It was fun to take part in the panel discussion on nature restoration at #SNSC2025 this week with Professor Colin Galbraith, Nikki Yoxall, Ashleigh Kitchiner & Clive Mitchell. My advice to my early career peers to "embrace nerdiness, as much as possible" certainly got quite the reaction! 💪🤓
It was fantastic to be invited as a #keynote speaker at Scotland's Nature Student Conference #SNSC2025 this week & share my enthusiasm for mountain woodland #restoration! I really enjoyed hearing about lots of exciting ongoing research & joining the afternoon panel discussion @scotnsconf.bsky.social
HAPPY WORLD REWILDING DAY!✨
Yesterday at Scotland's Nature Student Conference, we heard many fantastic talks on nature restoration, and many included... beavers! 🦫 ✨
Well done to Emily Simpson, a PhD student at the University of Stirling. She is studying wild beaver in Scotland.
#SNSC2025
Pictured from my archives a hoverfly on a plant, inspired by a talk at Scotland's Nature Student Conference, highlighting this often overlooked pollinator, perfectly tying into the theme of people, nature, and climate - and the importance of understanding all creatures' roles in ecosystems #snsc2025
It's been a very inspiring past two days at Scotland's Nature Student Conference! #SNSC2025
I learned a lot from the huge variety of talks and had the great pleasure to meet so many aspiring researchers, all working to understand and protect Scotlands' natural world.
Prof Mat Williams, Chief Scientific Advisor for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture to Scottish Government, laying out some harsh truths about the state of nature in Scotland right now: 15% average decrease in Scottish wildlife since 1994; 47% of our flowering plants have decreased in distribution since 1970; 11% (1 in 9) of Scottish species are threatened with extinction; 49% decline in Scotland's seabirds between 1986 and 2019. Find out more about Mat and his role here: https://www.gov.scot/about/how-government-is-run/directorates/environment-and-forestry/chief-scientific-adviser-environment-nat-resources-agriculture/
Sarah Watts, PhD student at University of Stirling, Conservation Manager at Corrour Estate, BSBI Committee for Scotland member and all round force of (and for) nature, speaking about the fantastic work she is doing to understand and restore Scotland's highly threatened arctic-alpine mountain woodland. A fantastic demonstration of research and conservation action coming together for the betterment of Scotland's wildlife and habitats and opening the door for nature-based solutions to environmental problems such as flooding and erosion
Two key messages from #SNSC2025: we have a big problem, but we can do something about it.
@scottishgov.bsky.social CSA Mat Williams laying out reality - 47% native plants in decline, 1 in 9 Scottish species threatened with extinction, & @sarahwatts.bsky.social sharing hope for mountain woodlands
Inspiring to meet so many engaged & dedicated student researchers at #SNSC2025 this week, & introduce them to #PlantAtlas2020 - a free online resource covering 3.5K species, their distribution, trends, conservation status & photos! plantatlas2020.org
@scotnsconf.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social
And that’s a wrap - A final thank you to all of the organising committee at the conference this year, our keynote speakers, the team at the botanic gardens, all presenters and everyone who attended the event - looking forward to doing it all again next year!
Hope you enjoyed the puns!
#SNSC2025
Finally, Eileen Stuart from NatureScot @naturescot.bsky.social and Naomi Housego @nchousego.bsky.social
from the organising committee gave some closing remarks to summarise the conference #SNSC2025
A beaver themed prize giving! 🦫 - Eileen Stuart then presented the prizes for best talk to James Macarthur at UHI Inverness and the best poster to Alice Turner from the University of Stirling.
#SNSC2025
PS - I promise it wasn’t rigged towards the organisers!
After lunch Naomi Housego @nchousego.bsky.social led the delegates through a British Ecological Society policy workshop! #SNSC2025
A great couple of days at #SNSC2025!
My colleagues @bsbiscotland.bsky.social & @sarahelizwoods.bsky.social really enjoyed chatting with the students about #PlantAtlas2020 & hearing the brilliant talks.
Huge thanks to the @scotnsconf.bsky.social team on a great event & many thanks for inviting us!
Enjoying the wonderful Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh after a fantastic two days at #SNSC2025. Thank you to everyone who came along.
I get by with a little help from my trends - Beatrix Ward with a poster titled: Effects of anthropogenic land-use and abiotic environmental factors on the community structure of carrion beetles (Silphinae spp.) #SNSC2025
Tree are the champions! - Ben Wilson with a poster titled: Tree-mendous change: exploring the effects of implementing alternative forest management in Scotland #SNSC2025
The farm before the storm - Izzy Turner with a poster titled: Impacts of agricultural practice on the abundance of soil microarthropod functional groups #SNSC2025
Open bike night - Jane Evans with a poster titled: A Question of Perception -
How does the Scottish Mountain Biking Community view its ecological and environmental impact & what are the implications for Site Managers with regards to future engagement and education? #SNSC2025
Fish-ion impossible - Mateus Henrique Amaral and Leandro Luiz Giatti with a poster titled: Environmental conflicts between small-scale fishers and the energy sector in Brazilian coastal food systems #SNSC2025
It’s all about the process! - Adelaide Sander with a poster titled: Restoring nature by understanding decisions #SNSC2025
Then and now - plant atlas 2020 with a poster titled: understanding changes in Scotlands flora #SNSC2025
Understanding a nature based solution - Isla Kendall with a poster titled: what makes a nature-based solution? #SNSC2025
Talk on the wild side - Christina Mazilu with a poster titled: Evolving meanings of ‘wild’ and ‘rewilding’ in Scotland #SNSC2025
To tree or not to tree - Sarah Mullally with a poster titled: To plant or not to plant? Efficacy and impacts of woodland expansion in upland soils. #SNSC2025
Nothing grey about these partridges - Lara Auld and Georgia Gargett with a poster titled: A decade of partridges at Balgonie #SNSC2025
Beavers forced to have a ready meal when near humans - Alice turner with a poster titled: Human disturbance affects beaver foraging #SNSC2025
Ticking off the poster session - William McLellan with a poster titled: Humans shape their own exposure to ticks through a "landscape of fear" #SNSC2025
Now it’s time for the posters #SNSC2025
Yay, great to see the fabulous @sarahwatts.bsky.social at #SNSC2025 spreading the word about restoration of Scotland's montane woodlands.
My colleagues @bsbiscotland.bsky.social & @sarahelizwoods.bsky.social are at the Conference again today. Do catch up with Matt & the Sarahs for a plantbased chat!
Our final keynote talk of the conference comes from the fantastic Dr Janet Fisher at the University of Edinburgh. Her research highlights the challenges in achieving outcomes for people nature and climate! #SNSC2025
Forget about Alan, it’s time for the Grey Partridge! - Our last student talk of the conference comes from Georgia Gargett and Lara Auld who are highlighting a conservation management approach for grey partridge recovery from the Balgonie Estate #SNSC2025
