Had such a beautiful day last week at @thebotanics.bsky.social new staff induction 🌿 Learned about the garden’s history, met new colleagues from across departments, and even got a peek 👀 inside the refurbished glasshouse before the plants return! #science #postdoclife

Really enjoyed the ACE Early Career Symposium yesterday! Great to present my work on intraspecific adaptations of Scottish grasses, chat with other early career academics, and hear from the panel on the many different ways careers can develop. Thanks to the ACE team for hosting an incredible event!

Yesterday I started as a Research Fellow in Biodiversity Science at @thebotanics.bsky.social ! 🌿 Over the next 6 months I’ll be continuing my work exploring Madagascar’s biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics… and enjoying more time in the beautiful gardens😍 #postdoc

Last week I was at the @bes-rewildinggroup.bsky.social workshop in Northumberland 🌿 Great to connect with researchers & practitioners from northern England & Scotland to discuss UK #rewilding- challenges, new tech 🎮, long-term monitoring, & the value of collaboration! Lots to think about! 🤔

This week I attended the Tropical East Asian Savanna Symposium at RBGE and helped lead a Global Grassy Group Surveying workshop with visiting researchers in Holyrood Park. It’s been great connecting with scientists working in a region I haven’t explored much in my own research 🌏🌾😊

Out in the Pentlands yesterday with the first-year field ecology students, playing the role of ‘grass specialist’. Shared some ID tips for common UK grasses –fingers crossed I converted a few into budding grass enthusiasts. 🌾👀 #grassgang #fieldecology

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Also a special thanks to my amazing supervisors, Caroline Lehmann (@caroaceae.bsky.social) and Graham Stone, for your unwavering guidance and support over the last 4+ years! #DreamTeam

Yesterday, I successfully defended my thesis! 🍾🥳🎉 Huge thanks to my committee –James Bullock (@jmbecologist.bsky.social), Tiina Särkinen, and Catherine Kidner – for an incredible viva experience discussing grasslands, traits, and conservation management. From now on, it’s Dr. Eshelman! 👩🏻‍🎓🌍🧪 #PhDone

Submitted my thesis today 🥳🥳🥳 It’s been a journey—wild, exhausting, amazing 🌾🌾🌾Thanks to everyone who help me along the way! Next step… viva (after some well deserved weeks off 😊)

Feeling grateful for the opportunity to attend #SSNM2025 and share my work on Malagasy grasses 🌾. After an incredible week in the bush🐆🦓🦏🐘🦒, it’s time to head back to reality—just three weeks left to wrap up my PhD! 😅

Tomorrow (9.30), I’ll be giving a quick talk at #SSNM2025 on Malagasy 🇲🇬 grassy flora—using herbarium traits to explore how top-down and bottom-up drivers shape grass structures and life history strategies. Looking forward to sharing this work from my PhD! 🌾🌾🌾

Halfway through #SSNM2025 and it’s been wild so far! 🐘🐆🦓Great science, great people, and great game drives! What more could I ask for? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hi Bluesky!🦋 I’m a botanist/ecologist studying global grassland dynamics, 🌾 particularly how grass traits interact with disturbances like grazing. 🐄🦏🐑🦓 I’ve been lucky to work across Europe and Africa! 🌍 Currently doing my PhD at the University of Edinburgh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 and Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh 🌱

Thank you to everyone who attended my talk yesterday on Scottish upland grass communities! 🌾 Missed it or want to chat more? Find me at #BES2024 or drop me a message—I’d love to connect! 🌍

Grazing is reshaping grasslands in the Scottish Uplands—but how? 🌾 Are species shifting, or are traits like plant height changing within species? 🤔 Find out next Wednesday at #BES2024 (Auditorium 1C) when I present my PhD research on Scottish grass communities