Student retreat and student conference @ BASHANG
Last week, our research group headed to the beautiful Bashang Grassland for a joint student conference with Dr. Wenyuan Zhang’s ZIEL group. It was a wonderful opportunity to step away from the lab, immerse ourselves in nature, and share the science we’ve been working on.
Each member of our group presented their ongoing research, and I couldn’t be prouder of the fantastic work they’ve been doing:
Jie Hui walked us through a review on the effects of fluctuating temperatures on insect overwintering—a timely topic as we think about climate variability.
ZeRu Gong tackled the fascinating relationship between phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary change, sparking some great discussions.
WeiMing Lin introduced the idea of failed trophic interactions as an overlooked ecological force—thought-provoking stuff!
Chen Tian shared his findings on thermal sensitivity in single- versus mixed-species contexts (yes, the one with 20,000+ flies!).
JiaYi Liu presented results from an insect biodiversity survey on XinJiZhou Island, offering a local perspective on community composition and human disturbance.
I also present a new collaborative project that I am myself learning as I am doing! It’s about the joint biodiversity and economic pressure on marine bivalves.
We also learned a great deal from Wenyuan’s group, whose presentations on macro-ecological patterns and methodological cautions in biodiversity studies were insightful. It’s always a pleasure to exchange ideas with fellow ecologists who share a passion for understanding the natural world.
Of course, it wasn’t all work! We made sure to spend time on the stunning grassland: enjoying the fresh air, breathtaking views, and even horse riding. The retreat was a perfect blend of science, collaboration, and fun, and I returned feeling inspired and grateful for such a wonderful team.
Looking forward to the next one already! (tentively TianMu Mountain at ZheJiang)
