State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Ecology58

  • Arboreally Speaking, Does Age Matter?

    Arboreally Speaking, Does Age Matter?

    “There is unrest in the forest, there is trouble with the trees“…I will mostly spare you one of the more ecologically correct, forest ecology rock tunes (the next two lines, however, “For the maples want more sunlight, and the oaks ignore their pleas,” written in 1978, seem incredibly prescient given that one of the first…

  • Summer Ecosystem Experience for Undergraduates

    Summer Ecosystem Experience for Undergraduates

    CERC is now accepting applications for the Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates.

  • Crash Land Home for the Holidays

    Crash Land Home for the Holidays

    As holidays approach and we plan our ‘seasonal’ migrations to see our families, many other species are making their own migrations — though with a few more snafus than we humans might hit.

  • The Shock of the New

    The Shock of the New

    During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a host of naturalist-explorers traveled around the globe in a quest to identify new species. We interview science writer Richard Conniff, who evokes this grand age of discovery in The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth, just released in paperback.

  • A Chat With Shahid Naeem, CERC’s Director of Science

    A Chat With Shahid Naeem, CERC’s Director of Science

    In candid conversation, wrought with his usual humor and wit, Dr. Shahid Naeem, CERC’s Director of Science, discusses topics ranging from the critical role of life on Earth and trends in sustainability to Taylor Swift, his own personal “Science Hall of Fame” and being called a tree-hugger.

  • Climate Change On The Street

    Climate Change On The Street

    Two students in CERC’s Executive Education Program explore public perceptions of climate change and science communication.

  • Nature & Naturalists, an Ode to Adirondack Color

    Nature & Naturalists, an Ode to Adirondack Color

    There was a nice article in the NY Times on the Adirondack State Park whose title initially focused readers on how climate change could alter the park’s ecosystems. However, by the time you get to the end of the article, and luckily for us, you get to know Jerry Jenkins, one of the best naturalists…

  • Glow in the Dark Creepy Crawlers

    Glow in the Dark Creepy Crawlers

    Deep in the ocean, in the absence of penetrable sunlight, nature produces a spectacular light show. The glowing orbs seemingly dance in the night, uniting to form an awe-inspiring rainbow of greens, blues, and yellows. To cope with darkness, we turn on a flashlight or light a candle; deep-sea marine life evolved their own strategy:…

  • The Buzz on Elephants

    The Buzz on Elephants

    African-born, Oxford-trained biologist Lucy King recently won an award for a promising solution to a longstanding problem in Africa—elephants raiding crops.

Overhead view of Columbia campus with text Columbia Climate School Class Day 2026: Congratulations Graduates

Congratulations to our Columbia Climate School Class of 2026 and all of our 2026 Columbia University graduates! Learn more about our May 15 Climate School Class Day celebration. 💙 #Columbia2026 #ColumbiaClimate2026

  • Arboreally Speaking, Does Age Matter?

    Arboreally Speaking, Does Age Matter?

    “There is unrest in the forest, there is trouble with the trees“…I will mostly spare you one of the more ecologically correct, forest ecology rock tunes (the next two lines, however, “For the maples want more sunlight, and the oaks ignore their pleas,” written in 1978, seem incredibly prescient given that one of the first…

  • Summer Ecosystem Experience for Undergraduates

    Summer Ecosystem Experience for Undergraduates

    CERC is now accepting applications for the Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates.

  • Crash Land Home for the Holidays

    Crash Land Home for the Holidays

    As holidays approach and we plan our ‘seasonal’ migrations to see our families, many other species are making their own migrations — though with a few more snafus than we humans might hit.

  • The Shock of the New

    The Shock of the New

    During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a host of naturalist-explorers traveled around the globe in a quest to identify new species. We interview science writer Richard Conniff, who evokes this grand age of discovery in The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth, just released in paperback.

  • A Chat With Shahid Naeem, CERC’s Director of Science

    A Chat With Shahid Naeem, CERC’s Director of Science

    In candid conversation, wrought with his usual humor and wit, Dr. Shahid Naeem, CERC’s Director of Science, discusses topics ranging from the critical role of life on Earth and trends in sustainability to Taylor Swift, his own personal “Science Hall of Fame” and being called a tree-hugger.

  • Climate Change On The Street

    Climate Change On The Street

    Two students in CERC’s Executive Education Program explore public perceptions of climate change and science communication.

  • Nature & Naturalists, an Ode to Adirondack Color

    Nature & Naturalists, an Ode to Adirondack Color

    There was a nice article in the NY Times on the Adirondack State Park whose title initially focused readers on how climate change could alter the park’s ecosystems. However, by the time you get to the end of the article, and luckily for us, you get to know Jerry Jenkins, one of the best naturalists…

  • Glow in the Dark Creepy Crawlers

    Glow in the Dark Creepy Crawlers

    Deep in the ocean, in the absence of penetrable sunlight, nature produces a spectacular light show. The glowing orbs seemingly dance in the night, uniting to form an awe-inspiring rainbow of greens, blues, and yellows. To cope with darkness, we turn on a flashlight or light a candle; deep-sea marine life evolved their own strategy:…

  • The Buzz on Elephants

    The Buzz on Elephants

    African-born, Oxford-trained biologist Lucy King recently won an award for a promising solution to a longstanding problem in Africa—elephants raiding crops.