On Earth Day, while many of my friends and colleagues don lab coats and hoist signs celebrating science in Washington, D.C., and around the world, I will not be joining them. It's not that I don't support the March for Science; I do. I hope that it will showcase scientists' passion and commitment to understanding Earth's diversity, creating knowledge that improves human welfare, and providing evidence for policymakers. I support my fellow scientists who are committing valuable time to march, and I wish I could join them. But while my colleagues march, I will be doing time-sensitive field research in the Colorado backcountry. Everyone must do their part to support science, and for me right now, that means getting out and doing it. ![Figure][1] ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT NEUBECKER > “Everyone must do their part to support science.” As part of my team's research into how climate change affects ecosystems, we study yellow-bellied marmots' annual spring emergence from hibernation. In fact, you could say that I will miss the march because of climate change: The marmots now begin emerging from their hibernation in mid-April, more than a month earlier than they did in the 1970s, and we need to be there to document it. So, tomorrow, I will leave for the field. Over the next few weeks, I will travel on backcountry skis and then sit on the snow for hours, scanning for signs of life. I will shake my arms for warmth and stomp my feet to regain feeling. I will peer through binoculars, squinting against the sun reflecting off the snow. During my chilly vigil, I will watch for marmots tunneling through feet of snow from the pungent warmth of their winter hibernacula into the blinding sunshine. The work sometimes tests my stamina and patience, but I love it. When I started planning this fieldwork season last fall, I was particularly looking forward to it because, for the past few years, administrative responsibilities have prevented me from getting into the field in the spring. Then when I heard about the March for Science, at first I was excited to participate. It was a harsh blow to learn that the march was going to conflict with my long-awaited plans. Yet, although the timing of the march is frustrating, my decision was not difficult. I have committed much of my adult life to long-term field biological research; our marmot emergence project, which we have been conducting for 14 years, builds off a long-term study that began in 1962. Doing this type of work has frequently taken me away from my family and friends for weeks or months at a time, which can be difficult—and can mean that I miss out on activities in the “real world” that I would like to participate in—but for me, it's the right choice. These types of long-term ecological studies provide priceless insights into how the world works. They are also extremely effective for training the next generation of critical thinkers. But despite their importance, they are underfunded and underappreciated. The National Science Foundation is able to allocate only a few million dollars per year to support all of them; much more is needed if society is to have evidence at hand when creating policy to navigate our future. If I were able to attend the march, I'd have binoculars dangling from my neck and a butterfly net in hand, and I would stump for more support for these studies. Instead, while my friends and colleagues are marching, I'll be learning which of my marmot friends survived this year's very heavy snowfall. I'll shed a tear for some and cheer the survival of others. I'll miss the collegiality of the march, but I will sleep well knowing that I am doing my part to train the next generation of critical thinkers and collecting data that may help us learn about the limits that plants and animals face in adapting to a changing environment. And, once my fingers have warmed, I'll write to my friends and ask them how it went. [1]: pending:yes

中文翻译：

---

科学滑雪

在地球日，虽然我的许多朋友和同事在华盛顿特区和世界各地穿上实验室外套并举起庆祝科学的标语，但我不会加入他们的行列。并不是我不支持科学大游行；我做。我希望它能够展示科学家对了解地球多样性、创造改善人类福祉的知识以及为决策者提供证据的热情和承诺。我支持那些投入宝贵时间参加游行的科学家同行，我希望我能加入他们。但是当我的同事们游行时，我将在科罗拉多州的偏远地区进行时间敏感的实地研究。每个人都必须尽自己的一份力量来支持科学，对我来说，现在，这意味着走出去并去做。![图][1] 插图：ROBERT NEUBECKER > “每个人都必须尽自己的一份力量来支持科学。” 作为我的团队研究气候变化如何影响生态系统的一部分，我们研究了黄腹土拨鼠每年春季从冬眠中出现的情况。事实上，你可以说我会因为气候变化而错过游行：土拨鼠现在从 4 月中旬开始从冬眠中醒来，比 1970 年代提前了一个多月，我们需要在那里记录它。所以，明天，我将动身去球场。在接下来的几周里，我将在野外滑雪，然后在雪地上坐上几个小时，寻找生命迹象。我会颤抖双臂取暖，跺着脚恢复感觉。我将通过双筒望远镜凝视着雪反射的太阳。在我寒冷的守夜期间，我会观察土拨鼠从冬天冬眠的刺鼻温暖中穿过雪脚，进入耀眼的阳光。这项工作有时会考验我的耐力和耐心，但我喜欢它。当我去年秋天开始计划这个实地考察季节时，我特别期待它，因为在过去的几年里，行政责任使我无法在春天进入实地。然后当我听说“科学大游行”时，一开始我很兴奋能参加。得知游行将与我期待已久的计划发生冲突，这是一个沉重的打击。然而，虽然游行的时机令人沮丧，但我的决定并不难。我成年后的大部分时间都致力于长期的野外生物学研究；我们已经进行了 14 年的土拨鼠出现项目，建立在 1962 年开始的长期研究的基础上。做这种类型的工作经常让我一次离开家人和朋友数周或数月，这可能很困难——并且可能意味着我错过了我想参与的“现实世界”——但对我来说，这是正确的选择。这些类型的长期生态研究提供了对世界如何运作的无价洞察。它们对于培养下一代批判性思想家也非常有效。但是，尽管它们很重要，但它们的资金不足且未被充分重视。美国国家科学基金会每年只能拨款几百万美元来支持所有这些项目；如果社会要在制定政策以引导我们的未来时手头有证据，则需要更多的东西。如果我能参加游行，我' 我脖子上挂着双筒望远镜，手里拿着一个蝴蝶网，我想为这些研究争取更多支持。相反，当我的朋友和同事在游行时，我将了解哪些土拨鼠朋友在今年的大雪中幸存下来。我会为一些人流泪，为另一些人的生存而欢呼。我会想念这次游行的集体活动，但我会睡得很好，因为我知道我正在尽自己的一份力量来培训下一代批判性思想家，并收集可能有助于我们了解植物和动物在适应环境方面面临的限制的数据变化的环境。而且，一旦我的手指变热，我就会写信给我的朋友，问他们进展如何。[1]：待定：是 当我的朋友和同事在游行时，我将了解哪些土拨鼠朋友在今年的大雪中幸存下来。我会为一些人流泪，为另一些人的生存而欢呼。我会想念这次游行的集体活动，但我会睡得很好，因为我知道我正在尽自己的一份力量来培训下一代批判性思想家，并收集可能有助于我们了解植物和动物在适应环境方面面临的限制的数据变化的环境。而且，一旦我的手指变热，我就会写信给我的朋友，问他们进展如何。[1]：待定：是 当我的朋友和同事在游行时，我将了解哪些土拨鼠朋友在今年的大雪中幸存下来。我会为一些人流泪，为另一些人的生存而欢呼。我会想念这次游行的集体活动，但我会睡得很好，因为我知道我正在尽自己的一份力量来培训下一代批判性思想家，并收集可能有助于我们了解植物和动物在适应环境方面面临的限制的数据变化的环境。而且，一旦我的手指变热，我就会写信给我的朋友，问他们进展如何。[1]：待定：是 但我会睡得很好，因为我知道我正在尽自己的一份力量训练下一代批判性思考者并收集数据，这些数据可能有助于我们了解植物和动物在适应不断变化的环境时面临的限制。而且，一旦我的手指变热，我就会写信给我的朋友，问他们进展如何。[1]：待定：是 但我会睡得很好，因为我知道我正在尽自己的一份力量训练下一代批判性思考者并收集数据，这些数据可能有助于我们了解植物和动物在适应不断变化的环境时面临的限制。而且，一旦我的手指变热，我就会写信给我的朋友，问他们进展如何。[1]：待定：是