Tara Chestnut, PhD
@tcastanea.bsky.social
Wildlife Ecology | Natural History | Disease | Invasive Species | Contaminants | Aquatic Science | Reintroductions | Science Communication | March Mammal Madness narrator | she/her
Pinned
Tara Chestnut, PhD
@tcastanea.bsky.social
· Jul 22
Need a moment of joy today? I recently gave a talk about what Indigenous inclusion in science looks like. Grab some tissues and get ready to ugly cry… 🐻🪶🐍🐸🐟🧪
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
Fun news! @gcbias.bsky.social and I are teaching a 2-week online population genetics workshop this summer to raise money for the Center for Population Biology at UC Davis. We're trying to gauge interest -- please fill this out if you might be interested! And please share broadly!
Davis Summer Population Genomics Program
Want to learn population genetics? Please fill out this form to indicate your potential interest in a 2-week intensive online summer population genetics course taught by Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra and Graham...
docs.google.com
February 9, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Fun news! @gcbias.bsky.social and I are teaching a 2-week online population genetics workshop this summer to raise money for the Center for Population Biology at UC Davis. We're trying to gauge interest -- please fill this out if you might be interested! And please share broadly!
And if you are a librarian who has used MMM in the past & plan to use MMM in 2026- drop me a DM :-D #2026MMM
a black and white photo of a dog wearing headphones and a bow tie talking on a telephone .
Alt: old timey footage of two dogs "talking" on old timey phones.
media.tenor.com
February 5, 2026 at 4:58 AM
We’re looking at YOU educators! #2026MMM
EDUCATORS who use #2026MMM
Please follow the link below to the request form for free educator materials for 2026 March Mammal Madness Tournament and an optional educator survey. @mmmletsgo.bsky.social forms.gle/PNTRw4CbndMT...
Please follow the link below to the request form for free educator materials for 2026 March Mammal Madness Tournament and an optional educator survey. @mmmletsgo.bsky.social forms.gle/PNTRw4CbndMT...
Educator Materials Request for March Mammal Madness #2026MMM
WELCOME EDUCATOR!!! Thank you & your students for participating in, as one twitter user phrased it, this "delightfully bonkers" science education outreach where the motto is always "if you're learning...
forms.gle
February 5, 2026 at 4:57 AM
We’re looking at YOU educators! #2026MMM
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
In honor of 10 tournaments of the March Mammal Madness LibGuide at ASU Library, #2026MMM Celebrates LIBRARIES!
More than books, and definitely more than admonishments to shush, libraries are incredible collections of human knowledge, information, imagination, & creativity @mmmletsgo.bsky.social
More than books, and definitely more than admonishments to shush, libraries are incredible collections of human knowledge, information, imagination, & creativity @mmmletsgo.bsky.social
The Worm Dance GIF
Alt: An awesome dancer does The Worm Dance on top of a bookshelf in the stacks of a library
media.tenor.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:42 PM
In honor of 10 tournaments of the March Mammal Madness LibGuide at ASU Library, #2026MMM Celebrates LIBRARIES!
More than books, and definitely more than admonishments to shush, libraries are incredible collections of human knowledge, information, imagination, & creativity @mmmletsgo.bsky.social
More than books, and definitely more than admonishments to shush, libraries are incredible collections of human knowledge, information, imagination, & creativity @mmmletsgo.bsky.social
Who am I to put my community at risk when there are safe options to prevent suffering?
If you listen closely, the loudest cheer is from Polio.
This madness will require FL's state legislature to fully achieve, so let's see how far Ladapo & DeSantis' push to make kids sick, hospitalized, disabled, & die really goes.
Press: easy way to state this--Florida declares war on children. 🛟
This madness will require FL's state legislature to fully achieve, so let's see how far Ladapo & DeSantis' push to make kids sick, hospitalized, disabled, & die really goes.
Press: easy way to state this--Florida declares war on children. 🛟
February 2, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Who am I to put my community at risk when there are safe options to prevent suffering?
When I worked for the USGS (US Dept of Interior) I was given similar direction to cease contact with collaborators from Russia and Cuba. We were studying amphibian diseases, which was considered a biosecurity threat. We still got the papers out, w/ serious delay www.researchgate.net/profile/Luis...
January 26, 2026 at 10:00 PM
When I worked for the USGS (US Dept of Interior) I was given similar direction to cease contact with collaborators from Russia and Cuba. We were studying amphibian diseases, which was considered a biosecurity threat. We still got the papers out, w/ serious delay www.researchgate.net/profile/Luis...
Hear ye! Hear ye! We discovered that the link to scholarship application guidelines was broken so it’s been extended to Feb 9! Do you work with vertebrates in the west? Are you a student at a university in the west? We would love to learn about your research!! thesnvb.org/scholarship-...
January 19, 2026 at 5:37 AM
Hear ye! Hear ye! We discovered that the link to scholarship application guidelines was broken so it’s been extended to Feb 9! Do you work with vertebrates in the west? Are you a student at a university in the west? We would love to learn about your research!! thesnvb.org/scholarship-...
Fun facts about me! I’m a wildlife ecologist, my birthday is on the most sacred of mammal holidays, Groundhog Day, when I caught a habituated marmot & worked w/ @nwtrek.bsky.social to make him an ambassador animal rather than euthanizing, they named him Chestnut ❤️🦫🌰 🎂 www.nwtrek.org/marmot-finds...
January 18, 2026 at 5:10 AM
Fun facts about me! I’m a wildlife ecologist, my birthday is on the most sacred of mammal holidays, Groundhog Day, when I caught a habituated marmot & worked w/ @nwtrek.bsky.social to make him an ambassador animal rather than euthanizing, they named him Chestnut ❤️🦫🌰 🎂 www.nwtrek.org/marmot-finds...
Are you an undergrad or grad student at a Pacific Northwest university studying wildlife? “PNW” loosely defined as North America west of the Great Plains and north of the Mojave Desert. Scholarship application deadline is this Monday! thesnvb.org/scholarship/
Scholarship - The Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology
thesnvb.org
January 15, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Are you an undergrad or grad student at a Pacific Northwest university studying wildlife? “PNW” loosely defined as North America west of the Great Plains and north of the Mojave Desert. Scholarship application deadline is this Monday! thesnvb.org/scholarship/
Me, prepping for tonight’s city council meeting. Based on the posted agenda, it was sure to be a spicy one. The mayor did a good job of bringing the temperature down in the room while I ate my popcorn in the back. I encourage you all to get involved with local politics!! It’s fun plus snacks!
a cartoon of snoopy wearing a chef 's hat cooking
Alt: A cartoon of snoopy wearing a chef 's hat cooking popcorn on the stovetop. He is wearing a red apron, standing on a green stool. When to popcorn starts lifting the lid of the pot, he turns and dumps it into a bowl
media.tenor.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Me, prepping for tonight’s city council meeting. Based on the posted agenda, it was sure to be a spicy one. The mayor did a good job of bringing the temperature down in the room while I ate my popcorn in the back. I encourage you all to get involved with local politics!! It’s fun plus snacks!
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
I see there’s a post about microplastics going around with a photo of drinking straws, so here is my semi-regular reminder that the 3 biggest sources of microplastics are tires (45%), synthetic clothing particles (35%) and paint (~10%).
Lay article attached:
Lay article attached:
One of the biggest microplastic pollution sources isn’t straws or grocery bags – it’s your tires
Every few years, the tires on your car wear thin and need to be replaced. But where does that lost tire material go? The answer, unfortunately, is often waterways, where the tiny microplastic particle...
www.pbs.org
December 24, 2025 at 4:49 AM
I see there’s a post about microplastics going around with a photo of drinking straws, so here is my semi-regular reminder that the 3 biggest sources of microplastics are tires (45%), synthetic clothing particles (35%) and paint (~10%).
Lay article attached:
Lay article attached:
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
12 former FDA commissioners released an extraordinary warning in the Dec. 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
They wrote that the current claims and policy changes pose a threat to evidence-based vaccine policy and public health security.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
They wrote that the current claims and policy changes pose a threat to evidence-based vaccine policy and public health security.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Inside the FDA’s Vaccine Uproar - KFF Health News
An internal email claiming covid vaccines killed children triggered a formal response from a dozen past FDA commissioners. The email, sent by the head of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Resear...
kffhealthnews.org
December 21, 2025 at 1:22 AM
12 former FDA commissioners released an extraordinary warning in the Dec. 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
They wrote that the current claims and policy changes pose a threat to evidence-based vaccine policy and public health security.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
They wrote that the current claims and policy changes pose a threat to evidence-based vaccine policy and public health security.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
NEW PAPER ALERT! My first paper where I’m a subject! 🧬⚕️🧪
A substantial number of women had clinically actionable results but would NOT have qualified for genetic testing. These findings support broader access to genetic testing as part of personalized breast cancer risk assessment
ClinicalTrials.gov
A substantial number of women had clinically actionable results but would NOT have qualified for genetic testing. These findings support broader access to genetic testing as part of personalized breast cancer risk assessment
ClinicalTrials.gov
December 19, 2025 at 2:17 AM
NEW PAPER ALERT! My first paper where I’m a subject! 🧬⚕️🧪
A substantial number of women had clinically actionable results but would NOT have qualified for genetic testing. These findings support broader access to genetic testing as part of personalized breast cancer risk assessment
ClinicalTrials.gov
A substantial number of women had clinically actionable results but would NOT have qualified for genetic testing. These findings support broader access to genetic testing as part of personalized breast cancer risk assessment
ClinicalTrials.gov
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
🦇Bat Acoustic Analysis Training Course, Kamloops, BC June 15-19, 2026 (see comment for links)
December 18, 2025 at 3:33 AM
🦇Bat Acoustic Analysis Training Course, Kamloops, BC June 15-19, 2026 (see comment for links)
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
This is your annual reminder that if you are in the US and have FSA funds that you won't use, Menstrual products are covered by FSA funds and can be donated to food pantries and shelters.
December 11, 2025 at 11:40 PM
This is your annual reminder that if you are in the US and have FSA funds that you won't use, Menstrual products are covered by FSA funds and can be donated to food pantries and shelters.
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
A bunch of us did a piece on RFK Jr.'s attacks on vaccines. Please circulate. Scientists and clinicians are sounding the alarm. It's time to act. youtube.com/shorts/4wnNy...
December 10, 2025 at 4:20 PM
A bunch of us did a piece on RFK Jr.'s attacks on vaccines. Please circulate. Scientists and clinicians are sounding the alarm. It's time to act. youtube.com/shorts/4wnNy...
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
“Delaying the first hepatitis B vaccine dose beyond the newborn period introduces risks that have lifelong detrimental consequences and no measurable health benefit.”
Important and timely piece by an amazing team - Mike Abers, Angela Ulrich, & Rochelle Walensky. 👏👏
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Important and timely piece by an amazing team - Mike Abers, Angela Ulrich, & Rochelle Walensky. 👏👏
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Risks of Revising Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccination Recommendation
This Viewpoint from infectious disease experts cautions about the consequences of rescinding the ACIP policy to immunize all newborns against hepatitis B.
jamanetwork.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:49 AM
“Delaying the first hepatitis B vaccine dose beyond the newborn period introduces risks that have lifelong detrimental consequences and no measurable health benefit.”
Important and timely piece by an amazing team - Mike Abers, Angela Ulrich, & Rochelle Walensky. 👏👏
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Important and timely piece by an amazing team - Mike Abers, Angela Ulrich, & Rochelle Walensky. 👏👏
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
When I was a public health educator I was often invited to give STI prevention talks at senior centers. There is nothing more humbling than talking about sex and demonstrating how to use a condom with folks who could be my grandparents!
Moment of silence for all the freaky senior citizens out there
November 25, 2025 at 10:03 PM
When I was a public health educator I was often invited to give STI prevention talks at senior centers. There is nothing more humbling than talking about sex and demonstrating how to use a condom with folks who could be my grandparents!
If you want to know more about the community where I live, look no further! Our love language is meat 🥩✍️🎯
In this rural area, the meat draw is the big night of the week. Everybody from all the nearby towns pack into the old bar.
This small town near Mount Rainier comes together for community — and meat
Mineral, Washington is tucked deep in the foothills of Mount Rainier. There are not a lot of residents there, and not a lot of jobs. But, this town of only a couple hundred knows how to take care of e...
www.kuow.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:09 AM
If you want to know more about the community where I live, look no further! Our love language is meat 🥩✍️🎯
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
The HPV vaccine is erasing cancer – here's the proof www.gavi.org/vaccineswork... via @gavi.org
The HPV vaccine is erasing cancer – here's the proof
More than a decade after the first HPV vaccination programmes rolled out, data from multiple countries reveals a dramatic fall in cervical cancers and precancers, confirming that HPV vaccines are high...
www.gavi.org
November 24, 2025 at 1:50 AM
The HPV vaccine is erasing cancer – here's the proof www.gavi.org/vaccineswork... via @gavi.org
A movie that takes place where you’re from
November 23, 2025 at 11:51 PM
A movie that takes place where you’re from
FIVE DAYS LEFT to send a thank you note and submit a public comment! A federal advisory committee with be discussing vaccine safety, changes to vaccine schedules and specifically hep b. Include links to peer-reviewed literature. What say you?!?! 💉🤧🤮😷
You can send a thank-you note to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if you are a measles enthusiast.
SCOOP: CDC officials on Monday linked for the first time the measles outbreak that began in Texas with another in Utah and Arizona, a finding that could end America’s status as a nation that has eliminated measles.
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/h...
November 20, 2025 at 5:22 AM
FIVE DAYS LEFT to send a thank you note and submit a public comment! A federal advisory committee with be discussing vaccine safety, changes to vaccine schedules and specifically hep b. Include links to peer-reviewed literature. What say you?!?! 💉🤧🤮😷
Reposted by Tara Chestnut, PhD
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus:
“We cannot talk about COVID in the past tense.
“It’s still with us, it still causes acute disease and Long COVID, and it still kills.
“The world might want to forget about COVID-19, but we cannot afford to.”
“We cannot talk about COVID in the past tense.
“It’s still with us, it still causes acute disease and Long COVID, and it still kills.
“The world might want to forget about COVID-19, but we cannot afford to.”
November 19, 2025 at 2:24 AM
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus:
“We cannot talk about COVID in the past tense.
“It’s still with us, it still causes acute disease and Long COVID, and it still kills.
“The world might want to forget about COVID-19, but we cannot afford to.”
“We cannot talk about COVID in the past tense.
“It’s still with us, it still causes acute disease and Long COVID, and it still kills.
“The world might want to forget about COVID-19, but we cannot afford to.”