iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Pushes to build a road connecting Brazil’s Acre state to Peru’s Pacific coast could trigger up to 68,500 hectares of Amazon deforestation per year. Experts warn the BR-364 highway extension also threatens carbon credit revenue & accelerates land speculation. @constancemalleret.bsky.social reports.

mongabay.cc

In Brazil’s Acre, calls for new roads clash with deforestation commitments

Along a freshly repaved stretch of the BR-317 highway in Acre, a Brazilian state bordering Bolivia and Peru in the Western Amazon, pasture stretches out as far as the eye can see. Solitary Brazil nut…

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

American Rivers @americanrivers.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Across the Northeast, unsafe and outdated dams are coming down to revitalize fish runs and improve public safety. As our Northeast Regional Director, Andy Fisk, says, "Proximity to abundance is transformational." 👏 Thank you @bengoldfarb.bsky.social for the story: biographic.com/death-by-a-t...

biographic.com

Death by a Thousand Dams | bioGraphic

Tens of thousands of small barriers hamper fish recovery in the northeastern United States. But while the demolition of big dams out west gets the most attention, a similar revolution is revitalizing ...

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

We are looking forward to recording our next episode featuring our celebrity guest, massive bull elk.

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"If eco-social anomie describes a societal forgetting, dam removal achieves the opposite—a 'collective remembering' that unshifts our baselines." This week @biographic.bsky.social published my story on the rewilding of New England rivers, a mill dam at a time. (1/6) biographic.com/death-by-a-t...

biographic.com

Death by a Thousand Dams | bioGraphic

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Claire G. Griffin @polargriffin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Local stream restoration projects and all the people working on them are what give me hope in this day and age. Locally, we have people doing dam removals, large wood installations, culvert replacements. There are a lot of people, from all walks of life, who are working to help streams and rivers!

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Thanks to @highcountrynews.org for running this harrowing story on the drought-fueled Bearpocalypse that’s driving ursids into conflicts across the West. Bear issues have become nightly here in Salida; I just wrote to city council begging for better waste disposal. www.hcn.org/articles/as-...

hcn.org

As bears ‘spin out’ in southern Montana, wildlife managers are at wit’s end - High Country News

Amid a record-breaking year of Western bear conflict, the historically tolerant Red Lodge community is grappling with opposing views on how to live with the species — and if a 'fed bear' really should...

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Erik Hoffner @erikhoffner.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

[Good news] It was a record year for razorbill & puffin breeding as the Gulf of #Maine - which has been warming faster than 99% of the ocean - sees a pause in its heating over the last couple years, @themainemonitor.org reports Common & endangered roseate terns also did well this summer:

themainemonitor.org

Seabird researchers report good year for razorbills and puffins

Seal Island saw a record 127 razorbill nests, while Eastern Egg Rock saw a record 213 puffin burrows.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Kate Beall @katebbeall.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

“Historically the Oyster would’ve boiled with river herring,” Furey said as we gazed at the doomed dam. “That’s the history I’m interested in.” Dam(n)—love the poetry that comes when folks in New England talk about fish (maybe it’s that he’s a fish biologist). And love to read of a river I know 🦪

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

undiminished somewhere 🌕 @tallesteden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

If you can read this without crying, I don't know what to tell you. Good crying to be clear, that so many people are fighting the good and hard fights to keep our paradise among the stars vibrant and alive.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Alison Bowden @alisonbowden.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"Rather than being a force acting against history, fish were history—and unlike mill dams, they had a future." 🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

bioGraphic @biographic.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This is the final story in a five-part @bengoldfarb.bsky.social series 👇 about infrastructure and wildlife. Each dives deep into a different element of the human-made world—the roads and dams, buildings and fences we’ve placed in front of animals, and how to reduce the impacts of those obstacles.

biographic.com

Wildlife at the Crossroads | bioGraphic

One year after the Trump administration slashed biodiversity protections at home and abroad, people and organizations are figuring out where to go from here.

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The dam removals that get the most press tend to be superlative western ones, like the Klamath and Elwha—big rivers, big fish. For @biographic.bsky.social, I wrote about some equally vital, under-the-radar projects now restoring eastern streams, one old mill dam at a time. #AlewivesAreTheNewSalmon

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Krista Langlois @cestmoilanglois.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Do you love rivers? Do you love New England? If so, you'll love this @bengoldfarb.bsky.social story about the tiny, historic dams choking the region's rivers, and the people who are freeing them. Read the thread below for some absolute gems from the story.

biographic.com

Death by a Thousand Dams | bioGraphic

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I'll accept payment in the form of aspen cambium.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Colton the fish squeezer🐟🪴📚🏕️🐝 @fishsqueezer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

It's been a while since we were reminded of how the visual activity & biomass of coral reefs per unit area vastly exceeds any other vertebrate ecosystem and it isn't even close. Briefly watch @coralcitycamera.bsky.social for a reminder. Even tropical bird feeding stations can't match this furor. 🐟🌎

youtube.com

Coral City Camera (Miami's Free-Range Aquarium Underwater Livestream)

YouTube video by Coral Morphologic

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The more I think about this, the angrier I get. Non-target take *is* the problem—it’s not like we’re harpooning whales anymore. I know this memo is meant to promote development, not align w/ ESA’s logic, but it’s so fucking galling to see the nation’s top wildlife official flout basic conservation.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Andrew Mergen @andrewmergen.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Our Clinic and students were pleased to partner with Ben on a robust defense of the Roadless Rule. I have been around these issues for 25 years and we need this rule now more than ever!

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Now extended to Oct 6! But still urgent.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Ted Zukoski @tedzukoski.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

From the man who literally wrote the book on the many ways roads harm wildlife.

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This is more activisty than I usually get, but these are weird times. In collab w/ Harvard's Env Law & Policy Clinic, I authored a letter objecting to Roadless Rule's rescission, made public so that you can draw upon it in your own comments. Have at it! emmettclinic.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/u...

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

“Felling a tree is not a take of the bats roosting in it unless the tree is felled for the purpose of killing or capturing them.” The @USFWS's new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act, as revealed by Nesvik's memo, is the perfect blend of evil and stupidity. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/c...

nytimes.com

Trump Administration Moves to Gut a Core Endangered Species Protection

An internal memo reinterprets the law so that only the intentional killing of animals, not collateral harm, is illegal.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Ashley Braun @ashleybraun.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Colin was one of my favorite editors to work with and we published so many great stories together at Hakai Magazine and bioGraphic. Someone, please hire him! Ideally, selfishly, in science/environmental news so we can work together again 💛

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Colin Schultz @colinschultz.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

So, now, I'm looking for what's next. If you know of any open positions--especially those involving editing science, news, or science news--I'd love to hear about them. Please let me know at clnschltz@proton.me

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The agents are getting… dumber?

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Braeden 🎣🦀🌲🦅 @bvd100.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The Seattle Miracle: 1️⃣ Seattle’s tree canopy cover grew 50% (10pp) since 2007. 🌲 2️⃣ Seattle’s population has grown by about 25% (150k people) over the same timeframe. 🌆 This is an incredible civic achievement. Politicians should be shouting this from the rooftops.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Cites aren't loud, cars are loud. A better world is possible.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Chase Brownstein @chasedbrownstein.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

🚨🚨 1. New preprint! We examine whether the diversity of transcontinental freshwater fish radiations, such as killifishes and cichlids, might be driven by marine ancestry in the aftermath of an asteroid impact! Retained salinity tolerance explains their biogeography and diversity!

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Elle @biknmusicmama.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Once again gonna recommend everyone read “crossings” by @bengoldfarb.bsky.social

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Jack A Brand @jack-brand.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Glad to see our new review on behavioural diversity in fishes out today in Fish and Fisheries! Check out the paper here: doi.org/10.1111/faf....

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Elle @biknmusicmama.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I would recommend reading “Crossings” by @bengoldfarb.bsky.social if you want to understand how bad roads are for ecology. The Forest Service had begun to remove roads that were no longer in use to boost the ecological usefulness of forest tracts

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This is like ten gazillion items down the Atrocity List, but I’m driven absolutely crazy by the way Trump’s sycophants have adopted his deranged approach to capitalization.

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

NYT is under the unfortunate misapprehension that all steelhead die after spawning

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

bioGraphic @biographic.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

If you root for the under-loved and lesser-known animals, plants, and fungi of the world, have we got news for you. After a decade of operating under the umbrella of the California Academy of Sciences, bioGraphic has officially incorporated as our own fully independent nonprofit! 🌿 🪸🦇🐢 🐟🍄 (1/2)

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A semi-hot ichthyo-take: fish *do* exist, but “trout” don’t.

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Rough Draft vs Final Draft

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Wendell Berry, friend and comrade in many fights and perhaps the writer who meant the most to me, is dead at 92. An appreciation--and a contrast with Elon Musk, in every way his vile opposite billmckibben.substack.com/p/two-men?r=...

billmckibben.substack.com

Two Men

One as great as America ever produced, and the other Elon Musk

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Totally over goose/moose/geese/meese. The new animal-pluralization hill I’m prepared to die on: If several mouse are mice, then surely, SURELY, a flock of grouse should be… grice?!?

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

"Yglesias & his ilk assume that the West is not only monolithic, but that we Westerners are a bunch of backwoods bumpkins who don’t understand the region’s problems." @landdesk.bsky.social teeing off on that "one neat trick to save the Colorado" post is satisfying. www.landdesk.org/p/on-simple-...

landdesk.org

On “simple solutions” to the Western water problem

Spoiler: There’s no such thing

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Reposted by Ben Goldfarb

Meade Krosby @meadekrosby.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Easily one of the most spectacular natural events I’ve ever seen: an endless river of Sooty Shearwaters along the Washington coast. These ocean-dwelling birds migrate 40,000 miles each year, foraging in massive flocks. This went nonstop for at least an hour. Best estimate is 100,000 birds.

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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

While Boston tries to protect residents from needlessly amplified car noise, the Trump administration is literally encouraging it x.com/SecDuffy/sta...

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

"Each reconstructed crossing is an opportunity to apply new knowledge, improve drainage and prepare for more unpredictable weather." More culvert coverage please! Thanks to @adamwelz.bsky.social for sharing this nice piece on overlooked infra. #roadecology www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026...

dailymaverick.co.za

How Kruger is rethinking the humble culvert

To most visitors driving through Kruger National Park, a culvert is barely noticeable. It is simply the concrete structure beneath the road that carries water from one side to the other.…

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

What is the most aesthetically pleasing freshwater animal and why is it Arctic grayling?

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🦉 Owl 🌲 @owlinamerica.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I agree 100% - roads are the real problem, not least because roads bring humans and humans bring fire, and something like 90% of wildfires are started by human activity.

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I understand that rescinding the #RoadlessRule will facilitate logging, but I think the below framing misstates the issue (since it’s already possible to log IRAs). The virtue of roadless areas isn’t that they prevent timber harvest—it’s that they prohibit *roads*! www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/c...

nytimes.com

Trump Administration Moves to Allow Logging in Pristine National Forests

The move to repeal the ‘roadless rule’ would pave the way for road construction and logging in nearly 45 million acres of untouched back country.

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Ben Goldfarb @bengoldfarb.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

“I’ve had countless people tell me, ‘It’s amazing all the wildlife we’re seeing — I didn’t think taking out those dams would make a difference.’ Now everything can flow freely and clearly, the way that it was intended.” www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/c...

nytimes.com

America the Undammed

More miles of the country’s rivers were reconnected last year thanks to dam removals than at any other time in history.

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