Obi-Wan Kenobi’s legendary line from the original Star Wars: A New Hope, thwarted the probing questions of the stormtroopers looking for R2-D2 and C-3PO, and captured the hearts and souls of fans across the galaxy. The art of persuasion through the redirection of thought and energy can sway most minds that are not sealed against it. In these times where science-fiction is a part of our everyday lives, it can be easy to lose sight of just how easily we can be redirected by programming, marketing, and artificial intelligence. We are constantly being mined for data so we can be groomed as better customers.

Updated on 10/02/2019:  On September 12, 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency finalized its repeal of a 2015 Obama Rule for jurisdictional WOTUS by the federal government.  This change will largely impact the 22 states where the Obama Rule has been in effect.  This decision will create nationwide regulatory confusion and lawsuits.  I will continue to stay abreast of the details and provide relevant updates on new publications.

As the Chief Scientific Officer of Ecobot, it is crucial that I address the pending changes to the rules of implementation of the Clean Water Act proposed by the current administration.  While all regulations must be occasionally looked at in order to evolve with the times, the proposed changes, if implemented, would be a great tragedy to the both the environment and the economy of the United States.  The proposed changes to the protection of “the Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) would be a major backward step in responsible progress of our country and the world at large.

Water demands my presence. 

I cannot go anyplace where some water feature does not speak to me in some fashion or another. 

The sound of the sea on a sandy beach at sunset is rich with longing and a sense of timelessness. 

The gentle waves of a lake shoreline beckon to the dreamer in my heart and mind. 

Roaring waterfalls beg to be allowed to pound on my head and shoulders, or to sing me to sleep. 

Salt marshes beckon to the anxious spirit through a languid breeze - tossing the slender necks of miles of graminoids basking in the full sun. 

Backwater swamps wait patiently for the canoe, while headwaters forested wetlands and seeps sing with seasonal abundance to the bold, adventurous, and imaginative.

I have just returned with my team from conducting wetlands monitoring in the field in Scandinavia. Since 2005, I have been part of a team of scientists and citizens monitoring changes in population demographics of vascular species in Lapland. Lapland is the home of the Sámi people, the indigenous reindeer herders of northern Scandinavia and Russia in the Arctic Circle, and is also considered to be the cleanest environment on Earth. Our monitoring project has been based in Rovaniemi, Finland, and spans into Norway and Sweden.

"Intent reveals desire; action reveals commitment."
~ Steve Maraboli

We are excited to announce the launch of Ecobot publications, created to help foster a greater sense of community and conversation around wetlands and water. These pubs will, for the most part, be written by me: Jeremy, the Chief Scientific Officer of Ecobot. As an ecologist and botanist, I have over 16 years of experience in ecological assessments, wetland delineations & stream assessments for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), botanical inventories, remote sensing/modeling, and conservation planning in the Americas, the Middle East, and Europe. I’ll also be collaborating with the broader scientific and tech community on these publications. In fact, if you’re interested in co-authoring something that our community would benefit from, please feel free to reach out to me at jeremy@ecobotapp.com.