On a recent December afternoon, I cycled out into the countryside on frost-covered lanes in search of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). I knew the species mostly as a very ordinary bird, found commonly in urban environments in the United States after its introduction from Europe for reasons of poetry. For a non-birder, it had…

In research, proper choice of a field site is key to the success of a project – and so too for conferences. The International Biogeography Society hosted its annual meeting in Tucson, Arizona this January. The weather was sunny and warm, and the desert was an ecologically fascinating place to bring a few hundred ecologists…

The scientific peer review system needs improvement. The goals of the system – to ensure that scientific work is technically accurate and contextualized – are important in building public trust in the work we do do. They also help to improve the quality and presentation of our work. However, peer review is slow and inefficient.…