Natalie Downe
@natbat.bsky.social
Enthusiastic adventurer, artist, potter, conservation technologist, tidepool guide, California naturalist, community organizer & frontend web developer. WU3M 🦇🦭🦀(🐺🐓🐇) #scicomm
Mastodon @[email protected]
Twitter @natbat
Instagram @natbat & @natbat.art
Mastodon @[email protected]
Twitter @natbat
Instagram @natbat & @natbat.art
Pinned
Natalie Downe
@natbat.bsky.social
· Aug 2
Hello followers! My name is Natalie, I'm a naturalist, ceramicist, community organizer and occasional technologist. A Brit living in coastal Northern California with my husband @simonwillison.net
- My art instagram.com/natbat.art
- Photography instagram.com/natbat
- Mastodon @[email protected]
- My art instagram.com/natbat.art
- Photography instagram.com/natbat
- Mastodon @[email protected]
Reposted by Natalie Downe
In important kākāpō breeding season news... the New Zealand Department of Conservation have a livestream running of Rakiura's nest
I grabbed a timelapse video of the past few hours, you can get a glimpse of her first egg! simonwillison.net/2026/Jan/25/...
I grabbed a timelapse video of the past few hours, you can get a glimpse of her first egg! simonwillison.net/2026/Jan/25/...
Kākāpō Cam: Rakiura live stream
Critical update for this year's Kākāpō breeding season: the New Zealand Department of Conservation have a livestream running of Rakiura's nest! You’re looking at the underground nest of 23-year-old Ra...
simonwillison.net
January 25, 2026 at 4:54 AM
In important kākāpō breeding season news... the New Zealand Department of Conservation have a livestream running of Rakiura's nest
I grabbed a timelapse video of the past few hours, you can get a glimpse of her first egg! simonwillison.net/2026/Jan/25/...
I grabbed a timelapse video of the past few hours, you can get a glimpse of her first egg! simonwillison.net/2026/Jan/25/...
Who would like to look at some fluffy chicken butts?
January 25, 2026 at 4:27 AM
Who would like to look at some fluffy chicken butts?
Reposted by Natalie Downe
Let me say something very directly.
We are objectively in a fascist authoritarian moment here in this country.
Academics and historians have established indicators for this. We are well over the line on many of them.
We are objectively in a fascist authoritarian moment here in this country.
Academics and historians have established indicators for this. We are well over the line on many of them.
January 25, 2026 at 4:10 AM
Let me say something very directly.
We are objectively in a fascist authoritarian moment here in this country.
Academics and historians have established indicators for this. We are well over the line on many of them.
We are objectively in a fascist authoritarian moment here in this country.
Academics and historians have established indicators for this. We are well over the line on many of them.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
We cannot go on like this for three more years.
January 24, 2026 at 4:27 PM
We cannot go on like this for three more years.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
🚨HOLY CRAP. An ICE whistleblower just revealed a secret memo authorizing ICE officers to break into homes without a judicial warrant, which DHS's own legal training materials say is unconstitutional!
ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
January 21, 2026 at 10:00 PM
🚨HOLY CRAP. An ICE whistleblower just revealed a secret memo authorizing ICE officers to break into homes without a judicial warrant, which DHS's own legal training materials say is unconstitutional!
ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
Our walkout action starts at 4pm at Civic Center Plaza. Bring your signs and stand in community against this fascist regime. #freeamericawalkout
January 20, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Our walkout action starts at 4pm at Civic Center Plaza. Bring your signs and stand in community against this fascist regime. #freeamericawalkout
Reposted by Natalie Downe
1. ICE has STOPPED PAYING for medical treatment for its 73,000 detainees
ICE has not paid its bills to 3rd party providers since OCTOBER and the situation will likely persist for MONTHS, a Popular Information investigation reveals
Meanwhile, critically ill ICE detainees are not receiving care
🧵
ICE has not paid its bills to 3rd party providers since OCTOBER and the situation will likely persist for MONTHS, a Popular Information investigation reveals
Meanwhile, critically ill ICE detainees are not receiving care
🧵
ICE has stopped paying for detainee medical treatment
ICE halted payments in October, and the situation will persist for at least several more months
popular.info
January 20, 2026 at 1:42 PM
1. ICE has STOPPED PAYING for medical treatment for its 73,000 detainees
ICE has not paid its bills to 3rd party providers since OCTOBER and the situation will likely persist for MONTHS, a Popular Information investigation reveals
Meanwhile, critically ill ICE detainees are not receiving care
🧵
ICE has not paid its bills to 3rd party providers since OCTOBER and the situation will likely persist for MONTHS, a Popular Information investigation reveals
Meanwhile, critically ill ICE detainees are not receiving care
🧵
Reposted by Natalie Downe
Cow Tools!
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Cow Tools!
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
Reposted by Natalie Downe
We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s timeless call for courage, love, and justice. As immigrants & citizens' rights face relentless attacks, his vision reminds us that community & dignity matter more than ever. Join us in recommitting to human rights and building a just society for all people. ❣️
January 19, 2026 at 6:44 PM
We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s timeless call for courage, love, and justice. As immigrants & citizens' rights face relentless attacks, his vision reminds us that community & dignity matter more than ever. Join us in recommitting to human rights and building a just society for all people. ❣️
Reposted by Natalie Downe
COW TOOLS COW TOOLS COW TOOLS
Back-scratching bovine leads scientists to reassess intelligence of cows
Brown Swiss in Austria has been discovered using tools in multiple ways – something only ever seen in humans and chimpanzees
www.theguardian.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:06 PM
COW TOOLS COW TOOLS COW TOOLS
Reposted by Natalie Downe
"I'm declaring war on you because you didn't give me a peace prize" is competing for the most embarrassing thing he's ever done and that's a REALLY crowded category.
January 19, 2026 at 3:22 PM
"I'm declaring war on you because you didn't give me a peace prize" is competing for the most embarrassing thing he's ever done and that's a REALLY crowded category.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
THE MAN THEY TOOK WRAPPED IN A BLANKET IS A U.S. CITIZEN.
This is the Kavanaugh Stop of all Kavanaugh Stops.
This is the Kavanaugh Stop of all Kavanaugh Stops.
Sunday, at least 7 ICE agents stormed a house and took an elderly man out into the freezing cold, wearing only his underwear and a blanket.
He was a member of the Hmong community, which came to the area from Laos in the 1970s after siding with the US in the Vietnam War.
Notice the suppressors
1/2
He was a member of the Hmong community, which came to the area from Laos in the 1970s after siding with the US in the Vietnam War.
Notice the suppressors
1/2
January 19, 2026 at 3:46 PM
THE MAN THEY TOOK WRAPPED IN A BLANKET IS A U.S. CITIZEN.
This is the Kavanaugh Stop of all Kavanaugh Stops.
This is the Kavanaugh Stop of all Kavanaugh Stops.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
'“As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have on several occasions clearly explained to Trump what is well known, namely that it is an independent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian government, that awards the prize,” [Norwegian Prime Minister] Mr. Store said.'
Breaking News: President Trump told Norway’s prime minister that one reason he’s pushing to acquire Greenland is because he didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Denied Peace Prize, Trump Tells Norway He’ll Push for Greenland
In a text message, President Trump told Norway’s prime minister he no longer felt obliged to “think purely of Peace” and that the world would not be secure until America controlled the island.
nyti.ms
January 19, 2026 at 3:34 PM
'“As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have on several occasions clearly explained to Trump what is well known, namely that it is an independent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian government, that awards the prize,” [Norwegian Prime Minister] Mr. Store said.'
Reposted by Natalie Downe
Other countries are sending their foreign war correspondents to cover ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis.
The Department of Defence has put the US Army on alert for possible deployment to the city.
This was never about immigration.
They’re turning it into a war zone.
The Department of Defence has put the US Army on alert for possible deployment to the city.
This was never about immigration.
They’re turning it into a war zone.
January 18, 2026 at 5:18 AM
Other countries are sending their foreign war correspondents to cover ICE’s occupation of Minneapolis.
The Department of Defence has put the US Army on alert for possible deployment to the city.
This was never about immigration.
They’re turning it into a war zone.
The Department of Defence has put the US Army on alert for possible deployment to the city.
This was never about immigration.
They’re turning it into a war zone.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
you know this guy is a FOR REAL photographer because he's telling the story of his brutal, unconditional arrest by federal goons and can't help but slip in a gear review
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
January 17, 2026 at 3:37 PM
you know this guy is a FOR REAL photographer because he's telling the story of his brutal, unconditional arrest by federal goons and can't help but slip in a gear review
If you are heading to a protest today, good on you! If you feel sick or know you have covid etc please PLEASE consider the safety of others.
I get that you want to defend democracy and that’s a good thing, if you aren’t going stay at home then please… WEAR A GODDAMN N95 MASK!!
I get that you want to defend democracy and that’s a good thing, if you aren’t going stay at home then please… WEAR A GODDAMN N95 MASK!!
January 17, 2026 at 8:48 PM
If you are heading to a protest today, good on you! If you feel sick or know you have covid etc please PLEASE consider the safety of others.
I get that you want to defend democracy and that’s a good thing, if you aren’t going stay at home then please… WEAR A GODDAMN N95 MASK!!
I get that you want to defend democracy and that’s a good thing, if you aren’t going stay at home then please… WEAR A GODDAMN N95 MASK!!
Reposted by Natalie Downe
Of course they have.
To save money. To appease staff who “don’t want to mask”.
To downplay the pandemic.
It’s cost countless lives.
Never forget that hospital acquired Covid has a near 10% mortality rate.
Patients shouldn’t have to choose between care and Covid.
To save money. To appease staff who “don’t want to mask”.
To downplay the pandemic.
It’s cost countless lives.
Never forget that hospital acquired Covid has a near 10% mortality rate.
Patients shouldn’t have to choose between care and Covid.
“At stake is whether health systems have been knowingly deploying substandard protective equipment in environments where exposure to lethal airborne disease is foreseeable, continuous and unavoidable.”
Yes they have.
Yes they have.
Why the WHO respirator revolt could reshape global health governance - Business Upturn Trade & Policy
When a group of senior clinicians and public health scientists formally urged the World Health Organization in January 2026 to...
www.businessupturn.com
January 16, 2026 at 9:38 AM
Of course they have.
To save money. To appease staff who “don’t want to mask”.
To downplay the pandemic.
It’s cost countless lives.
Never forget that hospital acquired Covid has a near 10% mortality rate.
Patients shouldn’t have to choose between care and Covid.
To save money. To appease staff who “don’t want to mask”.
To downplay the pandemic.
It’s cost countless lives.
Never forget that hospital acquired Covid has a near 10% mortality rate.
Patients shouldn’t have to choose between care and Covid.
Chicken timeline cleanse
January 16, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Chicken timeline cleanse
Reposted by Natalie Downe
We’re in the fucking twilight zone
NEW and WOW: Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, and Canada are sending troops to Greenland amid continued threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to annex the territory, multiple outlets reported. www.newsweek.com/greenland-ge...
Germany, other NATO allies sending troops to Greenland amid Trump threats
Trump said Wednesday anything less than U.S. control of Greenland would be "unacceptable" in a warning to NATO allies about Arctic security.
www.newsweek.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:54 PM
We’re in the fucking twilight zone
Reposted by Natalie Downe
Dismissing the very idea Trump could "cancel" the next election when he has said he wants to and when there are almost certainly people in the White House working on some vision for exactly that is just stupid.
January 16, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Dismissing the very idea Trump could "cancel" the next election when he has said he wants to and when there are almost certainly people in the White House working on some vision for exactly that is just stupid.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
Any one of us could be detained for hours by ICE despite being a U.S. citizen.
Any one of us could be in the next apartment building that ICE raids in the middle of the night.
Any one of us could be the next to be brutalized by ICE for speaking out.
Authoritarianism hurts all of us.
Any one of us could be in the next apartment building that ICE raids in the middle of the night.
Any one of us could be the next to be brutalized by ICE for speaking out.
Authoritarianism hurts all of us.
January 15, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Any one of us could be detained for hours by ICE despite being a U.S. citizen.
Any one of us could be in the next apartment building that ICE raids in the middle of the night.
Any one of us could be the next to be brutalized by ICE for speaking out.
Authoritarianism hurts all of us.
Any one of us could be in the next apartment building that ICE raids in the middle of the night.
Any one of us could be the next to be brutalized by ICE for speaking out.
Authoritarianism hurts all of us.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
Take a moment to lower your blood pressure with this one.
This bobtail squid burrowing into the sand is already adorable, but please watch till the very end!
It sticks out its little arms and earnestly sprinkles sand over itself 🦑𓂃◌𓈒𓐍
It sticks out its little arms and earnestly sprinkles sand over itself 🦑𓂃◌𓈒𓐍
January 12, 2026 at 11:43 PM
Take a moment to lower your blood pressure with this one.
Reposted by Natalie Downe
“Who in the United States of America wants a war between the United States and Europe … over GREENLAND??”
I can't believe I'm posting this video - but we actually have to have a conversation about the real world implications of America going to war over Greenland.
Let me walk you through it. It doesn't turn out well for us.
Let me walk you through it. It doesn't turn out well for us.
January 11, 2026 at 3:37 AM
“Who in the United States of America wants a war between the United States and Europe … over GREENLAND??”
Reposted by Natalie Downe
The past couple days have made it clear that arresting and prosecuting Johnathan Ross isn’t just the right thing to do, it is necessary to prevent future violence by ICE who have interpreted the situation as “we can do that to whoever we want”
A woman recording an ICE agent tells him "Shame on you."
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
January 10, 2026 at 3:25 PM
The past couple days have made it clear that arresting and prosecuting Johnathan Ross isn’t just the right thing to do, it is necessary to prevent future violence by ICE who have interpreted the situation as “we can do that to whoever we want”