Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · 11d

I spoke with @rnzrss.bsky.social about why we need to regulate the exotic pet trade in Aotearoa www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedeta...

Turtles - the pet turned pest

Turtles have a relaxed reputation, but in reality they're quick-moving and aggressive, and are wreaking havoc on our native wildlife

www.rnz.co.nz

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · Jan 7

New in #BirdStudy
#Seabirds Count shows 73% decline in Great Skuas after bird flu.

Declines in UK breeding populations of seabird species of conservation concern following the outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) in 2021–2022 (Tremlett et al.) doi.org/10.1080/0006...
#ornithology

Great Skua in Shetland
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bonxie_aka_Great_Skua_(Stercorarius_skua),_Hermaness_-_geograph.org.uk_-_6509392.jpg

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Nov 20

No, that's strange. Thanks anyway for trying!

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Nov 20

🤚

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Olivier Simard-Casanova @o.simardcasanova.net · Nov 11

With the current influx of new users, it feels important to reshare this critical information

Engaging with toxic posts, even if it’s to rebut or mock them, is still a form of amplification

We need to go back to the basics of the early Internet: Don’t feed the trolls (and the grifters)

#SocialWeb

Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · Aug 19

I'd second this, fwiw. Every expert analysis I've seen of how toxicity spreads on X notes that any engagement with the toxin, even as rebuttal, ridicule, pillory, is just a variant of amplification. Block the bad, share the good is what works.

Olivier Simard-Casanova @o.simardcasanova.net · Aug 19

Remember: Bluesky is not Xitter!

The goal is to build something better

One key thing to do is "block and don’t interact"

Don’t quote post dumb posts

Don’t reply to bad actors, trolls, reply guys, and extremists

Just block them

Life is too short to be wasted on idiocy and toxicity

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Oct 4

Job alert: we're hiring a new Principal Advisor Biosecurity - does translating evidence and strategy into impactful conservation action, supporting (and supported by) a team of lovely peeps sound like your dream job? careers.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/job/Auckland...

Biosecurity Principal Advisor

careers.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

AlastairJNZ @alastairjnz.bsky.social · Sep 9

Incredible quote from the PM in relation to legislation to dishonor an agreement

NZ Herald website video headline with a photo of the PM and a NZ flag with the text “Watch: 'We have to honour our agreements': PM questioned on Treaty Principles Bill”

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

AlastairJNZ @alastairjnz.bsky.social · Aug 28

First ever regional conservation status assessment released on birds in Auckland region

Inventory of Auckland’s bird species released for first time.

ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Felix Zareie-Vaux @felixvaux.bsky.social · Jul 18

Marine heatwave promotes population expansion of the invasive ascidian Symplegma brakenhielmi: doi.org/10.1007/s105...

Pretty amazing what ascidians can grow on.

#ecology #invasivespecies

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Jun 8

Good turnout at March for Nature

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · May 22

This.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Harassment of scientists is surging — institutions aren’t sure how to help

As researchers increasingly face many kinds of attack over their work, there is debate about how to support and protect them. As researchers increasingly face many kinds of attack over their work, the...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · May 22

Reminder not to approach or touch sick or dead birds and if you see 3 or more call it in - public awareness is an important part of our early detection system for avian influenza!
www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/...

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · May 10

How to Stop Bird Flu from Becoming the Next Pandemic

time.com/6976402/bird...

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · May 1

Great Q&A with Katelyn Jetelina on the latest in the H5N1 outbreak
www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-...

U.S. Needs to Better Track Bird Flu Spread in Farm Animals, Farm Workers, Epidemiologist Says

Four years after a mysterious respiratory virus jumped from animals into humans and launched the COVID pandemic, wary epidemiologists are keeping a close eye on a strain of avian influenza that is spr...

www.scientificamerican.com

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Apr 27

Folks in Ao/NZ... this is on our horizon. If you see unusual clusters of bird mortality, don't touch (!), but do report to MPI 0800 80 99 66

bbc.com/future/artic...

'Unprecedented': How bird flu became an animal pandemic

Bird flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading in cows. In the handful of human cases seen so far it has been extremely deadly.

bbc.com

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Farah @kiwifarah.bsky.social · Apr 12

Re-upping this because submissions close next week and it really is an extraordinary bill giving ministers an extraordinary amount of power. #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

The unprecedented power the government is handing three of its ministers under its new Fast Track Approval Bill

What is the Fast Track Approval Bill and why do experts say it's a step beyond even the Muldoon era?

www.rnz.co.nz

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Apr 12

MPI proposing to cut 231 jobs...

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Mar 10

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Feb 28

We are well overdue to catch up irl!

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Feb 28

Consultation now open on Auckland Council's 10-year budget. Do you have an opinion about how we should fund biodiversity protection, climate action, transport, libraries or any of the other important mahi council does? Then submit!
akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/hub-page/lon...

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · Feb 28

Bird flu arrives in mainland Antarctica – Expert Reaction via @smcnz.bsky.social
www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2024/02/27/b...

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Reposted by Imogen Bassett

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · Feb 17

Los Angeles Times: "I’m an American doctor who went to Gaza. I have worked in other war zones. But what I witnessed in Gaza was not war — it was annihilation."

Opinion: I'm an American doctor who went to Gaza. What I saw wasn't war — it was annihilation

As a surgeon, I volunteered at a Gaza hospital. The conditions were unthinkable. With a ground offensive in Rafah, people have nowhere to go.

www.latimes.com

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Feb 5

Wildlife areas had to be 'special', eg demarcated by predator fences, district from human/cat communities, before cats were perceived not to belong in them. Our cities have wildlife interlaced throughout - how do we change norms around protecting species outside of sanctuaries? 4/n

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Feb 5

Owners perceive their cat as a member of the local community, valuing interactions with neighbours and passersby. Even when threatened species live nearby, cats are perceived by owners to 'belong' in these spaces. 3/n besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

‘I want you to want me’: How owners value cats' choices has implications for cat containment

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Imogen Bassett @imogenbassett.bsky.social · Feb 5

Freedom, independence and curiosity are seen as important cat attributes. Showing how these can still be enabled within the home property, through different spaces and enrichment, is good for cat welfare and may help owners feel containment is right for them and their cat 2/n

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