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hollykirk.bsky.social
Holly Kirk
@hollykirk.bsky.social
5.5K followers 1.1K following 740 posts
Ecologist/ornithologist/naturalist. Not necessarily in that order.
🌿🦜She/Her🪲🗺️
Researcher in urban ecology & conservation.

Follow for map mumblings, urban nature-based solutions & natural history nerdery.
Check the alt text!

📍Whadjuk Noongar Country, WA
Posts Replies Media Videos
hollykirk.bsky.social
Cane toads are advancing on WA's unique Pilbara region. @judydunlop.bsky.social and her team have a plan to stop them!

@ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025 🌏 we're hearing about the Toad Containment Zone - creating a waterless barrier across the Pilbara to stop the invasion.
🐸
Judy has matched her dress colour to the mustard yellow cane toad on her title slide A once in a lifetime chance to stop the toad invasion. 'Working with Country to save Country' - Martin Bin Rashid, Karajarri
November 27, 2025 at 12:32 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
@drphilmccormack.bsky.social unpacks environmental legal instruments, recent law reforms & highlights opportunities.

We need to be ambitious, especially in the face of climate change.

She describes the process of creating the new SA Biodiversity Act, including new key terms and definitions!
🍄🌱🦠
What does the climate risk assessment mean for environmental law? Some novel legal ideas in the new SA Biodiversity Act
November 26, 2025 at 11:28 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
"Ferocious love" of the places & things we care about

@drphilmccormack.bsky.social frames her work in environmental law and climate justice through her love of nature, which we share @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025 🌏
Phil on stage in front of her title slide 'Laws that take us somewhere... good?' Good law is at least little subjective
November 26, 2025 at 11:28 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
This morning @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025 James Brazill-Boast shares the impact that private land conservation can have.
60% of Australia = privately owned!
🌏
He highlights we need to move away from the idea that conservation only protects 'jewels', to one where we also restore the shabby bits.
James on stage in front of his title slide, which reads 'Mobilising private land conservation to secure Australia's ecological future James speaks to slides which suggest a paradigm shift from protect jewels to protect + restore + manage
November 26, 2025 at 10:45 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Congrats to @predator-smarts.bsky.social on winning the @ecolsocaus.bsky.social Next Gen award!
#ESA2025 🌏

Exploring landscape of fear, Eamonn looked at fox, dingo & human interaction.

Humans + dingos = terrified foxes

Levels of human disturbance change predator-prey interactions & animal traits!
Eamonn on stage, giving his talk, with an dingo plus prey on the slide behind him
November 25, 2025 at 11:29 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
What a treat @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2024 to hear from @lilyvaneeden.bsky.social and @megcevans.bsky.social about pathways to impact for your research, especially how to inform policy.
🌏
- get to know how the government works, the mess and mechanisms!
Three speakers on the stage at ESA
November 25, 2025 at 10:40 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Some fantastic tips on engaging with the media coming from hugely experienced @biodivcouncil.bsky.social Jaana Dielenberg and Claire Peddie @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025

- short, clear and fun pitches
- prep photos/videos ahead of time
- say yes to radio & tv to expand your audience
Panel speakers sitting on the stage at ESA, speaking about how to get your science into the media.
November 25, 2025 at 10:21 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
I'm privileged to be sharing this work, which is a great collaboration with the City of Melbourne, @birdlifeoz.bsky.social @drkyliesoanes.bsky.social Holly Parsons, Lee Harrison, Kerryn Herman and Hui-Anne Tan.
Title slide for a talk about Superb City Wrens, an Urban Citizen Science project.
November 25, 2025 at 7:28 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Very excited to be speaking in the Nature Positive Cities symposium @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025

In a last minute change to advertised content, I'll be talking about the super cool Superb City Wrens project!
🐦🪶🌏
Riverbank Room 3-4, 1:45pm is where it's at!
The Superb City Wrens logo, features a stylised blue Wren and a pale blue skyscraper silhouette
November 25, 2025 at 5:50 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Who's seen a grey Falcon in three states simultaneously? @ecosystemunraveller.com of course!

Love hearing how Dave has developed an awesome undergrad ecology field course. Sharing all the adventures of the Aussie outback with students means lessons in both life and biodiversity.
#ESA2025
Image of Dave Watson on stage, with a slide showing students at the field station and the bottom of a pitfall trap. A fully faaarked tyre on a field vehicle - changing tyres is an important skill for field workers
November 24, 2025 at 10:23 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Tiahni introduces 4 key principles to promote Indigenous leadership and collaboration in conservation science, building on experience working with Bush Heritage Australia.

Then some potential places for how we as individuals can take action!
#ESA2025
Tiahni on stage, In front of a slide that has 4 ways to deepen cultural capability in conservation orgs. The 4 points - engagement should be foundational, centre cultural authority, measure cultural outcomes, respect cultural landscapes 12 actions for conservation science
November 23, 2025 at 11:33 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Tiahni Adamson's keynote is speaking to how cultural capability can be deepened in ecological orgs.
@ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025

Begin by looking at this paper
link.springer.com/article/10.1... which looks at how western and Traditional knowledge overlaps but also does not!
Venn diagram of how Indigenous land management intersects with western principles.
November 23, 2025 at 11:33 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Phenomenal Welcome to Kaurna Country @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025 from Katrina Karlapina Power.

Incredible Indigenous and feminist energy, both a wake up call and call to action, to connect with the land our Mother.

"Curiosity and Courage!"
Katrina Power on stage at ESA 2025 in Adelaide, Kaurna Country. Katrina is wearing a possum skin cloak and emu feather headdress, standing at a podium and touching her temple.
November 23, 2025 at 10:43 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
If you're at @ecolsocaus.bsky.social #ESA2025 and feeling interactive, I'm chairing the Hot Topics Symposium on Weds morning!
Come along to hear some of the "hottest" topics in Ecology, stay for a faciliatated discussion on the what you think are the next "need-to-knows" for government and industry.
Slide with details about the advertised session. Come to Riverbank Room 2 on Weds. 10:30am to hear some ESA Hot Topics, 11:45am to join the conversation!. Background image is a pink everlasting daisy, lit from above.
November 23, 2025 at 7:58 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Yesterday I got to work early for a campus @birdlifeoz.bsky.social #AussieBirdCount in one of my favourite spots.

Turns out it was Red Wattlebird and New Holland Honeyeater central, with some kind of inter and intra-species conflict playing out for banksia access rights!
#wildOz 🪶🌏
Screen shot of my Aussie Bird Count app showing 3 counts submitted, 14 species seen and 70 individuals. A cheeky New Holland honeyeater or Tjoodik in Noongar (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), peeking out from some soft green herbs. A striking bird, with a black and white striped breast, yellow wing flashes and white eye that is stark against mostly black cheeks. These birds have white facial tufts that become more obvious when excited or angry.
October 23, 2025 at 5:49 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Day 1 of @birdlifeoz.bsky.social #AussieBirdCount was pretty soggy here on Whadjuk Noongar Country (Perth, Western Australia).

Luckily I got up early to get a courtyard count in with a cup of coffee!

The rainbow lorikeets* were up to their usual mischief in the red bottlebrush.
🌏🪶 #wildOz
Top of my BirdLife Aus Bird Count app showing one completed checklist. Most common species for this 20min count was the rainbow lorikeets A cheeky rainbow lorikeet hangs upside down in a red bottlebrush tree, beak buried in the fluffy red blossom. Its mostly green body is perfectly camouflaged in the green foliage, with on the blue head and yellow chest creating a bright flash of extra colour.
October 20, 2025 at 3:58 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
In honour of the excellent Blattodeology episode of @ologies.bsky.social podcast, please enjoy these veeeeerrrry fancy Mardi Gras cockroaches (Polyzosteria mitchelli) from arid WA:

The stripes!
The yellow shorts!
The blue socks!
🌏🪳 #wildOz
(Go listen to the episode www.alieward.com/ologies/blat...)
A large and spectacular Mardi Gras cockroach photographed walking along a small wooden log. The bright colours of the diurnal insect stand out agains the mottled grey background of the log and leaflitter. The mardi gras cockroach is a rich, shiny black brown, each segment carrying a horizontal bold yellow stripe with two more yellow stripes running from top to bottom along the each side of the back. The cockroach has bright blue lower legs with dark stripes. Definitely off to a party!! This Mardi Gras cockroach is off to a sandy bush doof! Captured from a different angle, you can see the full impact of the yellow stripes along the sclerites or plates covering each segment, from thorax to end of abdomen. Also clearer are the fancy yellow shorts and blue knee-high socks that complete the party ensemble.
October 17, 2025 at 8:50 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Good morning!

If you missed our @ecolsocaus.bsky.social Hot Topics online forum a couple of weeks ago, the good news is that you watch all the talks here for free!

🌏🧪#wildoz
kaigi.eventsair.com/esa-hot-topi...
Image of the Albany windfarm from sw Western Australia. The turbines are on the right of the image, marching towards the horizon, standing tall and dramatic above the low green coastal health. A silver and grey ocean appears on the left, below thickly textured grey clouds. A thin ribbon of coastal path winds through the left of the image.
August 27, 2025 at 12:21 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
and:

Nature in my neighbourhood: mapping urban biodiversity for conservation:
research.curtin.edu.au/hdr-r-projec...

If you are identified as the preferred candidate for a project, you will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship.

#urbanNature #UrbanEcology #spatialEcology
Awkward photo of the author doing bird surveys in an urban park. Wearing denim shorts, blundstone boots and a black shirt, they are facing away from the camera using their binoculars to look into some shrubbery.
July 28, 2025 at 12:09 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Come and do a PhD with me! 🎓 🌏 🧑‍💻 🏙️ 🗺️ 🌿 🪶🧪
I have TWO projects eligible the 2025 Curtin University RTP scholarship round:

Benchmarking biodiversity outcomes for nature positive urban development:
research.curtin.edu.au/hdr-r-projec...

#wildOz #urbanNature
The riot of colour that is springtime flora in Western Australia, a sparkling patchwork of plants on display at the Kings Park botanic garded in Boorloo (Perth, WA).
July 28, 2025 at 12:09 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Another weekend has come and gone!

We are having our usual winter storms here in Walyalup (Fremantle, WA): wild, wet and windy weather blowing off the Indian Ocean.

My highlight for the week was getting out between rain fronts for a run along the beach this afternoon.
Early evening before the sun sinks behind the glowering clouds, here the last rays of sunshine light up the old Coogee power station. Looking north along the beach, the sky is filled with different textures, soft greys and deep blues, sunbeams shining on the surface of the sea. The power station is a vast an art deco ruin, picked out in pale limestone. A single line of footprints disappear into the centre of the image.
July 27, 2025 at 1:35 PM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Statisticians always be like:

"There are some equations coming up but don't worry, it's very simple math!"

and then have 5 or more slides that look like this 😆
Example slide from a statistical talk containing "simple maths" (i.e. 8 lines of impenetrable algebra that I cannot hope to interpret even if given a clear map of parameter definitions and 2 hours to make my own notes)
July 25, 2025 at 6:11 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
It's Friday, what was your weekly highlight?

I think mine was this twilight chorus of "bobs" at my local urban lake, a great reminder that winter is a busy time for 🐸 too!

🎥 Sound on for western banjo frogs #wildOz #urbanNature 🌏
July 4, 2025 at 1:48 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Good morning.
#bloomscrolling

(Illyarrie, Eucalyptus erythrocorys)
An explosion of red and yellow, the illyarrie trees in Perth are bursting with colour as they bloom in late summer. The bright yellow fringey-flower stamens have four bundles, and before the buds burst they are covered in a bright red operculum (cap). Here are two flowers pictures next to two unopened buds, against the dark green foliage and a powder blue Perth sky.
April 8, 2025 at 12:38 AM
hollykirk.bsky.social
Don't worry though, all the running has not stopped me from noticing nature!

Check out these rowdy rainbow lorikeets making use of an "elevated bird waterer" on my #urban trail run yesterday.
Great example of #biodiversitySensitiveUrbanDesign
🌏🪶🌈🦜
March 14, 2025 at 7:31 AM