Ruby at Erskine Creek, Blue Mountains (photo: Katy Wilkins)

Dr Ruby E. Stephens

plants · bees · flowers · pollination · ecology · evolution · renewables

I am an Australian ecologist researching plants and their pollinators, from the birds and the bees to beetles and bats. My work combines rigorous data science and immersive field observation, and I believe science should be open, reproducible, and shared widely.

I live on Dharug land near Sydney. I bushwalk, garden, read, and write.

Publications Code on GitHub

Research

My diverse research interests span the ecology and evolution of plants and pollinators, and the conservation of native biodiversity. I like to test common assumptions with high-quality data and reproducible analyses, and ground-truth these tests in the field. See my full publication list and code on Google Scholar and GitHub.

Pollination research

pollination · macroecology · macroevolution · AusTraits

Renewables & biodiversity research

ecoacoustics · field ecology · applied conservation

Writing & outreach

I believe science should reach beyond journals. I write for rigorous peer-reviewed publications and also for general audiences, and am happy to share my science in the form of public talks, interviews and even science comedy performances.

✍️ The world's first flowers were pollinated by insects — The Conversation
🎙 Understanding the Secret Language of Plants — East Side FM podcast
🎤 How was the ancestor of all flowers pollinated? — 3 Minute Thesis
🌿 Flowers are the sexiest plant part — science stand-up comedy with The STEAM Room

Blog

A human on the internet

May 2026

A blog? Does anyone blog anymore?? Isn’t that incredibly outdated??? I hear you, dear loud-thinking reader. I hear you, but lately I’ve been thinking...

→ All posts

Ruby performing science comedy at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney (photo: The STEAM Room)

The STEAM Room, Enmore Theatre, Sydney Comedy Festival 2023 (photo: The STEAM Room)

Get in Touch

Whether you're a research collaborator, a journalist or a prospective student, please feel free to reach out. I'm always happy to chat about ecology, science and the natural world.

Email	stephenseruby at gmail.com
Scholar	Ruby E Stephens
GitHub	rubysaltbush
iNaturalist	rubyestephens
LinkedIn	Ruby Stephens
Bluesky	rubyecology
Hardcover	ruby_saltbush

Ruby sampling pollinator networks at Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (photo: Annie Colgan)

Sampling pollinator networks, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, 2023 (photo: Annie Colgan)