The Linnean Society of London @linneansociety.bsky.social is the oldest learned society dedicated to the science of natural history 🕷️🦋 And they have a comprehensive list of Open Access resources on their website 👀 Have a browse 👉 buff.ly/MBemvXe

#London folks: curious about my talk at @linneansociety.bsky.social on Thurs 5th March? Check out the book excerpts from HUMANS: A Monstrous History (@ucpress.bsky.social) & spinoff essays. Books will be on sale w/ an event discount; come get yours autographed during the reception! 🗃 #histsci

Heading to London today to speak at the @linneansociety.bsky.social on Thursday evening (pinned post). Getting my brain into #histsci gear. Here's a thread and a podcast episode about how it all started: too much #StarTrek and the fabled Cavendish labs for #physics.

One week left to apply for our Education Manager role! Inspiring young people about nature and ensuring their voices are heard is vital to achieve our vision. We are looking for parental leave cover to manager our educational workshops, events and grants. Apply by midnight 8 March: buff.ly/M2qGvt2

Happy #PolarBearDay! Enjoy this illustration of two polar bears from 'The natural history of animals (class Mammalia-animals which suckle their young), in word and picture' (1885) by Vogt and Specht.

How can birdwatching help protect our planet? Join us on 11 March (12:30–1:30pm) for our next online lunchtime lecture with Dr Debankur Saha. Learn simple bird ID tips, discover citizen science tools, and see how watching birds can make a real conservation impact:

The original cuckold, cuckoos are known for their brood parasitism, but do their unwilling hosts ever catch on? Using red-vented bulbuls as a case study (the host of the Jacobin cuckoo), the role off egg size & nestling discrimination were investigated, but what did it show? A (tiny) 🧵🧪(1/2)

How did a plant poison become one of medicine’s oldest drugs... and why did plants make it in the first place? Join Professor Dorian Haskard to discover how the evolutionary plant-insect arms race led to a unique treatment for gout. 26 March, 6-8pm at the Linnean Society. buff.ly/gvXwjdQ

Sneak peek #BTS as we prepare for our Science and Belief workshops for British Science Week, in partnership with Westminster Abbey. The free, 60-minute workshops are for KS2 and explore the fascinating relationship between science and belief, encouraging thoughtful discussion and curiosity.

How do you leap from a wobbly tree branch without falling? New research published in the @zoojlinnsoc.bsky.social explores how primates evolved different strategies to master life in the canopy. Read the journal blog here: buff.ly/kMJZ6XZ 📷 Charles J. Sharp / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

🦔 It’s #WorldPangolinDay! The world’s only scaly mammals have skulls as distinctive as their scales. A study in our @zoojlinnsoc.bsky.social analysed 241 specimens, revealing differences between Asian & African species - and hidden diversity within the white-bellied pangolin: buff.ly/bZPlGIl

Can a planet have legal rights? On 16 April, barrister and author Monica Feria-Tinta will join us to explore how ordinary people are turning to courts, seeking justice for environmental wrongs and nature protection. Regster now! buff.ly/OZW9UUL

How were humans classified, and why does this still shape our world? Join us on 19 March for the launch of Homo Sapiens | Classifying the Human Animal. Exploring Linnaeus’ Systema naturae and enduring legacies, there'll be a panel discussion, drinks reception and exhibition viewing: buff.ly/apWNsKp

Beavers are making a difference in London 🦫 Our Feb Lunchtime Lecture with Şeniz Mustafa, @senizdoesnature.bsky.social, explored how the Ealing Beaver Project restores habitats, boosts biodiversity & inspires communities. Learn to coexist with these ecosystem engineers: buff.ly/1OzcQbj

Linnaeus's pearls are a highlight in our current exhibition, 'Wonder'. Join us online on 3 March to delve a little more into the history of Swedish pearl fisheries and Linnaeus’s ‘secret method’ to produce artificial pearls from freshwater mussels in the 1750s. Register at buff.ly/cdlADwW

Hay there, hold your horses and try not to stirrup trouble: it's the lunar new year! This illustration in Hawkins's 'A comparative view of the human and animal frame' (1860) shows two chaps foaling around together. What better way to kick off the #YearOfTheHorse?

Ewe wool-dn't want to miss out on the baa-mazing talk by Monica Stenzel as she unravels the tight-knit history of wool! Stitching together millennia of textile history and weaving in its future, Stenzel traces the thread of this fantastic fibre. Last chance to grab your ticket here: buff.ly/XJc7u76

It's #MolluscMonday and you know what that means, I mollusc tell you about the freshwater mussels of Java! They're Java unique, with an island-wide assessment revealing a #NewSpecies (Pseudolon cokelatus) & urgent #Conservation needs! 🌍🧪👇 doi.org/10.1093/zool... @linneansociety.bsky.social

Learn new and intricate skills with Emily Barnett, as she guides you through her exclusive design based on Maria Sybilla Merian's passionflower. A day-long workshop, where participants will learn advanced embroidery and goldwork techniques. Limited spaces, reserve yours here: buff.ly/2JddDW8

Some incredible side-eye from this guy for #WorldHippoDay. Hippopotamus amphibius from 'Dictionnaire Histoire Naturelle' (1837) by Charles d'Orbigny (1806-1876).

A forgotten 1925 expedition reveals how two women naturalists pursued discovery in a scientific world only just opening to them. Join Janet Browne & Jordan Goodman on 9 Apr to explore the the voyage of the St George and the work of Cynthia Longfield and Evelyn Cheesman. More here: buff.ly/epJXlC6

What day is it? It's #Darwin's birthday! Happy 217th to our boy Charles.

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we're gearing up here for a lunchtime lecture from Şeniz Mustafa about the Ealing Beaver project. Looking for something more historical? Read about our first female Fellows, whose portraits are on display in our library. buff.ly/4QQkfVG #IDWGS

Roses are red, violets are blue, Historic natural history art makes a great gift too🌹 Celebrate Valentine’s Day with beautiful prints and gifts from our Bridgeman collection - perfect for the nature lover in your life. Browse now: buff.ly/FOolDNM

Marble bust of Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828), founder of @linneansociety.bsky.social, spotted in the Society this week. In 1784 he bought for £1000 the collection of manuscripts, books & specimens brought together by Carl Linnaeus, which later became the foundations of the Linnean Society.

Get your weekend off to a great start by catching up on 'the Indiana Jones of the plant world' (and our past President!) Sandy Knapp on Private Passions. As well as her music choices, she discusses how plants names are decided and her research into plants named after women.

We had a wonderful time yesterday at Exploring Queerness in Natural History. We're writing up it up to share in a future blog post, but for now here are some pictures of our fantastic curators @aquadan1.bsky.social and Connor Butler, the lunchtime zine-making, and our afternoon panellists.

We're very much looking forward to being joined by David Haskell to talk about his new book, How Flowers Made our World. Join us on 2 April, to hear about the many ways that we live on a floral planet. 📆 2 April, 6pm-8pm GMT 📍 The Linnean Society 🎟️ From £8

Beavers? In London? Join us online on Feb 11 from 12:30pm where Şeniz Mustafa, the UK’s first urban beaver officer, will be telling us all about the UK’s only fully accessible urban beaver project, located in West London. Book your free space at the link below: buff.ly/6bzxqaw

Hi! Historian of science and of the age of European oceanic exploration. Wrote HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY (science, history, literature, pop culture). New project: a maritime misadventure. Next event: London at @linneansociety.bsky.social on Thurs March 5th! Book and free newsletter link in bio.

Rearranging the Universe | The Enduring Spell of Curiosity Cabinets is now on our YouTube channel. Join @giovannialoi.bsky.social as he explores how the desire to categorize, possess, and marvel continues to shape art practices today.

Join us on 5 March for HUMANS | A Monstrous History: Historian @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social explores how apes, zombies, cyborgs and so-called “monsters” shaped modern ideas of race, gender, nations... and normality itself. In-person, 6pm to 8pm Drinks, book sale/signing afterwards buff.ly/eUi5BPO

A pleasure to welcome colleagues from @linneansociety.bsky.social for a behind-the-scenes tour of our building and Collections today. We wrapped up with a tabletop display exploring natural history and the shared stories connecting our two learned societies 🌿📚

It's #WorldWetlandsDay today! While considering what we can all do to protect these vulnerable ecosystems, we're sharing some botanical illustrations of marsh flowers from 'English Botany', a collaborative work between James Sowerby and Sir James Edward Smith.

Wool-d you believe it? Wool is one of the UK's oldest materials, but there's still more to be learned! Don't be sheepish, join Monica Stenzel and discover the past, present and future of wool. 📆 Feb 25 6pm 📍 Linnean Society

Whilst you're unlikely to see knights in chainmail wondering the streets of London, squamate lizards pack a secret body armour millions of years in the making...but like the band Hot Chip, over and over and over and over... 🧵(1/2) #FossilFriday @linneansociety.bsky.social

Do you work in or with secondary schools across North and West London? We're on the hunt for groups of year 7 & 8 students to take part in our Nature Network project, funded by the John Lyons Charity. You can read more about the project on our website (buff.ly/qYK60k4) or email [email protected]!

The Ton is abuzz with the arrival of the latest #Bridgerton series, and so today we bring you some Regency treats: 1. Wisteria sinensis, from Curtis's Botanical Magazine (1819) 2. The illuminated page from our Roll and Charter, bearing the signature of King George III (Circa 1802)

How did a deadly plant poison become one of medicine’s oldest drugs? Thurs 26 March, 6pm to 8pm Join Dorian Haskard FLS as he explores the story of colchicine, from a secret 19th-century gout cure to Sir Joseph Banks, naturalist and key figure in the Linnean Society’s history. buff.ly/Mupq3sZ

We're excited to be supporting the Early Career Researcher Symposium from @sochistnathist.bsky.social. Taking place on 19 February, the programme showcases research into the study of natural history through time, done by early career researchers across the globe. Book:

I'm pleased to see the @linneansociety.bsky.social have posted a video of my talk on Discovering the Okapi on their YouTube channel, here youtu.be/MCOHAGII0a0?...

Happening next week!

New Merch alert - tea towels and totes have landed in our shop! Clean up a treat with our lemon print, or a colourful design featuring Sjupp, Linnaeus' pet raccoon. Reusable and sustainable, the natural unbleached cotton cloth is also fully compostable. buff.ly/V4qesDK

Accelerating #BiodiversityLoss, environmental degradation & social instability affect tropical & subtropical regions in South America. Museum collections are critical for documenting & preserving biodiversity, yet often get overlooked. Introducing: INALI snake collection (1/2) 🧪🌍 buff.ly/DbvmLsf

📢 Now #hiring: Education Manager Inspiring young people about nature and ensuring their voices are heard is vital to achieve the Society’s vision. We are looking for a motivated member of the team to manage our education offer: school workshops, outreach and more! buff.ly/2x2fDnD

What happens when humans are classified? On 19 March, 6pm to 8pm, we’re launching Homo Sapiens | Classifying the Human Animal at the Society, with a panel discussion exploring Carl Linnaeus’ classification of humans and its enduring impact on ideas of race and difference. Book now: buff.ly/frgzC9H

What counted as knowledge in Britain’s age of exploration...and who decided? On Wed 4 Feb, @edwinrose.bsky.social explores how natural knowledge was shaped by travel, collecting, and exchange - and whose voices were left out. 6–8pm · Burlington House Find out more: buff.ly/ypMIRvt

Until June 2026, this drawer with shells from the Swedish Queen Lovisa Ulrica, named by #Linnaeus will be shown at the Gustavianum Museum in Uppsala @uu.se ! The first time in many, many years that part of the Uppsala Linnaeus shell collection is presented to the public. @linneansociety.bsky.social

Join us for a free online workshop for KS2 learners. Running on 10th and 12th March at 10.30, this interactive session explores big questions around evolution, science, and belief, helping them understand how scientific ideas and religious perspectives have developed together. buff.ly/kzb3qjY

On 5 February, our symposium 'Exploring Queerness in Natural History' will look at engaging LGBTQ+ audiences in nature, the challenges of researching queer figures in the history of science, and supporting staff. Tickets at buff.ly/Csfwc1U