iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 18/09/2026

One of the world’s most endangered sea turtles is nesting in #Louisiana again! Kemp’s ridley hatchlings have been documented on Louisiana’s #ChandeleurIslands for the 1st time in over 75 YEARS! Since 2022, 136 #seaturtle crawls from 3 species have been recorded, with more than 1/2 Kemp’s ridleys

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 06/09/2026

Hiking through a landscape shaped by Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier in East Iceland 🇮🇸Iceland’s glaciers are retreating & the places we see today will look very different in the decades ahead. #Iceland #EastIceland #Vatnajokull #IcelandTravel #VisitIceland

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 05/09/2026

💰Protecting the ocean pays💰 A global study estimates that highly protecting currently unprotected dive sites could generate an additional $2 BILLION/year in economic revenue, while increasing fish biomass & biodiversity. Conservation is an investment. #conservation #goodnews #mpas #globalnews #ocean

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 04/09/2026

Iceland grows tomatoes with volcanoes. 🌋🍅 Okay, technically geothermal energy, but the heat beneath Iceland is part of what makes year-round greenhouse agriculture possible in a country this cold.🤓Loving all the renewable energy infrastructure here #Iceland #GeothermalEnergy #Greenhouses

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 03/09/2026

The River #Mersey is coming back to life. Once considered one of Europe’s most polluted rivers, new research detected 69 fish species in the Mersey Estuary, Damaged ecosystems can recover when we actually give them the chance. #RiverMersey #Liverpool #Conservation #GoodNews

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 02/09/2026

Most people stick to Iceland’s south coast, but East Iceland deserves the detour. 🦌🇮🇸 Reindeer, puffins, glaciers, giant eggs, insane coastlines, and way fewer people. How can you go wrong? #easticeland #exploreiceland #solotravel #sochic #traveldiaries

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 01/09/2026

Brittany Ferries is ending the transport of live farmed animals on its ships from Ireland to France. From September 2026, Brittany Ferries will no longer carry live farmed animals on this route. Not everything sucks #BrittanyFerries #UKnews #Goodnews #awinsawin #goodnewsontiktok

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 30/08/2026

The more I learn about Dolly, the more I like her ♥️ #dollyparton

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 21/08/2026

📣 The future of the #RoadlessRule is open for PUBLIC COMMENT. The current administration is proposing to repeal protections for millions of acres of national forest land, including in #Alaska. This is one of those times where commenting actually matters. Submit yours by Sept. 19. (Link in Bio)

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 11/07/2026

Standing in Reykjavík’s Old Harbor📍 One side takes people out to watch whales. The other sends ships out to hunt them. This is happening now, so while I’m here this is where I went, this is what I’ll talk about. Refusing to let these animals & this issue be forgotten. #whaling #Iceland #inthenews

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 10/07/2026

I’m on track for 26+ countries by August & I’d like to bring you w/ me but tbh it might be a monthly update :) Started the year in 🇦🇶Antarctica 🇵🇦Panama 🇯🇲Jamacia 🇨🇷Costa Rica 🇧🇸Bahamas 🇫🇰Falklands/Malvinas 🇬🇸South Georgia 🇨🇱Chile 🇺🇸US 🇵🇦Panama 🇵🇪Peru 🇯🇲Jamaica 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland & now🇮🇸Iceland #travelstories

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 07/06/2026

just a girl and her bear spray walking through the largest intact temperate rainforest on our planet #tongass #tlingit

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 03/06/2026

If you want to join our webinar tomorrow with Natalie Kyriacou OAM we will be discussing her recent book Nature's Last Dance - Tales of Wonder in an Age of Extinction. The event is free, but registration is essential.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 30/05/2026

Grateful to be learning along alongside this stellar team at Trent University this week

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 16/05/2026

I’ve spent the last 4 years working alongside #antarctic fur seals & they’ve easily become one of my favorite species on this planet Having them uplisted to Endangered in 2026 didn’t shock me. But it still hurts Recovery is not a one & done process. It’s active & it’s fragile #endangeredspeciesday

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 15/05/2026

A quick look at the Tongass National Forest 🌲 Nearly 17 million acres of rainforest, coastline, glaciers, and wildlife habitat in Southeast Alaska managed by the #USForestService. Spent the day documenting some of the species that call it home. #wildlife #tongass #alaska

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 10/05/2026

Following my girl Flame from Hawaii to #Alaska 🐋🔥 Most mature female humpbacks have calves once every 2-4 years, but Flame has brought 5 calves to Alaska in 5/6 years! 9 babies overall. Seems this year she’s taking a break- we saw her last week solo. Enjoy your break mama! #hotgirlsummer #juneau

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Digital Brain @yourdigitalbrain.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Female octopuses throw rocks at males that bother them, documented in Octopus tetricus

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 02/04/2026

@scboceania.org, the amazing organization I’ve been closely involved for years, is launching another 30 days of conservation stories from Oceania for #EarthMonth. It’s packed with wins, momentum, and reasons to stay hopeful. Don’t miss what’s coming:

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 05/03/2026

Tragic news from #Upemba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo & I can’t find coverage! On 3 March 2026, armed assailants attacked the park headquarters in #Lusinga. 5 staff members were murdered, more staff were kidnapped including the Park Director, Tina Lain. #UpembaNationalPark

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 01/03/2026

I’ve been in Antarctica since November 4th… 🇦🇶Summer down here is almost over, so as we wrap up our season I can’t help but wish I was better about sharing how cool my life is ♥️ What a way to end and start a year #antarctica

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 15/02/2026

💕To those who celebrate February 14th 1779💕

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The Transexual Menace @transexualmenace.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

We're still here. We're still laughing. We're still creating new memories. We're still finding each other and building respite when it's hard. We're still experiencing the joy of each other's company. Someone will ask about this moment one day. Be sure to tell them what they couldn't take from you.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 04/10/2025

The loss of Dr. Jane Goodall runs deep for the little girls who grew up to become defenders of wildlife.. She expanded the boundaries of what we believed we could do. Jane was our beacon. I will carry her with me in all I do. #janegoodall #conservation

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 02/10/2025

What an honor to have shared this earth with Jane Goodall.🖤 Her loss has carved a void in our world that could never be filled. It will be a privilege to watch even her memory continue to change the world, but today I’m just sad. May we all hold even a fraction of her conviction. #janegoodall #jane

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 14/08/2025

A very important person left us today. It’s strange knowing that certain communities will feel the weight of this loss tremendously, while the rest of the world goes on moving. But he made a difference, and I will remember him forever.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 23/07/2025

Volunteered with Ladles of Love in Cape Town for #MandelaDay 🧡Giving back to honor Nelson Mandela’s legacy and support food security in South Africa. I heard it was the largest single day volunteer event in the world?? Either way, it was great to help a little. Thanks for having me Cape Town!

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 08/07/2025

Happening Today in #DC: “The Things We’ll Never Know”: a science fair of canceled grants 20+ researchers whose funding was cut by the Tr*mp admin will share what their research would have done if not cut under the new US government. I wish we could watch it online. nasawatch.com/congress/con...

nasawatch.com

Congressional Event: A Science Fair of Canceled Grants

The Things We’ll Never Know: A Science Fair of Canceled Grants.

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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

If people think American scientists are somehow going to land in Europe, I've got news for you about the difference between millions and billions. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Bar chart titled "Matters of Scale" comparing proposed US research budget cuts to the European Union's €500-million (US$571-million) "Choose Europe" fund. The chart shows:

* National Institutes of Health (NIH): $8 billion in cancelled grants and $18 billion in proposed cuts by 2026 (long orange bar).
* National Science Foundation (NSF): $5.1 billion in proposed cuts by 2026 (shorter orange bar).
* EU's Choose Europe fund: $571 million (very short blue bar).

The graphic highlights that the EU fund is much smaller in scale compared to the US budget cuts. Text above the chart explains the EU’s intention to attract US researchers in response to policy decisions by the convicted felon and rapist Donald Trump.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 03/07/2025

📣 Just published: A landmark study using 20 years of data from 133 LMICs, fixed-effects Poisson models, and dynamic microsimulation forecasting reveals a staggering toll. ⚠️ Cutting #USAID support could result in 14 million preventable deaths by 2030. 4.5 million of them would be children under 5.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 28/06/2025

Ok #56 came quicker than expected 🇿🇲 Walked over Victoria Falls Bridge, where mist from Mosi-oa-Tunya rises, the border blurs, and just like that I made it to #Zambia

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 24/06/2025

Hit my 55th country today 🇿🇼 A country with one of Africa’s largest black rhino populations, elephant populations, and wild dog populations. No wonder it’s been at the top of my list. #zimbabwe #wildlife

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Mongabay @mongabay.com · 24/05/2025

In 2019, Malawi dismantled the Chinese-led Lin-Zhang wildlife trafficking syndicate, a major win in its fight against the illegal wildlife trade, thanks partly to funding from the U.S. govt. Bu the Trump administration’s recent slashing of international development funds now threatens these gains.

news.mongabay.com

Wildlife crime crackdown in jeopardy worldwide after US funding cuts

In 2019, Malawi registered a massive win in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. Intelligence-driven operations culminated in the arrest of more than a dozen members of the Chinese-led…

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 05/05/2025

The dissolution of the #EPA research arm & shift of scientific functions to policy offices signals a profound politicization of environmental governance in the United States. Beyond staff cuts, this risks eroding scientific independence—turning #evidence-based regulation into policy-driven science.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 29/04/2025

Nearly 400 experts were dismissed from the National Climate Assessment — the report that guides how the US responds to #climatechange We don’t need a report to see the crisis, but we need it to guide strategy, funding & protect the most impacted Make no mistake- gutting the process is the strategy

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 26/04/2025

👗#fashion IS a statement but I want to make sure I’m saying the right thing. We consume so much every day without even realizing — fast fashion, fast scrolling, fast food. i Loved the #BeattheWaste campaign from @unep.org & got inspired as I head to the thrift store to find some field gear✌🏽

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Sarah Hörst @planetdr.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

US based scientists are not ok.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 19/04/2025

To my colleagues and friends, your absence will be felt. 💔 #usfws

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 19/04/2025

I’m having a really hard day 💔

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 01/04/2025

I get it from my grama ♥️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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Rosaleen Duffy @rosaleenduffy.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

I really do wish researchers & journalists would stop stating that ‘humans are responsible’ for catastrophic biodiversity decline. The Q of ‘which humans’ matters here. It’s time to call out the global capitalist system as the driver of losses instead. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.com

Biodiversity loss in all species and every ecosystem linked to humans – report

Sweeping synthesis of 2,000 global studies leaves no doubt about scale of problem and role of humans, say experts

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 24/03/2025

I would kill for a bookmark button. How am I suppose to save all the research papers I’ll probably never read?😔

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Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Hey, artists, in case you were wondering if your work matters: I'm a scientist working on climate change and biodiversity, and I would not be who I am today without The Lorax, The Secret of NIMH, Watership Down, The Last Unicorn, and The X-Files. I know I'm not alone. Thank you for all you do.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 22/02/2025

If I were to ask you: ❓What’s the US Fish and Wildlife Service? & you don’t really know — but you care about wildlife— have this be the article you read today, please. “Many people don’t even know what the FWS does, so the gravity of this loss may not sink in.” www.vox.com/down-to-eart...

vox.com

Trump’s job cuts at this overlooked agency put every American at risk

A “wholesale decimation of expertise” threatens the natural resources we all rely on, a former top government official tells Vox.

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Dr. Catherine Macdonald @drcatmac.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Every scientist, long before they were a scientist, was a little kid who stood in front of a fish tank or stared up at the stars or turned over a rock to look at the bugs underneath and said “wow”. On the best days, working in science still feels like that.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 17/02/2025

The last report USAID submitted to Congress on their biodiversity & forestry programs was for FY 2023. 🔎 I’m going through what the agency was able to support during that year and it’s pretty telling:

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 16/02/2025

It’s not lost on me that they are calling what happened yesterday the Valentine’s Day Massacre 💔 I am devastated for so many of my friends and colleagues - my country’s brightest and most compassionate change-makers. We will all feel your loss.

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 16/02/2025

Let’s look at how USAID protected oceans & freshwater ecosystems with sustainable fisheries management in based on the last Report the agency submitted to Congress (FY 2023) on their biodiversity & forestry programs:

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Shannon Noelle Rivera @shannonrivera.com · 13/02/2025

There are a lot of people who didn’t even know the U.S. had an Agency for International Development last week but today, they are sure this .7% of the federal budget is misused. Stick with me 🧵

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