A close up of a Scottish primrose. It has purple petals and a yellow centre.

Shadowy mountains rising over a pond-filled peatland. The sky is blue and an orange light is cast over the landscape.

Various grasses growing from a lowland bog which is surrounded by broadleaved trees. Several electrical pylons are visible in the distance.

An adder coiled up amidst grass and wildflowers on a clifftop. The sea is visible meeting a rocky coast in the background.

We’re looking for two new Reserve Managers to join our conservation team. Our West area stretches from important urban greenspaces in Glasgow to the rugged Argyll coast, while in the North you’ll oversee the Trust’s stunning Orkney reserves, Ben Mor Coigach and others.

More info 👇

buff.ly/XXsXzqU

Three cool scientists introduce their work "Our new theory has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, but we feel its depths and intricacies are best appreciated on the limited-edition vinyl release."

My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com

Have you ever wanted to know more about preserving plant specimens? Maybe for your own reference, or so you can share plants with experts for identification?

The BSBI is here for you! We have a webinar next week - 28th April, 7pm, completely free!

Book here: www.tickettailor.com/events/botan...

Waere es auch angesichts dessen (aber auch wegen des Vorgehens der IDF in Gaza und Libanon das mit ganzer Haerte auch Zivilisten trifft) nicht an der Zeit, sich Belgien, Spanien usw. anzuschliessen und das Assoziierungsabkommen mit Israel wenigstens teilweise auszusetzen?

bsky.app/profile/medi...

England wildlife watchdog ‘has stopped designating special sites for protection’ Exclusive: Report finds Natural England has created no new SSSIs, which protect areas from development, since 2023

Natural England failing to protect valuable sites. Our report for @wildjustice.bsky.social shows that nearly 2/3 of sites waiting to be designated as SSSIs were under threat from development. One site in Thurrock will be directly destroyed. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

We currently are looking for a postdoctoral research associate (3 years with possibility to extend) with experience in community ecology, and ideally a good match with our group profile; biodiversity, land use change and urban ecology.

Please share for max reach

www.lss.ls.tum.de/fileadmin/w0...

A purple orchid blooms near the shore at Barleycove in the west of Ireland

Our friend @milneorchid.bsky.social needs your help!
He's working on an orchid book for the Collins New Naturalist series, and needs more orchid images.
Find out how you could help Richard & maybe get one of your orchid photos (with credit) into this prestigious new book:
bsbi.org/blog/2026/04...

Almost everything we argue about is a substitute for the thing we should be arguing about: the immense wealth & power of an oligarchic class, which captures governments, ruins lives and wrecks the living planet.
This class redirects our rage at scapegoats. To resist its lies is to resist its power.

Israeli soldiers using sexual assault to force Palestinians out of West Bank, report says Experts say attacks, also carried out by settlers, are leading girls to quit school and enter early marriages

Israeli soldiers using sexual assault to force Palestinians out of West Bank, report says

As usual, @nesrinemalik.bsky.social is spot on here.

#Job opportunity! We are looking for a post-doc with experience in quantitative #ecology, preferably with modelling plant dynamics at large scale, to work 2 years with the fantastic @climatecocentre.bsky.social at @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social .

Aerial view of large scale devastation inflicted on the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, with an Israeli tank parked in the center of the photo.

This is what Israel has done to Bint Jbeil, my hometown in southern Lebanon

A black-and-white studio portrait photograph of Emma Lucy Braun, the pioneering American botanist and plant ecologist widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists in the study of eastern North American forests. Shown from the shoulders up against a soft, neutral gradient background, Braun appears in her later years with a calm, intelligent gaze directed straight at the viewer. Her white hair is neatly styled and swept back from her face, and she wears delicate round wire-rimmed glasses. A gentle, knowing half-smile softens her expression, conveying quiet authority, warmth, and scholarly poise. She is dressed in a light-colored, pleated blouse with a gathered neckline and a prominent dark floral brooch pinned at the center of her chest; the visible sleeve features subtle decorative patterning. The tight, centered composition focuses entirely on her face and upper torso, creating an intimate and dignified mood that emphasizes intellect and dignity over ornamentation.

Botanist/plant ecologist E. Lucy Braun is one of the most influential ecologists in North American history.

+ First woman President, Ecological Society of America, 1950
+ Helped establish plant ecology as a rigorous academic discipline

She was born #OTD in 1889. #WomenInSTEM #conservation #ecosky

Good to see one political party make the case for this and not patronizingly tell people that gambling is part of their lifestyle. The gambling companies and their shareholders are raking it in while people struggling with addiction cannot help but ruin their own lives and those of their loved ones.

We want to uncover wrongdoing. We can with your support. Bellingcat is a not-for-profit. Consider donating so we can continue to create impact in 2026. www.bellingcat.com/donate

Scotland in bloom: wildflowers turn the Outer Hebrides into a Technicolor dream The machair is nature’s dazzling display on these remote islands, but this rare habitat also plays a vital role for wildlife and the resurgent crofting community

Scotland in bloom: wildflowers turn the Outer Hebrides into a Technicolor dream www.theguardian.com/travel/2026/... #Machair

The application has remained stable since approximately 9 PM PDT, April 16 despite ongoing Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. We have not seen any evidence of unauthorized access to private user data. We will provide a further update by end of day.

We’re excited to welcome Sarah Whild @sarahwhild.bsky.social to this year’s LDN event! A retired academic, botanist, and author of the Biological Recording Handbook. Sarah will dive into some of the more thought-provoking questions in recording!

Read more here: buff.ly/d8i9IH7

Sheep in a flooded field

New Resource - No drought about it: Farming agroecologically for #ClimateResilience 🌦️

👨‍🌾Climate change is creating new challenges for agriculture. This report from @thesoilassociation.bsky.social asks "what is climate resilience, & why is it vital for farmers?"

Learn more➡️ ow.ly/VKkw50YKQgP

Call for Contributions – #IAVS Bulletin PhD Section

Recently defended your #PhD in #vegetation science? 🌿
Share your work in the IAVS Bulletin & showcase your research to a global community!
📅Deadline: 30 April 2026
🔗 For more details, check out the full bulletin here:
iavs.org/general/cust...

Dune slacks with a natural pathway on the right lined by trees.

A new paper from the Ainsdale Dune Slacks #LTE compares vegetation over 37 years:

The current #grazing programme may not allow the #dune slacks to maintain the open habitat & plant communities typical of healthy dune slacks.

bit.ly/4sXuKD2
@drjonmillett.bsky.social @drciaradwyer.bsky.social🌏

Belowground studies from the Journal of Ecology Commentary by F. Curtis Lubbe from the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The illustration above shows intermingled roots with different aesthetics (by F. Curtis Lubbe). In addit…

New on the Belowground blog: Belowground studies from the Journal of Ecology plantlifebelowground.wordpress.com/2026/04/15/b...

Sounds like a great and very relevant project as well.

What does ecosystem #integrity mean in a rapidly changing #Anthropocene biosphere? I argue for a shift from static reference states toward 1) the ecological processes that sustain biodiversity & 2) evolutionary heritage➡️ doi.org/10.1111/rec....
#ecology #restoration #biodiversity #ecosystemintegrity

In the footsteps of Linnaeus: scientists share their passion for species from tiny wasps to hairy plants – in pictures For his project ‘De Oförtrutna’ (The Relentless), photographer Christer Björkman pictured Swedish scientists working in the spirit of Carl Linneaus, the botanist who created the modern taxonomic syste...

In the footsteps of Linnaeus: scientists share their passion for species from tiny wasps to hairy plants – in pictures www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The Ways in Which Donald Trump is Like Jesus Christ Except Better

From the new Private Eye, in shops now.

Reserves Manager - North (Highlands) The post oversees planning, delivery and quality assurance of reserve and project work, ensuring compliance with policies, health and safety and regulatory requirements. It also manages budgets, risks...

Reserves Manager - North (Highlands) - Scottish Wildlife Trust - environmentjob.co.uk/jobs/109907-...

Two female botanists stand by a lake, with grassland behind; they are smiling, holding aquatic plants they have fished out of the lake for identification

We're looking to recruit a manager for 2 fabulous botanical projects in Ireland:
#AquaticPlantProject
#IrishGrasslandProject
You'll be coordinating expert-led field events & developing training materials for botanists at all skill levels.
2 days per week.
Apply by 25 May:
bsbi.org/about/news/l...

"Zweckentfremdung" ("purpose alienation"), the use of something for a different purpose than the one it was intended/designed for. A good example would be a toothbrush used for household cleaning tasks. Or perhaps using Kirk's "brand" and likeness for other things than spreading his ideology.

Check out the study in our #OpenAccess journal "Ecosphere": doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...