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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D.

@benjaminlarue.bsky.social
317 followers 280 following 195 posts

Wildlife ecologist | Liber Ero Fellow | National Geographic Explorer Passionate about science that's rooted in collaboration and community. larue-wildresearch.com

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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Nice through back!
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Marco Festa-Bianchet 🇨🇦 @marcofesta.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Victory? Apparently the feds will not exempt major projects from the Species at Risk Act, after many voiced strong concern, including several First Nations. They continue to dismantle federal oversight over pipelines and other environmentally dubious initiatives www.thestar.com/politics/fed...
thestar.com
Carney government drops plan to bypass protections for at-risk species
The federal government is dropping a proposal that could have made it easier to green-light projects that jeopardize the survival of at-risk species, the Star has learned.
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Marco Festa-Bianchet 🇨🇦 @marcofesta.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Good news is good news so it's welcomed, but let's look at the long-term trend. Nowhere near complete recovery, just over half the stock before the collapse. Shifting baseline strikes again. 🧪 cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/...
Northern cod collapsed because of overfishing, then remained very scarce because of multiple factors, including seals, sea temperature change, continued fishing as bycatch.  In 1192, Canada's Dept of Fisheries and Oceans said the moratorium would lead to recovery in 2 years.  Since then, DFO has repeatedly announced recovery, aiming to reopen fishing.  In reality, stocks are now just over half of what they were before the collapse, 34 years later. A long ways to go to recover the over 90% loss in 3 generations.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
For caribou, mitigation in the arctic is too often wishful thinking. We need to move beyond assuming measures will reduce impacts and actually test whether they work. Great new study showing why evidence-based mitigation matters! 👇
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Testing the efficacy of industrial mitigation measures for caribou in the Arctic
As new energy projects are designed and implemented in environments around the globe, it is important to ensure that mitigation efforts for wildlife are scientifically validated for their efficacy. I....
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Less reliance on megaprojects, more diverse economy and environmental protection ! "Rather than seeing infrastructure as the end goal, Canada needs to support diverse, multi-sector economies through technology development, inter-sectoral linkages, and Canadian-owned companies over the long term."
centreforindustrialpolicy.ca
Why does Canada develop megaprojects instead of innovation systems? - Centre For Industrial Policy
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Great news for Bison conservation in the US! 🦬 earthjustice.org/press/2026/c...
earthjustice.org
Court Decision Prevents Trump Admin from Removing More Than 900 Bison from Federal Land
Earthjustice and Cochenour Law filed for preliminary injunction for American Prairie in August
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
"Scientists Warn Carney’s Changes Will Bring ‘Wilful Extinction"
thetyee.ca
Scientists Warn Carney’s Changes Will Bring ‘Wilful Extinction’ | The Tyee
Proposed amendments to make building ports and pipelines easier could destroy entire species.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Good conversation between my friend Tim Fullman (@wilderness.org) and TWS President Tracy Stone-Manning on tracking the Teshekpuk caribou herd. Takeaway: caribou need freedom to move across vast, intact landscapes to thrive. 🦌
youtube.com
Why the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd Matters | Tracy Stone-Manning & Tim Fullman
YouTube video by The Wilderness Society
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
nwtdiscoveryportal.enr.gov.nt.ca/geoportaldoc...
nwtdiscoveryportal.enr.gov.nt.ca
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
🎉 Can we predict how a road will affect caribou before it's built? That's what our newly funded project on barren-ground caribou in the NWT will explore over the next 3 years, through NWT CIMP + Polar Knowledge Canada. Link in comments!
Arctic Refuge Caribou Herd, Alexis Bonogofsky/USFWS, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/arctic-refuge-caribou-herd
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
📢 Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society is hiring a Restoration Director to lead their multi-year caribou habitat restoration program in Klinse-Za Park, BC. Hybrid, $90-120K, closes Aug 20. Amazing opportunity!
cariboufutures.ca
Restoration Director
We are looking for an experienced and collaborative leader to help guide our multi-year caribou habitat restoration program.
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Ryan Brook, PhD. Chairman of the Boar @ryankbrook.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Caribou suffer terribly in the heat of summer when the mosquitos and black flies come out in the heat. We are getting more and more hot days due to climate change.
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Marco Festa-Bianchet 🇨🇦 @marcofesta.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Coltman www.nature.com/articles/nat... just passed 1000 cites GoogleScholar. Brought to the fore that selective hunting can lead to evolutionary change, leading to much debate, gnashing of teeth. Pigeon et al's update answered stats objections, is better paper onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Amazing opportunbity to improve wildlife conservation in Wyoming! eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
eeik.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com
Research Scientist, Associate - Merkle Research Group
This position will help promote the application of the Merkle Research Group’s work by coordinating workshops, presentations, partner meetings, and outreach activities that highlight ongoing conservat...
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Environment and Climate Change Canada is seeking public comments on proposed Critical Habitat Protection Regulations under the Species at Risk Act. The proposal would streamline protection of critical habitat on federal lands without weakening protections. Comments are open until Sept. 16.
gazette.gc.ca
Canada Gazette, Part 1, Volume 160, Number 29: GOVERNMENT NOTICES
July 18, 2026, Part 1, Volume 160, Number 29, Canada Gazette
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Des faons naissent encore en enclos plutôt qu'en liberté, et le Québec tarde toujours à restaurer l'habitat qui leur permettrait un jour d'en sortir. Il est temps que le gouvernement passe des mesures palliatives à une véritable restauration de l'habitat!
lapresse.ca
Naissance de caribous au Québec | Des faons condamnés à vivre en captivité ?
Les populations de caribous vivant en captivité ont accueilli 16 nouveaux faons, cette année, un bilan « mitigé » qui masque le fait que Québec se révèle toujours incapable de rétablir l’habitat de ce...
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Last day to comment on Canada's proposed fast-track for major project approvals. Roads like Grays Bay & Mackenzie Valley Highway cross declining barren-ground caribou ranges. We don't fully know which mitigations work. Precaution matters! Email engagement@pco-bcp.gc.ca by tonight.
canada.ca
Engagement: Supporting timely-decision-making for major projects - One Canadian Economy - Canada.ca
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
What would it take to make community-led camera and ARU monitoring a permanent part of how we monitor Canada's migratory caribou?
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Most caribou monitoring is narrowly focused on caribou only. Camera traps and ARUs let us monitor predators, insects, vegetation, weather, and soundscapes at the same time without disturbing wildlife. This graphic by Alison McCreesh captures this message from one of my #NACW2026 talks perfectly!
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Christian Landry @christianlandry.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
2 milliards pour moins de 200 véhicules. C'est le budget total consacré à la recherche scientifique au Canada par année.
lapresse.ca
Défense | Ottawa versera près de 2 milliards pour de nouveaux blindés
Après les sous-marins, les véhicules blindés. Ottawa versera près de 2 milliards de dollars sur quatre ans pour construire et livrer 190 véhicules blindés de soutien au combat à General Dynamics Land ...
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Last call: today (July 15) is the deadline to comment on GNWT's draft Best Management Practices for mitigating road effects on barren-ground caribou in the NWT. Roads are likely the biggest threat this species faces. If you have thoughts, now's the time at the link below!
haveyoursay.nwt-tno.ca
Best Management Practices for Mitigating the Effects of Roads on Barren-ground Caribou in the NWT
Cliquez ici pour consulter la présente page en français. Overview The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is inviting Northerners to share their feedback on the draft Best Management Practi...
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The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv) @theserfstv.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Indigenous people make up 5% of the population but 75% of the people living on the street in Winnipeg. Poverty is the byproduct of colonial systems of oppression and genocide but is treated like a personal failure when many are born into it
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Marco Festa-Bianchet 🇨🇦 @marcofesta.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Carney's Canada: subsidizing fossil fuels, cutting science. Data-based blog by E4D evidencefordemocracy.ca/canada-is-cu...
evidencefordemocracy.ca
Canada is cutting public science. The risks will not be invisible forever. - Evidence For Democracy
Since Prime Minister Mark Carney was sworn in on March 14, 2025, the federal government has launched a major spending […]
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The Kugluktuk Angoniatit Association opposes the Grays Bay Road & Port Project. Caribou harvesters and Elders explain why in this short film. I study how roads affect caribou, and these concerns track a growing body of scientific evidence closely. Please watch and share widely!
youtube.com
Film Premiere | Kugluktuk Harvesters on the Grays Bay Road and Port
YouTube video by Kugluktuk HTO
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Awesome visual!
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The closest thing to a wild caribou you'll see in Grands-Jardins these days is this silhouette. The herd has been in a 20-hectare enclosure since 2022 — a last resort after decades of habitat loss from logging. Quebec still hasn't committed to meaningfully restoring caribou habitat. #caribou
Caribou sculpture in Grand-Jardins National Park, Charlevoix, Québec.
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Marco Festa-Bianchet 🇨🇦 @marcofesta.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
🧪
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Marco Festa-Bianchet 🇨🇦 @marcofesta.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Price: conservation of pacific salmon in Canada undermined by gov't cutbacks on monitoring, political pressure, ignoring science. Of 47 salmon populations assessed at risk by COSEWIC, none were listed under the Species at Risk Act. 🧪 conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The Managed Erosion of Conservation Priorities for Pacific Salmon
Conservation policies worldwide promise to halt biodiversity loss, yet implementation frequently lags intent. We examine this disconnect through wild Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in Canada, whe...
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I left the North American Caribou Workshop feeling optimistic. Bringing together Indigenous knowledge holders, community members, wildlife managers, and researchers leads to better conversations, and ultimately better caribou conservation. Glad to see CBC highlighting this!
cbc.ca
Indigenous knowledge takes centre stage at Yellowknife caribou conference | CBC News
Nearly 400 caribou leaders and experts from around the circumpolar world gathered in Yellowknife for the 20th North American Caribou Conference this week.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
A thoughtful Mongabay article on Indigenous Guardians, Arctic road development, and migratory caribou in the Northwest Territories. Happy to have provided some input ❄️
news.mongabay.com
As Canada eyes Arctic road expansion, Indigenous guardians race to understand caribou
For years, Wayne Mercredi spent hours driving the Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road. Leaving early in the morning to take advantage of limited daylight, he’d travel the road’s 400-kilometer length (250...
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Yes, that is correct from my understanding. I suggest asking Tim Fullman or any other reference email in the application to make sure.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Amazing opportunity to conduct caribou research with real conservation impact! @wilderness.org is hiring a postdoc to model road effects on caribou. I'm part of the team — great people, supervised by the excellent Tim Fullman. Apply by July 19! thewildernesssociety.careers.hibob.com/jobs/25324d2...
Photo By/Credit
Sara Wolman/USFWS

Caribou in the Porcupine Caribou Herd during the calving period in early summer on the Arctic coastal plain in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Carney government is ‘shredding’ environmental rules and ‘misleading’ Canadians: former advisors. We need better environmental leadership! Time to step up and say no to industrial capture 🌱
thenarwhal.ca
Carney is ‘shredding’ environmental rules, ‘misleading’ the public: experts | The Narwhal
The government shut out its own climate science and policy advisors, they say, while gutting Canada’s environmental protections in favour of oil and gas
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
The views of Great Slave Lake. Excited to be presenting at #NACW2026 this week, where researchers, managers, Indigenous knowledge holders, and community members will come together to discuss the future of caribou across North America. #Caribou #Conservation #Yellowknife
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
HELL NO indeed!
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Amazing! Looking forward to seeing what comes out of this 😁😮
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Happy #WorldCaribouDay!!! I've spent the past three years studying caribou, and they never cease to amaze me. Here's to healthy herds, connected landscapes, and the people who live alonside them in reciprocity.
Two male caribou in Jasper National Park, Canada. Photo by Benjamin Larue.
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Lyn Heideman @heidelyn.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Better Than the Usual News: Trump’s auction of oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge drew limited interest, with no major companies bidding and only two participants, who agreed to pay $3.7 million for five tracts.
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The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 05/06/2026
🚨 Last chance to apply 🚨 The Narwhal is hiring ... and the deadline is this Sunday, June 7! We're looking for two senior reporters to pursue ambitious journalism about the natural world in Canada, one based in B.C. and another based (almost) anywhere in the country. thenarwhal.ca/work-with-us/
thenarwhal.ca
Work with us | The Narwhal
Jobs, hiring updates, fellowships, freelancing opportunities and opinion submission guidelines for our environment and energy coverage.
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Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Excellent opportunity here: a 5 year senior research fellowship in Life Sciences (broadly defined) at All Souls College Oxford. Many opportunities to work with the diverse & inclusive community here in @biology.ox.ac.uk here in the brand new Life & Mind Buiilding www.asc.ox.ac.uk/post-doctora...
asc.ox.ac.uk
Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships | All Souls College
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
"Canada’s ‘major projects’ should not come at the cost of the environment" Preserving Canada's amazing natural heritage is itself a major project that is not worth sacrificing!
theconversation.com
Canada’s ‘major projects’ should not come at the cost of the environment
Impact assessments prevent harm before it occurs. Circumventing the process before we understand the risks is misguided and a gamble with our collective future.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Despite their flashy appearance, Harlequin ducks can be surprisingly easy to overlook as they bob among waves and rocks. One of my favorite bird encounters from Atlantic Canada 🌊
Harlequin duck off the Nova Scotia coastline in March.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Decisions about roads, mines, ports, railways, and energy infrastructure shapes ecosystems for decades. In many cases, negative impacts are difficult --or impossible-- to reverse. Public consultation on the federal government's proposed major-project reforms closes June 7. Make your voice heard!!!
cpaws.org
Elbows Up for Nature  | Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
Speak up for nature in Canada. Oppose weakening environmental protections in fast-tracked projects. Public consultation open until June 7.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
I visited Lorneville last fall and met with people who deeply care about the place. The wetlands, forests, and coastline were beautiful. This story raises important questions about the environmental footprint of AI infrastructure and who gets to shape decisions about local landscapes. 🌲🌊
thenarwhal.ca
New Brunswick residents battle an AI data centre | The Narwhal
The proposed data centre and its on-site gas plant in Lorneville, N.B., would raze wetlands and forest and be one of the province’s largest greenhouse gas emitters
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Aerin Jacob, PhD @aerinj.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
A running thread of articles, blog posts, and more about the Government of Canada’s proposal to fast-track “major projects” and weaken federal environmental laws and regulations.
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Important read for caribou conservation in Nunavut! 🏔️❄️
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Ekwo-tuktu-caribou @ekwo-tuktu.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
As new oil and gas leases in their calving grounds loom, the declining Porcupine #caribou herd is showing signs of climate stresses. New in our news section www.northerncaribou.ca/news thanks @canadiangeographic
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False Knees @falseknees.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
A goose honks at another, honk honk honk. We see the inside of its head which reveals a smaller goose at a control desk with many buttons that say honk
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Benjamin Larue, Ph.D. @benjaminlarue.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Yep...
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Michael Nabert @sustainablesong.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
The horrible Carney discussion paper on "fast tracking major projects" proposes turning regions of the country, & endangered species, into sacrifice zones for the benefit of corporate profiteering. There's a month long opportunity to submit comments. 🧵1/ www.nationalobserver.com/2026/05/12/n...
nationalobserver.com
Carney moves to fast-track federal approval for major projects — from pipelines to power lines
A discussion paper released last Friday describes the proposed changes, which would expand ministerial powers and make it easier to obtain permits and approvals under multiple federal laws. Provinces,...
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