Biodiversity on the Brink: Ecological Rhythms & Human Urgency - Jonathan Tonkin | Rapid Response #20

For as much as I bemoan the attention fracture that occurs on social media, there are times I’m so grateful for it; I discovered the work of Jonathan Tonkin through a Substack Note about ecosystem services—the financial value that the natural world provides, which is vast and yet is barely ever accounted for under capitalist economics (on that note: please be sure to bookmark my conversation with Alyssa Battistoni on the ‘free gifts’ of nature).

While we’re at it, please subscribe to his incredible newsletter, Predirections, right now: https://predirections.substack.com/

Fast forward and I was lucky that he agreed to join me for a discussion on biodiversity, and in particular his research on freshwater biodiversity. This is one of those subjects that is massively important (to put it mildly!), yet doesn’t get quite as much airtime as more “charismatic” crises like climate change. As Jono explains: it's the "foundation for our very existence."

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There’s a lot here, including a discussion about the wonder of braided rivers and broader questions around how we balance “human urgency” and “ecological rhythms,” advocating for what he calls “patient urgency.” We also get into his journey on Substack, and how he balances the differing demands of being an academic and a public communicator. Also he just got a new dog! All to say: if you’re like me, you’ll leave this conversation feeling both inspired and ready to take action in your own life to protect what is precious on this planet.

BIO: I love that Professor Tonkin shares his bio in the first person, so I’m copying that here for you:

I’m Jonathan Tonkin (Jono for short) — an ecologist and biodiversity scientist at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, where I’m a Professor and Rutherford Discovery Fellow.

My research has spanned continents and ecosystems, but I’ve always returned to one core question: How do we predict and adapt to environmental change in a way that supports life — all life?

I’ve spent much of my career documenting biodiversity loss, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Now, I’m pivoting toward solutions: redirecting effort, exploring policy levers, and amplifying the science that can help us adapt. After publishing 100 peer-reviewed papers — including in Nature and Science — I want to share what I’ve learned beyond academia: translating the latest science into plain language, before it even reaches the headlines, to inform, inspire, and equip a wider community.

I’m also a parent of two young kids. That perspective shapes everything I write.

You can learn more about my research and lab at tonkinlab.org — we focus on biodiversity science for a changing world.

🏆 Recently, I was honoured with the New Zealand Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize.

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