Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻
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sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻
@sarahbearchell.bsky.social
3.1K followers 1.8K following 150 posts
Science Writer, Presenter & Trainer. Oxfordshire, UK. Making multi-sensory interactive science accessible for all! Lapsed botanist
#Inclusive #SciComm #Nature #Agriculture #Autistic

childrens-science.co.uk

Photo: making clouds for delighted children
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sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻 @sarahbearchell.bsky.social · Nov 10
Dear Grown-Ups,

Please take time to nurture your own curiosity and joy. These things are not just for children.

This photo shows a dry ice filled cloud bubble dropping into the audience @adalovelaceday.bsky.social at The Royal Institution, London. The anticipation is tangible! #SciComm
Photo shows an audience of adults in a lecture theatre. A white bubble is drifting down towards them. Everyone is smiling and watching it, but those in the drop zone are reaching to catch it. One woman , who weirdly seems to be highlighted, is straining to reach it from a distance. She's completely lost in the moment and it is joyful!
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
I'm bringing #TheCloudFactory to #ChelmsfordScienceFestival on Saturday and Sunday. Four free shows of hands-on multisensory science, suitable for all. Come along AND TOUCH A CLOUD!
angliaruskin.bsky.social Anglia Ruskin University @angliaruskin.bsky.social · Sep 12
🎉 The Chelmsford Science Festival is back from 21 - 28 October 2025... and the programme is now live: aru.ac.uk/csf

🌍 This year, we’re diving into the theme ‘Our AI World - Power and Perils’, exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming our lives.

Book your free tickets!

#ChelmSciFest
Graphic reads: Chelmsford Science Festival 21 - 28 October. Ignite your curiosity. Book your free tickets now. ARU logo
October 21, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Reposted by Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻
danielgray.com
Stumbled upon Space Live on ITV – a 24/7 live feed from the ISS – and it is gloriously awesome/boring. Got a bit giddy when we passed over a thunder storm. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Space Live: the new TV channel streaming absolutely spellbinding footage of Earth … forever
ITVX’s perpetual real-time broadcast from the International Space Station is awe-inspiring … until it gets boring. But even though it’s hard to watch for long, it’s a humbling reminder of who we are
www.theguardian.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:49 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Here's my interview with #ScienceWriter @brianclegg.bsky.social about writing The Future of Agriculture earlier this year. Thanks, Brian!

#SciComm #Agriculture #UK
popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/sara...
Sarah Bearchell - Five Way Interview
Sarah Bearchell is a science writer and educator who has created educational activities for charities, learned societies and science centres...
popsciencebooks.blogspot.com
October 7, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Reposted by Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻
canopyrobin.com
The photoshoot for these ones was such a challenge! Hopefully I captured the colour-change background well enough but there's just so much beauty in the variation
canopyrobin.etsy.com/listing/4376...
The they/she pin worn on a black lapel. The background appears a very dark blue with multicoloured glitter flecks A range of pronoun pins in colours from light blue to golden yellow Pronoun pins for every combination of he, she, and they, with gold text and backgrounds from blue to red The they/she pin worn on a black lapel. The background appears a sea green colour
October 1, 2025 at 7:50 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
If you are doing any kind of #engagement, this new guide helps you to examine your work and teaches you how to make it more equitable and inclusive.

#SciComm @big-stem-network.bsky.social
September 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Reposted by Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻
alomshaha.bsky.social
Sarah is not the target audience at all but it’s been wonderful to have so many professional scientists and science communicators read the book and say they got something out of it - just look at the reviews! It’s 99p on Kindle and £3 for a paperback at the moment www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Dont-Thi...
sarahbearchell.bsky.social Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻 @sarahbearchell.bsky.social · Sep 4
I'm reading this at the moment (I know, what took me so long?!). Alom has a lovely readable style, full of curiosity and great explanations. Worth a read for science centre explainers too. What a lovely offer!
@associationscied.bsky.social @sciencecentres.bsky.social
alomshaha.bsky.social Alom Shaha @alomshaha.bsky.social · Sep 4
Science Teachers! I’m trying to get a copy of “Why Don’t Things Fall Up?” into the hands of as many science teacher trainees as possible. If you know any, tell them to get in touch and I’ll send them a FREE copy!
September 4, 2025 at 5:59 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
I'm reading this at the moment (I know, what took me so long?!). Alom has a lovely readable style, full of curiosity and great explanations. Worth a read for science centre explainers too. What a lovely offer!
@associationscied.bsky.social @sciencecentres.bsky.social
alomshaha.bsky.social Alom Shaha @alomshaha.bsky.social · Sep 4
Science Teachers! I’m trying to get a copy of “Why Don’t Things Fall Up?” into the hands of as many science teacher trainees as possible. If you know any, tell them to get in touch and I’ll send them a FREE copy!
Why Don’t Things Fall Up?
Why Don’t Things Fall Up? delivers what every adult and schoolchild deserves, but often doesn’t get: an authoritative and accessible account of the key ideas in science. The book is rooted in Alom’…
alomshaha.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:54 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Science Centres and their outreach teams are often the first scientists children encounter and they aim to build long term community relationships too. However, they do not receive goverment financial support in the same way as conventional museums and other cultural centres. This needs to change.
sciencecentres.bsky.social Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) @sciencecentres.bsky.social · Sep 2
Thank you to our patron @profaliceroberts.bsky.social for sharing our open letter.

Science and discovery centres are facing a lack of financial support. We are calling on the Government to implement policy changes that safeguard the sector's future.

Sign it ⬇️
www.sciencecentres.org.uk/openletter/
September 3, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Reposted by Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻
sciencecentres.bsky.social
We've made it to Bluesky! Give us a follow for updates from our network of science centres, museums, and outreach organisations across the UK. We'll be posting about events, campaigns, and nationwide projects.

Any suggestions for who we should follow? Let us know! 🔽
September 1, 2025 at 12:43 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Day One of the Talking #Maths in Public Conference is under way online and @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social! Excellent thoughtful and thought-provoking keynote from @jonchaseraps.bsky.social.

@tmip.bsky.social am I right that its not too late to buy an online ticket?!

talkingmathsinpublic.uk/programme/
Programme - Talking Maths In Public 2025
talkingmathsinpublic.uk
August 28, 2025 at 11:01 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
It's actually happened! My book is out today! It's called the Future of Agriculture.
It considers how we can feed a growing population in a changing #climate. Political change will take time but there are actions we consumers can take now!
coles-books.co.uk/the-future-o...
#SciComm #Agriculture
The Future of Agriculture by Sarah Bearchell
Record rainfall and extreme weather has become a common occurrence around the world. The television news shows farmers standing in front of their flooded fields; the ground too wet to harvest one seas...
coles-books.co.uk
August 28, 2025 at 8:31 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Glorious afternoon at the limestone pavement at @plantlifeuk.bsky.social Winskill Stones Reserve #Yorkshire #SciComm
A view along the gryke (channel) of a limestone pavement. You can see some very dry moss, the soft leaves of a Yorkshire fog grass seedling and a patch of herb Robert. In the distance is a hill called Ingleborough (I think!). It's gloriously sunny.
August 2, 2025 at 4:13 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Delighted to be included in Jonathan Powell's article on the use of signing in astronomy teaching. One of the cover stories in the current issue of @senmagazine.co.uk
#BSL #Makaton #SciComm
The cover of SEN Magazine featuring a smiling white child with curly blonde hair. There is also a close up of the article with the words "I love it when audience members teach me new signs" and pictures showing how to sign moon: hold your dominant hand at head height with thumb and forefinger pinched together, then move them apart as you move your hand down, and back together again - it's like making a crescent moon.
July 29, 2025 at 12:17 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
It was lovely to catch up with @joannadurrant.bsky.social at last months' #CheltenhamScienceFestival. We chatted about bubbles, clouds, #Makaton signing and my book launch next month.
joannadurrant.bsky.social Jo Durrant @joannadurrant.bsky.social · Jul 17
🎧 Ep 242 of Jo Durrant’s Beautiful Universe podcast is out now:

🤩 Dev Joshi & Roland Ellis talk about Relative Distance & their representation of the Moon

🫧 @sarahbearchell.bsky.social chats at Chelt Sci Fest

📲 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/j...

💻 jodurrantsbeautifuluniverse.libsyn.com
Jo Durrant’s Beautiful Universe podcast artwork Jo chats to Roland and Dev Jo and Sarah sitting in green room at Cheltenham Science Festival ‘Phase’ - a wall mounted representation of the Moon
July 21, 2025 at 11:34 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
HUGE congratulations to @steckl.es - the force of nature (and mathematics) who has won this year's #UK Beetlestone Award. Such amazing energy and dedication to share her love of #maths
big-stem-network.bsky.social BIG - STEM Communicators Network, UK @big-stem-network.bsky.social · Jun 23
🌟 Beetlestone Award 2025 🌟

The Beetlestone Award Organising Committee is delighted to announce the 2025 winner of this prestigious Award, given for leadership and legacy in Communicating Science, is Dr Katie Steckles.
A white woman with short brown and purple hair, a blue top and a headset mic stands in front of a white background
June 23, 2025 at 9:45 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
A nectar thief! This buff-tailed #bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, landed on a Salvia flower, nibbled a hole in the flower tube, drank the nectar and flew to the next. Skipping pollination altogether. You can see identical holes in all the flowers. Cheeky!
@bumblebeetrust.bsky.social
#SciComm
#Nature
A nice fluffy bumblebee with a buff coloured abdomen end is resting on the underside of a scarlet flowered ornamental Salvia flower. A white circle is drawn around one of the scarlet Salvia flowers. It highlights where a hole has been nibbled in the petals. Closer inspection shows this same hole is present on all the open or old flowers in the inflorescence of about 10 flowers.
June 20, 2025 at 2:16 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
New magnetic material discovered. Better tell the #GCSE and #ALevel examiners about this one!

#SciComm
Care instructions on cotton polyester sheet packaging. The highlighted text says "Due to the magnetic nature of polyester when in contact with fibres such as nylon, pilling may occur"
June 17, 2025 at 12:48 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
The #fasciation on this Veronica spicata has left me with an #earworm.

Sing it with me...MahNahMahNah!

#Muppets
Veronica spicata is a perennial plant. It has spikes of tiny bright purple flowers. The tip of each inflorescence is almost neon green/yellow. Fascination has caused some to form with a flat end but the one in focus has an o-shape. It looks like a moth on top of a purple Muppet! The Muppets who sang MahNahMaNah. The central one is beardy but is not the one I remember most. The Muppets on either side have fluffy pink bodies, pink horns, googly eyes on top of their heads and bright neon green/yellow mouths. They look like the top of the Veronica inflorescence!
June 12, 2025 at 9:46 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
A great conference, thank you!

I've learned about using in-built apps as well and specialist technologies.

But the best part was how so many speakers talked about making the tech available to all learners, so everyone is comfortable using it, especially important in mainstream classrooms.
callscotland.org.uk CALL Scotland @callscotland.org.uk · Jun 11
It’s been a brilliant morning at #ASLTechnolgy25. So much creativity, innovation and inspiration from our fabulous speakers. And time to talk to colleagues over lunch in the quad on warm sunny Edinburgh - bonus!
Photograph of an exhibition space with tables which have leaflets and assistive technology products. A banner says 'CALL Scotland'.
June 11, 2025 at 1:57 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
@kityates.bsky.social It was great to meet you at Cheltenham Science Festival. It's always lovely to put a real human to the name :)
June 11, 2025 at 11:06 AM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
My first Great Exhibition Road Festival - and what an audience!

Can you see the expressions on joy, awe & wonder on children & adults alike? Look even closer and you'll see an array of stickers and make-and-takes from the research activities provided by @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social #GERF
A backstage view of a packed audience at an outdoor festival. You can see a woman in a tartan dress and black cardigan from behind. She is making large bubbles. The audience facing her appear at first to be entirely children between toddlers and ten years old, but look closely and there are supportive adults in there too. The audience's faces are a mixture of awe, anticipation, delight and joy.
June 10, 2025 at 1:15 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Oooh! How exciting! A pyramidal orchid, Anacamptis pyramidalis, has taken up residence in my front garden! #WildflowerHour #Botany #SciComm #Nature #UK
A species rich "lawn" including a singular bright pink-purple orchid. The individual tiny flowers (about 0.5cm diameter) are arranged in a pyramid shape
June 4, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Dr Sarah Bearchell 🌻
jencross.bsky.social
Just when you think you’ve heard all of the wonderfully weird bird names, a new one comes along.
carolpopegordon.bsky.social Carol Pope Gordon @carolpopegordon.bsky.social · May 22
The moment when you discover that you are a Zitting Cisticola. 🪶
Very small bird with sandy body and brown-streaked wings, back and tail. It is balanced on one leg mid-step and its tail is cocked up as if surprised.
May 22, 2025 at 1:18 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
Some fantastic opportunities here! #SciComm #Nature
festofnature.bsky.social Festival of Nature @festofnature.bsky.social · May 22
We believe everyone should have the chance to connect with the natural world. 💚

So, we've pulled together all of our online and in person #FestivalofNature events that have been designed with Disabled adults, Disabled children and people with chronic illness in mind: www.bnhc.org.uk/festival-of-...
Accessible Events at Festival of Nature 2025
We want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy nature this summer! As part of Festival of Nature, we’re running a series of free, accessible events.
www.bnhc.org.uk
May 22, 2025 at 1:33 PM
sarahbearchell.bsky.social
The #Goth #Moth, as it's known in my house!

Tyria jacobaeae, the cinnabar moth. Specific name from main host plant, ragwort, Jacobaeae vulgaris (syn. Senecio jacobaeae). Common name from red mercury ore, cinnabar. Hoping to see yellow and black caterpillars in a few weeks! #Nature #SciComm
A moth rests on broad grass leaves in the morning sun. Its wings are part-folded and are black with bright scarlet patches.
May 13, 2025 at 10:27 AM