iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

We welcomed Eric McKenzie to the National Forest Fungarium at @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social. BioCollections increasingly rely on the knowledge/generosity of retired experts to keep collection-based science thriving. With Eric is Pam Taylor, NZFRIM Collection's Manager. #Mycology #Biocollections 🧪

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Ellwood et al. (2026) call for national centres to coordinate biocollections in the U.S. In NZ, we may already be there. With the @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social, the question shifts not whether to coordinate, but whether to serve as the backbone of a national collections system. #BioCollections

academic.oup.com

From Knowledge to Action: Next Steps for the Natural Science Collections Community

Abstract. Following decades of increasing collaboration and organization, the United States natural science collections community is uniting around the cre

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Bioeconomy Science Institute @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Our latest Scigest podcast explores the science, history and global collaborations behind the Allan Herbarium — home to 800,000 plant specimens from Aotearoa and the Pacific. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.bit.ly/4d87aN9

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

🚨 #BioCollections update GBIF has just released a new Types & Specimen extension (May 2026), strengthening how type specimens and physical collections are linked, cited, and reused across global biodiversity data. A big step toward truly extended specimens. 🌍🦋 🔗 rs.gbif.org/extensions.h...

rs.gbif.org

GBIF Registered Extensions

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Mapped 170K Pinus records across NZ to help @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social model priority surveillance sites for incoming pathogens. 1st headache: a no. of pine trees living happily in the Pacific Ocean! Rubbish data in = rubbish models out. Data owners play a critical role in getting it right. 🧪

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R Afubera Fox @rafuberafox.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

#Repost @smithsonian —— The seed of coco de mer was nicknamed “butt nut” because...well...we’ll let you guess why. Today, conservation biologist Gary Krupnick goes behind the scenes at the U.S. National Herbarium in our @SmithsonianNMNH to highlight this endangered species. ⤵️...⤵️

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Global Change Biology @globalchangebio.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Herbarium Specimens Reveal Long‐Term Decline in Pollination Services Since the 1970s 🔗 buff.ly/n7TQWfZ

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Plants, People, Planet @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Looking backward to move forward: Enhancing metadata in scientific collections through interdisciplinary collaboration White & Harris 📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #PlantScience

Specimens in the du Bois Herbarium often include early modern ephemera and features that are not present in modern collections. (a) A grass (Poaceae) mounted on a proforma shipping contract. (b) ‘Bellis minima pratensis, caule folioso’ (Bellis annua L.; Asteraceae) includes an engraving cut out from a proof-print of Paolo Boccone's Museo di piante rare della Sicilia, Malta, Corsica, Italia, Piamonte, e Germania.

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WA Orchids @wa-orchids.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Research using Australian herbarium specimens shows orchid pollination has fallen 60% since the 1970s. The “declines in pollination are most pronounced in orchids that rely on specialised pollinator interactions” #orchids #nativeplants #pollinator #conservation theconversation.com/preserved-or...

theconversation.com

Preserved orchids show pollination has fallen 60% since the 1970s

Orchids aren’t just beautiful or rare – they’re ecological time capsules that offer clues to the long-term health of ecosystems.

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Great to host Dr Alexander Schmidt‑Lebuhn ( #CSIRO) at the National Forestry Herbarium @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social. His🌿expertise helped confirm, or not, Senecio madagascariensis (fireweed/Madagascar ragwort) specimens, an emerging weed and biosecurity concern in NZ.🧪 #BioCollections #Biosecurity

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

New webpage now live for the National Forestry Herbarium at @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social. Explore our database of #BioCollections held in our care. Visit nzfri.scionresearch.com

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

Yeah! New @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social logo, which compliments our Brahms database for #BioCollections perfectly. 🎉🧪

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

🌿 Using specimen records from @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social's National Forestry Herbarium & others, Santiago-Rosario et al. mapped mistletoe-host interactions. Showy mistletoes show strong preferences for rosid hosts—hinting at ancient co-evolution. #Botany #Ecology #NZFRI #Mistletoe 🧪

bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Continental‐scale interactions of Australian showy mistletoes and their hosts

Premise Showy mistletoes are obligate hemiparasites of woody plants. Host specificity is therefore a fundamental determinant of mistletoe diversity, persistence, geographic distribution, and abundan.....

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Reposted by Matt Buys

ORCID @orcid.org · 04/08/2025

We are pleased to see that the successful uptake of ORCID across Australia is proving to enhance research reporting and measuring. 🇦🇺 Read more here ➡️ shorturl.at/z4Ygl

"The Australian ORCID Consortium led by AAF has been essential in moving Australia forward..." Natasha Simons, Director, Nati

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Just updated @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social's National Forestry Herbarium data on GBIF! 🌿 Fresh records for researchers, conservationists & biodiversity enthusiasts. Explore the richness of our collections to unlock new insights and create impact. #BioCollections #GBIF #Herbarium #BiodiversityData

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Bioeconomy Science Institute @bioeconomyscience.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Welcome to the Bioeconomy Science Institute - formed by the merging of AgResearch, @manaakiwhenua.bsky.social, Plant & Food Research and Scion. We’re here to grow a resilient, sustainable bioeconomy — through innovation, collaboration and science that delivers real-world impact. 🌱

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🌴 Scott Zona, Ph.D. 🌴 @scottzona.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

What else can stipules do? The dark spots on the tiny stipules of Vicia sativa are extra-floral nectaries. They attract ants, which defend the plant against herbivores. 🐜 #stipule #Fabaceae #EFN #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Close-up photo of a hand holding a node of a climber with pinnately compound leaves and green legumes. Each tiny stipule has a dark spot, which is an extra-floral nectary. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Leveraging the BRAHMS database at the National Forestry Herbarium @scionresearch.bsky.social boosts efficiency in managing #BioCollections. Linking duplicates to a single event streamlines data and reduces redundancy. This integration leads to more reliable data and improved research outcomes. 🌿📊🧪

nzfri.scionresearch.com

Index - BRAHMS Online

NZFRI specimens

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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

1. Infuriatingly, here in the UK, the government still seems to believe that the only way of introducing trees is to plant them (see, for example, the current Land Use Framework consultation). News just in: trees can self-seed, which could be why they've survived for 360m years. 🧵

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Firefly Aerospace @firefly-aerospace.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Watch Firefly land on the Moon! After identifying surface hazards and selecting a safe landing site, #BlueGhost landed directly over the target in Mare Crisium. A historic moment on March 2 we'll never forget. We have Moon dust on our boots! #BGM1 youtu.be/NpHhEybJdxg

youtu.be

Moon Landing - Firefly Blue Ghost Makes History

YouTube video by Firefly Aerospace

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Nicola Gaston @nicgaston.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

My science system reforms analysis is here: I wanted to first focus on the difference between the SSAG recommendations and the govt announcement. There’s a lot 😳 but the headline is the lack of govt investment. theconversation.com/if-the-gover...

theconversation.com

If the government wants science to have an economic impact it has to put its money where its mouth is

Science sector reforms are long overdue. But questions remain about implementation and whether there will be enough funding to be effective.

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Dr Manu Saunders FRES @manusaunders.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

*New paper* Denialism campaigns are growing in attempts to discredit science, scientists, and the scientific process generally. Biodiversity loss denial is a new phenomenon that needs our attention. -With @alexanderlees.bsky.social + Eliza Grames! #CommSky 🧪🌏 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Figure 2. Measuring changes in insect biodiversity (centre column 'Metrics' and 'Trends') can be achieved by focusing on drivers that directly or indirectly impact insect biodiversity metrics and trends (left column 'Drivers of Change'). Where data on insect populations specifically are unavailable, data from other species and ecological processes can provide inferential support for changes in insect biodiversity (right column 'Indicators of Change').

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

I wonder how Polylepis (Rosaceae) fairs at lower altitudes? It seems like a must for keen gardeners. I did a quick search of Scion's #BioCollections, we have a wood sample of Polylepis incana Kunth in the National Forestry Xylarium.

edition.cnn.com

Millions of ‘cloud trees’ are being planted in the Andes | CNN

Constantino Aucca Chutas is leading a group of conservationists on mission to restore forests of the world’s highest-altitude trees.

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

When it comes to a reference manager, let it be known I really want to use Zotero, but the one thing that prevents me from using it is that, as far as I call tell, it cannot auto format intext citations as "Author (Year)" as opposed to "(Author, Year)" or "(Year)" #Zotero #ReferenceManager

zotero.org

Zotero | Your personal research assistant

Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research.

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Thomas L.P. Couvreur @tlpcouvreur.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Unlocking a new dimension of #herbarium specimens: Master student Khalil Boughalmi U. Grenoble studying #NIRs spectra of herbarium specimens in #Annonaceae. Can we identify species from spectra of herbarium sheets?? More very soon!

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Samanta Orellana @coleopterasam.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

During my PhD at the #ASUBiocollections, I digitized over 3,000 #Anthribidae specimens 🥰. This was possible with the wonderful #Symbiota portal ecdysis.org, now updated with new tools! Let us know if you want to join to #digitize your collections 🥰.

Screenshot of the Ecdysis Symbiota portal, designed for the digitization of entomological collections.

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

My new favourite from #NationalForestryHerbarium. Echium plantagineum, commonly known as Paterson's curse, indigenous to Eurasia and northern Africa. Earliest collection in NZ from 1893. Farmers hate them, bee keepers love them. #BioCollections

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 22/10/2024

Wahoo! #BioCollections data refresh from National Forestry Herbarium @ Scion Research supplied to Australasian Virtual Herbarium. See biocache.ala.org.au/occurrences/...

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 14/10/2024

New Zealand's Science System Advisory Group online news page last updated in April 2024. I worry about the future of #BioCollections in this country.

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 13/10/2024

From #NationalForestryHerbarium @ScionResearch. 55% of specimens now imaged. Here's a sample. Melianthus major, an evergreen suckering shrub, endemic to South Africa and naturalised in New Zealand where it's on the Weedbuster list.

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Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬 @daveyfwright.bsky.social · 27/02/2024

"Biodiversity curators are the keystone species in a vast ecosystem of interconnected research" A constellation of disciplines including ecology, evolution, paleobiology, & beyond rely on biological collections housed in natural history museums #CollectionsAreEssential @SamNobleMuseum

dantheclamman.blog

The Biodiversity Collections Crisis

You might be familiar with the concept of the present "biodiversity crisis". There is an increasing consensus in the ecological research community that the current loss of species this planet is exper...

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 26/02/2024

I always wondered if there was a critical mass that would "guarantee" the survival of a #herbarium. Going on by what is happening to the Duke Herbarium, perhaps 1 million plus species is the magic number? What about other #BioCollections?

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 26/02/2024

Every project proposal should have a voucher specimen management plan!

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 26/02/2024

Cool APIs and workflows being developed to link indigenous communities with their data. localcontexts.org #CAREdata

localcontexts.org

Local Contexts – Grounding Indigenous Rights

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Troy Baisden @troybaisden.bsky.social · 17/02/2024

There have been no formal announcements about what is likely to be a silent end to New Zealand's most significant attempt at reforming the research system in decades. As I say in here, large cuts to important research capacity appear to be well on their way. www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

New Zealand scraps science reform plan, prompting fears of budget cuts

New center-right government has promised to cut taxes, reduce spending

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Andrew B. Koupal @ab-koupal.bsky.social · 06/01/2024

Is Boeing ever going to get the message that they need to scrap the turd that is the 73 platform and fast-track a clean-sheet design? They almost got this process started in the 1990s before McDonnell's Board took over Boeing, thanks, professional management who think that profit is the product.

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Matt Buys @mattbuys.bsky.social · 28/11/2023

“Small in size, mighty in impact." Every institution, no matter its scale, is a vital cog in the grand machinery of scientific progress. Stoked to see #BioCollections data from the National Forestry Herbarium at Scion contributing to this study.

science.org

Global beta-diversity of angiosperm trees is shaped by Quaternary climate change

Quaternary climate change reduced and homogenized angiosperm tree diversity across large landscapes worldwide.

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