You may wish to share the following useful initiatives and ideas with your networks if they are affected by the shutdown. 

 

January 10, 2019 Message from the Ecological Society of America regarding the government shutdown.

 

Dear ESA Members,

 

ESA is thinking about its members who are affected by the partial government shutdown: federal workers, contract workers, collaborators, and students. We are concerned about the shutdown's impact on science and also how it is personally affecting our members. We hope your daily life returns to normal as soon as possible and the government agencies reopen quickly.

 

Until then, many members of the ESA community want to know how they can support their colleagues or help support the federal research enterprise, whether it's serving as a temporary host for a graduate student, collecting samples, checking on field sites, or hosting meet-ups to break the isolation of those affected. ESA is facilitating member-to-member sharing by collecting offers of assistance and resources in this form to share with those affected on an Ecotone virtual bulletin board.

 

For those of you in DC, ESA is hosting a casual networking lunch in the ESA office for any member who wants to attend Monday, January 14, 12 pm, 1990 M Street NW, Suite 700. Please RSVP to alison@esa.org by Friday afternoon if possible.

 

ESA is collecting updates and publishing them on a "Shutdown Stories" blogpost about how the federal government shutdown is affecting the ecological and biological sciences. We request that you send us short posts and we would appreciate a photo if one is available. ESA can publish your contribution anonymously or give you attribution. Please consider whether using your personal or work email account is appropriate when contacting ESA at alison@esa.org.

 

Scientists and all constituents are encouraged to contact their representatives in Congress so that elected officials understand how the shutdown is affecting their district or state. Contact information for all Members of Congress can be found on the House and Senate websites.

 

 

Laura Huenneke

President

Ecological Society of America