They are great - but natural annual cycles of shutting down and waking up are great also.

Flowering windows getting longer, disruption ensues for all species that rely on them.

Daffodils not great generally, but a sign of changes

I had vetch and sow thistle flower in last few days, and mosquito on back door last night.

Not normal at this time of year in my location.

Daffodils that are in a suntrap and shallow soil look like they will flower in a few weeks, have seen some in east already (non-native albeit)

But being serious, the amount of flowering plants and insects on the wing is horrific.

Goals need to be SMART to use corporate lingo, and we need to be focusing on problem.

Increased awareness of deer impact is good, but a lot of people vilifying deer now to point where it may harm efforts.

Just my thoughts, 100% not suited to this social media format

If we have a static target of culling 60k deer per annum but 80k born a year, no woodland benefits.

Tried to clarify in other tweet

bsky.app/profile/rewi...

Just adding to keep focus on goal - going in asking for deer culling alone will not neccesarily result in woodland benefits - cull target of 100k per annum nationally vs reducing density down to less than 1/km² for broadleaf regen

(Just something that annoys me - see woodland creation vs numbers of trees planted, growth in % share of renewable energy vs growth of emissions etc)

Would just like to add that its grazing impact that needs reduction, not deer numbers per se.

Focusing on deer numbers can decouple targets from actual goal.

We have an awful habit of doing this in Ireland to date - static, meaningless metrics that become decades of policy.

I don't view biodiversity as box-ticking, but I think implementation of measures has resulted in this view- to be clearer.

Eco Integrity is not defined enough or workable enough to implement - but I think the work needs doing

If systems were geared towards more dynamic system thinking as opposed to metricisied box ticking of X number of species/X area of species - it may be better for nature long term.

A lot of projects seem to push X number of tree species/X % of area as grassland/woodland etc which is more chocolate box conservation than anything.

This has downstream effect of a misinformed public pushing for stuff which could harm nature (tidy town mantras/plant trees everywhere in Ireland)

Biodiversity is a subset of ecological integrity.

I witnessed someone write once that sitka plantation on peatland was a positive as a Biodiversity increase.

The push for maximising biodiveristy results in brainworms sometimes.

Fair (and I forgot him) - but no real campaigning by him before September?

Connolly, as an independent, started in July to build up support

And one more thing, Martin has shown what he really thinks of role of President when he backed an anti-neutrality celebrity figure over a seasoned FF politican (no comment on his aptitude or ability but see tweet).

I hope his career is ended soon.

Its just a good time to organise, folks, if you haven't started already.

Talk to that older relative looking at AI slop on facebook.

Call out that dodgy statement a colleague made.

Sure

m.independent.ie/irish-news/a...

Peadar was on the news yesterday saying how he spoiled his vote because he had no political choice on the ballot.

Meanwhile, this is his political party YOUTH group.

Its clear as fuck what they are trying to pander to, lads.

I am not counting people who didn't vote