Hugh Possingham

That story is not uncommon. Governments often collect data on the impact of their conservation investments, generally a good idea, but then fail to then analyse and learn. There are multiple reasons why the system fails, one is lack of analysts, another is fear of transparency

Long term data becomes invaluable in its own right because it is rare. Well done! In terms of your question you need to do some clever data analysis I think.

How do you know whether or not your conservation monitoring program is helping you to deliver outcomes? We have made a checklist of 15 distinct reasons - some more directly connected to outcomes than others.

Long-sought environmental law reform is finally here. But will the compromise deal actually protect nature? After years of failed attempts, Australia’s environmental laws are finally getting an overhaul. But will they stop the damage done to nature?

Our rapid assessment of the #EPBC Act reform package that's set to pass the senate theconversation.com/long-sought-... - Led by Justine Bell-James, with @drphilmccormack.bsky.social @yungenchee.bsky.social and me. #ESA2025 @aunz.theconversation.com @biodivcouncil.bsky.social @ecolsocaus.bsky.social

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

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.
🐸

Congratulations to the ESA Gold Medal Award winner Dr Suzanne Prober 👏 #ESA2025

“Bold actions for a resilient future” is the theme of the #ESA2025 conference @ecolsocaus.bsky.social . At 10:30am I will give my talk in the session on “extreme weather” and provide the answer to the question - it is 6, if you can’t get there or have better places to be.

Naming species is crucial to conserving them according to spider expert - ABC listen Living scientist Dr Mark Harvey reaches rare milestone of naming 1000 species of invertebrates.

Spider expert reaches milestone of naming 1000 species

www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Annual salary for a Professor at the ANU in 2025 is $227,921 services.anu.edu.au/human-resour...
, yet Genevieve Bell will be getting over *double* that, plus a $400k golden handshake for VC, PLUS $200k in research funds.

Yet apparently ANU is in a budget crisis?

Absolute rot in uni governance

Independent statement of the Go8's EPBC Act stance | Justine Bell-James This week is critical, make-or-break for environmental law reform. As 90 of Australia's leading biodiversity and climate researchers at Group of Eight (Go8) institutions, we publicly disagree with Go8...

Leading conservation, environmental, policy, economic, and legal experts speak up and out about the Group of Eight's position on #EPBC Act reforms.

Thank you to all involved!

Full statement www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

#ESA2025

Fab talk from @megcevans.bsky.social about government trying to use capitalism (for profit model) to attempt to solve problems created by capitalism (environmental damage and biodiversity loss).
But $2bn to solve biodiversity crisis isn't much compared to many other publicly funded things.
#esa2025

Do I see a tiny uptick in the TSX? Has the inexorable decline stopped, or is it just a wobble on the path to mass extinction? Www.tsx.org.au

And this morning there was Peregrine Falcon at uni footbridge, Black Cockies are about, two Night Heron behind zoo

I was going to call it Stipa elegantissima, but I knew that changing taxonomy would defeat me - we had one in our front garden in Marden.

Alcoa shelves plans to explore Perth Hills for mining expansion US mining giant Alcoa will withdraw part of its plans to expand its mining operations in the world's only jarrah forests, following community concerns around water security and environmental impacts.

🌳🌿💚 Monday morning good news story!

Following strong opposition from local councils & residents, Alcoa has shelved its plans to explore the Perth Hills #jarrah #forests for its #bauxite mining expansion... for now at least.

#wildoz #conservation #ozflora #trees
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

For attendees of #ESA2025 that might be interested.

A First Nations woman standing at the main stage at the Ecological Society of Australia Conference with a large screen in the background

#esa2025 Keynote presentation from Tiahni Adamson #BushHeritage speaking about #FirstNations governance and #RightWay science. First Nations leadership is not only the right thing to do but leads to more effective #ecological outcomes

Native grasses at billabong

Goodenia amplexans

Native flax - Linum marginale

Native hibiscus - once Lavatera, now Malva sp.

For those who love plants, many groups have been restoring the vegetation of the Adelaide Plains, once harbouring 750 species! Head east along the river towards the St Peter’s billabong. Some things in flower: Linum marginale, Goodenia amplexans (strong smell) and Malva #ESA2025

We donate $25,000 a year to Nature Glenelg Trust. They do remarkable on-ground work for biodiversity in the places that we love #ESA2025. Eaglehawk waterhole, an NGT property, south of Bordertown, probably has South Australia’s best woodland bird diversity.

Map of billabong site

Darter

Eastern Water Skink, I think? I know nothing about reptiles

The restoration of the billabong

Looking for a nice bird, flower, Rakali, reptile, frog walk at #ESA2025 this week - head to the St Peter’s billabong @ecolsocaus.bsky.social - darter, water skink, c30 bird species, and lots of native plants. Little grassbird and reed warbler nesting.

Register now if you’d like to be a judge for student presentations at #ESA2025 👇

The conference app & Bluesky are the place to be for any live updates. Follow the #ESA2025 feed to see everyone's posts tinyurl.com/bdh9asy2 - use the hashtag to be featured!

Busting all our assumptions about sexual dimorphism, bird colour and song, Kristal Cain gets #AOC2025 off to a rollicking start!

A few home truths about the orange-bellied parrot, an excellent #AOC2025 plenary from @teamswiftparrot.bsky.social

And then there were none: Australia’s only shrew declared extinct The tally of Australian mammals extinct since 1788 is now 39 species – far more than for any other country

Yet another Australian extinction - www.theguardian.com/environment/.... Ironically the federal government is still allowing the destruction of the habitat for nationally listed threatened species - species such as the Eyre Peninsula southern emuwren and koala #biodiversity #murraywatt

Ok, here’s my starter pack! go.bsky.app/4ASwaLv
Non-exhaustive list!

With climate trigger axed Labor wants to rush new environmental laws through after ‘positive’ talks with Coalition Proposed timeframe leaves 12 days to scrutinise most significant changes to national environmental protection regime since 1999

“Positive talks” with the Coalition while “even the select group of environment and industry lobby groups who meet weekly with Watt to discuss EPBC reform are yet to see draft legislation”.
Albanese and Watt are shitting on us, folks.

Female Powerful Owl in a Brisbane conservation park. Two guys with 2 dogs walked right under her but didn't notice her and her partner on the same branch.
#brisbane #birds #wildoz

As a grant reviewer, how do you request Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, even if it isn’t an explicit selection criterion Many funding schemes now include equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) as an explicit selection criterion. But what happens when it isn’t written into the rubric? Should applicants still consider …

New blog: As a grant peer reviewer I consider Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) even if the scheme doesn't list EDI criteria. Key is to tie the selection criteria to EDI. This is how I do it mathemagicalconservation.wordpress.com/2025/09/23/a... @katehelmstedt.bsky.social @hugepossum.bsky.social

Why most conservation projects fail to learn YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Excellent advice from Hugh Possingham on monitoring conservation projects and why most Monitoring and Evaluation is flawed. youtu.be/qa6Ewt-W5mU?...