New publication by Noro Fenitra H. Randrianarimanana making sense of all the grasses allegedly introduced to Madagascar: abcjournal.org/index.php/ab... . Not a small job resolving the accumulated errors perpetuated across the literature @rbgkew.bsky.social

Knock knock, no one’s there. Study finds scientists’ jokes mostly fall flat Survey examines how often academics attempt jokes during conference talks — and how these attempts at comedy land.

Joke attempts during science talks at least make the audience more relaxed apparently www.nature.com/articles/d41...

So cool, would love to try this botany course Darwin apparently took three years in a row

The irony: conservation involving fenced-off 'hard boundaries' can lead to shrinking space for wildlife.

@tekgw.bsky.social explored findings from Kenya and Tanzania at our February event on #rangelandmyths about Mobility.

#IYRP2026 #pastoralism #conservation

Shaping China-global South cooperation in a contested world order - Institute of Development Studies explores how cooperation between China and countries across the Global South works in practice

As China’s Two Sessions take place, a new book by Prof @gujingc.bsky.social explores how cooperation between China-global South works in practice including how China’s provinces engage with African partners.👇

https://ids.pulse.ly/pkcoi3db1e

Myth: Pastoralists need more markets to thrive - REPAiR project The myth that pastoralists simply need ‘more markets’ to thrive rests on a set of deeply rooted assumptions about markets and animal husbandry.

Do pastoralists simply need 'more markets' to thrive?
repairproject.org/Blog/myth-pa...

Read Linda Pappagallo's think-piece and join our online discussion on 26 March with Timothy Gibbs, Oluwaṣeun Williams, @camelilse.bsky.social and Lars Otto Naess.

#IYRP2026
@iyrp2026.bsky.social
@ids.ac.uk

Continuing the 'spectacular' theme, here's Early Meadow-grass Poa infirma on Hayling Island. Once a rarity restricted to the SW of England, it's now quite widespread and a guaranteed find here in coastal Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

The Botanical Research Fund offers up to £750 for British and Irish botanists applying by 31 March, please do share further: url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Y_MECOPRgH...

Fish Doorbell – It's almost here! — The Fish Doorbell Zie je een vis? Druk op de Visdeurbel dan opent onze sluiswachter de sluis en kunnen de vissen doorzwemmen.

Fish doorbell: help Dutch fish successfully migrate by alerting lock keepers when you spot then needing access on the video feed visdeurbel.nl/en/

Palace of Westminster, House of Lords, Afternoon Tea Reception to mark the launch of the Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UNCCD in Mongolia, and to celebrate the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists

What is nature? Some see nature as a set of 'stocks of resources' to be exchanged and traded. But there are many more complex ways of valuing nature.

Frank Matose spoke at our online event on rangelands & the myth of 'Tragedy of the Commons'.

#rangelandmyths #IYRP2026
@iyrp2026.bsky.social

It is indeed a bit intense

The Killing Famine, southern Madagascar comic pdf and story at futurenatures.org/the-killing-... @futurenatures.bsky.social @amberhuff.bsky.social

Symbolic image showing a flowering Erica shrub next to a wildfire image

Postdoc position with me at Stockholm University – phylogenomics and evolution of fire adaptations in Malagasy Erica : www.su.se/english/divi...

A fun detective start to the year!

William Bond, defender of grasslands In recent years, one of the loudest ideas in environmental policy has been that trees are the planet’s universal remedy. Plant enough of them, in enough places, and carbon will be soaked up, water wil...

"Bond’s work leaves behind an inconvenient lesson for an era of climate urgency: that speed is not a substitute for understanding, and that good intentions, applied without care, can erase ancient worlds as efficiently as neglect." A beautiful tribute to William Bond. Forever missed by many.

Only 160 grasses??

Thanks everyone that came to chat to me about my poster on grass communities in savannas in Thailand & Cambodia yesterday at the @britishecologicalsociety.org annual meeting in Edinburgh. So many grass and savanna fans out there! And such a great conference.
#grass #ecology #diversity #savanna 🌏🌐

More than 2/3 of environmental professionals feel that working class individuals are underrepresented in their organisation.

🎧Check out the latest episode of the @endsreport.com report podcast featuring @drciaradwyer.bsky.social, Co-Chair of our Socioeconomic Equality and Diversity (SEED) Network

PhD position in systematics and evolution of Malagasy heathers (Erica; Ericaceae) (289897) | University of Bergen Job title: PhD position in systematics and evolution of Malagasy heathers (Erica; Ericaceae) (289897), Employer: University of Bergen, Deadline: Sunday, January 4, 2026

Come join us in beautiful Western Norway! Ping co-supervisor team: @janhackel.bsky.social @vorontsovams.bsky.social
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

@KewScience

Exciting PhD project with me and @vorontsovams.bsky.social RBG Kew on Grass Diversity, developing a phylogeny using morphology and genomics for the tropical forage grass genus Urochloa. Applications at centa.ac.uk/students... but contacts Bat or me to discuss

Florida softshell turtle we had to drive around with the Archbold Biological Station team!

500 copies of the new Madagascar grass guidebook!

2 job adverts on a NERC project w myself + @darrenobbard.bsky.social on “What determines the virome: ecology and the environment, evolution, or species history?” early 2026 in
@uniexecec.bsky.social
- Postdoc: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
- RA: jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Pls share!

No one cares about the grass, but we should - The Global Plant Council Nature conservation policies are trying to safeguard forests all over the world, which is a good thing. But it seems like less-flashy ecosystems are getting left behind. Grassy ecosystems include gras...

globalplantcouncil.org/no-one-cares...

Wow. Srsly?

The new photo guide to the grasses of Madagascar is going to press!

Limited carbon sequestration potential from global ecosystem restoration - Nature Geoscience The maximum carbon sequestration potential from global terrestrial ecosystem restoration efforts until 2100 is 96.9 Gt, which is equivalent to 3.7–12.0% of anthropogenic emissions until then, accordin...

We should come to terms with the fact that forest, shrubland, grassland, and wetland ecosystems cannot offset fossil fuel CO₂ emissions.

But we should still protect and restore them for biodiversity and other ecosystem benefits.

@ddavis-arch.bsky.social