The concept of the “extinction of experience” has been used to describe the dwindling human connection with nature, often applied to the general public. But ecologists themselves are not immune. Across universities and research institutions, field-based studies are in retreat. mongabay.cc/w0Tc9L - ThreadSky

rhettayersbutler.bsky.social • 3 days ago

The concept of the “extinction of experience” has been used to describe the dwindling human connection with nature, often applied to the general public.

But ecologists themselves are not immune. Across universities and research institutions, field-based studies are in retreat.

https://mongabay.cc/w0Tc9L

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anniebabyhedgehogs.bsky.social•3 days ago

There is definitely a trend to rely on remotely sensed data these days with less field verification. Luckily we haven't got the tools yet to identify species well enough remotely to make us ecologists, botanists and zoologists redundant ☺️

adamwelz.bsky.social•3 days ago

This has been getting worse over decades. It’s sad to see Phd biologists with such crappy field skills.

marcelocegonha.bsky.social•3 days ago

Indeed. New and now cheaper tech is making it “easier” to do less field work and also remote. I enjoyed and learned a lot in the field, spent 20o days in Amazon for MSc, but it was tough. Wouldn’t mind using new tech back then!

yrs-pa.bsky.social•3 days ago

No 41?

marcelocegonha.bsky.social•3 days ago

Colosso, 1989

marcelocegonha.bsky.social•3 days ago

Internship with monkeys. Also went to 41. Then MSc with litter frogs and small mammals in linear remnants.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320799000841

olliewearn.bsky.social•3 days ago

Hi Rhett, I don't think that the rise of tech-based monitoring (camera traps, acoustics, eDNA etc) has led to people doing less fieldwork; we just have more to show for our efforts now.

Another big factor is that academia currently heavily rewards desk-based "global" analyses.

ecodiv.bsky.social•3 days ago

I believe there are still plenty of aspiring field ecologists out there. But it is increasingly difficult to become one with the growing difficulty of securing sustainable funding for fieldwork. Also, as highlighted before, academia's reward system often seem to undervalue field-based studies.

dianafisher1080.bsky.social•3 days ago

A major issue not mentioned- escalating OH&S and AEC paperwork, paranoia, and restrictions.

ben-harries.bsky.social•2 days ago

Certainly an issue with the nature tech folk from my experience - started getting some of the community together in London for "Groundtruth meetups". First one was in Hampstead heath last Saturday. Hoping to take it up into the field proper at some stage.

mcaterino.bsky.social•2 days ago

Another unfortunate symptom of this is the narrowing of scope of study organisms to things already well-known and agreed to be 'interesting'. With (very conservatively) two-thirds of all species not yet described, it is a writing off of much of biodiversity.

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