Here's a new blog post on the Indianapolis Zoo website to re-live our #WorldWaterRun adventures!
Ft. Indiana waterways, hiking, running, birdwatching, conferences, dogs, sunshine & lots of fun!
@minaguli.bsky.social @runblueofficial.bsky.social
www.indianapoliszoo.com/.../world-wa...
Voting closes on 4 April @ 1:30pm Eastern Time. Till then, vote daily for your favorite!
There is a widespread belief that only birds & mammals can win a competition such as this. This is a great opportunity to disprove this (in my books BS) theory.
If you love an underdog/underbug story - now is the time to vote!
#UproarChallenge
It's the FINAL ROUND of the Indianapolis Zoo Uproar Conservation Challenge! Four species - who will win?
Two of my favorites are still in the competition: the Bolivian Ornate Tiger Beetle & the Kyrgyzstan Wild Tulip!
The BOZIBE v TULIP match up will no doubt break my heart. I am torn between these two, and it's neck and neck...
WEST AFRICAN SLENDER-SNOUTED CROC
It's a croc that sings, nay, duets! And males/females can reverse their roles in the duets. I picture Sonny & Cher - I got you babe!
MOOREAN VIVPAROUS TREE SNAIL
AMAZING good news story: was Extinct in the Wild but conservationists have worked tirelessly for a VERY LONG TIME to bring this species back to the wild. And they did it! @zslofficial.bsky.social @zslscience.bsky.social
SPIKY YELLOW WOODLOUSE
Just LOOK at it, it's a rockstar! This funky dude is important to its native ecosystem, the cloud forest on St Helena, where it is busy helping with nutrient cycling, amongst other things! #DYK it also glows in the dark (under UV light)?
QUEEN ALEXANDRA BIRDWING
Not just a "queen" but also pretty much as big, tip to tip, as a ruler (a standard 30 cm one)! Largest butterfly in the world!
SULAWESI CARDINAL SHRIMP
It's bright red like Indiana's state bird, the Cardinal! It lives in the ancient Malili Lake system in Sulawesi, Indonesia! These ancient lakes are true evolutionary laboratories of freshwater life with many unique species that do not exist elsewhere!
The @IndianapolisZoo Uproar Conservation Challenge is in Round 3 & the battles are (mainly) tight!
Voting for this round closes 26 March @ 23:59 Eastern Time. uproar.indianapoliszoo.com #UproarChallenge
Let me introduce some of our competitors!
ROUND 2 of the #UproarChallenge is here! Thorny Seahorse is still in the running thanks to you, but we need your votes to keep the momentum going. Vote at uproarchallenge.com & help us advance to Round 3, earning us conservation funding!
🚨🚨🚨Publication alert! 🚨🚨🚨
Taking a breather from #uproarchallenge, there's a new paper online today that was several years in the making (all the best papers are!):
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
ALWAYS!
Shoutout to the great effort of Team MOSTFUNACTION! Their posts look much more scenic! :-) @mostfun.bsky.social @funaction.bsky.social @isabelrfernandes.bsky.social
We rounded off the conference with many interesting talks, networking & a lot of coffee - before I walked home to reach a total of 10.7 km of shuttling to & from in the name of #freshwater #conservation! That counts towards #worldwaterrun, right? @runblueofficial.bsky.social @minaguli.bsky.social
A quick lunchtime Bikeshare bike ride to let the dog out added a few more kms. #DYK the White River Alliance Clear Choices Clean Water campaign can give you tips on how to act on behalf of clean water! Like picking up your dog's 💩! thewhiteriveralliance.org/programs/cle....
I gave a presentation about our AZA SAFE program for North American Freshwater Mussels. #WorldWaterRun bib of course made an appearance!
It's Day 2 of #WorldWaterRun & some members of Team
Indianapolis Zoo were attending the Indiana Academy of Science Annual Meeting. I tried to make the most of a day spent mostly indoors - starting with an early morning walk to the meeting venue!
Shoutout to Team IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee & Team MOSTFUNACTION who also LOVE LOVE LOVE aquatic fungi & are also taking part in #WorldWaterRun!
@mostfun.bsky.social @funaction.bsky.social @minaguli.bsky.social @runblueofficial.bsky.social
There's a lot of wildlife to be spotted, turtles, beavers, mink, bald eagles, + much more, especially under the water's surface, all in an urban setting! The
Indianapolis Zoo recently funded a project sampling the White River for aquatic fungi, too! Also - fish art!
The White River is right on our zoo's doorstep. The White River Trail runs past/alongside the Urban Wilderness Trail and past Indy’s first Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. It was designated the first Certified Sustainable Trail by the Indiana Wildlife Federation!
And we're off!
#WorldWaterRun is underway so we enjoyed the sunshine along the White River right here in the heart of Indianapolis. Team Indianapolis Zoo is off to a good start with the first 4.1 km (x4) in the bag!
@shoalorg.bsky.social @niemiller.bsky.social
ROUND 2 is open in the Indianapolis Zoo Uproar Conservation Challenge. Our Hoosier Cavefish sailed through Round 1 but is facing a very tough battle in Round 2! Please share & vote! Voting ends March 23!
uproar.indianapoliszoo.com
I’m joining the #WorldWaterRun from 20-22 March with Team Indianapolis Zoo!🌍💧
Water shapes all of our lives - in my case also my work life in #freshwater conservation, but many of the water systems that we & other species rely on are in crisis!
@runblueofficial.bsky.social @minaguli.bsky.social
🚨FINAL FEW HOURS OF VOTING IN ROUND 1🚨
Scores are tight in these 3 matchups!
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing v Green Pitcher Plant
Horseshoe Crab v Bozibe
African Manatee v Nubian Flapshell Turtle
Vote: uproar.indianapoliszoo.com
#uproarchallenge @iucnbutterflysg.bsky.social
@mycologyjapan.bsky.social @mycopat.bsky.social @ausmycsoc.bsky.social @myco-microbio.bsky.social @mycotae.bsky.social @mycologycorner.bsky.social @sally-mycology.bsky.social @mycologist.bsky.social @newyorkmyc.org @britmycolsoc.org.uk @cascademyco.bsky.social @msafungi.bsky.social
@iucnaquafungi.bsky.social @bes-aquaticgroup.bsky.social @mostfun.bsky.social @funaction.bsky.social @freshwaterblog.bsky.social @iucnfungi.bsky.social @igb-berlin.de @isabelrfernandes.bsky.social @jandbio.bsky.social @lauragarzoli.bsky.social
EVERYBODY LOVES AN UNDERDOG STORY! You can read more about the discovery of the Indiana Sooty-Spored Freshwater Fungus in this blog post! Then vote for this amazing species that's been hiding in plain (well, wet) sight for so long! uproar.indianapoliszoo.com
www.indianapoliszoo.com/gcss/blog/zo...