Thanks for the question, Vasco. I apologize for the delay in my response. I somehow missed this question when you first posted it.
It's a bit tough to answer because our research isn't just about generating findings for the specific animals we study- it's about building foundational knowledge and tools that can be applied much more broadly, across taxa. We're committed to ensuring that the field of wild animal welfare science meaningfully includes invertebrates because we believe the field won't progress adequately if their welfare isn't seriously considered.
Rather than thinking of a donation as being split between vertebrates and invertebrates, it might be more accurate to think of the "invertebrate impact" of a donation as reflecting your confidence that our field-building work will help ensure invertebrate welfare is taken seriously as the science advances.
Thanks for the question, Vasco. I apologize for the delay in my response. I somehow missed this question when you first posted it.
It's a bit tough to answer because our research isn't just about generating findings for the specific animals we study- it's about building foundational knowledge and tools that can be applied much more broadly, across taxa. We're committed to ensuring that the field of wild animal welfare science meaningfully includes invertebrates because we believe the field won't progress adequately if their welfare isn't seriously considered.
When someone donates $100 to WAI today, that gift is allocated to our general operating budget, not separate funds for invertebrate or vertebrate projects. Because we don't receive much restricted funding, every dollar supports the full range of WAW field-building activities, encompassing both vertebrates and invertebrates. Some of our research does directly focus on insects (Field tests of bee welfare, Measuring health and frailty in wild insects, Improving the welfare of wild and captive animals with integrated in-situ and ex-situ behavioural monitoring, Improving the welfare of farmland invertebrates), while other work, such as our general outreach and research, includes invertebrates as part of a broader focus. For example, Michael Beaulieu's recent research article on oxidative status included insects but was not focused exclusively on them.
Rather than thinking of a donation as being split between vertebrates and invertebrates, it might be more accurate to think of the "invertebrate impact" of a donation as reflecting your confidence that our field-building work will help ensure invertebrate welfare is taken seriously as the science advances.