Sylvia Davidson
@sylviad.bsky.social
Wanderer through the Sussex countryside by foot, bus and train. Love lichens, fungi, flowers, insects...well anything and everything living there is to see.
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Frosty Lichen action from Coed Ganllwyd. Usnea, Sticta and Lungwort chillin in the snow.
#eryri #lichen #fungifriends
#eryri #lichen #fungifriends
January 6, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Frosty Lichen action from Coed Ganllwyd. Usnea, Sticta and Lungwort chillin in the snow.
#eryri #lichen #fungifriends
#eryri #lichen #fungifriends
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
There's just too much nitrogen being released into our ecosystems. Damage to low nutrient grassland, rare plants adapted to low nitrogen soils are now on Red Lists, soil structure degraded, nitrophilic dominant plants like nettles, hemlock spreading everywhere...
Today in the #HouseofLords about 4.30 I'll be speaking about the nitrogen crisis, on which I wrote for @theecologist.org back in 2021.
The "bomb" is now even larger than it was then
#PlanetaryBoundaries #Nitrogen #Pollution
theecologist.org/2021/jul/22/...
The "bomb" is now even larger than it was then
#PlanetaryBoundaries #Nitrogen #Pollution
theecologist.org/2021/jul/22/...
The global nitrogen time bomb
The world’s mismanagement of the nitrogen cycle is 'our forgotten environmental crisis'.
theecologist.org
January 7, 2026 at 2:55 PM
There's just too much nitrogen being released into our ecosystems. Damage to low nutrient grassland, rare plants adapted to low nitrogen soils are now on Red Lists, soil structure degraded, nitrophilic dominant plants like nettles, hemlock spreading everywhere...
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
🔎 NEW
Reform council that promised cuts has handed out a £30,000 contract to a company owned by a party supporter which was involved with 10 serious pollution incidents in 2024.
Investigation by @ollyhaynes.bsky.social:
https://goodlaw.social/kip5
Reform council that promised cuts has handed out a £30,000 contract to a company owned by a party supporter which was involved with 10 serious pollution incidents in 2024.
Investigation by @ollyhaynes.bsky.social:
https://goodlaw.social/kip5
Reform council that promised cuts delivers payday for party backer
Reform councils have increased spending and handed out a £30,000 contract to a company owned by a party supporter which was involved with 10 serious pollution incidents in 2024.
goodlaw.social
January 7, 2026 at 12:58 PM
🔎 NEW
Reform council that promised cuts has handed out a £30,000 contract to a company owned by a party supporter which was involved with 10 serious pollution incidents in 2024.
Investigation by @ollyhaynes.bsky.social:
https://goodlaw.social/kip5
Reform council that promised cuts has handed out a £30,000 contract to a company owned by a party supporter which was involved with 10 serious pollution incidents in 2024.
Investigation by @ollyhaynes.bsky.social:
https://goodlaw.social/kip5
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Need a mid-week pick-me-up? Here's some positive nature news 📰
2025 was the year of the Marsh Fritillary, with numbers increasing in many places across the UK thanks to dedicated habitat management.
Read the full story 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...
📷: Mark Searle
2025 was the year of the Marsh Fritillary, with numbers increasing in many places across the UK thanks to dedicated habitat management.
Read the full story 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...
📷: Mark Searle
January 7, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Need a mid-week pick-me-up? Here's some positive nature news 📰
2025 was the year of the Marsh Fritillary, with numbers increasing in many places across the UK thanks to dedicated habitat management.
Read the full story 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...
📷: Mark Searle
2025 was the year of the Marsh Fritillary, with numbers increasing in many places across the UK thanks to dedicated habitat management.
Read the full story 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blo...
📷: Mark Searle
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
A law firm is “gathering views” on the implications of the government rejecting all protected species recommendations from the UK’s wildlife agencies, in a move described by ecologists as “highly unusual” and “profoundly disrespectful” to scientists ⬇️
Lawyers ‘gathering views’ after government throws out all species protection proposals from own scientists
A law firm is “gathering views” on the implications for animals like beavers and grey seals of the government rejecting all protected species recommendations from the UK’s wildlife agencies, in a move...
www.endsreport.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:57 PM
A law firm is “gathering views” on the implications of the government rejecting all protected species recommendations from the UK’s wildlife agencies, in a move described by ecologists as “highly unusual” and “profoundly disrespectful” to scientists ⬇️
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Outrageous.
Ministers should be listening to scientists, frontline communities and those working towards a green transition – not hosting the interests of oil giants in their own offices.
✍🏼 - @adamramsay.bsky.social
abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/revealed-o...
Ministers should be listening to scientists, frontline communities and those working towards a green transition – not hosting the interests of oil giants in their own offices.
✍🏼 - @adamramsay.bsky.social
abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/revealed-o...
Revealed: oil industry lobbyist working inside UK’s climate department
Polanski slams arrangement; experts warn of 'corporate infiltration antithetical to democracy'
abolishwestminster.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Outrageous.
Ministers should be listening to scientists, frontline communities and those working towards a green transition – not hosting the interests of oil giants in their own offices.
✍🏼 - @adamramsay.bsky.social
abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/revealed-o...
Ministers should be listening to scientists, frontline communities and those working towards a green transition – not hosting the interests of oil giants in their own offices.
✍🏼 - @adamramsay.bsky.social
abolishwestminster.substack.com/p/revealed-o...
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Who are the senior executives at the child sexual abuse imagery enablers X.com? Some excellent naming of names by the Financial Times.
Hat tip to @emilswells.bsky.social.
Hat tip to @emilswells.bsky.social.
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent
giftarticle.ft.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Who are the senior executives at the child sexual abuse imagery enablers X.com? Some excellent naming of names by the Financial Times.
Hat tip to @emilswells.bsky.social.
Hat tip to @emilswells.bsky.social.
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
I'm writing about the Palestine Action hunger strikers at the moment, any of whom could die at any moment, and the astonishing media and government silence surrounding them. The Establishment seems to have become even crueller than when Thatcher was PM.
January 5, 2026 at 12:27 PM
I'm writing about the Palestine Action hunger strikers at the moment, any of whom could die at any moment, and the astonishing media and government silence surrounding them. The Establishment seems to have become even crueller than when Thatcher was PM.
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Want to learn more about lichens in 2026 (and why wouldn't you??) Scottish Lichens are running a series of distance learning courses. The first is lichens on trees
Lichens on Trees
Have you ever taken a closer look at the wide range of lichens that grow on the trunks, branches and twigs of trees, and wanted to learn more about what these lichens actually are and why they have…
buff.ly
January 6, 2026 at 10:15 AM
Want to learn more about lichens in 2026 (and why wouldn't you??) Scottish Lichens are running a series of distance learning courses. The first is lichens on trees
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Guest blog - Ban Bio-beads by @chriscorrigan3.bsky.social of @sussexwildlife.bsky.social
Blog markavery.info/2026/01/06/g...
#sussex #bio-beads #southernwater #hastings #rye #dollimore
@the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @eastsussexcc.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social @strandliners.bsky.social
Blog markavery.info/2026/01/06/g...
#sussex #bio-beads #southernwater #hastings #rye #dollimore
@the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social @eastsussexcc.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social @strandliners.bsky.social
January 6, 2026 at 9:17 AM
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
This finding of "hidden" public support for green policies strongly echoes our work on pluralistic ignorance when it comes to non-car travel: most people support non-car travel more than car travel, but at the same time they believe this is a minority view
January 6, 2026 at 8:46 AM
This finding of "hidden" public support for green policies strongly echoes our work on pluralistic ignorance when it comes to non-car travel: most people support non-car travel more than car travel, but at the same time they believe this is a minority view
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Closer alignment with EU regulations, you say?
Well, hopefully that will scupper the Treasury's desire to gut the Habitats Regulations then.
After all, doing so would *undermine* the growth that comes from a closer relationship with the EU.
bsky.app/profile/jess...
Well, hopefully that will scupper the Treasury's desire to gut the Habitats Regulations then.
After all, doing so would *undermine* the growth that comes from a closer relationship with the EU.
bsky.app/profile/jess...
Exc - Keir Starmer is preparing an EU reset bill with sweeping powers to align the UK with EU regulation which could go beyond what was agreed in May.
Details of the deal are not finished but the bill will go through parliament in parallel with EU negotiations
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Details of the deal are not finished but the bill will go through parliament in parallel with EU negotiations
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Starmer prepares for parliamentary battles over imminent EU ‘reset’ bill
Planned legislation could hand ministers significant powers to forge closer regulatory ties with Brussels
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:26 AM
Closer alignment with EU regulations, you say?
Well, hopefully that will scupper the Treasury's desire to gut the Habitats Regulations then.
After all, doing so would *undermine* the growth that comes from a closer relationship with the EU.
bsky.app/profile/jess...
Well, hopefully that will scupper the Treasury's desire to gut the Habitats Regulations then.
After all, doing so would *undermine* the growth that comes from a closer relationship with the EU.
bsky.app/profile/jess...
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
This explains so much.
People with psychopathic traits and low cognitive ability are over-represented in online political activity.
If someone is being cruel, obnoxious and ridiculous, don't try to reason with them. Chances are you won't get anywhere. Just block.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
People with psychopathic traits and low cognitive ability are over-represented in online political activity.
If someone is being cruel, obnoxious and ridiculous, don't try to reason with them. Chances are you won't get anywhere. Just block.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Dark personalities in the digital arena: how psychopathy and narcissism shape online political participation - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications - Dark personalities in the digital arena: how psychopathy and narcissism shape online political participation
www.nature.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:05 AM
This explains so much.
People with psychopathic traits and low cognitive ability are over-represented in online political activity.
If someone is being cruel, obnoxious and ridiculous, don't try to reason with them. Chances are you won't get anywhere. Just block.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
People with psychopathic traits and low cognitive ability are over-represented in online political activity.
If someone is being cruel, obnoxious and ridiculous, don't try to reason with them. Chances are you won't get anywhere. Just block.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
As we've been saying for a while: the "backlash" against climate policies has been wildly, absurdly overstated. This new survey shows how UK MPs badly understate support for climate policies
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
January 5, 2026 at 3:14 PM
As we've been saying for a while: the "backlash" against climate policies has been wildly, absurdly overstated. This new survey shows how UK MPs badly understate support for climate policies
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
The pardon for Hernandez makes an obvious & absolute mockery of each & every attempt to rationalise, or even justify, Trump's treatment of Maduro. I'm not sure this single, simple point can be stressed enough. Once again, he proves his critics right & reduces his supporters to epic moral corruption.
January 5, 2026 at 9:04 AM
The pardon for Hernandez makes an obvious & absolute mockery of each & every attempt to rationalise, or even justify, Trump's treatment of Maduro. I'm not sure this single, simple point can be stressed enough. Once again, he proves his critics right & reduces his supporters to epic moral corruption.
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Checked on some more Lobaria pulmonaria lichen translocations today: the same mixture of some good ones, some OK and a few failed or near-as. #LichenGBI
January 4, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Checked on some more Lobaria pulmonaria lichen translocations today: the same mixture of some good ones, some OK and a few failed or near-as. #LichenGBI
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Like reintroductions, reinforcements only work when the drivers of species declines have been eliminated. One populist rewilder claims of 50K Water Vole releases; unlikely to be successful if these are not associated with long-term Mink control/eradication.
A project to protect river animals by eradicating mink has seen the East of England become the only place in Britain where water vole populations are increasing...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Explosion' of water vole numbers across the East of England
A project to boost water voles in East Anglia by eliminating mink is proving to be a success.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Like reintroductions, reinforcements only work when the drivers of species declines have been eliminated. One populist rewilder claims of 50K Water Vole releases; unlikely to be successful if these are not associated with long-term Mink control/eradication.
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Tell me we should trust AI to give us the facts. Tell me it's a future we can put our faith in. Come at me. I'm right here, waiting.
January 4, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Tell me we should trust AI to give us the facts. Tell me it's a future we can put our faith in. Come at me. I'm right here, waiting.
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Whatever you might think of Maduro, the seizure and kidnapping of a head of state takes us to a very dark place. Vast, arbitrary, extra-legal power, which could be exercised almost anywhere, regardless of the character of the target government.
January 3, 2026 at 10:14 AM
Whatever you might think of Maduro, the seizure and kidnapping of a head of state takes us to a very dark place. Vast, arbitrary, extra-legal power, which could be exercised almost anywhere, regardless of the character of the target government.
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
In early 2021 we did translocations of Lobaria pulmonaria lichen onto 80 trees in the Haweswater area from a donor tree at Naddle which had a bough break off in storms of early 2020. We're checking them all + removing mesh+staples. @britishlichensociety.org.uk #LichenGBI @wildhaweswater.bsky.social
January 3, 2026 at 10:21 AM
In early 2021 we did translocations of Lobaria pulmonaria lichen onto 80 trees in the Haweswater area from a donor tree at Naddle which had a bough break off in storms of early 2020. We're checking them all + removing mesh+staples. @britishlichensociety.org.uk #LichenGBI @wildhaweswater.bsky.social
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
The bombing of Venezuela is an act of aggression: unprovoked, unjustified and unjustifiable.
January 3, 2026 at 9:25 AM
The bombing of Venezuela is an act of aggression: unprovoked, unjustified and unjustifiable.
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
People experiencing homelessness were given £2,000 with no conditions through the Personal Grants Project. Early findings show the money went on rent deposits, furniture, courses and childcare. We’re proud to be funding this UK-first trial with CHI.
Read more: https://loom.ly/ufqFIqg
Read more: https://loom.ly/ufqFIqg
Homeless people were given free money, no strings attached. Here's what happened
A new trial gave homeless people £2,000 to spend however they choose. What they spent the money on may surprise you.
www.bigissue.com
January 2, 2026 at 11:22 AM
People experiencing homelessness were given £2,000 with no conditions through the Personal Grants Project. Early findings show the money went on rent deposits, furniture, courses and childcare. We’re proud to be funding this UK-first trial with CHI.
Read more: https://loom.ly/ufqFIqg
Read more: https://loom.ly/ufqFIqg
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
We've been working with @metoffice.gov.uk to analyse 10 years of #NewYearPlantHunt data.
The analysis provides the clearest evidence yet of how rising temperatures are impacting the British & Irish flora, with knock-on effects for all our wildlife.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The analysis provides the clearest evidence yet of how rising temperatures are impacting the British & Irish flora, with knock-on effects for all our wildlife.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Winter blooming of hundreds of plants in UK ‘visible signal’ of climate breakdown
New year plant hunt shows rising temperatures are shifting natural cycles of wildflowers such as daisies
www.theguardian.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:25 AM
We've been working with @metoffice.gov.uk to analyse 10 years of #NewYearPlantHunt data.
The analysis provides the clearest evidence yet of how rising temperatures are impacting the British & Irish flora, with knock-on effects for all our wildlife.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The analysis provides the clearest evidence yet of how rising temperatures are impacting the British & Irish flora, with knock-on effects for all our wildlife.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
A vulnerable child was groomed and trafficked and then subjected to the most shocking experiences imaginable including the deaths of her babies.
Instead of taking responsibility the British establishment stripped her of her citizenship and dumped her like old rubbish.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Instead of taking responsibility the British establishment stripped her of her citizenship and dumped her like old rubbish.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Shamima Begum: Home secretary to 'robustly defend' citizenship decision
The ECHR questions whether it was considered if Shamima Begum was a victim of grooming and trafficking.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 1, 2026 at 4:44 PM
A vulnerable child was groomed and trafficked and then subjected to the most shocking experiences imaginable including the deaths of her babies.
Instead of taking responsibility the British establishment stripped her of her citizenship and dumped her like old rubbish.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Instead of taking responsibility the British establishment stripped her of her citizenship and dumped her like old rubbish.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Sylvia Davidson
Happy NY!!! Since 2014 we have pioneered the restoration of overgrown ponds & lost infilled #ghostponds in the UK. Our methods, learnt from a wonderful farmer (Richard Waddingham), are mega successful & lead to massive biodiversity gains for aquatic & terrestrial species. Please support us in 2026 🎉
December 31, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Happy NY!!! Since 2014 we have pioneered the restoration of overgrown ponds & lost infilled #ghostponds in the UK. Our methods, learnt from a wonderful farmer (Richard Waddingham), are mega successful & lead to massive biodiversity gains for aquatic & terrestrial species. Please support us in 2026 🎉