Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 13h

I wonder if there is geographic bias too. If people are only recording the 'interesting species' then they are only recording from the 'interesting' sites too

2

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 13h

I have wondered the same with butterflies too. I have often heard that people only record 'the interesting species'. So in Cambs I get a disproportionate number of Black Hairstreak records cf Meadow Brown. It also reflects in the bias in geographic distribution of records (few from The Fens)

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 22h

Large citizen science datasets are powerful tools for biodiversity science, but they may have biases. Nice new paper from @louisbackstrom.bsky.social et al. showing that for eBird and Birdtrack lists there is a tendency for rare species to be over-represented
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

1 1 9

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 1d

If it's a massive fire risk how about you don't deliberately set fire to it then....

@raptorpersuk.bsky.social
BBC News - Beetle-hit North York Moors pose 'massive fire risk' - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Beetle-hit North York Moors pose 'massive fire risk'

The North York Moors are as 'dry as kindling' because of heather beetles, a gamekeeper says.

www.bbc.co.uk

3

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 1d

*bury it because they don't want to draw attention
(Obvs)

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 2d

a man wearing a helmet and a trench coat is saying `` we 're doomed '' in a dark room .

ALT: a man wearing a helmet and a trench coat is saying `` we 're doomed '' in a dark room .

media.tenor.com

2

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 2d

Why isn't this a bigger story?
The joint intelligence committee prepare a report saying our national security is at risk from environmental collapse. And No. 10 bury because they don't to draw attention to how little they care!
@snellarthur.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK intelligence chiefs due to warn

Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published

www.theguardian.com

5 29 54

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Tom Freeman @tomfreeman.bsky.social · 2d

Got my first ever Charlie-coin today. Doesn't entirely look real. But I like the bees on the flipside

A pound coin with something that looks slightly like Charles's head on it

The tails side of the same coin, depicting two bees and a sort of honeycomb-ish graphic

1 8

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 3d

What's wrong with leaves?

I dont understand why Cambridge City council spends money sucking up leaves in city parks. Even in the nominally 'wild' areas

2

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · 3d

The new European Butterfly Red List shows that butterflies are under increasing threat across Europe, with the number of species at risk of extinction up from 37 to 65 (73%) in the last 10 years. See our Press Release www.bc-europe.eu/documents/68...

www.bc-europe.eu

3 19 28

Reposted by Edward Pollard

martinswarren.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social · 3d

The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Front cover of the European Butterfly Red List, showing Polyommatus humedasae. The report can be downloaded at https://www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?name=red-list-butterflies-2025

2 92 140

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 3d

@atrupar.com

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 3d

Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) is a truly #amazingtree. Fish nursery, coastal protector, land builder. A tree that grows in the sea.
For me it is a formative tree. My first tropical experience was measuring it along transects in the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania.

Mangrove trees (Rhizophora mucronata) in Zanzibar, 2012

1

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 3d

Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) is a truly #amazingtree. Fish nursery, coastal protector, land builder. A tree that grows in the sea.
For me it is a formative tree. My first tropical experience was measuring it along transects in the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania.

1

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Nature Positive Initiative @npinitiative.bsky.social · 5d

✨ COMING SOON! ✨

Becoming Nature Positive: a unique and urgent film, created by the Nature Positive Initiative and co-produced with Open Planet Studios.

👉 www.naturepositive.org/film

#NaturePositive #Film #Trailer #Documentary #Movie #BecomingNaturePositive

Becoming Nature Positive: the film - Nature Positive

www.naturepositive.org

1 2

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Guardian Environment @environment.theguardian.com · 6d

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK defence chiefs warn

Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published

www.theguardian.com

4 5

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 7d

heard my first Redwing yesterday

1 1

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Trees for Life @treesforlife.bsky.social · 8d

Have you seen a squirrel recently? 🐿️ Take part in the #GreatScottishSquirrelSurvey! We’re calling on people across Scotland to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and keep an eye out for tufted ears and bushy tails.

Reporting your sightings 👉 scottishsquirrels.org.uk/sightings
@scotsquirrels.bsky.social

Squirrel Sightings – Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels

scottishsquirrels.org.uk

1 6 15

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Chris van Swaay @chrisvanswaay.bsky.social · 8d

Now the 2025 field season for butterflies has come to an end, it is a good moment to look back at the great work of the recorders of Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects. Almost 400,000 butterflies counted in 2025 on 1372 locations, 8,5 million since 1990 on 212,327 km. Thanks for all hard work!

9 26

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 9d

Monks' Wood?

1

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 10d

www.theguardian.com/global/2025/...

The great butterfly heist: how a gentleman collector stole thousands of butterflies from Australian museums

Scientists are still unravelling the thefts of Colin Wyatt, an English adventurer, artist and naturalist who charmed the entomological community

www.theguardian.com

2 4

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 10d

Some #amazingtrees are famous. That doesn't stop them from being amazing. My day in the Coastal Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), California in spring 2002 will stick with me for ever. So vast. An all encompassing calm

2 3

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 12d

Cambridge City and South Cambs Councils are running a consultation on a new Climate & Nature strategy

engage.cambridge.gov.uk/en-GB/projec...

engage.cambridge.gov.uk

5 5

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 14d

This article repeats the Scottish government estimate of £3 billion pounds to restore all of Scotland's peat.
I am sure I read a critique of that figure once. But can't find it. Does anyone know where it is?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

NatureScot may raise ‘more than £100m’ in private investment for conservation

Investors in talks about supporting up to 15 government-backed nature restoration projects in Scotland

www.theguardian.com

2

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · 14d

Check out our new website, packed with new features, including updated project and EU policy pages + butterfly species pages with all known hostplants courtesy of Harry Clarke and downloadable country lists. Big thanks to Peter Eeles @ukbutterflies.bsky.social for all his help www.bc-europe.eu

1 13 38

Reposted by Edward Pollard

Pieter Vantieghem @pietervantieghem.bsky.social · 15d

#Southernsmallwhite - Pieris mannii - is still active in my area E of #Ghent, Belgium. This one was in the garden yesterday. It is a typical autumn female; lots of dusting between discal and apical spot, discal spot not confined by the veins and a vague discal spot on hindwing.
#urbanbiodiversity

6 26