I am truly grateful for the opportunity to publish our research fee-free and Open Access in Biology Open through my institution’s Read & Publish agreement with The Company of Biologists. As an early-career researcher, such initiatives are invaluable as it makes scientific publishing more accessible by removing financial hurdles and broadening the reach of our work. I also appreciate The Forest of Biologists initiative for its thoughtful commitment to planting a tree for every article published, supporting environmental sustainability alongside promoting open science

