October 2026 Newsletter
the power of PLACE
From Observation to Understanding
In her October letter, Executive Director Jeni Blacklock, PhD, reflects on what decades of watching reveal about a changing world.
Ian Billick | PhD
Executive Director, RMBL
sciencestories
Eureka Moments at Mexican Cut
Howard Whiteman, PhD; Kelsey Reider, PhD; Hamish Greig, PhD; and Amanda Klemmer, PhD, share what years of study at the Mexican Cut Preserve have uncovered, from glowing salamanders to a caddisfly on the move.
Alumni Stories – October 2026
Voices of RMBL: Diane Thomson and How One RMBL Summer Can Shape a Future
Diane Thomson spent just one undergraduate summer at RMBL, and the lessons she took home about community and long-term data have shaped a career studying how ecosystems change.
Field Notes — October 2026
Butterflies, Serendipity, and Collaboration
RMBL researcher Carol Boggs, PhD, set out to study what attracts male Mormon fritillary butterflies. That work grew into a summer of high-speed video, hyperspectral photos, and a trade of hummingbird footage for butterfly images.