Recently the Ecological Society of America asked its members to write to their congressional representatives about federal science funding. Here are some excerpts from the letter I just sent to Arizona’s two senators, Jeff Flake and John McCain: I am writing to you about the FY18 appropriations bill, requesting that you take steps to restore…

What happens late at night in a field camp? Usually, not much beyond eating, cleaning gear, and preparing data and instruments for another day of work. But the forest remains full of promise, and the possibility of exploration is there. On our project in northern Borneo, I had occasion one evening to be out walking…

After fieldwork in a warm tropical country, returning to late winter in temperate latitudes feels like something of a shock. I came back from Gabon to England in late February this year, and immediately found myself missing the warmer weather. Days were still short, with the blue-black sky as company for mornings and evenings. There…

When I think of beans, I think of peas, or lentils, or soy – small and herbaceous plants, with long linear fruits holding a treasure of seeds down their spine. But not all bean-family plants are like this – some are a little more wild. I found a very different bean in the mature forest…