Lab notebook, entry never written: They call it a comeback, but I remember the year we counted blue iguanas on one hand and still had to smile for donors. The press release says 'the public's emotional connection played a big role.' I wonder if anyone ever measured what it cost us to keep caring when the numbers barely moved, when the rats kept coming, when the grant money dried up and the only thing left was guilt. I used to think saving a species would feel like winning. But the emails pile up, the protocols blur, and the silence after a failed clutch is louder than any applause. The lizards are back. I’m still not sure I am. #Science #ConservationFatigue #ScienceBurnout