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Ollie Wearn

@olliewearn.bsky.social

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Nov 8

🧪 Finally found where all the kool kidz ran off to 👋

Hi, I’m a conservationist that does science whenever I get the chance! Great to be here!

Current work is on snow leopards. I also post about primates, conservation tech, camera traps, AI & other stuff.

Here’s a paper we just published below 👇

Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Nov 7

Cool new #dronescience coming out of Vietnam, led by my colleague Hoang Trinh-Dinh.

authors.elsevier.com/a/1k2%7Ej1R%... (#OA for 50 days / DM for pdf)

Hoang used a drone to robustly survey the Critically Endangered Delacour’s langur in its extreme limestone home for the 1st time. (1/n)

Side-by-side drone images, comparing the colour RGB image and the thermal sensor image. Both have Delacour's langurs in them, but they are much more obvious in the thermal image.

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Reposted by Ollie Wearn

Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · Sep 6

Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n

Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or
even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in
the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or
apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we
are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not
considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This
is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse
and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece,
we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology
industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to
relevant work to further inform our colleagues.

Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI
(black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are
in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are
both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and
Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf.
Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al.
2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA).

Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms
are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe.

Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles

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Al Kitching @itsalkitching.bsky.social · 20d

Over on the Other Place I would occasionally put this thread together, most recently during lockdown, four years ago in fact, and I realised I'd not done it here. So, bear with, and feel free to mute as this is an epic (genuinely, I’m not sure we won’t reach hitherto non-invoked thread limits tbh).

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Sep 9

*Seeing double*

Nope, these images are not the same, or even from the same image sequence! They were taken 23 days apart, with raging snow storms & high winds between them.

#Snowleopards are creatures of habit, regularly coming back to the same tiny patches of ground to see who's been around.

Two B&W camera trap images of the same snow leopard 23 days apart, but showing a strikingly similar pose, with the animal bent down sniffing the same small patch of ground (likely a regular scrape). Image (c) Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation / Snow Leopard Trust.

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Snow Leopard Network (SLN) @snowleopardnet.bsky.social · Sep 6

Next Thursday (11th), join us to discover how 300+ local community members & camera traps generate vital ecosystem data, transforming biodiversity monitoring in the Sanjiangyuan. 📸🌿 Learn about innovative incentive models for #conservation in #China.

👉 bit.ly/SLNBioMonitoring

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Reposted by Ollie Wearn

Wayne Maddison @waynemaddison.bsky.social · Sep 5

Confused writing is usually a symptom of confused thinking. As we struggle to clarify writing, we clarify our thoughts. AI writing aids rob us of that struggle, leaving clean-looking text and thoughts still confused for lack of inspection. Writing is not just a product; it is a diagnostic tool.

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Tommaso Jucker @tommaso-jucker.bsky.social · Sep 5

Only a pre-print for now, but after 4 years of hard work I couldn't resist sharing this!

The Global Canopy Atlas: analysis-ready maps of 3D structure for the world's woody ecosystems

📜: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Huge team effort led by the brilliant Fabian Fischer!

Global distribution of forest landscapes covered by airborne LiDAR

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Sep 4

History appears to be repeating itself, with a new "mega-rice" project underway in South Papua, a repeat of the social and ecological disaster that was Mega Rice I in Kalimantan in the late 1990s. The UN says that > 50,000 Indigenous people will be directly affected
e360.yale.edu/features/ind...

In Indonesia’s Rainforest, a Mega-Farm Project Is Plowing Ahead

The Indonesian government is fast-tracking a massive agricultural project that is turning 7 million acres of tropical forest into rice and sugarcane farms. Critics say it is the world’s largest defore...

e360.yale.edu

Reposted by Ollie Wearn

Climate Disconnect @climate-disconnect.bsky.social · Aug 29

Consider the first headline -- "Brazil secures Amazon allies for $125 billion global forest fund" -- against the backdrop of everything else Brazil is doing. The hypocrisy from the host of the COP30 climate conference is staggering.

Headline: Brazil secures Amazon allies for $125 million global forest fund

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Aug 28

Incredible graph, and pretty much sums it up.

Teeing off as the world burns.

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · Aug 28

Thank you @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social for the reminder that golf courses should be forcibly seized by the government and converted to solar farms

interactive.carbonbrief.org/factcheck/so...

Farimore space is taken up by golf courses than solar power in many countries
Ground area, km2, used for ground-mounted solar and golf courses in a selection of high-income countries
8,014
1,895.9
1,402
1,194
1,060
595.5
622
343.5
370.5
312
186
232.5
253
162
68.4
Source: Weinand et al (2025)
Carbon Brief

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Aug 27

Here’s me kind of hoping it doesn’t shut down Libgen though, a vital lifeline for many who don’t have fancy pantsy university journal access (= vast number of researchers in Global South, plus almost everyone in the NGO world)

Aerin Jacob, PhD @aerinj.bsky.social · Aug 27

20 of my papers are in here.

See the thread for how check whether your work was used (search your name with and without initials) and joining the class action lawsuit.

Alex de Campi @alexdecampi.bsky.social · Aug 27

There are tons of graphic novels, academic papers, film and TV scripts, & prose novels/nonfiction on the LibGen list Anthropic used.

As settlement approaches, make it easy for the class action lawyers to contact you! Here’s how

Part 1: is your work in Libgen?

www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 26

From last week spotting the turtle doves in the Knepp rewilding project, to having the same species at our garden pond here in Ronda, Spain!

Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 25

Can we all agree macroecology is also lawful evil 😈

Spot on for Conservation ecology

Markus Eichhorn @markuseichhorn.bsky.social · Jul 25

Was just sent this, author unknown. There's plenty to debate but they're right about evolutionary ecology. 🌏

Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 17

Interesting 🤔 Seems like a good way forward to ensure rigour and accuracy in work.

I suspect there is a grey area, though, in deciding when genAI is acting as an assistant (which is allowed under their rules) and when it has stepped over the line into creator (not allowed).

Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · Jul 17

We have decided to ban the use of GenAI for research, writing & creative work at our organization.

In fact, we make people sign an agreement saying that their research, analysis, writing, and creative work are *theirs* and not done by GenAI.

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 11

AI challenge to find lost Amazonian civilizations draws critics | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

There are echoes here of how macroecologists mine satellite & other global data to make maps of conservation priorities, also often without consultation or validation on the ground.

AI challenge to find lost Amazonian civilizations draws critics

Scientists, ethicists, and officials worry the OpenAI-sponsored contest sidesteps archaeological norms

www.science.org

Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 8

Are drones fancy gadgets, or can they effectively guide management strategies and align with the overarching goals of protected areas?

Rossi & Wiesmann 2025 argue the latter 👌

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Flying high for conservation: Opportunities and challenges of operating drones within the oldest National Park in the Alps

Drawing on our seven-year experience flying drones in the Swiss National Park and its surroundings, we provided an overview of how innovative drone applications contribute to the goals and tasks of t....

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Ollie Wearn

Chris Sutherland @chrissuthy.bsky.social · Jul 4

My first @uk.theconversation.com article with @jackantbam.bsky.social and @lambin-ecology.bsky.social and @kennyafc.bsky.social

"Surprisingly effective way to save the capercaillie: keep its predators well-fed"

theconversation.com/a-surprising...

A surprisingly effective way to save the capercaillie: keep its predators well-fed – new research

Evidence suggests this alternative to culling the bird’s predators is effective.

theconversation.com

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 4

I wonder to what extent by carcass provisioning and feeding the mesocarnivores you’re replacing a lost ecological role played by wolves, and other large predators? In other words, might wolves have facilitated the existence of capercaillie?

Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 2

A no-brainer if ever I saw one.

Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · Jul 2

🚨NEW from me: more than 1,000 ad agencies have called on the British government to do for the fossil fuel industry what it did for tobacco: end all advertising of their products. From @cleancreatives.bsky.social and more.

U.K. Ad Agencies Call For Total Ban On Fossil Fuel Marketing

British ad industry organizations have launched a campaign calling on the government to treat fossil fuels much as it treats tobacco products.

www.forbes.com

Reposted by Ollie Wearn

Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · Jul 1

A new paper in The Lancet, one of the world’s foremost peer reviewed medical journals, estimates that USAID prevented 91 million deaths across 133 countries over 20 years.

The paper estimates that Elon Musk’s DOGE funding cuts to USAID will lead to 14 million deaths by 2030 (4.5 million children).

Evaluating the impact of two decades of USAID interventions and projecting the effects of defunding on mortality up to 2030: a retrospective impact evaluation and forecasting analysis

USAID funding has significantly contributed to the reduction in adult and child mortality across low-income and middle-income countries over the past two decades. Our estimates show that, unless the a...

www.thelancet.com

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 2

Related issues in #cameratrap AI exist, still unresolved.

E.g. Google’s SpeciesNet, ostensibly trained on public data (techcrunch.com/2025/03/03/g...) but actually trained on partly embargoed data, w/ little recognition for the 100’s of people in the Global South who collected & curated the data 😧

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jul 2

A really clear and practical guide to implementing SMART and improving its effectiveness over time (written by the SMART Partnership and @faunaflora.bsky.social):

docs.google.com/presentation...

The SMART Approach to Conservation.pptx

The SMART Approach to Conservation: A guide to getting started A practical guide to implementation and sustained use of the SMART Approach & SMART software © Edy Susanto / Fauna & Flora Version 1.1

docs.google.com

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Mongabay @mongabay.com · Jul 1

Nepal has launched its first-ever species-specific action plan for dholes (Cuon alpinus), allocating 262.9 million rupees ($1.9 million) over five years to address key threats such as habitat loss, prey depletion, disease and competition with larger predators.

Nepal launches plan to boost science, awareness to save dholes

KATHMANDU — Nepal has launched a species action plan focused exclusively on conserving the endangered dhole (Cuon alpinus), also known as the Asiatic wild dog. The new 262.9 million rupee ($1.9…

news.mongabay.com

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Ian Carter @iancarter67.bsky.social · Jun 29

No mention of the disease risks. Or the welfare concerns of releasing birds into places that don’t suit them. This is pretend conservation, dressed up as the real thing and given a free ride by a serious environmental journalist. Hugely damaging.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Conservationists race to rescue England’s turtle doves from extinction

Hundreds are being released across the country to reverse 98% decline in mating pairs since the 1970s

www.theguardian.com

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Ollie Wearn @olliewearn.bsky.social · Jun 28

Our friendly neighbourhood fox passes just under our bedroom window almost every night.

Taken with a @naturespy.bsky.social Ursus solar-powered ☀️ #cameratrap, which has been successfully powering itself across Dutch forests and Mongolia deserts recently. Goodbye battery changes! 👋

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mtsw @mtsw.bsky.social · Jun 23

we're living through one of the greatest technological revolutions in the history of mankind and it's not AI

Robert Ferry @robertferry.bsky.social · Jun 22

Solar + storage is now $104 per MWh in Las Vegas or similar regions for nearly 100% clean firm power. There is no way new nuclear can compete with this. Even new gas plants will struggle and that is assuming access to cheap gas over the life-cycle of the plant, which is kind of a crazy gamble TBH.

Batteries are so cheap now, solar power doesn’t sleep

Batteries are now cheap enough to make 24/7 solar power affordable, unlocking round-the-clock clean energy in the world’s sunniest cities.

electrek.co

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