Gary McFarlane
@garym6942.bsky.social
450 followers 710 following 440 posts
Retired biology teacher. Community science educator (SE Alberta). U of Alberta late 60's early 70's Zoology graduate. Still on X for now (@GaryM)
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Reposted by Gary McFarlane
realscienceman.bsky.social
Here’s a clip of my # trailrunning yesterda. Chickakoo in all of its autumn glory 🍂😃❤️
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
albertabats.bsky.social
#HappyThanksgiving2025 🍁🦇
Give thanks to bats! Alberta’s bats munch millions of insects, saving farmers & foresters on pest control—and helping our health by reducing pesticide use. Overlooked & underappreciated, these tiny insectivores quietly make life better for us all. #ThankABat
#HappyThanksgiving2025 
We would like to take today to thank the bats for all the work they do around the planet. Our bats in Alberta are big insect-consumers - a non-paying job that benefits agriculture and forestry by reducing the costs of pest control. By reducing the amounts of pesticides used on the landscape - WE benefit by improved health outcomes. Over-looked and underappreciated - many people do not understand how important these little insectivores are in our daily lives. 

But boy oh boy are they awesome!

(Starting upper left and moving clockwise - our nine Alberta bats include: Long-eared Myotis, Little Brown Myotis, Red Bat, Western Small-footed Myotis, Silver-haired Bat, Big Brown Bat, Hoary Bat and Long-legged Myotis - missing Northern Myotis in the collage!  photos by Jason Headley, Cory Olson and Melissa Penney and JT Layne)
garym6942.bsky.social
Yes, here is a coyote in a tree in our backyard in 2009.
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
easterncoyote.bsky.social
Please share a weird animal fact. Or a lesser-known animal fact.

FACT: Coyotes climb trees. (Coyote Ethos: “Never tell me the odds.”)

Your turn!
Coyote in an evergreen tree. Full story here, including more photos: https://goeddelphotography.com/blog/coyote-climbs-tree-and-steals-bobcats-duck/ Coyote in a fruit tree. 📸: Janet Kessler of coyoteyipps.com—arguably, the most fun and informative website in existence.
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
fisherspeaks.bsky.social
The golden light of autumn lights up the background for one of our last Yellow-rumped Warbler sightings of the year. #YYC ##birds #migration
A Yellow-rumped Warbler perches on a red leafed rosebush with a golden autumn glow in the background.
garym6942.bsky.social
Remarkable Dinosaur Fossil Found in Alberta Preserved in Exquisite Detail - The fossil is now showcased at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, where it is celebrated as the most complete specimen of its kind ever found. news.ssbcrack.com/remarkable-d...
#AbSci #palaeontology #SciChat
Remarkable Dinosaur Fossil Found in Canada Preserved in Exquisite Detail - SSBCrack News
In an exciting discovery, a remarkable 110-million-year-old nodosaur fossil has emerged from a remote Canadian mine, capturing the attention of
news.ssbcrack.com
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
thewalrus.ca
Measles was something Alberta physician @monicakidd.bsky.social and her colleagues once spoke of in the past tense. Just last week, it took the life of a newborn baby.

Here, Kidd reports on how the return of the once-eliminated disease is straining hospitals: thewalrus.ca/how-alberta-beca...
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
praxisscience.bsky.social
The latest Praxis 'Science Smarts' column in the Medicine Hat News (October 11)

“Let’s Get Polished”

praxissciencesmarts.wordpress.com/2025/10/11/p...

Polish up your your science!

#MedHat #STEM #SciChat #SciEd #FamilyScience #SciEd
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
palliserfom.bsky.social
RECENT DRUG ALERTS/TIPS Update for Medicine Hat and southern Alberta (May to October, 2025)

Please review and distribute this information appropriately.

More information at: tinyurl.com/4urdye6a

#MedHat #KeepingSafe #OverDosePreventionPlease #MHDrugCoalition
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
calgaryclimatehub.ca
"If your city is having traffic congestion & people are frustrated in not being able to get around as efficiently & safely as they'd like to, cycling in combination with transit & some motorized vehicle use when you have to is all part of the solution. Shutting that down is just ridiculous." #yyccc
calgaryclimatehub.ca
The data on #Bikelanes are clear & consistent: GREAT for cities in just about every metric you can think of. So why are politicians across Canada attacking them? We dig in with @bikecalgary.bsky.social's Doug Clark & Alyssa Quinney

PODCAST: www.podcastics.com/episode/3835...
#yyc #yyccc #yycbike
Divide & Conquer: The B.S. Against Bike Lanes
Build barriers between cyclists and cars, not between people and their neighbors.
www.podcastics.com
garym6942.bsky.social
Look for the bright, round full moon climbing in the east at sunset on October 6, glowing in the south near midnight, and dropping low in the west just before sunrise on October 7. earthsky.org/astronomy-es... #astronomy #HarvestMoon #SciEd #SciChat
The Super Harvest Moon overnight on October 6-7
In 2023, the Northern Hemisphere's Harvest Moon falls overnight September 28-29, or almost six days after the September equinox. It's also a supermoon.
earthsky.org
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
realscienceman.bsky.social
Finally back #trailrunning, trying to recover from a nasty leg injury. Don’t want to miss autumn running, my favourite time of year!
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
sydcannings1.bsky.social
I was doing last week's @nytimes.com Sunday crossword (we get it in the Wednesday Yukon News 😀) when I was thrilled to find a Yukon clue at 24Ac!
Unfortunately it was wrong! Spoiler alert, red alders are NOT native to the Yukon, even though they grow on the Pacific slope of nearby Alaska and BC.
Bright green Red Alder leaves against a forest backdrop. Photo Syd Cannings
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
smikooman.bsky.social
End of Summer Vibes
Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park, North Okanagan B.C.
#VernonBC
Doggo shakes after a swim
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
purescience.news
Your Fresh Vegetables Could Be Sucking Up Plastic Right From The Soil #Science #EarthSciences #EnvironmentalScience #PlasticPollution #SustainableAgriculture #SoilHealth
Your Fresh Vegetables Could Be Sucking Up Plastic Right From The Soil
Nothing is plastic-free now.
purescience.news
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
linuxrebel.org
Blue sky. You wouldn't mind, can one or more of you help me verifying that what this gentleman is saying is true?

www.tiktok.com/@chicago_car...
TikTok video by chicago_carguy3
www.tiktok.com
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
twigtechnology.bsky.social
Jane Goodall was also the first to bring attention to wild tool-using vultures, which she spotted randomly one day while out driving. These birds use stones to break into ostrich eggs.

Be observant like Jane and who knows what you’ll see! 🧪🥚
A two page spread of national geographic magazine with a story by Jane Goodall and her husband reporting on egg-breaking, tool-using Egyptian vultures.
garym6942.bsky.social
Harpegnathos saltator, the ant that jumps and stings to kill its prey - They use their powerful leaps to capture prey like crickets, pouncing with the agility of a much larger predator. thekidshouldseethis.com/post/indian-... #biology #KidScience #SciEd #SciChat
Harpegnathos saltator, the ant that jumps and stings to kill its prey
"This one spectacular ant. It's called an Indian jumping ant (Harpegnathos saltator). And here, when it gets a little tap on the back, you'll see why it's
thekidshouldseethis.com
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
praxisscience.bsky.social
The latest Praxis 'Science Smarts' column in the Medicine Hat News (October 4))

“Vampire Soap”

praxissciencesmarts.wordpress.com/2025/10/04/p...

Some very "fang-tastic" science!

#MedHat #STEM #SciChat #SciEd #FamilyScience #SciEd
Reposted by Gary McFarlane
arisimpacts.bsky.social
ARIS' monthly newsletter shares fresh ideas, tools & stories that help researchers, institutions, & partners turn their work into lasting #societalimpact. From funding opps and practical resources to inspiring examples of #broaderimpacts done well—subscribe now #ResearchImpacts buff.ly/RwXrUqO