Twenty twenty-three: a year of self reflection and investment in our future. This year, the LTER took a hard look at our challenges and successes, our unique position in the world of ecology, and orchestrated a path towards a vibrant and collaborative future. And though our eyes were on the future, we continued to support our core programs: synthesis science, broadening participation in ecology, and providing training and professional development across the network.

Our second LTER Community Calls features Haley Branch (postdoctoral fellow in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University), will lead us through an NSF proposal she wrote to help promote fieldwork inclusivity for disabled researchers.

The call tales place on February 28 at 9 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. MT / 11 a.m. CT / Noon ET).

Disabled in STEM? Respond to her X (formerly Twitter) survey asking “What would you want to know about a field site and/or station?” here.

These will take place every fourth Wednesday of the month, with a new topic each month.

For registration, information on how to suggest topics, and more, see the LTER Community Calls webpage.

LTER Visual Media Series - Jasiek Krzysztofiak

Join us for our second LTER Visual Media Series webinar and learn about infographic design with Jasiek Krzysztofiak, an award-winning information designer, working as Senior Art Editor for the science journal Nature in London.

Date: Friday, Feb. 9

Time: 8am PST/ 10am CST/ 11am EST/ 4pm GMT

1 hour webinar, followed by a 30 minute show-and-tell (start times: 8am PST/ 10am CST/ 11am EST/ 4pm GMT)

Logistics: Artwork submissions for show-and-tell to be due via Google Form on Friday, Feb. 2 (so we can collate and share with Jasiek)

This FREE program consists of a series of expert-led workshops, each designed to prepare and empower science scholars to share their knowledge, concerns, and hopes for the future with the wider world. We provide participants with a launch pad for public engagement, early in their scientific careers. Our workshop leaders are experts in public engagement with science, creative writing, storytelling, and science-to-policy outreach. Class size is limited to 20 participants; we ask that participants commit to all eight workshops and design and carry out at least one outreach activity, with support from a staff mentor.

For more on the Young Voices of Science program, application links and contact information, follow us on Instagram @youngvoicesofscience and visit us at https://youngvoicesofscience.org/

The LTER arts and humanities working group will host a virtual get-together on February 21, 2024 (4 pm EST) for those interested in advancing arts-humanities work within their sites and across the network. This is the part of a continuing series of virtual meetings geared toward community building and resource sharing. Complete this LTER AH working group registration form by COB Feb. 19 and Zoom details will follow. For more information, contact Mary Beth Leigh at mbleigh@alaska.edu.

In this Science editorial, authors Robin Wall Kimmerer and Kyle A. Artelle highlight the role institutions play in supporting Indigenous science. While Indigenous knowledge has clear value, institutions must take care to build honest, supportive relationships with these communities. Read the paper>>

Meandering through the mangrove forests of the Florida Coastal Everglades

by Tommy Shannon

Experience a day in the life of field research in the Everglades mangrove forests: full of beauty, wonder, and core research on the flow of resources through this resilient ecosystem. Read more>>

The following posts are part of the LTER’s Short Stories About Long-Term Research (SSALTER) Blog, a graduate student driven blog about research, life in the field, and more. For more information, including submission guidelines, see lternet.edu/SSALTER

Burning Down the House Party

by Nick Link

“Cleaning up after the party, we—for whatever reason—thought it’d be a real clever idea to take the now beaten-down and raggedy Christmas trees out into the backyard, get them in a pile, and light that pile on fire. Come to find out, Christmas trees burn like you would not believe.”

Nick Link explores the party that led to an ecology PhD. Read more>>

At the helm of ChANGE: Driving forward a new experiment

by Mary Linabury

“For me, it’s essential to have some childish fun in the field. It lets me reconnect with the curiosity and delight that originally sparked my love of nature, whether that’s chasing down a cute lizard, bringing hordes of candy into the field, or driving a big cool military tanker.”

Mary Linabury chronicles the trials and tribulations of fieldwork. Read more>>

• REU Coordinators surfaced tips for REU Mentorship and Professional Development training and conversation around REU strategies at sites.

  
  

• We highlighted the Building Bridges to Use-Inspired Research and Science-Informed Practices, designed to make TIP funding equitable.

  
  

• We also highlighted the DOE Early Career Research Program, which helps early career scientists make a big impact in their field. There’s a webinar in early February!