Penny Relf
@celastrina59.bsky.social
Yorkshire granny, gardening with butterflies, moths and birds in mind.
Reposted by Penny Relf
The new European Butterfly Red List found that the biggest threats to butterflies continue to be habitat loss and degradation but climate warming is having a devastating effect on sp. in the far north and far south of Europe. 52% (34) of all Red List sp. are now threatened by climate warming.
October 12, 2025 at 10:21 AM
The new European Butterfly Red List found that the biggest threats to butterflies continue to be habitat loss and degradation but climate warming is having a devastating effect on sp. in the far north and far south of Europe. 52% (34) of all Red List sp. are now threatened by climate warming.
Good evening from Varanasi, India.
It's a perfect night to chill out with the local bats and Evening Brown butterflies!
I can recommend Guleria Kothi Hotel. #Varanasi #incredibleindia #indianbutterflies #silentleoard
It's a perfect night to chill out with the local bats and Evening Brown butterflies!
I can recommend Guleria Kothi Hotel. #Varanasi #incredibleindia #indianbutterflies #silentleoard
October 12, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Good evening from Varanasi, India.
It's a perfect night to chill out with the local bats and Evening Brown butterflies!
I can recommend Guleria Kothi Hotel. #Varanasi #incredibleindia #indianbutterflies #silentleoard
It's a perfect night to chill out with the local bats and Evening Brown butterflies!
I can recommend Guleria Kothi Hotel. #Varanasi #incredibleindia #indianbutterflies #silentleoard
Reposted by Penny Relf
It’s been two years since the deadly Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, during which at least 1,200 Israelis and other nationals - mostly civilians - were killed and 251 people were taken hostage, of which 20 are still alive and held in Gaza.
October 7, 2025 at 9:19 AM
It’s been two years since the deadly Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, during which at least 1,200 Israelis and other nationals - mostly civilians - were killed and 251 people were taken hostage, of which 20 are still alive and held in Gaza.
Reposted by Penny Relf
There are those out there who seek the call of the wild, and race up mountains while dodging wolves.
Then there are those of us who seek the call of the mild, and race through books while wolfing down snacks.
Then there are those of us who seek the call of the mild, and race through books while wolfing down snacks.
September 21, 2025 at 7:47 PM
There are those out there who seek the call of the wild, and race up mountains while dodging wolves.
Then there are those of us who seek the call of the mild, and race through books while wolfing down snacks.
Then there are those of us who seek the call of the mild, and race through books while wolfing down snacks.
Reposted by Penny Relf
Lots of Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus, around the ivy at the moment. The spring generation primarily uses holly, whereas the summer generation switch to ivy. One of the many beautiful species supported by this underrated plant!
September 23, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Lots of Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus, around the ivy at the moment. The spring generation primarily uses holly, whereas the summer generation switch to ivy. One of the many beautiful species supported by this underrated plant!
Reposted by Penny Relf
Its week 26, the final week of our 50th survey season! 🎺 🎉 🦋 🥳
A HUGE thank you to all the fantastic volunteers for walking transects, recording butterflies and entering data this year.
Your efforts greatly contribute to our understanding of butterfly populations and helps us conserve them ❤️
A HUGE thank you to all the fantastic volunteers for walking transects, recording butterflies and entering data this year.
Your efforts greatly contribute to our understanding of butterfly populations and helps us conserve them ❤️
September 23, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Its week 26, the final week of our 50th survey season! 🎺 🎉 🦋 🥳
A HUGE thank you to all the fantastic volunteers for walking transects, recording butterflies and entering data this year.
Your efforts greatly contribute to our understanding of butterfly populations and helps us conserve them ❤️
A HUGE thank you to all the fantastic volunteers for walking transects, recording butterflies and entering data this year.
Your efforts greatly contribute to our understanding of butterfly populations and helps us conserve them ❤️
Reposted by Penny Relf
We’re calling for the ban of Israel in European and global football. We’ve banned Russia, who have committed far less atrocities (evil nonetheless).
September 22, 2025 at 5:01 PM
We’re calling for the ban of Israel in European and global football. We’ve banned Russia, who have committed far less atrocities (evil nonetheless).
Reposted by Penny Relf
One of those “Doh! Why didn’t we think of it earlier?” moments
Vertical rows are the agrivoltaic winner!
“The vertical panels produce slightly less electricity—but with higher value, as generation peaks coincide with morning and late afternoon demand…The crops don't seem to mind the presence of solar panels and they like the wind protection they provide.”
“The vertical panels produce slightly less electricity—but with higher value, as generation peaks coincide with morning and late afternoon demand…The crops don't seem to mind the presence of solar panels and they like the wind protection they provide.”
Double harvest: Vertical solar panels and crops thrive side by side
Imagine a field where solar panels and crops coexist—with no trade-off. It sounds like science fiction, but that's precisely what researchers from Aarhus University have now documented in a full-scale...
techxplore.com
September 22, 2025 at 6:05 PM
One of those “Doh! Why didn’t we think of it earlier?” moments
East Yorkshire sunflowers !
Happy late summer Saturday 🌻🦋
Happy late summer Saturday 🌻🦋
August 30, 2025 at 10:33 AM
East Yorkshire sunflowers !
Happy late summer Saturday 🌻🦋
Happy late summer Saturday 🌻🦋
If you’re thinking of incorporating wildflowers into your garden do consider planting Devils-bit Scabious, it’s beautiful easy to grow and beneficial to insects in late summer. Looks great with Birds-foot Trefoil which is the top herbaceous plant for insects 🦋
Such an abundance of butterflies, bumblebees & hoverflies in the Devil's bit scabious #meadows. A joy to see.
August 14, 2025 at 10:11 PM
If you’re thinking of incorporating wildflowers into your garden do consider planting Devils-bit Scabious, it’s beautiful easy to grow and beneficial to insects in late summer. Looks great with Birds-foot Trefoil which is the top herbaceous plant for insects 🦋
Reposted by Penny Relf
"With limited tools to express their revulsion toward Netanyahu’s chosen course, allies must reconsider decades-old aversion to pausing military aid... Why arm Israel to continue doing what Americans abhor and what violates international law and simple decency?"
Netanyahu Sets off Firestorm of Protest
The prime minister provokes domestic and international fury
contrarian.substack.com
August 14, 2025 at 8:04 PM
"With limited tools to express their revulsion toward Netanyahu’s chosen course, allies must reconsider decades-old aversion to pausing military aid... Why arm Israel to continue doing what Americans abhor and what violates international law and simple decency?"
Sitting outside in the garden waiting for the stars and shooting stars to come out. So far satellites 15 - Perseids 0 too much space hardware 🙄
August 14, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Sitting outside in the garden waiting for the stars and shooting stars to come out. So far satellites 15 - Perseids 0 too much space hardware 🙄
Reposted by Penny Relf
Did u know?It's great to attract adult butterflies & moths into yr garden by providing nectar-rich plants.If you want to host their entire lifecycle, you need to grow their larval food plants.The Brimstone is one of our earliest b'flies.If you want to see its caterpillars,grow Alder Buckthorn🪲🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🌍🦋
August 3, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Did u know?It's great to attract adult butterflies & moths into yr garden by providing nectar-rich plants.If you want to host their entire lifecycle, you need to grow their larval food plants.The Brimstone is one of our earliest b'flies.If you want to see its caterpillars,grow Alder Buckthorn🪲🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🌍🦋
Reposted by Penny Relf
Thanks to NLOW Wildlife Festival for opportunity to talk about beetles, berms & biodiversity today. Laurie Friday(Cambridge University) kindly gave overview of what survey data tells us. Particularly pleased to meet some of the farmers doing sterling work creating & enhancing habitats on their land👍
August 2, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Thanks to NLOW Wildlife Festival for opportunity to talk about beetles, berms & biodiversity today. Laurie Friday(Cambridge University) kindly gave overview of what survey data tells us. Particularly pleased to meet some of the farmers doing sterling work creating & enhancing habitats on their land👍
Hi from Greenland everyone ✌️!
I’m a bit busy guiding our red sails tours here these days so I don’t post much, but I thought I’d share a little glimpse from yesterday night sailing ⛵️🧊.
That’s shot around 12pm…
I’m a bit busy guiding our red sails tours here these days so I don’t post much, but I thought I’d share a little glimpse from yesterday night sailing ⛵️🧊.
That’s shot around 12pm…
August 3, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Penny Relf
On this #PoisonedPlanet, so many threats to life.
Cocktail of #pesticides and important issue for many species
#NatureCrisis
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Cocktail of #pesticides and important issue for many species
#NatureCrisis
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Monarch butterflies’ mass die-off in 2024 caused by pesticide exposure – study
New peer-reviewed research found an average of seven pesticides in each of 10 butterflies tested
www.theguardian.com
August 3, 2025 at 6:24 AM
On this #PoisonedPlanet, so many threats to life.
Cocktail of #pesticides and important issue for many species
#NatureCrisis
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Cocktail of #pesticides and important issue for many species
#NatureCrisis
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
July 27, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Iron Prominent hiding in plain sight this morning!
July 27, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Iron Prominent hiding in plain sight this morning!
Reposted by Penny Relf
Shackled, malnourished and suffering convulsions: son of UK couple imprisoned in Afghanistan warns situation ‘escalating’ and they could die
Shackled, malnourished and suffering convulsions: son of UK couple imprisoned in Afghanistan warns situation ‘escalating’ and they could die
Barbie and Peter Reynolds, who were arrested by the Taliban in February, were kept underground for six weeks without daylight, their son says
At one point in the five and a half months they have been imprisoned in Afghanistan, Barbie and Peter Reynolds were kept in underground cells, deprived of sunlight for six weeks.
Their health is deteriorating rapidly. Peter, 80, has been chained and shackled, and recently had convulsions on the floor, much to the alarm of Barbie, 75, who herself has suffered from malnourishment and reports her hands and feet have turned blue. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
July 26, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Shackled, malnourished and suffering convulsions: son of UK couple imprisoned in Afghanistan warns situation ‘escalating’ and they could die
Reposted by Penny Relf
Reposted by Penny Relf
Here’s some good news: if you’re a U.S. citizen, you own part of 640 million acres of public land.
Here’s the bad news: Republicans are trying to sell it off.
Ryan Busse sounds the alarm.
Here’s the bad news: Republicans are trying to sell it off.
Ryan Busse sounds the alarm.
You’ve Inherited Millions of Acres. Republicans Are Stealing It From You.
This land may not be your land for much longer
contrarian.substack.com
July 1, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Here’s some good news: if you’re a U.S. citizen, you own part of 640 million acres of public land.
Here’s the bad news: Republicans are trying to sell it off.
Ryan Busse sounds the alarm.
Here’s the bad news: Republicans are trying to sell it off.
Ryan Busse sounds the alarm.
Reposted by Penny Relf
Dark Red, Marsh, Dune, Green-flowered, Broad-leaved - can you find a flowering Epipactis species for #WildflowerHour this week? If you can, share your finds this Sunday 8-9pm using the hashtag #HelleborineChallenge! With special thanks to @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social for this week’s theme!
July 1, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Dark Red, Marsh, Dune, Green-flowered, Broad-leaved - can you find a flowering Epipactis species for #WildflowerHour this week? If you can, share your finds this Sunday 8-9pm using the hashtag #HelleborineChallenge! With special thanks to @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social for this week’s theme!
Reposted by Penny Relf
We have had a few cancellations for the walk at Cassiobury Park tomorrow (29th June) - a chance to see specialist woodland butterflies, even a Purple Emperor if you are lucky. If you are quick book a place on this free walk. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/butterfly-... @savebutterflies
Butterfly Walk for summer butterflies as Cassiobury Park
Enjoy a guided walk at Cassiobury Park & Whippendell Woods searching for summer butterflies incl. Silver-washed Fritillary & White Admiral
www.eventbrite.co.uk
June 28, 2025 at 8:29 AM
We have had a few cancellations for the walk at Cassiobury Park tomorrow (29th June) - a chance to see specialist woodland butterflies, even a Purple Emperor if you are lucky. If you are quick book a place on this free walk. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/butterfly-... @savebutterflies
Please ask your MP to speak up for these persecuted birds.
The illegal killing of our beautiful birds must stop.
It’s good to see MPs will be debating this urgent issue on Monday.
Thank you to everyone who's spoken up so far. We’re close to getting the change our upland wildlife needs.
It’s good to see MPs will be debating this urgent issue on Monday.
Thank you to everyone who's spoken up so far. We’re close to getting the change our upland wildlife needs.
The illegal killing of Hen Harriers has hit a devastating new high. ⚠️
A new RSPB report reveals 102 incidents in just five years - with the majority on, or near, grouse moors.
A thread…
A new RSPB report reveals 102 incidents in just five years - with the majority on, or near, grouse moors.
A thread…
June 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Please ask your MP to speak up for these persecuted birds.