Debbie Alston
@debbie1alston.bsky.social
Early retired ecologist, nature enthusiast and conservation volunteer now living in Sussex. Botany, butterflies, birds and mammals mostly. Monty Python and Michael Palin fan.
Volunteering today with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social at Arlington Reservoir. We were creating a woven hazel fence to encourage people to keep to the path to the bird hide and out of dormouse areas
November 13, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Volunteering today with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social at Arlington Reservoir. We were creating a woven hazel fence to encourage people to keep to the path to the bird hide and out of dormouse areas
Out with Alex the #EastbourneDownland officer this morning clearing scrub to open up grazing in the chalk grassland at Shooters Bottom
November 12, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Out with Alex the #EastbourneDownland officer this morning clearing scrub to open up grazing in the chalk grassland at Shooters Bottom
Greater knapweed still in flower this week in the @southdownsnp.bsky.social #wildflowerhour
November 9, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Greater knapweed still in flower this week in the @southdownsnp.bsky.social #wildflowerhour
Clustered bellflower still in flower on Eastbourne Downs, East Sussex this week. #wildflowerhour
November 9, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Clustered bellflower still in flower on Eastbourne Downs, East Sussex this week. #wildflowerhour
Burnet rose still in flower this week on Eastbourne Downs, East Sussex #wildflowerhour
November 9, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Burnet rose still in flower this week on Eastbourne Downs, East Sussex #wildflowerhour
A great @savebutterflies.bsky.social work party at Park Corner Heath, East Sussex today. A significant amount of habitat managed at the rear of the heathland #volunteerpower
November 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM
A great @savebutterflies.bsky.social work party at Park Corner Heath, East Sussex today. A significant amount of habitat managed at the rear of the heathland #volunteerpower
Reposted by Debbie Alston
New #GBRedList for vascular plants is out now as a special issue of #BritishandIrishBotany, the @bsbibotany.bsky.social's Open Access scientific journal: britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi...
Also available (cost £10) as an eBook: bsbi.org/publications...
Press release: bsbi.org/wp-content/u...
Also available (cost £10) as an eBook: bsbi.org/publications...
Press release: bsbi.org/wp-content/u...
November 5, 2025 at 9:30 AM
New #GBRedList for vascular plants is out now as a special issue of #BritishandIrishBotany, the @bsbibotany.bsky.social's Open Access scientific journal: britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi...
Also available (cost £10) as an eBook: bsbi.org/publications...
Press release: bsbi.org/wp-content/u...
Also available (cost £10) as an eBook: bsbi.org/publications...
Press release: bsbi.org/wp-content/u...
Scrub removal below Belle Toute near Eastbourne today to manage the chalk grassland with the #EastbourneDownland ranger Alex and @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers
November 5, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Scrub removal below Belle Toute near Eastbourne today to manage the chalk grassland with the #EastbourneDownland ranger Alex and @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers
Out scrub clearing with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers today at Blackstone Down - before and after photos!
October 30, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Out scrub clearing with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers today at Blackstone Down - before and after photos!
Out with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers today making rides in the scrub on the edge of the chalk grassland at Belle Tout #EastbourneDownland
October 21, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Out with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers today making rides in the scrub on the edge of the chalk grassland at Belle Tout #EastbourneDownland
Weasel's snout seen in flower in the bedding areas outside the seed bank at Wakehurst Place this week #wildflowerhour
October 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Weasel's snout seen in flower in the bedding areas outside the seed bank at Wakehurst Place this week #wildflowerhour
Nottingham Catchfly in flower this week on Dungerness RSPB reserve #wildflowerhour
October 19, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Nottingham Catchfly in flower this week on Dungerness RSPB reserve #wildflowerhour
Marsh Mallow in flower this week on Rye Harbour nature reserve #wildflowerhour
October 19, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Marsh Mallow in flower this week on Rye Harbour nature reserve #wildflowerhour
Twiggy Mullein in flower this week on Winchelsea beach, East Sussex #wildflowerhour
October 19, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Twiggy Mullein in flower this week on Winchelsea beach, East Sussex #wildflowerhour
A great day around Rye Harbour and Castle Water today - 60 species of birds seen/heard including Brent geese, Pintail, Ringed Plover and a single Grey Plover @sussexornitholo.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 5:06 PM
A great day around Rye Harbour and Castle Water today - 60 species of birds seen/heard including Brent geese, Pintail, Ringed Plover and a single Grey Plover @sussexornitholo.bsky.social
Carline and Musk thistles seen today on #EastbourneDownland. #wildflowerhour
October 12, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Carline and Musk thistles seen today on #EastbourneDownland. #wildflowerhour
Not a particularly promising day to see butterflies today, so delighted to see Small heath, Small Copper, Common blue, Red Admiral plus a Clouded Yellow at Crapham Bottom on the #EastbourneDownland
October 12, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Not a particularly promising day to see butterflies today, so delighted to see Small heath, Small Copper, Common blue, Red Admiral plus a Clouded Yellow at Crapham Bottom on the #EastbourneDownland
Reposted by Debbie Alston
🍄🟫FREE online waxcap training course🍄🟫
Whether you’re a beginner, regular citizen scientist for #WaxcapWatch, a land manager or simply someone who loves learning about nature - our free fungi course is for you. 🍄
Take your waxcap knowledge to the next level 👉 https://loom.ly/-W0_R_4
Whether you’re a beginner, regular citizen scientist for #WaxcapWatch, a land manager or simply someone who loves learning about nature - our free fungi course is for you. 🍄
Take your waxcap knowledge to the next level 👉 https://loom.ly/-W0_R_4
October 10, 2025 at 10:10 AM
🍄🟫FREE online waxcap training course🍄🟫
Whether you’re a beginner, regular citizen scientist for #WaxcapWatch, a land manager or simply someone who loves learning about nature - our free fungi course is for you. 🍄
Take your waxcap knowledge to the next level 👉 https://loom.ly/-W0_R_4
Whether you’re a beginner, regular citizen scientist for #WaxcapWatch, a land manager or simply someone who loves learning about nature - our free fungi course is for you. 🍄
Take your waxcap knowledge to the next level 👉 https://loom.ly/-W0_R_4
Reposted by Debbie Alston
Want to up your #WildFlowerID game this winter?
We just launched our Winter Webinar programme!
7-8pm, every Tuesday from 4 Nov - 10 Feb.
Thanks to funding from @daera-ni.gov.uk, these 10 great plant ID webinars are FREE for all of you to attend!
Programme & booking links: bsbi.org/botanical-sk...
We just launched our Winter Webinar programme!
7-8pm, every Tuesday from 4 Nov - 10 Feb.
Thanks to funding from @daera-ni.gov.uk, these 10 great plant ID webinars are FREE for all of you to attend!
Programme & booking links: bsbi.org/botanical-sk...
October 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Want to up your #WildFlowerID game this winter?
We just launched our Winter Webinar programme!
7-8pm, every Tuesday from 4 Nov - 10 Feb.
Thanks to funding from @daera-ni.gov.uk, these 10 great plant ID webinars are FREE for all of you to attend!
Programme & booking links: bsbi.org/botanical-sk...
We just launched our Winter Webinar programme!
7-8pm, every Tuesday from 4 Nov - 10 Feb.
Thanks to funding from @daera-ni.gov.uk, these 10 great plant ID webinars are FREE for all of you to attend!
Programme & booking links: bsbi.org/botanical-sk...
Out with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers today managing on Haven brow on Seven Sisters Country Park today. We got to see the Scrub munching machine in action too!
October 9, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Out with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers today managing on Haven brow on Seven Sisters Country Park today. We got to see the Scrub munching machine in action too!
Saw our first Fly agaric of the year today in Abbot's Wood in East Sussex. Plus plenty of other fungus 🍄🍄
October 6, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Saw our first Fly agaric of the year today in Abbot's Wood in East Sussex. Plus plenty of other fungus 🍄🍄
Helping cut and rake the chalk grassland on part of Belle Toute today with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers and #EastbourneDownland volunteers
October 1, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Helping cut and rake the chalk grassland on part of Belle Toute today with the @southdownsnp.bsky.social volunteers and #EastbourneDownland volunteers
Great day at Rye harbour today - total of 61 species of birds seen/ heard including a Glossy Ibis seen flying over Castle Water about 3.30pm. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social
September 30, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Great day at Rye harbour today - total of 61 species of birds seen/ heard including a Glossy Ibis seen flying over Castle Water about 3.30pm. @sussexornitholo.bsky.social