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phoebeobrien.bsky.social
phoebeob1
@phoebeobrien.bsky.social
Botanist, BSBI recorder, Identification Guide to the Non-Native Invasive Plants of Britain and Ireland. #GreatIrishGrasslands
https://linktr.ee/PhoebeOBrien
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A few fresh orchids popping up today in Burren National Park 🌸
• Heath Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata)
• Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)
• Dark Red Helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens)

Always a treat to see these beauties emerging! 🌿

#BurrenNationalPark
June 10, 2025 at 10:05 PM
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As #InvasiveSpeciesWeek continues and #BiodiversityWeek begins, I’m excited to be heading out tomorrow to explore some of Ardmore’s local habitats with @phoebeobrien.bsky.social, the Waterford City & County Council Biodiversity Office, and Ardmore Tidy Towns.

#BiologicalInvasions
May 15, 2025 at 8:38 PM
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New on the blog! Fran Giaquinto and @phoebeobrien.bsky.social talk to us about their new book 🌿

Read the full interview ➡️ loom.ly/Dsds9E0

#InvasiveSpeciesWeek #INNSweek #nonnativeplants #invasivespecies #invasiveplants #invasivealienspecies #botany
May 16, 2025 at 1:24 PM
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Not just for Scottish botanists: this wonderful (& amazingly readable!) book talks about the distribution of the covered species in Ireland too, with lots of interesting background about bramble ecology & dispersal. Buy it, you might get hooked😉 @phoebeobrien.bsky.social @ollysflora123.bsky.social
Out now, Brambles of Scotland by Angus Hannah, #BSBICountyRecorder for Clyde Isles.
This is the latest title in our #BSBIHandbooks series, essential resources for #WildFlowerID on tricky plant groups.
Special offer (£7 off!) for #BSBImembers ordering the book.
Find out more:
bsbi.org/bsbi-handboo...
April 23, 2025 at 8:59 AM
#Greatirishgrasslands event at one of the soon to be announced new Grasslands Trail sites.
Thanks to Burren in Bloom for inviting me
April 20, 2025 at 4:06 PM
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For the past few months I've been working on bringing to life something that I think is really needed: a field guide to plant pathogens (focusing on fungi and oomycetes). It has gotten to the point where I feel I can share it publically - read more at irishplants.org/blog/2025/03... ! #FungiFriends
March 7, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Seems to be Violet Rust, Puccinia violae.
Any ideas?
#wildflowerhour @bitheolaidhe.bsky.social
April 20, 2025 at 3:41 PM
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@edinburghnapier.bsky.social short online botany course on sedge identification for beginners: www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-u.... Approx 20h of study at your own pace to identify sedge species using a standard botanical key. @jen-farrar-bsbi-ni.bsky.social @naturelark.bsky.social pls share, ta!
March 16, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Fran and I are so excited to share this link for preorders of our book. We hope you like it!
pelagicpublishing.com/products/ide...
Identification Guide to the Non-Native Invasive Plants of Britain and Ireland
This accessible guide gives you the tools to be confident in identifying and managing frequently encountered non-native invasive plants in Britain and Ireland. Invasive alien species (IAS) are one of ...
pelagicpublishing.com
February 18, 2025 at 11:25 AM
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It's often assumed that due to their small spores, fungi can easily disperse to wherever their hosts are - but there is actually decent evidence that mycorrhizal fungi are dispersal limited. Different climatic niches further lead to mismatched ranges as discussed in the interesting article below.
⚠️ 1 in 3 trees globally faces extinction, according to the IUCN. Why are so many trees failing to adapt to the climate crisis?

It might have something to do with a lack of #fungi.

SPUN scientists investigate trees migrating away from the mycorrhizal fungi they depend on.👇 bit.ly/4gnV5DE
Why trees are failing to adapt to climate change
Certain fungi give trees nutrients and water, but heat and drought are putting both at risk.
bit.ly
December 11, 2024 at 11:24 AM
Before we all fled X, I asked around for people's experiences of Konik ponies. #Greatirishgrasslands. We have just posted a beautiful film about winter grazing with these ponies and conservation cattle. Check it out youtu.be/w26QfaGXGqM?...
December 11, 2024 at 3:00 PM
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Earlier in the year I pledged £5000 for small conservation projects. So far:

Swift bricks for developments in Ireland ✅
Wildflower seeds for Cheshire & Wirral schools/groups ✅
Perennials for Cheshire meadow & wet woodland restoration ✅

Some funding still available—get in touch! 🌱
November 28, 2024 at 1:56 PM
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Hay Meadow decline in Ireland.
When?
CSO say 864,000 ha was lost between 1986 and 1991!
69% in 4-5 years!
From 1.258 million hectares to 394,000 hectares!

Out of nowhere Grass Silage rockets!

The latest 2023 figures puts Hay at 107,000 ha, 91% loss from 1986

Silage was 1.104 million ha in 2023
November 25, 2024 at 8:17 PM
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Argentine Fleabane Erigeron bonariensis. You'd be forgiven for walking past these American fleabanes, but once you take a closer look you might not forgive yourself for having ignored them. #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social
November 24, 2024 at 8:15 PM
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A cheery splash of colour today in #CountyKerry after the monochrome (and beautiful!) palette of the snow and storm this week #WildflowerHour
November 24, 2024 at 8:23 PM
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This new study suggests that high-quality old grassland may be particularly good at supporting pollinators because diverse food sources provided by such grassland provide additional health benefits.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
| Pornon et al. @funecology.bsky.social
Species‐rich old grasslands have beneficial effects on the health and gut microbiome of bumblebees
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 25, 2024 at 8:20 AM
Brilliant day at @bsbibotany.bsky.social conference. I met so many of my botanical heroes
November 23, 2024 at 7:23 PM
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Fascinating talk be Trevor Dines on the factors driving urban botany including heat islands. @bsbibotany.bsky.social conference
November 23, 2024 at 2:22 PM
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Brilliant talk by @sandyknapp.bsky.social at @bsbibotany.bsky.social conference on the importance of taxonomic botany for food security (among many other things): quantifying evolutionary rates and adaptive potential in crops requires a detailed phylogeny of wild relatives for comparative studies.
November 23, 2024 at 4:31 PM
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Thanks @bsbibotany.bsky.social for many excellent talks, posters, exhibits and discussion at the British and Irish Botanical Conference today. Exciting to get a peek in the Natural History Museum herbarium too!
November 23, 2024 at 5:14 PM
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Great day at @bsbibotany.bsky.social annual British and Irish Botany Conference -inspiring talks, fabulous people! Botanists are the best ❤️🌱
November 23, 2024 at 5:34 PM
Implementing agri-environmental schemes that reward reduced fertilization and high plant species richness can enhance grassland multifunctionality and promote sustainable land management practices. A study highly relevant for policy, led by @valentinecology.bsky.social.
doi.org/10.1016/j.ec...
November 20, 2024 at 7:44 AM
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Come talk to me about plant pathogens and my poster at the @bsbibotany.bsky.social British and Irish Botanical Conference next Saturday!! Here's a sneak peak:
November 17, 2024 at 4:41 PM
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Faoi bhláth cois farraige inniu #WildflowerHour #CountyKerry
November 17, 2024 at 8:08 PM