SciencePursuit

Overview Over the last few weeks I have attended eight different lectures/webinars/discussions on varying topics so that I might obtain greater knowledge on different topics and career paths.   The aim was to give me more insight into what I want to do, or don't want to do, so I am not left floundering after university. [Credit: Vecteezy ] The eight blogs produced are:  [Credit: Erzebet S ] Climate change and its impact on ectotherms - I enjoyed this talk but I am still unsure about how it will impact career choice. There is an unfortunate stigma amongst the public and some politicians that its not true, despite it being a growing concern. Climate change is a very large conservation issue, however I may not choose that path because it will likely negatively impact my mental health. 

  What is ecological restoration? Ecological restoration is "the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed" - Society for Ecological Restoration .    Today I attended a webinar by  Patricia Holmes  from Botanical Society of South Africa who discusses the ecosystem restoration in South Africa.  [Credit: University of Idaho ] Why should be restore ecosystems? Restoring ecosystems is not only beneficial for wildlife but for humans as well.  Clean air and water, healthy soils for crop production, and climate regulation through carbon sequestration are just some of the ways humans can benefit.    The UN has declared 2021-2030 the Decade on Restoration . This is because we are at a critical point, where if we do not do something now, it will be too late.  This is really put into view by the WWF living planet report 2020 75% of earths ice free land has been altered by humans More than 85% of earths wetlands have been destroyed  M