Sara R
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sjrafloat.bsky.social
Sara R
@sjrafloat.bsky.social
820 followers 1.5K following 230 posts
Horticulturist. #Biosecurity lead at the RHS. 💙Our NHS, 💚Nature,♥️the Arts. Value honesty, treasure kindness. #Devonian. Passionate about #Dartmoor #plants #gardens #spaniels #sustainability #history #genealogy #community #co-ops.Views my own.
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Reposted by Sara R
admirablewomen.bsky.social
Journalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas' 1947 book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴: 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴 transformed public perception of Florida's Everglades from "worthless swamp" to priceless ecosystem. Her advocacy led to Everglades National Park's creation & inspired wetland protection worldwide. #WorldWetlandsDay
Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the renowned American journalist, author, women's suffrage advocate, and legendary conservationist known as the "Guardian of the Everglades" or "mother of the Everglades" for her tireless efforts to protect Florida's Everglades ecosystem—most famously through her influential 1947 book The Everglades: River of Grass—sits thoughtfully outdoors in a charming black-and-white portrait. The elderly Douglas, in her later years, wears a classic wide-brimmed straw hat with a dark band, thick-rimmed round glasses, and a striped button-up shirt or blouse with a collar. Her hands are clasped together in front of her as she gazes directly at the camera with a warm, knowing smile. Surrounded by lush tropical foliage in the background, the image captures her enduring spirit and dedication to environmental preservation. #MarjoryStonemanDouglas #Everglades #Conservation #Environment #Florida
February 2, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Sara R
admirablewomen.bsky.social
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first #NativeAmerican woman to become a physician in the United States. A member of the Omaha tribe, she campaigned for public health & for the formal, legal allotment of land to members of her tribe.

#WomensPhysiciansDay #WomenInSTEM #WomenInMedicine
Black-and-white studio portrait of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, a Native American woman in her thirties or forties, facing forward with a calm, direct gaze toward the camera. She has dark hair pulled back neatly into a bun, prominent cheekbones, and a serious yet composed expression. She wears a high-necked, long-sleeved dark Victorian-style dress with a patterned white lace or floral insert at the collar, creating a contrast against the solid dark fabric.
February 3, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Reposted by Sara R
admirablewomen.bsky.social
Botanist & limnologist Dr. Ruth Patrick changed the way scientists study water, the "Patrick Principle," by taking the focus off the water’s chemistry & placing it on its biodiversity. It is a fundamental method in modern wetlands monitoring.

#WorldWetlandsDay #WomenInSTEM #botany #ecology
Dr. Ruth Patrick, the pioneering American botanist, limnologist, and freshwater ecologist (1907–2013) renowned as a foundational figure in environmental science for her groundbreaking work on diatoms as indicators of water pollution, developing innovative methods to assess river health, and influencing policies like the Clean Water Act—often called the "River Doctor" for her decades-long advocacy in protecting freshwater ecosystems—appears in a classic black-and-white portrait. She has curly short hair and a warm, knowing smile, gazes directly at the camera while holding an open book in her hands. She wears a dark ribbed short-sleeved top and a polka-dotted scarf with abstract patterns tied loosely around her neck. The soft, neutral background highlights her thoughtful expression, the texture of the book, and the subtle details of her face, capturing her enduring legacy as a trailblazing woman in science who bridged research with real-world conservation. #RuthPatrick #Limnology #FreshwaterEcology #Diatoms #WaterPollution #Environment #WomenInScience #CleanWaterAct
February 3, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by Sara R
leanahosea.bsky.social
What's in the UK government's PFAS action plan? What's not in it? And what are the implications?

A 🧵:

share.google/LMC4MSeOIOH7...
Environmentalists decry ‘crushingly disappointing’ Pfas action plan for UK
Ministers’ proposals to tackle ‘forever chemicals’ fail to match tougher stance taken in Europe, say experts
share.google
February 3, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Sara R
cathhodsman.bsky.social
Did u know? Having a wildlife garden means minimising waste & re-using as much as poss. Live by the mantra - whatever grows in the garden, stays in the garden. Don't take dead wood or logs to the tip,pile them up in your outside space to create fabulous habitats for all sorts of small souls. 🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🌍🪲🪵
February 3, 2026 at 6:25 AM
Reposted by Sara R
gilesyb.bsky.social
Brilliant letter in The Economist from Professor Ian Wray
Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place, University of Liverpool
www.economist.com/letters/2026...
January 30, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by Sara R
badgermash.bsky.social
Almost as if they knew!
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
BBC Inside Science - Should we rethink navigating by GPS? - BBC Sounds
GPS is vulnerable to interference, so how can we make navigating at sea safer?
www.bbc.co.uk
February 2, 2026 at 7:38 AM
Reposted by Sara R
purpest-eu.bsky.social
📡 Dive into the future of sensing with our VOC detection technology in action 🎥!

👇 Watch our newest video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSvv...
PurPest - VOC detection technology
YouTube video by PurPest EU
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 10:49 AM
Reposted by Sara R
carolecadwalla.bsky.social
NEW: What’s happening in the US is TECHNOFASCISM.

It’s fascism + surveillance technologies. Palantir is playing a central role. And the UK is next in line.

My latest for @thenerve.news
1/

www.thenerve.news/p/technofasc...
What’s happening in America is technofascism. It could happen here
Peter Thiel's data surveillance company Palantir is powering Trump's ICE operation in the US. Carole Cadwalladr argues that the UK will be next
www.thenerve.news
February 1, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Sara R
jmritchey.bsky.social
I admit the Kennedy Center thing gets under my skin because it was my first experience of a "grown up" art place when I'd visit my grandfather in DC. Gonna watch Aretha Franklin and Carole King have holy communion with each other again to soothe, youtu.be/efIAM5dzuDs?...
WATCH: Aretha Franklin sings "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
YouTube video by PBS NewsHour
youtu.be
February 2, 2026 at 12:57 AM
Reposted by Sara R
venetiajane.bsky.social
“Forerunners of a world of flowers…”

Blooming this weekend to welcome February: hazel catkins, winter heliotrope, winter aconite, crocus, snowdrops, scilla, cornelian cherry, comfrey, viburnum & spurge laurel, early signs the year is already turning. #WildflowerHour #TheWinter10
A collage of early-flowering plants in winter light, including hazel catkins, pink winter heliotrope, yellow winter aconite, pale lilac crocus, white snowdrops with green markings, blue scilla, yellow cornelian cherry flowers, cream comfrey blooms, pink viburnum flowers and glossy green spurge laurel.
February 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Sara R
eastangliabylines.co.uk
The 2025 charts are in! 🏆
Robin takes the top spot in UK gardens; woodpigeons have soared to #4. Meanwhile, greenfinches and starlings have dropped out of the Top 10.

Want to help track these changes? Sign up for the BTO Garden BirdWatch, says Susan Jones.
More than a hobby: garden birdwatching is the new conservation frontier
Three decades of citizen science show that our gardens are more than just patches of lawn – they are critical frontlines for conservation
eastangliabylines.co.uk
February 1, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Reposted by Sara R
lizaadamczewski.bsky.social
Happy #Imbolc, ushered in by Brigid and her hare. Nature is stirring, there’s a full moon. The winter is ebbing away. The seeds scattered last year are waking up. Pat yourself on the back , you’ve made it through another winter.
February 1, 2026 at 8:42 AM
Reposted by Sara R
lbflyawayhome.bsky.social
Other work by the Ladybird artists.
‘February in the Weald of Kent’
Artist: SR Badmin
A flora identification guide and illustration of the plants of early February, including snowdrop, hellebore and celandine
February 1, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Reposted by Sara R
bucbotany.bsky.social
🌱🌾🌲🌍🌿🍄🌺🌳🌴🌷🪳🥦 Read about Big Meadow Search @bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social where people around UK record plants in meadows, road verges, churchyards & amenity grassland. Also career change to plants. Read about both in
botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk/the-thymes/ #BUC2026
Pictures of ground ivy, nice purple orchid-like flowers, frilled-edged green leaves. Also leaves with parasites - one eating away at inside leaving white area, other causing raised pale galls. Also start of text of interview with Laura Moss about The Big Meadow Search. https://bsky.app/profile/bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social
January 18, 2026 at 10:34 AM
Reposted by Sara R
calycosmos.bsky.social
🇨🇦 PM Mark Carney put it well in his book Values: society has confused “value” (market price) with “values” (social, moral and ethical principles).

The EU is a values-based system: rule of law, democracy and human rights, checks on power...

Align wisely, UK.

🇬🇧 🇪🇺

www.politico.eu/article/keir...
Starmer vows to take UK deeper into EU single market
Seemingly buoyed by a positive reception and a smaller-than-anticipated backlash, the British PM is now doubling down on his Brexit reset.
www.politico.eu
January 31, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Reposted by Sara R
propublica.org
UnitedHealth is the nation’s largest health insurance conglomerate.

ProPublica obtained what is effectively the company’s internal playbook for limiting and cutting therapy costs.

Here’s what we found.

(Published Nov. 2024)
How UnitedHealth’s Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans’ Treatment at Risk
United used an algorithm system to identify patients who it determined were getting too much therapy and then limited coverage. It was deemed illegal in three states, but similar practices persist due...
www.propublica.org
February 1, 2026 at 4:00 AM
Reposted by Sara R
philstevenson.bsky.social
Three UK research councils suspend funding opportunities
Temporary block on grant applications by MRC, BBSRC and EPSRC heightens concerns over funding cuts www.timeshighereducation.com/news/three-u...
Three UK research councils suspend funding opportunities
Temporary block on grant applications by MRC, BBSRC and EPSRC heightens concerns over funding cuts
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 31, 2026 at 4:50 PM
Reposted by Sara R
ayoub.bsky.social
Israel bombed tents in Gaza today, killed at least 30 people including children, and the death toll is likely to rise

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Children and police officers among at least 30 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza
Deadly attacks launched day before border crossing due to open as part of ceasefire deal
www.theguardian.com
January 31, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Sara R
nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social
A wholly inadequate response to a pressing question.

"We can't do it" is not an acceptable approach. We may need to

#Security
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
‘Keep on dreaming’: could Europe really defend itself without the US?
Nato chief has glibly dismissed prospect of coping without US support, but in the age of Trump the case for autonomy is growing
www.theguardian.com
January 31, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by Sara R
pmagn.bsky.social
Carbon capture does not reduce emissions: these three case studies prove it

Carbon capture causes more harm than good, and only serves to prolong fossil fuel industries, argues Professor Mark Z. Jacobson.

www.landclimate.org/ccs-no-mirac...
Carbon capture does not reduce emissions: these three case studies prove it - Land and Climate Review
Carbon capture causes more harm than good, and only serves to prolong fossil fuel industries, argues Professor Mark Z. Jacobson.
www.landclimate.org
January 31, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by Sara R
womensartbluesky.bsky.social
Mini art quilt by textile artist Nancy Messier #WomensArt
Quilt with image of the head and shoulders of a hare looking outwards with startled expression against a green background
January 31, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Reposted by Sara R
drstewartsmith.bsky.social
Duncan Williamson coming to my primary school and sharing his stories was a formative experience. What a wonderful resource.
asls.org.uk Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 3d
The Scottish Traveller Duncan Williamson (1928–2007) was known for his vast store of traditional tales & for his dynamic storytelling. Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches has over 200 recordings of his stories & songs gathered over a lifetime
#BookWormSat
www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/major-contri...
Duncan Williamson
The Scottish Traveller Duncan Williamson is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s greatest tradition bearers. Although primarily known for his vast store of traditional tales and for his dynamic story...
www.tobarandualchais.co.uk
January 31, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by Sara R
sianmacleod.bsky.social
1/2 Watching Narrowly Natural History Book Day 21 March - day tickets now online @gilbertwhites.bsky.social

Come along to hear some of our best contemporary writers in beautiful Selborne, the home of British nature writing.
Tickets now online for Watching Narrowly Book Day, 21 March at Gilbert White’s House
January 31, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Sara R
goodlawproject.bsky.social
A world where our health records are used to power state-sponsored surveillance and target vulnerable communities isn’t so far away. And it's exactly what Palantir wants

Keep Palantir out of our NHS 👇
https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs
Say no to Palantir in the NHS
NHS England is rolling out software to run our health records from Palantir - fight back
notopalantir.goodlawproject.org
January 31, 2026 at 3:54 PM