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Bruce Webber

@drbrucewebber.bsky.social

3.8K followers 830 following 210 posts

Global change ecologist: conservation, bioinvasions & climate change 🌳🐜🐈🐊 | adventurer | coffee enthusiast | photographer (views my own) https://linktr.ee/drbrucewebber

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · Nov 11

I'm in! A #globalchange #ecologist focusing on #conservation solutions at the nexus of landscape change, species #invasions and native species resilience - 🌱🐜🐈🐊. Mostly in 🇦🇺 and a thing for the tropics.

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 9d

"...we have to do everything in our power to make the world a better place for the children alive today, and for those that will follow. You have it in your power to make a difference. Don’t give up." - Jane Goodall on Famous Last Words for @netflix.com

www.netflix.com/tudum/articl...

In an Exclusive Interview, Dr. Jane Goodall Leaves Behind Her Last Words

“In the place where I am now, I look back over my life. What message do I want to leave?”

www.netflix.com

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 13d

"The greatest danger to our future is apathy. ... What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." - Vale Jane Goodall (1934-2025).

Jane Goodall in a tall rainforest looking up into the canopy with binoculars in her hands.

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Reposted by Bruce Webber

Josh Luke Davis 🏳️‍🌈 @joshlukedavis.com · 20d

Only known from a single plant growing in the botanic gardens in Sri Lanka, the endemic Pini-Beraliya was declared Extinct in the Wild.

But a post on social media about the tree has now led to the discovery of three wild populations and a recovery programme! 🌱🧪🙌🏻
news.mongabay.com/2025/08/soci...

Social media post sparks rediscovery of endemic Sri Lanka rainforest plant

COLOMBO — In 2012, Sri Lanka’s National Red List delivered a grim verdict on endemic Pini- Beraliya, the towering dipterocarp Doona ovalifolia (syn. Shorea ovalifolia) tree by categorizing it as “exti...

news.mongabay.com

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 21d

This is clearly good news for WA. Yet with such a simple amendment required, why can't this change come sooner than "sometime in 2026." Why should millions of native animals and countless pet cats have to die over a matter of juggling policy priorities? Let's get this done in WA in 2025!

Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 22d

The Building Private Land Conservation Symposium, held in Fremantle, was an outstanding opportunity to hear updates and share Bush Heritage Australia's latest on covenanting, stewardship and co-investment opportunities to secure the future of Western Australia's unique landscapes.
🌏 #scicomm

Bruce Webber from Bush Heritage Australia, speaking at the Building Private Land Conservation Symposium in Fremantle, Western Australia. Photo: Miles Noel Studio

Minister Matthew Swinbourn attending the Building Private Land Conservation Symposium in Fremantle, Western Australia. Photo: Miles Noel Studio

Bruce Webber from Bush Heritage Australia, speaking on a panel at the Building Private Land Conservation Symposium in Fremantle, Western Australia. Photo: Miles Noel Studio

Reposted by Bruce Webber

GBIF @gbif.org · 27d

🚨Have your say on the new conceptual model and Data Package Guide for #DarwinCore

The @tdwg.org Darwin Core Maintenance Group has opened a 90-day public review and comment period for the new conceptual model and Data Package Guide.

🗓️ 17 September – 16 December 2025
🔗 www.tdwg.org/news/20...

Cream coloured background with a rainbow colour wheel and various biological drawings surrounding it

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 23d

Australia's 2035 climate targets are difficult to achieve, and even if they are, we won't be fine. A sobering assessment from @alankohler.bsky.social via ABC News.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Can the Albanese government's new climate targets lower the risk of a catastrophic fire season like 2019/20 happening in the future? (ABCMyPhoto: Martin Von Stoll)

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 23d

Addressing the connection between animal biodiversity declines and the carbon stored in our ecosystems can help to make smarter decisions about aligning responses to the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis.
🌐🌏 via @mongabay.com
news.mongabay.com/2025/09/anim...

Animals that spread seeds are critical for climate solutions

When a toucan plucks fruit from a tree in the Amazon Rainforest, it’s doing more than just finding lunch. Moving to a new location and depositing seeds via its droppings could be crucial in addressing...

news.mongabay.com

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 25d

It's not all about PFAS: metal(loid)s are associated with physiological and metabolic changes in motorbike frogs (Ranoidea moorei) from conservation significant wetlands in Perth WA. Great to see this paper out, a big effort led by @lettsgetsnakes.bsky.social.
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
🌐🌏

Urban wetlands provide essential habitats for wildlife but face increasing contamination from anthropogenic sources, including but not limited to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and metal(loid)s. Accumulation of these contaminants are known to impair organism biological functions. This study quantified PFAS and metal(loid) concentrations in liver tissue of motorbike frogs (Ranoidea moorei) along a contamination gradient of conservation significant urban wetlands in Perth, Western Australia, and assessed relationships of liver concentrations with whole-organism health metrics and metabolomic profiles in four tissues to evaluate biological effects.

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 26d

Thanks Craig! @bfw.bsky.social has been a champion in this space. I've really valued his media engagement to help clarify the need for change. Your work has been outstanding too, thank you!

Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 27d

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey so far. Yet we must recognise that it is far from over. We owe it to our cats, community & wildlife to deliver the nation's best cat ownership policy as part of reviewing the WA Cat Act. I look forward to that initiative.

A delegation of local government representatives engaged with cat management experts at Kings Park to improve responsible pet cat ownership in Western Australia.

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 27d

As Steve Martin MLC pointed out "we have time before Christmas, before the break at the end of the year, so I urge the Minister for Local Government to get this done." Why should millions of native animals and countless pet cats have to die over a matter of juggling priorities?

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 27d

Instead, it seems we will have to wait until sometime in 2026. With such a simple amendment required to allow cat containment to be pursued by local governments it is disappointing that this change is not coming sooner.

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 27d

We have broad support from all parties for this change, we now just need to get this done. Despite a clearly articulated position from @bradpettitt.bsky.social, Brian Walker and Jess Beckerling as to why it was possible to deliver cat containment this week, that option was not pursued.

The issue of roaming pet cats in Kings Park featured in The Perth Voice and involved interviews with Adin Lang and Bruce Webber.

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 27d

What was most pleasing for me this week was to hear the informed discussion on the benefits of permanent containment for pet cats in the Legislative Council chamber on Tuesday evening. All parties spoke with authority to the broad benefits to cats, people and wildlife.

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 27d

I congratulate the Minister for her leadership. I am grateful that after many years of engagement with state politicians across all parties, local governments, community groups and with the general public, we have a clear public commitment to deliver this much needed change.

Some of the many contributors to helping promote best practice pet cat ownership stand together outside the Legislative Council chamber.

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · 27d

This week we saw solutions announced in Western Australia to improve responsible pet cat ownership. Hannah Beazley MLA announced (1) an amendment to the Cat Act that will allow for local governments to prevent pet cats from roaming, & (2) a broader review of the Cat Act.
A🧵
#wildoz

The Cook Labor Government has announced that it intends to amend the Cat Act to prevent pet cats from roaming.

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · Sep 13

Can Australia really be a responsible climate actor if it keeps developing major new gas projects as global emissions continue to rise?
🌐
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

What Woodside's gas project extension means for Australia's climate record

Seven years after it was first mooted, the extension of Australia's biggest gas project could not have landed at a more critical juncture for the nation's climate credentials.

www.abc.net.au

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · Sep 12

There are so many aspects of the shot-hole borer #eradication campaign that are worth reflecting on to inform how to do better with future #biosecurity threats. We really need to rethink the entire framework that deploys ineffective biosecurity in #Australia.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Australia on alert as shot-hole borer wipes out thousands of trees

It's barely the size of a sesame seed, but the shot-hole borer has quickly devastated Western Australia's tree canopy. Experts are warning other states and territories to take action now to avoid a si...

www.abc.net.au

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · Sep 6

Thank you to Bush Heritage Australia for hosting the night, @madmanfilms.bsky.social and Luna Palace Cinemas for making the event possible, and to our wonderful panel members @hollykirk.bsky.social, Steve McCabe and Jane Chambers for sharing their insights with the audience.

Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · Sep 6

A sold out screening of Wilding this week shared the benefits of helping nature recover with almost 500 people. These events energise me and give me hope that while we have an enormous challenge ahead of us, we have plenty of people wanting to make a difference to biodiversity conservation outcomes.

Bush Heritage Australia hosted a sold out screening of the film Wilding at the Luna Palace Cinemas in Leederville, Western Australia. As the sun sets in the west, the exterior lights of the cinema announced that the screening, with an exclusive Q&A session, was sold out.

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Reposted by Bruce Webber

Species On The Move 2026 @sotm2026.bsky.social · Aug 31

Abstracts call closes Nov 10, 2025 ⏰ We hope you’ll join us at SOTM 2026 !!! www.speciesonthemove.com #SOTM2026 #speciesonthemove

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Reposted by Bruce Webber

Markus Eichhorn @markuseichhorn.bsky.social · Sep 3

The achievable carbon uptake from planting trees is much lower than previous estimates, and even lower than many nations have committed to. New paper by Wang et al. in Science. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🧪🌏🌳🌲🌐

Fig. 3. Estimated mitigation potential from forestation varies with land availability assumptions. (A) Global and regional ecosystem carbon sequestration. BA19 (10), GR17 (8), and Qin24 (24) refer to respective assumptions of land potentially available for forestation. The “committed” assumption considers only national commitments, and “achievable” shows currently achievable land limited by availability defined in Qin24 (see materials and methods section M3). (B) The currently achievable mitigation potential varies among countries and income groups. Country-specific data are available in data S3 (24). Country codes and corresponding income groups can be found in table S6.

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Reposted by Bruce Webber

Morgan Robertson @morganrobertson.bsky.social · Aug 31

Important reading as you prepare for your semester

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Bruce Webber @drbrucewebber.bsky.social · Aug 31

Join us for a special event screening of Wilding, presented by Bush Heritage Australia at Luna Cinemas. The film, based on Isabella Tree's best-selling book, will be followed by an exclusive panel discussion.
Wed 3 Sep from 6pm | Tickets: www.lunapalace.com.au/events/wildi...
🌐🌏 #scicomm

Bush Heritage Australia presents a special event Wilding film screening with a Q&A panel featuring Dr Bruce Webber, Steve McCabe, Dr Holly Kirk and Dr Jane Chambers. On at Luna Leederville on Wed 3 Sept 2025.

This special event Wilding film screening will feature a Q&A panel featuring Dr Bruce Webber, Steve McCabe, Dr Holly Kirk and Dr Jane Chambers. On at Luna Leederville on Wed 3 Sept 2025.

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