Cassidy Aster 🏳️‍⚧️ They/Them
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cassidyaster.bsky.social
Cassidy Aster 🏳️‍⚧️ They/Them
@cassidyaster.bsky.social
320 followers 190 following 1.5K posts
Archaeologist, Master Naturalist, Game-runner, hobbyist crafter and writer.
Nonbinary, they/them.
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cassidyaster.bsky.social
After logging off from my interview, I got emotional because they're all still so curious and dedicated and they have such good insights. They want to help and they want to do the work. We owe it to them to be there now and give them the support we wish we had.
the "Do it for her" meme from the simpsons episode "And Maggie Makes Three" where homer covers up the "Don't forget You're Here Forever" poster with pictures of baby Maggie to make the poster say "Do It For Her."
October 7, 2025 at 12:31 AM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Desperately need my workplace to partner with a university library so I don't spend all my savings on books like this
A book with a light brown cover that portrays a profile view of a horse-powered ferry, titled "When Horses Walked on Water" by Kevin J Crisman and Arthur B Cohn.
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
I got to hold several snake friends today but this Dekays Brown Snake is the only one cooperative enough to get a picture one-handed
A small light chocolate brown nonvenomous snake with two parallel lines of darker brown spots along it's back sitting with its front half in an S curve shape on an open white palm (left hand) while it's back 1/3 and tail twist around behind the middle and ring fingers.
September 18, 2025 at 12:44 AM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
O to be a 5th instar caterpillar reclining on a leaf and eating another leaf
Large black, yellow, and white monarch butterfly caterpillar with long tendrils on both its heat and butt to confuse predators chowing down on a dark green swamp milkweed leaf that is already half eaten, while it reclines on another leaf below it. It's feet are very large nubs sticking out from under its body.
September 4, 2025 at 10:35 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Anti-vax grifters are onto dog autism now, so rabies vaccination rates are going down and the canine rabies strain which, like measles, was eradicated in the US is about to come back. Cool.
People may not always know they’ve been exposed to a rabid animal. There have been reported deaths from people who didn’t realize they had been bitten or scratched by a bat and who had refused the lifesaving vaccines. As rabies seems to be spreading more in wildlife, veterinarians are especially worried about vaccine hesitancy spreading among pet owners, a dangerous trend that could lead to more dogs — and their owners — becoming infected. A 2023 study published in the journal Vaccine found in a nationally representative sample of Americans that nearly 40% believed canine vaccines were unsafe and 37% believed that vaccines could lead their dogs to develop cognitive issues, such as autism.
September 1, 2025 at 11:13 AM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Temperatures are getting down to the 50s and even upper 40s overnight, the light pollution at Mt apartment complex is inescapable, but this guy just keeps going.
A late instar monarch butterfly caterpillar with yellow, black, and white stripes hanging onto the stem of an undeveloped pink floret head of swamp milkweed. Immediately behind it are a series of narrow swamp milkweed seed pods from florets that had been previously pollinated this past July by a wasp (not pictured). The milkweed leaves are a darker green than the seed pods. The stems of the plant are covered in tiny orange aphids.
August 31, 2025 at 12:36 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
I'm never sure what this guy is up to. I try to leave him alone but I need him to grow big and strong and finish the migration.
Late instar monarch butterfly caterpillar on the underside of a green swamp milkweed leaf. There are many orange aphids on the stalk of the milkweed plant. The caterpillar is yellow, black, and white striped with long pairs of antenna like structures on the front and back ends.
August 27, 2025 at 10:15 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Caterpillar is bigger now but my camera absolutely refuses to focus on it unless it's at 10x
3rd instar monarch butterfly caterpillar with black, white, and yellow stripes on the underside of a green swamp milkweed leaf. It has two black stalks on its head and several pairs of tiny little legs.
August 25, 2025 at 11:28 AM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
I am getting better at these, but also caterpillars grow really fast.
Monarch butterfly caterpillar with white, yellow, and black stripes on a green, half eaten swamp milkweed leaf.the background is a maroon-gray house siding.
August 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
I'm trying to hold onto hope now and work within a framework of community action but I will become the Joker if the Monarch Butterfly goes extinct.
An orange and black monarch butterfly with white spots on the edges of its wings and covering its body sitting in a sunbeam on a curled green lead. The background is sun dappled and shadowed leaves of the same tree, with a few spots of blue sky visible beyond.
August 22, 2025 at 2:18 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Shaky cam proof of life photo
Very overbright photo of a monarch butterfly caterpillar where the yellow and white stripes are very washed out by the camera flash, chewing on the underside of a narrow green swamp milkweed leaf. The out of focus background is the dark gray siding of my apartment.
August 21, 2025 at 11:55 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
BROOOOOOOOOOOOOÒOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO #monarch #MonarchButterfly
A very small monarch butterfly caterpillar chewing on a pale yellow-green swamp milkweed leaf. Below it on the stem are many many tiny round orange and black spotted milkweed aphids.
August 20, 2025 at 10:38 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Looks like it's gonna be another headache day
Air quality dashboard from airnow.gov showing unhealthy air quality in red on the dial at 158 AQI for PM2.5 ar 6am August 5 for my location, which is cropped out of the screen grab. The dial goes from green to magenta, "unhealthy" begins in the middle of the dial so you know it could always get worse.
August 5, 2025 at 10:41 AM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Big help for game night
A black cat with white fur on her neck completely zonked out laying on khaki clad legs. The lower 1/4 of the picture is a chrom case of a laptop.
August 4, 2025 at 8:04 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Very cool iridescent blue wasp at the garden center
A black/iridescent blue wasp on a spotted bee balm plant, green narrow leaves and pink/white flowers.
July 26, 2025 at 4:17 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
I've heard people say native plants are boring or ugly, but to me common milkweed inflorescence is so satisfying to look at. It's so round, and the tiny little florets are extremely cute once you see them up close. I like them even better than butterfly milkweed.
Common milkweed inflorescence, a very satisfyingly round cluster of tiny pink and white florets with five petals each. The leaves are oval grey/green with a purpleish vein in the center coming off of a single stem. Absolutely surrounded by goldenrod. Several common milkweed stems growing in a cluster, with round inflorescence in bloom and broad oval leaves, surrounded by grass. It is right at the edge of the pavement. Another very round common milkweed inflorescence, with white and pink florets. The florets are parted slightly so you can see the center where they attach to the stem. The one beneath it is drooping as the florets begin to drop off ahead of seed pod growth. Wide oval leaves that end in a point.
July 11, 2025 at 11:44 AM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
At work yesterday we surveyed a few of our Monarch CCAA locations and visited some of our completed pollinator plantings. It was great to see the planted areas working as intended, covered in dozens of pollinator species. Nature is healing etc and so forth
Common milkweed busting out of cracks in the sidewalk of an abandoned highway facility. Common milkweed usually grows in single stalks with purplish stems and large oval leaves as in the plants at the center of the picture. In the right conditions it can also be clumped together, as in the plant on the left. Their pink/purple flowers are at the end of their life, the florets drooping before they fall off to produce seed pods. Behind the milkweed are many goldenrod plants not yet in bloom. Probably some aster.
July 11, 2025 at 11:25 AM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
My hometown for #ShowYourStripes day. We hardly get snow anymore, and haven't seen a white Christmas in ages.
Climate change visualization from the University of Reading for Columbus, Ohio since 1850. A range of blue bars of various shades slowly morphing into pink, then orange and dark red from left to right. 50% of all post industrial revolution atmospheric carbon has been produced since 1990.
June 21, 2025 at 11:24 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
She has beds
A black cat with a white neck and white armpit fur lays on bunched up curtains on top of a black faux wood dresser. The curtains are a gradient from a light purple to a tropical ocean blue. The cat is missing her left eye but not in a gross way, it is closed and healed over.
June 19, 2025 at 1:27 AM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
Pride was just what I needed after moving to a new state and not really knowing anyone. Now I am in a craft group, gonna try two ttrpg groups, and a casual cycling group.
A rose with dyed yellow, blue, and pink petals in a white Valley Forge coffee mug filled with water, sitting on a white windowsill. A gravel driveway and brick wall are out of focus I the background. Front half of a blue bicycle with silver handles and a progress pride flag held to the right handle by a strap parked on the grass. There are other bikes and cyclists packed together in the background. Golden brown fried samosas with green chutney on them, in an aluminum rectangular tray. These weren't made with onion or garlic so I could actually eat them. Three gulab jamun in syrup in a white plastic bowel and a black spork.
June 8, 2025 at 4:49 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
The only other archaeologist is doing site visits and everyone else in the office today is biology and GIS
They don't know meme of sad trollface standing along in a corner with a party hat and two couples dancing
May 28, 2025 at 2:04 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
"That's a big fucking bee- wAIT-"
Merlin's "You found a lifer!" Screen indicating the first time a user records a bird in the app, in this case a red throated humming bird. It is a small green bird with a long beak and a light green and white underbelly. Males have red/orange feathers on their throats. The picture is covered by a pop-up saying "Congratulations! New Lifer!"
May 17, 2025 at 6:18 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
At least she's having a good Friday.
A black cat with white fur on her neck and white whiskers is laying on a white window sill her tail is hanging off the edge and she is laying her head on one paw with her head tilted toward the viewer. She has one eye open (because it is the only one she has) looking at the camera with narrowed eye as if she has just woken up. Birch trees with white bark and pale green new spring leaves are visible outside the window.
May 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
My cat and I having the exact same reaction to hearing a Common Raven: running to the window and listening very hard #TenMinMerlin
List of bird suggestions in Merlin's sound ID platform, identifying a Black Capped Chickadee, a Nashville Warbler, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, an Ovenbird, and a Common Raven.
May 10, 2025 at 12:29 PM
cassidyaster.bsky.social
First common raven and first rose-breasted grosbeak, though I've heard the raven several times but never had my phone out fast enough to record it.
Common raven, ovenbird, black and white warbler, and Nashville warbler listed in the Merlin app's sound ID list Rose-breasted grosbeak with the uncommon bird icon next to it, Nashville warbler, ovenbird, black and white warbler, and black capped chickadee in Merlin's sound ID list.
May 9, 2025 at 11:38 AM