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Ruth Thornton

@rthornton28.bsky.social
73 followers 73 following 157 posts

Journalist, biologist, photographer. I write about the natural world and our place in it.

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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
When I first heard about MAHA I thought there was lots of potential to get the country on a healthier path (buth human and environmental). Even back then I was dubious given the anti-science stance of its biggest promoters. drjessicaknurick.substack.com/p/inside-the...
drjessicaknurick.substack.com
Inside the MAHA Summit
What Nine Hours of MAHA Revealed
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Coral reefs are disappearing worldwide as climate change is heating up oceans. Interested in news about conservation, nature or biodiversity? Subscribe to my newsletter Nature Signals! #CoralReefs #ClimateChange #Biodiversity #Conservation ruththornton.com/stateofnatur...
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I find it very sad and also infuriating and alarming that people seem more ready to assign consciousness to AI than to animals! www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/u...
nytimes.com
Religious Scholars Met With Anthropic. What They Heard Stunned Them.
In a series of private meetings, the company consulted religious scholars to help instill morality into its A.I. models — and make the case that Claude could be conscious.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
For any journalists out there, or anyone interested in journalism (which, really, should be everyone in a functioning democracy), this is a great free newsletter! rq1.substack.com/p/how-nonpro...
rq1.substack.com
How nonprofit newsrooms are exploited by funders — and their own sense of calling
Plus: Audiences aren’t too keen on AI news anchors, journalists say government funding doesn’t compromise their independence, and disillusionment in the profession is prevalent
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It may seem that a young raccoon crafting a toy for herself is not a big deal. But think about how complex these steps actually are! She had to dig a receipt out trash, dunk it in water to be able to roll it into a ball that stuck together and finally realize this was a toy she could play with.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
One of the most popular stories I covered in my latest post was about whether birds actually enjoy flying. Turns out that, at least as far as researchers can document scientifically, they probably do. ruththornton.com/stateofnatur...
ruththornton.com
The State of Nature Update #30 – Ruth Thornton
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
It’s continually amazing to me how little we know about life on Earth! Perhaps that’s not surprising about insects - they’re small, hard to study and many people don’t like them (which I’m actively trying to change with my newsletter Nature Signals, BTW…). mongabay1.substack.com/p/a-new-cat-...
mongabay1.substack.com
A new cat species was just discovered. Several more may follow
The recent description of the tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo) from Bolivia comes amid a broader reassessment of wild cat taxonomy, with genetic research suggesting that several additional species may be w...
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Did you know that the billions of birds that migrate every fall fly mostly at night? #Biodiversity #Science #Conservation #Wildlife #AnimalBehavior #BirdMigration #CoralReefs #ClimateChange ruththornton.com/stateofnatur...
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Do birds enjoy flying? Can raccoons pass on new skills? Can corals survive a hotter ocean? #Biodiversity #Science #Conservation #Wildlife #AnimalBehavior #BirdMigration #CoralReefs #ClimateChange ruththornton.com/stateofnatur...
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Have you voted for your favorite bear yet? Voting is open to choose the fattest (and therefore most ready for winter!) brown bear of the year at Katmai National Park, Alaska! Vote here: explore.org/fat-bear-week
explore.org
Fat Bear Week 2026 - Explore.org
Explore.org is the world's leading philanthropic live nature cam network and documentary film channel. Our mission is to champion the selfless acts of others, create a portal into the soul of humanity...
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A black swallowtail enjoying one of the native flowers in my “prairie garden.” #Butterfly #NaturePhotography #Nature #NativeFlowers
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Here’s a great, quick intro about the differences between old growth and second-growth forests and why the latter are so much more prone to catastrophic wildfires! nerdyaboutnature.substack.com/p/old-growth...
nerdyaboutnature.substack.com
Old Growth Vs. 2nd Growth Forest & The Merits of Ecological Forest Restoration: Wildfire Resilience
Don’t believe the industry propaganda - logging will not solve the wildfire problem, only make it worse!
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Broad winged hawk #BirdPhotography #Birds #Nature #NaturePhotography #BroadWingedHawk
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Pollination in action… #NaturePhotography #Nature #Pollinators
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This should be shared often and widely! Despite scientific studies linking the herbicide paraquat (one of the most widely used weed killers in the world) to Parkinson’s, Syngenta keeps downplaying the risks: careygillam.substack.com/p/new-intern...
careygillam.substack.com
New internal files show more Syngenta secrets
And demonstrate why the Supreme Court is wrong to trust the EPA on pesticide safety
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
This photo of a determined-looking house finch taking off from a branch near my deck always makes me smile! It’s not a rare bird nor a particularly colorful one, but there’s something about that look in its eye… #BirdPhotography #Nature #NaturePhotography #Birds
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Here’s another favorite from West Virginia - this is the view from The Nature Conservancy’s Bear Rocks Preserve in the Dolly Sods area along the Allegheny Front. #Nature #LandscapePhotography #Mountains #WestVirginia #DollySods
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Besides writing about nature, I love nature photography. Here’s one of my favorites, from beautiful Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia. #naturephotography #nature #landscapephotography #waterfalls
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Changing the definition of "harm" - basically what's illegal under the Endangered Species Act - would doom countless of rare species. Decades of conservation progress would be undone.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
American goldfinch #birdphotography #nature #birds #naturephotography
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
August was tied for the hottest month ever recorded, sharing the record with July 2023. It was also 1.65 degrees C above the preindustrial average, more than the 1.5 degrees the Paris Agreement had set as a target to not surpass to avoid the much more dire consequences of a rise of 2 degrees C.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Blue jay #birdphotography #nature #naturephotography #birds
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
My latest story is about range shifts in butterflies due to climate change, habitat loss and industrialized agriculture. More than a thousand butterfly species worldwide have already been documented to have moved - some into new areas, some disappearing from places, some moving to new elevations.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Butterflies are shifting their ranges around the world, moving to new areas and disappearing from others in response to climate change, habitat loss and industrialized agriculture.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Finally some good news for the American chestnut, which has essentially disappeared from forests in the eastern U.S. Turns out that resistance to the blight that decimated the once-common trees is directed by many genes, making efforts to breed resistant trees difficult and time consuming.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Mighty American chestnuts once dominated forests in the eastern U.S. before getting nearly wiped out by an imported fungus. Their loss was felt throughout the ecosystem - their abundant nuts had fed wildlife and people and the sturdy, rot-resistant wood had built countless homes and fences.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Climate change is fueling bigger and hotter fires, transforming forests that are overwhelmed by the intense blazes roaring through the underbrush and killing even trees that are adapted to fire. Experts warn that we could lose nearly half of conifer forests in the western U.S.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Cities are supercharging evolution, changing species that can adapt over surprisingly short periods. Raccoons are showing signs of domestication and birds are changing their songs to be heard over traffic. Read about that, dragonflies that can cross oceans and more! ruththornton.com/stateofnatur...
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Did you know that tiny dragonflies can cross oceans? Meet the wandering glider dragonfly, which accomplishes amazing feats of endurance, crossing oceas in the longest known insect migration! Read about this globetrotting insect and more! ruththornton.com/stateofnatur...
ruththornton.com
The State of Nature Update #29 – Ruth Thornton
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Does sustainable wood actually benefit wildlife? To find out, researchers tested how animals responded to different logging practices in FSC-certified eucalyptus plantations in Portugal.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Are companies just “greenwashing” when they slap a “FSC” label on their wood or paper products? And how does it compare to the many other labels that claim the same thing? Check out my newest post if you’ve ever wondered if it’s worth paying more for those products! ruththornton.com/conservation...
ruththornton.com
Can you trust the FSC label? What research says about sustainable wood – Ruth Thornton
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Can you trust the FSC label? It’s on many products - from toilet paper and tissues to paper and furniture - and supposedly shows they’re made from sustainably managed forests. But are they really? Read my newest post to find out! ruththornton.com/conservation...
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Did you know that more than a quarter of assessed species are threatened with extinction? That’s nearly 50,000 wildlife, insect and plant species worldwide that could disappear in the foreseeable future unless we do something about it. ruththornton.com/biodiversity...
ruththornton.com
Biodiversity is declining. Conservation works. So what’s holding us back? – Ruth Thornton
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Biodiversity loss is just as serious a threat as climate change, experts say, yet we hardly hear about it. Most people don’t really know what it means. But we know how to stop extinctions. So what can we do about it? Read my latest post and join the conversation! ruththornton.com/biodiversity...
ruththornton.com
Biodiversity is declining. Conservation works. So what’s holding us back? – Ruth Thornton
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The ‘insect apocalypse’ has made headlines, with many studies documenting alarming declines in insects over the past couple decades. But now researchers in Switzerland found that dramatic declines in species diversity go back nearly 100 years. ruththornton.com/biodiversity...
ruththornton.com
Insect declines began decades earlier than scientists thought, study finds – Ruth Thornton
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Chickadees are known for being monogamous, but it turns out female chickadees will cheat on their mates with more intelligent males. Read about that, an increasing tiger population in India, elusive ‘ghosts of the forests’ caught on camera, and more! ruththornton.substack.com/p/the-state-...
ruththornton.substack.com
The State of Nature Update #28
7/30/2026: India's tigers are booming but concerns remain, elusive Sunda clouded leopards caught on camera, female chickadees prefer smart males, half of migratory bird species are declining, and more
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Sea otters are not only cute and cuddly but also key ‘ecosystem engineers’ that keep kelp forests healthy. But they’re increasingly threatened by a new danger - pollution from PFAS - that could put their amazing recovery from near-extinction at risk. ruththornton.substack.com/p/sea-otters...
ruththornton.substack.com
Sea Otters Once Escaped Extinction. Can They Survive Forever Chemicals?
Sea otters survived centuries of hunting, but scientists now warn that persistent PFAS pollution could threaten one of the Pacific coast's most important marine mammals.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I really can’t stress enough how bad this is for rare species! “In a rule published earlier this month, the administration determined that, in many cases, destroying the habitat of federally threatened and endangered species is no longer explicitly illegal.” www.vox.com/climate/4960...
vox.com
It’s no longer illegal to destroy the one thing endangered species need most to survive
The Trump administration’s twisted definition of one word is putting hundreds of rare animals at risk.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Non-native plants can have subtle but alarming effects on butterflies. Just because you see native insects foraging on that pretty flower you just brought home from the nursery doesn’t mean it's not ending up harming them down the road. ruththornton.substack.com/p/the-hidden...
ruththornton.substack.com
The hidden costs of beautiful gardens: How invasive plants rewrite butterfly romance
Ornamental flowers that brighten our gardens could be quietly harming butterflies in ways scientists are only beginning to understand, according to a new study
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
We love our gardens. But many popular flowers are not native, with unknown consequences for insects that depend on them. A new study found that invasive plants can change the wing colors of rare butterfly, with surprising effects on their mating behavior. ruththornton.substack.com/p/the-hidden...
ruththornton.substack.com
The hidden costs of beautiful gardens: How invasive plants rewrite butterfly romance
Ornamental flowers that brighten our gardens could be quietly harming butterflies in ways scientists are only beginning to understand, according to a new study
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
A useful breakdown of the legal argument the Trump administration used to water down the Endangered Species Act. Conservation groups have already sued, so the impacts of the ruling may not be felt for a while until it makes its way through the court system. news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-...
news.bloomberglaw.com
Trump Sets Endangered Species Rules on Path to Supreme Court
The Trump administration’s decision to use the US Supreme Court’s unraveling of Chevron deference to delete the word “harm” from the Endangered Species Act is likely to expose the government to swift ...
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Did you know that ground squirrels are so famished when they wake up from hibernation that they’ll scavenge dead animals? Well, Ice Age ground squirrels did that too. Fossilized poo revealed a diet that included woolly mammoths, bison, and even large cats! ruththornton.substack.com/p/the-state-...
ruththornton.substack.com
The State of Nature Update #27
7/9/2026: Ukraine's embattled bison, Ice Age squirrel poop shows they ate dead mammoths, California's wild horse roundup creates controversy, bats are confused by radiation, and more.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
The years-long war in Ukraine hasn’t just taken a toll on the country’s people, but also its wildlife. Now conservationists are working to save European bison, highlighting the determination and resilience of wildlife professionals amid the war. ruththornton.substack.com/p/the-state-...
ruththornton.substack.com
The State of Nature Update #27
7/9/2026: Ukraine's embattled bison, Ice Age squirrel poop shows they ate dead mammoths, California's wild horse roundup creates controversy, bats are confused by radiation, and more.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
“[Spotted turtles’]superpower, which is to be super cute, may also sometimes be their greatest detriment.” That’s because, being among the smallest and most charismatic of Michigan’s turtles also makes them targets for the illegal pet trade. ruththornton.substack.com/p/how-scient...
ruththornton.substack.com
How Scientists Are Giving Rare Turtle Babies a Head Start on Life
By raising hatchlings in captivity through their first winter, researchers hope more threatened turtles survive to adulthood.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Do you think climate change is impacting biodiversity more in the tropics than in temperate regions? You’re not alone - so did biologists. But nearly half of species in temperate zones are already facing local extinctions because of warming temperatures. ruththornton.substack.com/p/climate-ch...
ruththornton.substack.com
Climate change is already causing local extinctions. The biggest surprise is where.
Scientists expected tropical species to be hardest hit. Instead, nearly half of animals and plants in North America and Europe are disappearing from parts of their range.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Six regions remain in the eastern U.S. that could accommodate wolves, but they’re only found in one of them, the Great Lakes. Hear from experts about wolves’ precarious situation under the Endangered Species Act and why it’s not a purely biological question. ruththornton.substack.com/p/wolves-cou...
ruththornton.substack.com
Wolves could expand across the eastern U.S. - but they might need help
New research finds large areas of suitable habitat remain, but highways, cities and human conflict may prevent wolves from returning on their own.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Prefer to listen to your biodiversity news? Check out my latest State of Nature Update and hear about the essential role of elephant poop in African ecosystems, how incorporating biodiversity into farming practices helps make crops resilient, and more! ruththornton.substack.com/p/the-state-...
ruththornton.substack.com
The State of Nature Update #26 Podcast
6/6/2026: Elephant poop's outsized effects on habitat, death of a butterfly's last caterpillar, daddy longlegs hunt frogs, tracking a nesting sea turtle, conservation as a solution for climate change.
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
A recent study found dozens of previously unknown PFAS chemicals in the waters, mussels and fish of one of the Great Lakes. It’s not clear what that means for the health of the animals or humans that rely on them for food, but scientists are worried. ruththornton.substack.com/p/hidden-for...
ruththornton.substack.com
Hidden 'forever chemicals' found in Great Lakes fish raise new health concerns
Researchers uncovered dozens of previously unknown PFAS chemicals in the Lake Huron food web.
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Reposted by Ruth Thornton
Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
I'm hearing reports that the NY State Assembly just passed the plug-in solar vote by a wide margin, joining the State Senate. Assuming the governor signs it, that will be the 8th state making it legal (and the biggest). A groundswell across the country, and so many thanks to great organizers!
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Ruth Thornton @rthornton28.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
“No Mow May” has been touted as a way to help native bees, but how much impact does it really have? I talked to experts about it and what people can do to support our bees. ruththornton.substack.com/p/its-no-mow...
ruththornton.substack.com
It's "No Mow May." But does not mowing your lawn in May really help bees?
How native flowers, less pesticides and habitats offer real hope for struggling bees.
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