Tree hugging, dirt worshipping ecologist/teacher. Stevenson University (a PUI in Baltimore County, Maryland, USA)https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3myzlmsavuk2t#Arboreal research this week: collecting leaves from different portions of the canopy of different trees to examine patterns of herbivory. Does herbivory differ by canopy position, tree location, or tree species? Are patterns correlated to insects collected in the canopy mid-summer? #PUI #research29 Oct 2026 15:33 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3myzlmsavuk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mysjwa4uas26A year's worth of monthly #sunrises from the same spot (October '25-'26). 13 sunrises in 9 seconds.26 Oct 2026 20:13 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mysjwa4uas26https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3myrsfzp26k26Monthly #sunrise and #sunset from the weekend26 Oct 2026 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3myrsfzp26k26https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3myhvwdfi2s2oWe already know that we work in the wrong part of the university if we want to make money, but I'd have to work well over 100 years to make what he's being paid just to quit ($10M). These are society's values. Maryland football coach Locksley is stepping down https://www.thebanner.com/sports/college-sports/maryland-football-coach-michael-locksley-is-stepping-down-UANPKRHSYJDGRIUMHW4K6WBVFU/?bis=article-action-bluesky22 Oct 2026 14:49 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3myhvwdfi2s2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3myfs7uldvs2z#Salamander research this week: Continuing our red-backed salamander coverboard transect survey, ongoing for 4.5 years now. We had the 2nd most captures with 30 individuals, but following the same pattern with nearly all captures in 2 of 7 areas surveyed. #PUI #research21 Oct 2026 18:37 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3myfs7uldvs2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3myf4sc5po223"The trees are sick. Epidemics are escalating, across numerous species, as more & more pests and pathogens invade forests. Their entryway is global trade. As trade has boomed, so have opportunities for tiny stowaways to wreak havoc." Free gift article from The NYTimes https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/climate/tree-pandemics-northeast-forests.html?unlocked_article_code=1.KVE.Spj6.wsvxkdpr-kl-&smid=bs-share21 Oct 2026 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3myf4sc5po223https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mxeua5utwc2j#Arboreal research this week: continuing our collection of green leaves from tree canopies of different species to examine nutrient content, part 1 of determining nutrient resorption patterns. #PUI #research08 Oct 2026 16:16 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxeua5utwc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mxagsi4rcs2rIntro Bio lab (eco evo) - exploring patterns of diversity of plants, soil microbes, & invertebrates in different habitats on campus, a meadow, forest, and ecotone. Here are some of our invertebrate and microbial results. Lots of cool stuff here. This section has better results than most!06 Oct 2026 22:05 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxagsi4rcs2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mx5whpdvi22eA few students (not mine) found me in the hall this morning to give me this and say Thanks. Happy World Teachers Day. Much appreciated on this Monday morning05 Oct 2026 22:07 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx5whpdvi22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mwt6ig7zns2f#Arboreal research this week: collecting green leaves from the tree canopy to examine nutrient content, part 1 of determining nutrient resorption patterns. Congrats to Anna on her first big research climb! #PUI #research01 Oct 2026 15:31 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwt6ig7zns2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mwrhz6nxk225Catching up this week (last week really), part 4: Ecology lab - collecting tree data to describe forest composition & structure in different stands on campus. We'll return to these stands in a few weeks to examine the ecology of different taxa (birds, invertebrates, & mammals)30 Sep 2026 23:16 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwrhz6nxk225https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mwrhrnzcnc25Catching up this week, part 3: Ecology lab - practicing how to describe a population with a mark-recapture of crayfish first census.30 Sep 2026 23:12 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwrhrnzcnc25https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mwrhmvi5es25Catching up this (and last) week, part 2: Intro Bio lab (eco evo) - exploring patterns of diversity of plants, soil microbes, & invertebrates in different habitats on campus, a meadow, forest, and ecotone30 Sep 2026 23:09 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwrhmvi5es25https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mwrfzpawfs25Catching up this week, part 1: Our Tree Climbing Club got out again to continue practicing MRS systems. Everyone also worked on additional skills: limb walking or advancing climbing lines30 Sep 2026 22:41 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwrfzpawfs25https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mvs4hjlie22kOur #ENVClub hosted a black light bug party last night. We saw lots of different critters. Thanks to special guest Steve Malan, our adjunct entomologist, to tell us a bit about what we were seeing. And thanks to Brett for handling the logistics. I think this was a success!18 Sep 2026 11:57 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvs4hjlie22khttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mvqg3mfjus2fTesting our new Song Meter Micro 2 from @wildlifeacoustics.com and analyzing the recordings with BirdNET Analyzer. It recorded at sunrise & sunset (20 min ea) for 1 week. Six to 130 calls of 1 to 10 species were ID'ed per session for a total of 19 species over the week. #bioacoustics #Ecology17 Sep 2026 19:44 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvqg3mfjus2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mvqc4ujsts2eThis week in my elective #Ecology lab, we began forest surveys to compare and contract different campus stands as habitat. Here, groups are using the point-quarter technique to characterize forest composition and structure of this stand.17 Sep 2026 18:33 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvqc4ujsts2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mvlaypoki22cApparently it's National Voter Registration Day. If you haven't already, it's time to formulate your voting plan. College students in Maryland can vote wherever their campus is but must be registered by Oct. 13. | Maryland State Board of Elections https://share.google/I2ej5eRVdm9HONYQP15 Sep 2026 18:30 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvlaypoki22chttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mvkkhgnluk2hSecond meeting of our #TreeClimbingClub this semester. Reviewed basic safety, line setting, MRS using the Blake's hitch, and footlocking, then introduced the hitch climber system. 3 additional climbers not pictured here💪🏻 Now practice those knots & hitches! Thanks for the pictures, Brett!15 Sep 2026 11:46 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvkkhgnluk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mvgya33rts2cJust finished this as I listen to a chorus of crickets, would recommend. And it's timely too given that I recently purchased several Song Meters for my Ecology lab. I found the underlying theme that bioacoustics research has helped confirm indigenous knowledge really interesting. #bookclub14 Sep 2026 01:42 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvgya33rts2chttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mvgtzoxd322oStill have some traveling to do, but it looks like I've seen a decent portion of the USA over the years. Lots of great stuff out there.14 Sep 2026 00:27 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvgtzoxd322ohttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mv6dcuafc227Good morning, friend! Spotted this morning on our front yard butterfly weed patch #Monarch10 Sep 2026 15:06 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv6dcuafc227https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mv65xe4q6s27“Last month tied July 2023 as the planet’s hottest month on record, as human-caused warming pushes the Northern Hemisphere’s muggiest, most uncomfortable time of year into new realms of stickiness and discomfort." Free gift article from The NYTimes. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/09/climate/august-hottest-month-global-warming.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AFE.xWKl.RWPXULRJ7YZ1&smid=bs-share10 Sep 2026 13:31 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv65xe4q6s27https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3muron7z6d22dAnother sad neighborhood tree removal: a large, seemingly healthy oak and its 70+ years gone. The tree needed a good pruning, not removal. We need more large, mature trees in our neighborhoods, not fewer.05 Sep 2026 14:24 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3muron7z6d22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3murlk37pws2p [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Sep 2026 13:29 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3murlk37pws2phttps://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3munhprcfss24Time to collect SD cards from our #Arboreal canopy trail cameras this afternoon. Will head back tomorrow to replace one of the cameras. We've got 4 cameras at different heights in each of two red oaks, trying to see who's using the trees when we're not around.03 Sep 2026 22:10 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3munhprcfss24https://bsky.app/profile/proftsuga.bsky.social/post/3mumiukpzrc2eFinally checking up on #Arboreal camera trap captures collected in late spring/early summer. At least one camera appears to have been functioning well for the full deployment. After checking all 8 cameras, next steps will be to run images through Wildlife Insights AI to find animal captures03 Sep 2026 12:58 +0000at://did:plc:62dfa6o7yg4sh7b2o5azo3la/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumiukpzrc2e