @natrevbiodiv.nature.com · Feb 28

New Review: Biodiversity offsets, their effectiveness and their role in a nature positive future 🌎🧪

From @martinemaron.bsky.social and colleagues.

Web: go.nature.com/41jFsar Free online for the year!

Biodiversity offsets, their effectiveness and their role in a nature positive future - Nature Reviews Biodiversity

Biodiversity offsets, applied as part of the mitigation hierarchy, aim to ensure that ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity occurs as a result of human development projects and activities. This Review explore...

go.nature.com

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Diana Fisher @dianafisher1080.bsky.social · Feb 26

PhD project on bird conservation at UQ with @martinemaron.bsky.social and April Reside. Student needed asap in 2025

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Feb 14

Birding is booming in Australia @birdlifeoz.bsky.social www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02...

How birdwatching is taking flight as Australia's new tourism goldmine

Birdwatchers are pouring billions of dollars into Australia's tourism industry every year with calls to capitalise on the country's native species and better promote the pastime.

www.abc.net.au

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Feb 4

Australian nature: if our laws don’t radically change, environmental degradation will continue

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Biodiversity Council @biodivcouncil.bsky.social · Dec 23

2024 has been an enormous year for our small but mighty team. Learn about our incredible 2024 impacts here: biodiversitycouncil.org.au/resources/bi...

It would not have been possible without our supporters. Thank you for helping us to be loud for nature!

Biodiversity Council 2024 Impact Report | Biodiversity Council Australia

We are excited to share with you a snapshot of some of the incredible impacts we have achieved in 2024.

biodiversitycouncil.org.au

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BirdLife Australia @birdlifeoz.bsky.social · Dec 21

It's time we change the narrative around Australia's mistletoe! After all, it's possibly the coolest plant in our landscape 😎

That's why we want to plant more of it! Check out our mistletoe propagation manual, developed with Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council: www.calameo.com/read/0041078...

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Michael Slezak @mikeyslezak.bsky.social · Dec 19

Minutes after officially recommending a "greenfield" coal mine be approved in Queensland, and approving extensions to three others, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek boldly declared no new coal mines have been approved in 2024.

Government extends coal mines as minister boasts of no new approvals

Minutes after officially recommending a "greenfield" coal mine be approved in Queensland, and approving extensions to three others, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek boldly declared no new coal min...

www.abc.net.au

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Professor Euan Ritchie @euanritchie.bsky.social · Dec 19

The cognitive dissonance is strong in this one...

Albanese government approves FOUR coalmine extensions; Melbourne expected to hit 40C on Boxing Day www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

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Biodiversity Council @biodivcouncil.bsky.social · Dec 18

Really powerful analogy of the impact of invertebrate extinctions from @jessmarsh.bsky.social in her interview on ABC Radio ✈️

Jess also highlights the importance of planting native gardens to help support your local invertebrates 🌍

#invertebrates #conservation #extinction

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Martine Maron @martinemaron.bsky.social · Dec 15

www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...