Nature Signals Podcast

Ruth Thornton
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A newsletter about nature, the animals and plants that share the world with us and the human actions affecting it - both good and bad. ruththornton.substack.com

  1. 5d ago

    Butterflies are on the move as climate change and habitat loss reshape their world

    Butterflies are on the move — and climate change and habitat loss are largely to blame. A new global study offers one of the most comprehensive looks yet at how butterfly species are responding to a changing planet. Researchers found evidence that 1,758 species — nearly 10% of known butterfly species — have changed where they live. Many are expanding into new areas, often moving toward cooler regions as temperatures rise. Others are disappearing from parts of their historic ranges. Climate change and extreme weather are major drivers of these shifts, while habitat loss and agriculture are shrinking ranges in many regions. But scientists say the true scale of the changes could be much larger. Monitoring is far more limited in tropical countries, home to most of the world’s insect diversity, leaving major gaps in our understanding of butterfly populations. We hear from two leading butterfly researchers, Shawan Chowdhury, lead author of the study and head of the Global Change Ecology Lab at Monash University in Australia, and Nick Haddad, professor of integrative biology at Michigan State University, about why expanding into new areas may not always protect species from decline and how protecting connected habitats could help butterflies adapt to human-caused environmental changes. The written article is available on my website here: ruththornton.com. Links to resources: Chowdhury et al., 2026: Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2026. Chowdhury et al., 2026: A framework for the strategic conservation of tropical insects. BioScience, 2026: biag136. Edwards et al., 2025: Rapid butterfly declines across the United States during the 21st century. Science, 387(6738): 1090-1094. Pinkert et al., 2022: Global geographical and latitudinal variation in butterfly species richness captured through a comprehensive country-level occurrence database. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31:830-839. Citizen science: iNaturalist   Key points: 1:48 - Regional differences in butterfly movements 2:25 - What caused butterflies to move 3:08 - Information gaps in the tropics 4:12 - More species could be moving without scientists' knowledge 5:04 - Range expansions can be a mixed blessing 5:30 - Protecting butterflies in the face of climate change, habitat loss and pesticides 7:09 - What you can do Get full access to Nature Signals at ruththornton.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Sep 5

    Billions of American chestnuts once grew in our forests. Could DNA help bring them back?

    The American chestnut was once one of the most important trees in eastern U.S. forests. It provided abundant nuts for wildlife and people and supplied strong, rot-resistant wood for homes, fences and furniture. Then, more than a century ago, an invasive fungus called chestnut blight began killing the trees. Within decades, billions of American chestnuts had disappeared from the forests, changing the landscape and leaving the species nearly lost in the wild. Now, scientists are working on a new way to bring the American chestnut back. In this episode, we look at new research showing how genetic breeding could help scientists identify blight-resistant trees much faster. The approach could speed up efforts to restore the American chestnut while preserving the traits that made it such an important forest tree. Could the American chestnut return to eastern forests within our lifetime? Researchers believe the latest advances give that long-running restoration effort a better chance. Listen to learn what happened to this once-common tree—and why scientists now have renewed hope for its future.  The written article is available on my website here: ruththornton.com.   Key points: 0:31- American chestnuts once dominated forests in the eastern U.S. 1:51 - Why care about American chestnuts? 2:30 - Chestnut blight arrives in North America in the late 1800s 3:47 - Using genetic data to speed up breeding 4:23 - Could purely native trees be bred to be resistant? 5:22 - What the future holds   Links to resources: -       Westbrook et al., 2026: Genomic advances to accelerate American chestnut restoration. Science, 391(6786): 730-735. -       The American Chestnut Foundation: History of the American chestnut tree. -       State University of New York: Chestnut blight. Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum:Did American chestnut really dominate the Eastern Forest? Get full access to Nature Signals at ruththornton.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Aug 28

    The State of Nature Update #29

    In this edition of Nature Signals, we explore some of the latest stories shaping our understanding of biodiversity, wildlife and conservation around the world. The episode begins with the wandering glider dragonfly, also known as the globe skimmer, which can cross oceans and travel up to 18,000 kilometers (11,000 miles) across multiple generations—making it the longest-known insect migration. We then examine how climate change is fueling bigger and hotter wildfires across the western United States, transforming local forests. But intentionally set prescribed burns may help protect fire-adapted ecosystems and giant sequoias, counteracting some of the devastating effects of warming temperatures. The episode also looks at how animals are evolving in response to human environments, from changes in urban birds and lizards to declining aggression in raccoons. Another story considers whether animal cultures and learned behaviors should play a greater role in wildlife conservation and Endangered Species Act decisions. Finally, we report on an ambitious bird flu vaccination program for little penguins in Australia, highlighting the growing conservation challenges facing wildlife. The written article is available on my website here: ruththornton.com. Key points: 0:40 - Globe-trotting dragonfly migrates farther than any other insect. 2:53 - Forest fires are getting hotter, transforming forests. 4:12 - Prescribed fires can help save giant sequoias from climate change-fueled forest fires. 5:35 - Proximity to humans supercharges evolution for some animals. 7:19 - Should we consider animals' culture in conservation decisions? 8:53 - 1,000 wild penguins get bird flu vaccines in Australia Links to articles and other resources: The Guardian, 8/8/2026, by Patrick Barkham: "Fearless and quietly astonishing': the dragonfly that migrates further than any other insect. Mongabay, 11/10/2021, by Neha Jain: High-flying dragons: how the globe skimmer migrates across the Indian Ocean.  Troast et al., 2016: A global population genetic study of Pantala flavescens. PLoS One, 11(3): e0148949. The New York Times, 8/23/2026, by Eric Niiler: Bigger, hotter fires are slowly erasing America's great forests.  Kodero, Felzer and Shi, 2024: Future transition from forests to shrublands and grasslands in the western United States is expected to reduce carbon storage. Communications Earth and the Environment, 5(78). Anthropocene Magazine, 7/29/2026, by Warren Cornwall: How to save giant sequoias: burn the forest around it first.  Dixon et al., 2026: Previous prescribed burns saved thousands of ancient sequoias during historically unprecedented wildfires. Nature Communications, 17: 8558. BBC, 8/6/2026, by Lucy Sherriff: Extreme evolution: The animals evolving at super speed to survive The Revelator, 8/12/2026, by John R. Platt: Conserving Culture in Endangered Species. Jennings, Harl and Carter, 2026: Implications of non-human animal culture for laws and policies affecting wildlife conservation in the USA. Oryx, 2026: 1-4. The Guardian, 8/24/2026, by Petra Stock: How do you vaccinate 1,000 tiny penguins against bird flu in the wild? It's 'really tricky' but there is a way. Get full access to Nature Signals at ruththornton.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Aug 21

    Can you trust the FSC label? What research says about sustainable wood

    Is FSC-certified wood really better for forests and wildlife? The Forest Stewardship Council is widely regarded as one of the strongest forest-certification systems, but what does the science actually show? In this episode, we examine a recent study of mammals in FSC-certified eucalyptus plantations in Portugal. Researchers found that wildlife generally favored healthier vegetation and avoided harvested areas and vegetation edges. But most species did not prefer designated conservation zones. We also look at the broader scientific evidence, which is limited and mixed. Some studies have found environmental benefits from FSC certification, while others have found little difference between certified and non-certified forests. Importantly, the Portuguese study did not compare FSC-certified forests with non-certified forests, so it cannot determine whether certification itself caused better conditions for wildlife. But experts generally agree that while not perfect, FSC certification is generally beneficial for wildlife and forests and remains the highest standard for certification programs. The evidence suggests it remains a meaningful tool for promoting more responsible forest management - and is likely a better choice than uncertified logging. The written article is available on my website here: ruththornton.com. Key points: 1:48 - What FSC certification actually means 3:19 - Wildlife in a Portuguese FSC-certified forest 5:35 - Conservation zones are not all equal 7:08 - Broader research about forest certification 9:12 - Should you buy FSC-certified wood products? Get full access to Nature Signals at ruththornton.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Aug 14

    Biodiversity is declining. Conservation works. So what's holding us back?

    We hear a lot about climate change, but far less about another global environmental crisis: biodiversity loss. Species are disappearing, ecosystems are changing and nature is under growing pressure—yet the biodiversity crisis receives much less media attention. Why aren’t we talking about it more? And could better storytelling, including more coverage of conservation successes, help turn concern about nature into action? In this episode of Nature Signals, we explore why the biodiversity crisis is overlooked—and why there are reasons for both urgency and hope. Biodiversity loss is serious, but the story isn't all doom and gloom. Conservation works—and those success stories may be some of the most important environmental stories we can tell. You can read the written article on my website here. Key points: 0:56 - We hardly hear about conservation successes. 2:10 - Nature needs our help. 3:46 - Neglect by the media. 5:16 - Climate change vs. biodiversity loss? 6:53 - The public generally values nature. 7:51 - How to deliver the message.   Links to resources: ·       United Nations, 5/6/2019: UN report: Nature’s dangerous decline ‘unprecedented;’ species extinction rates ‘accelerating.‘ ·       International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. ·       ScienceDaily, 1/20/2012: Biodiversity crisis is worse than climate change, experts say. ·       Legagneux et al., 2018: Our house is burning: Discrepancy in climate change vs. biodiversity coverage in the media as compared to scientific literature. ·       Zaccai and Adams, 2012: How far are biodiversity loss and climate change similar as policy issues? ·       Lees, Attwood and Phalan, 2020: Biodiversity scientists must fight the creeping rise of extinction denial. ·       United Nations, 2024: World must act faster to protect 30% of the planet by 2030. ·       The Guardian, 9/16/2010: Public awareness of the biodiversity crisis is virtually non-existent. ·       World Economic Forum, 2026: Global Risks Report 2026. ·       UK Government, 2026: Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security. A national security assessment. ·       Center for Biological Diversity: The elements of biodiversity. ·       The Nature Conservancy, 2022: America the Beautiful. ·       The Conversation, 4/28/2019, by Tanya Latty and Timothy Lee: How many species on Earth? Why that’s a simple question but hard to answer. ·       Michigan Natural Features Inventory, 2008: Biodiversity assessment of Michigan technical report. ·       Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, 2014: Status and trends of Michigan’s wetlands: Pre-European settlement to 2005. Get full access to Nature Signals at ruththornton.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Aug 7

    Insect declines began decades earlier than scientists thought, study finds

    For decades, scientists have warned of dramatic insect declines, but new research suggests the crisis began much earlier than researchers realized. Drawing on nearly a century of records, researchers found that butterfly and deadwood beetle diversity in Switzerland has been declining since the 1930s—raising concerns that studies tracking changes over a couple of decades may underestimate the true scale of global biodiversity loss. In this episode, we examine how intensive agriculture, logging, habitat loss and climate change have shaped insect populations over the last 90 years, why butterflies have struggled to recover while some deadwood beetles have recovered, and what the ‘shifting baseline syndrome’ means for conservation around the world. The findings also offer encouraging evidence that habitat restoration and biodiversity-friendly forest management can help reverse declines for some species. The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, was led by researchers at Agroscope and involved scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), the University of Zurich, the University of Basel and other research institutions. The research draws on the remarkable long-term records maintained by Switzerland's info fauna database. If you've heard warnings about an ‘insect apocalypse,’ this episode explains why scientists now believe the story began decades earlier—and why understanding the past may be the key to protecting biodiversity in the future. You can find the written article on my webpage. Key points: 0:52 - Analyzing butterfly and beetle occurrences in Switzerland over the last century 1:55 - Identifying population trends and relating them to changes in the environment and climate 3:13 - Widespread declines in butterflies and beetles through the 1950s 4:16 - Butterfly and beetle declines had different drivers 4:57 - Conservation measures likely stopped the decline 5:27 - Warmer temperatures may benefit heat-loving species 6:17 - Climate change effects on animals and plants are complicated 6:48 - Shifting baselines may hold back conservation efforts   Links to more information: ·       Neff et al., 2026. Ninety-year trends reveal sharpest insect declines in the mid-twentieth century. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 10:1103-1113. ·       Zhou et al., 2023. Long-term insect censuses capture progressive loss of ecosystem functioning in East Asia. Science Advances, 9(5):eade9341. ·       Goulson, 2019. The insect apocalypse, and why it matters. Current Biology, 29(19):R967-R971. ·       Soga and Gaston, 2018. Shifting baseline syndrome: causes, consequences and implications. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 16(4): 222-230. ·       Hallmann et al., 2017. More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas. PLoS ONE, 12:e0185809. ·       info fauna, Swiss National Fauna Databank. Get full access to Nature Signals at ruththornton.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Jul 30

    The State of Nature Update #28

    In this episode, we cover five stories from around the world of wildlife and conservation. India's tiger population is booming—but can conservation keep pace with development? We discuss the growing need to protect tiger reserves and connecting habitat corridors that tigers rely on to survive, including through wildlife crossings that guide animals over or under major highways. We also uncover new discoveries about one of the planet's most elusive big cats, the Sunda clouded leopard, that roams the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, examine surprising research into how female chickadees choose the most intelligent males as mates (even if that means straying outside their long-term pair bond), learn that migratory birds continue to decline despite decades of conservation work, though technological advances in monitoring and coordinated international actions by governments, conservation organizations and individuals could reverse the trend. Finally, we look at a new study that found that individual climate-friendly actions do not reduce support for collective action or broader environmental policies. Key points: 0:57 - India's tigers are increasing, but protecting and connecting their habitats is the next struggle. 3:39 - Elusive Sunda clouded leopards, ‘ghosts of the forests,’ caught on camera, providing new insights. 5:42 - Female chickadees cheat on their mates with smarter males. 7:52 - Half of migratory bird species are declining, but comprehensive conservation actions could reverse the trend. 9:55 - Personal pro-environmental actions don’t hurt larger climate engagement or policy support after all.   Links to articles and resources: ·       Mongabay, 7/28/2026, by Nirmal Ghosh: India's tiger numbers are rising. Protecting their pathways is next. ·       Wildlife Institute of India ·       International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List: Tiger (Panthera tigris) ·       Science, 6/26/2015, by Kai Kupferschmidt: Controversial study claims there are only two types of tiger. ·       World Wide Fund for Nature: Tigers ·       Scientific American, 7/17/2026, by Douglas Main: Exclusive: See unprecedented images of Sunda clouded leopards, the 'ghosts of the forest.' ·       Kasper et al., 2026: Estimating Sunda clouded leopard lifespans from minimum residence times via long-term photo-tracking. Biotropica 58(2): e70169. ·       International Union for Conservation of Nature: Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) ·       The New York Times, 7/2/2026, by Annie Roth: Cheating chickadees are seduced by smarts.  ·       Branch et al., 2026: Male chickadees with better spatial cognition sire more extra-pair young. eLife 15:RP110905. ·       The Conversation, 7/22/2026, by Peter Marra and Nathan W. Cooper: More than half of Earth's migratory bird species are declining - here's how we can still save them. ·       Marra et al., 2026. Status, threats and conservation of Earth's migratory birds. Nature Reviews Biodiversity (2026). ·       Road to Recovery - Saving our Shared Birds, an initiative focused on the recovery of declining birds in the U.S. and Canada. ·       Anthropocene Magazine, 7/28/2026, by Sarah DeWeerdt: Do small climate habits help or hurt the bigger cause? What a 4-year study found. ·       Ghasemi et al., 2026: Personal climate actions do not crowd out collective action and policy support: longitudinal evidence. NPJ Climate Action 5:62. Get full access to Nature Signals at ruththornton.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Jul 23

    Sea Otters Once Escaped Extinction. Can They Survive Forever Chemicals?

    Sea otters are one of the Pacific Ocean's most beloved animals, but new research suggests they face a growing threat from PFAS, also called ‘forever chemicals.’ In this episode, we explore a study that found every sea otter examined by biologists along the coast of British Columbia contained PFAS contamination, with the highest concentrations detected in animals found near urban areas and busy shipping lanes. We explain why sea otters are much more than charismatic marine mammals. As a keystone species, they help control sea urchin populations, allowing kelp forests to flourish. Those underwater forests provide habitat for countless marine species, su pport fisheries, reduce coastal erosion and capture significant amounts of carbon. Scientists are concerned that if PFAS pollution weakens sea otter populations, the entire coastal ecosystem could be affected. The episode also examines what PFAS are, why they are known as "forever chemicals," how they enter the marine food web, and the health problems they have been linked to in both wildlife and humans. We also look at the remarkable recovery of sea otters after they were nearly hunted to extinction during the fur trade and why pollution may become one of the next major challenges to their long-term survival. Key points: 1:04 - Why should we care about sea otters? 2:16 - Near-extinction of sea otters in the early 1900s. 3:19 - Partial recovery following legal protections. 4:02 - Pollution has replaced hunting as one of the main threats. 4:26 - ‘Forever chemicals’ found in sea otters. 5:14 - Health impacts of PFAS in sea otters. Links to more information: Price et al., 2025. Concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Canadian sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are higher near urban centers. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 45(1): 80-91. Gregr et al., 2020. Cascading social-ecological costs and benefits triggered by a recovering keystone predator. Science, 368(6496): 1243-1247. Kannan, Perrotta and Thomas, 2006: Association between perfluorinated compounds and pathological conditions in southern sea otters. Environmental Science & Technology, 40(16):4943-4948. Shukla et al., 2023. The diversity if animals identified as keystone species. Ecology and Evolution, 13(10):e10561. PFAS - Environmental Working Group info PFAS - European Commission info PFAS - U.S. EPA info Get full access to Nature Signals at ruththornton.substack.com/subscribe

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About

A newsletter about nature, the animals and plants that share the world with us and the human actions affecting it - both good and bad. ruththornton.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Ruth Thornton
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ruth Thornton LLC
  • Show Website
    Nature Signals Podcast