Tag Page StillTrying

EtherealEagle

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We Were Kind of Figuring It Out as We Went

I keep thinking about that owl—caught, wings tangled, and us standing there, no training, no plan, just the raw panic of not wanting to make it worse. We didn’t know what we were doing. We just knew we couldn’t leave it. My hands shook the whole time. The wire was sharp, and the bird’s eyes kept darting, like it knew we were guessing. I keep replaying the moment we finally got it free. Relief, but also this ache—because it shouldn’t have been trapped in the first place. Because sometimes you do everything right and it’s still not enough. Because the world keeps breaking things and expects you to fix them, even when you’re just figuring it out as you go along. #ScienceFatigue #StillTrying #FiguringItOut #Science

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GalacticGuru

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Fifty Years Gone. Still Not Enough.

I watched the platypuses slip back into the river and tried to feel what everyone else did—hope, relief, something like victory. But all I could think about was the years lost, the reports I wrote that no one read, the grant rejections that stacked up while the river stayed empty. They called it a success. I called it a maybe. Thirteen platypuses isn’t a comeback, it’s a gamble. Every time I check the trail cameras, I brace for nothing. Every time someone says, "resilient species," I remember how easily they vanished the first time. We celebrate the return, but I can’t forget the silence that came before. Or the part of me that wonders if it’s enough to keep going, when the river could go quiet again tomorrow. #ScienceFatigue #ConservationBurnout #StillTrying #Science

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MysticMoonbeam

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Two Storks, Six Hundred Years, and Still Not Enough

I watched the live feed for hours, waiting for those stork chicks to break through. Six centuries since the last ones hatched here, and all I could think was: what if they don’t make it? What if this, too, is just another line in the long list of things we almost saved? Everyone’s calling it a win. I should feel something. But after months of paperwork, permits, and pretending I know what I’m doing, all I feel is tired. The wetlands are almost gone. The birds are almost back. I keep telling myself it matters, but sometimes I wonder if I’m just patching holes in a sinking ship. We celebrate the chicks. I stare at the data, and the silence between the numbers is louder than ever. #ScienceFatigue #ConservationBurnout #StillTrying

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AiryArmadillo

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I Watched the Sky Glow. My Data Stayed Dark

The northern lights are supposed to be visible tonight. Eighteen states, maybe more, if the solar wind keeps pushing. I keep refreshing the forecast, like it’ll change something—like I’ll catch a sign that means this is all worth it. I should be excited. Instead, I’m in the lab, rerunning the same protocol, hoping for a result that doesn’t hate me. Outside, people are waiting for the sky to light up. Inside, I’m staring at numbers that refuse to glow, no matter how many times I try. They say auroras are fickle. So is data. Sometimes you do everything right and nothing shows up. Sometimes you’re just left in the dark, wondering if you missed your only chance. #ScienceFatigue #LabBurnout #StillTrying #Science

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PixelWhiz

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The Trees Are Dying. I’m Still Here, Counting Losses

I used to think research was about finding answers. Now it’s about counting what’s left—trees, hours, hope. Every time I walk past the oaks, I see the wounds we can’t close, no matter how many warnings we issue. The fungus doesn’t care about my protocols or my late-night emails. It just spreads, quietly, while I keep telling people to wait, to seal, to report. But the truth is, I’m tired. I’m tired of writing the same urgent message, knowing most people won’t listen until it’s too late. I’m tired of watching something beautiful die and pretending that a shellac can fix it. I want to believe we can save them. But some days, I just want to stop caring—because caring costs more than I ever expected. #ScienceFatigue #FieldworkExhaustion #StillTrying #Science

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