Delighted to hear about the evolution of trees & how they have transformed our planet. And even more delighted to hear two of our Fellows discuss the brilliance of tree evolution on 'In Our Time', with William Baker and Christopher Berry! You can listen below. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

For #WorldEnvironmentDay, we would like to show you the New Naturalist Library. These books aim to interest the general reader in British wildlife by recapturing the inquiring spirit of the old naturalists. Our set was owned by James Fisher, author/broadcaster/naturalist & one of its first editors.

"Ask Gina!" is often heard in Linnean corridors, which is the perfect way to describe Gina Douglas' long relationship with & commitment to the Society. She was the Linnean Librarian 1981-2007 & as Honorary Archivist, she has listed many of our archives, enabling the cataloguing work for 15 years.

Suzanne Ryder is our Honorary Curator of Entomology, responsible for our insect collections. She also has a professional interest in Integrated Pest Management, has trained Linnean staff, and works with our Conservator to make sure our collections stay pest free. #VolunteersWeek

Jacek Wajer, a botanist and senior curator at NHM London, is in charge of the Linnaean Plant Name Typification Project, which makes him an ideal collaborator. Jacek looks after our two herbaria at the Linnean Society: that of Carl Linnaeus and of James Edward Smith. #VolunteersWeek

Ollie Crimmen's association with the our Society began in the 70s, when he x-rayed the full series of 168 Linnaean fish specimens as the newly appointed assistant curator at NHM, London. His association continues in his current role as our Curator of Zoology. Any fishy questions? Ollie's your man!

Today, we thank our curators, who volunteer their time, expertise & effort! Glenn Benson, our Curator of Artefacts, is focussed on cataloguing our artefacts, especially our large collection of medals. In unearthing items from our Collections, he writes blogs and gives online talks. #VolunteersWeek

More of our stellar volunteers! John Abbott used to work as a conservator at The National Archives. He has been with us for 8 years and has conserved more than 90 collections. You can see him doing a live conservation demonstration here: buff.ly/92cgPax #VolunteerWeek

Louis Szemalikowski is our book reshelving volunteer; a vital task in any library, but one often neglected by hardpressed librarians! Louis has done amazing work to reduce the size of our shelving backlog, meaning items can be returned quickly to circulation for use by our readers. #VolunteerWeek

Looking for work experience placements? Applications now open for Sept-Nov. For people aged 15-18 who are interested in natural history, science education, or libraries and archives, we offer unpaid opportunities. Apply here: bit.ly/4ao2eDf

Sheila Meredith is one of the Society's longest serving volunteers and is a fabulous, meticulous cataloguer. Her recent work includes cataloguing the private library of Alfred Russell Wallace, and improvements to our sprawling index of author names (with over 9,000 entries amended!). #VolunteerWeek

Continuing with our #VolunteerWeek theme, we have Hazel Marsden, one of our longest-standing supporters. Hazel generously gives her time to the library and archives. Specifically, Hazel meticulously counts and records the library's item fetching slips. Read here: bit.ly/4al5nnj

This week we're celebrating our many volunteers & their invaluable contributions. Amita Mehta has made several of our core records searchable; and listed the gorgeous pattern plates of William Swainson which he produced for "Zoological Illustrations". Read more here: bit.ly/4al5nnj #VolunteerWeek

Walk this way, and learn about the bugs of Wandsworth Common with Connor Butler. This evening nature walk on 17 June will explore a variety of habitats including meadows and woodlands and you'll learn how to identify the incredible diversity of insects hiding in plain sight.

Ahh inselbergs, the terrestrial iceberg. Ancient rock outcrops with unique microclimates, they often have unique floral diversity that differs from their surroundings. In Atlantic Forest lowland inselbergs, bromeliads dominate & differ along a coastal-inland gradient, but why? A short 🧵 (1/2) 🧪🌎

"Crushed Under a Mountain of Facts | New Perspectives on The Descent of Man," a talk for the @linneansociety.bsky.social with James Costa & Elizabeth Yale: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOZ9... #HPS #histsci #CharlesDarwin #evolution #books @princetonupress.bsky.social

Ticket alert! Some places have become available on our 9 June pavement plant safari with Amanda Tuke, author of 'Wild Pavements - Exploring Britain's Cities with an Urban Naturalist'. We hope you can join us: buff.ly/fxAmoPL

We loved working with Oak Spring Garden Foundation for this very special examination of two copies of Maria Sybilla Merian's "Insects of Suriname" . The talk explores a masterpiece of scientific illustration from one of natural history’s great female pioneers.

Over 90% of species that ever existed are now extinct. How did we come to think of ourselves as survivors in a world where species can vanish forever? Join Sadiah Qureshi at the Linnean Society on 11 June, to explore the history (and surprising modernity) of extinction. Tickets: buff.ly/4sIX5hV

This #WorldOtterDay we're looking back on a project funded by Our Local Nature Grant scheme. In 2022, we awarded funding to Ellesmere College in Leicester - their older children led sessions in local schools to bring attention to local species. Find out more at buff.ly/rqUX6su

Battling the heat? Outdoors today in London, most are seeking the balm of tree shade. But what about the trees themselves? Some will survive the heat better in the future. One of them is the Judas Tree, Cercis siliquastrum. This beautiful image is from Sibthorp and Smith's Flora Graeca (1806-1840).

Bats away! Our super popular batwalks were featured on this Channel 4 news story on this year's Chelsea Flower Show, which focuses on food banks and also one of Britain’s most misunderstood creatures – bats. Special appearance: our bat walk leader, Georgia Cowie! bit.ly/3RC9Yeo

🫖#InternationalTeaDay Beautiful frontispiece and tea garden/gardener illustration from "Tea Planting in the Outer Himalayah" (1860) by AT McGowan, Asst Surgeon, British Indian Army. McGowan traveled in the Kangra region to observe tea plantations. The image has a lovely view of the Kangra Fort.

#WorldBeeDay! How can we plant better for bees? Bees can best see the colour purple, so plants like lavender, alliums, and catmint work great! And although herbarium specimens don't really show colour well - below are examples of Allium, Lavandula and Nepeta from Smith's and LInnaeus' Herbariums.

A day for us! It is #InternationalMuseumDay. Our building was built to house our historically important Collections. Linnaean collections and names underpin many aspects of human endeavour, particularly the global trade in plant and animal commodities. Visit us or book our monthly treasures tour.

We are animals, and that’s not an insult. Despite how we often separate ourselves from the 'Animal Kingdom', humans sit firmly within it. Understanding where we fit in doesn’t diminish us, it helps explain our origins. #SciFri @linneansociety.bsky.social stevenallain.co.uk/Blog/scifri-...

Last chance to book our event tomorrow! At 6 pm at the Linnean Society, historians of science Jim Costa and Beth Yale will bring new perspectives to Charles Darwin's second-most famous work "The Descent of Man". Followed by book signing and drinks. Book below! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1983890959...

Last chance to book tix for @pintofscience.uk at Linnean! Join us for science talks on stressed apes and gay giraffes, AND an animal kingdom themed drag show - book tickets at link below. 🍻 Talks and show by @gillyforrester.bsky.social .bsky.social and Bi-Curious George. Book here: bit.ly/427wu0Y

Our warmest and wildest 100th birthday wishes to Sir David Attenborough, vice-patron of our Society. Today, we are celebrating Priam's Birdwing, which he said he would include in his "ark" to protect from extinction. This illustration is from E Donovan's "An Epitome of...Insects of India" (1800).

Congratulations to Prof Roger Butlin, the new editor-in-chief of the Biological Journal, taking over from Dr Karen Sears. Prof Butlin is a veteran evolutionary biologist and a Fellow of the Society. We also want to thank Dr Sears for her masterful stewardship of the journal. More - bit.ly/4noj2zp

George Orwell’s great-great-grandparents Charles Blair and Lady Mary Blair were enthusiastic collectors of natural specimens which they sent to botanist and keen promoter of Linnaean taxonomy, Richard Pulteney. Read more about this connection and more in this blog by Darcy Moore! bit.ly/4nlt58w

Brazilian illustrator Diana Carneiro has won the 2026 Jill Smythies Award! With an expansive career, she taught science and biology before graduating from the School of Music and Fine Arts of Paraná. Her 400 botanical illustrations included newly discovered species, publishing in journals worldwide.

2026 H.H. Bloomer Award winner Wessel Swanepoel changed tracks from railway operation to being a leading authority on southern African species of Petalidium and Commiphora. He has authored or co-authored papers on an impressive 45 new plant species, including two new genera.

Most cynodonts (ancient mammal relatives) died out in the Triassic, but one line led to mammals. John. C. Marsden Medal winner Lívia Roese-Miron and team used CT scans on a 200+ million-year-old Siriusgnathus skull, revealing details about its nervous system— reshaping ideas of feeding & behaviour.

John C. Marsden Medal winner @wenjie-zhu.bsky.social’s study of gibbons addresses difficulties inferring species relationships, where genes show conflicting evolutionary histories. Her two-step method estimates gene trees, then infers the species tree, enabling efficient, robust genomic analysis.

We are at @pintofscience.uk again this year! Join us for science talks on stressed apes and gay giraffes, AND an animal kingdom themed drag show - book tickets at link below. 🍻 Talks and show by @gillyforrester.bsky.social and Bi-Curious George. Book here: bit.ly/427wu0Y

Natalia Ruiz-Vargas—our 2026 Irene Manton Prize winner—and colleagues analysed 63 Pitcairnia genomes across northern South & Central America, resolving phylogeny, gene flow and biogeography, showing Caribbean species likely stem from a single Venezuelan dispersal ~200,000 years ago.

Amy Bray is our 2026 John Spedan Lewis Emerging Leader Award winner! At just 16 she founded youth-led charity Another Way, now a movement empowering thousands to act on the climate crisis. With 30,000+ trees planted, she’s turning passion into lasting impact across the UK.

Congratulation to @jameststroud.bsky.social on winning our Bicentenary Award 2026! An exceptional evolutionary ecologist with 61 papers and 3,000+ citations, his 2025 paper in Nature caps a decade of landmark lizard evolution work. His outreach programme Lizards on the Loose has engaged thousands!

The 2026 Linnean Medal for outreach is awarded to @chrisgpackham.bsky.social, who rose to prominence on The Really Wild Show and brings British wildlife to millions via Springwatch. A writer, presenter and campaigner, he co-founded Wild Justice and raises neurodivergence and mental health awareness.

Our 2026 Linnean Medal winner for research, @mstiassny.bsky.social, has transformed understanding of fish evolution, from African rivers to the tree of life. Blending fieldwork and advanced imaging, she’s revealed blind species adapted to low-light environments and alarming declines in biodiversity.

Since 1888, the Linnean Medal has honoured those advancing our understanding of nature. This year, we celebrate 10 individuals—pioneering researchers, communicators & campaigners—whose work spans discovery, conservation and public engagement, united by a commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

Hear from James Rosindell, Linnean Society Fellow and our 2022 Bicentenary Medal Winner, in his inaugural lecture. He will discuss how we measure biodiversity, and how mathematics can help us uncover its hidden depth. Congratulations James! Register for the lecture on 5 May: buff.ly/fSxKdLc

Our Fellowship is an international community of individuals from conservation, the humanities and sciences, all united by a love of nature. If you're actively working towards a world where nature is understood, valued and protected, you could join this community. Find out more: buff.ly/T1p7aB6

This #WorldBookDay, come listen to a talk on the origin and evolution of Darwin's "The Descent of Man", May 15, 6 pm, Linnean Society! Lecture by Jim Costa and Beth Yale. bit.ly/3QsmQ6n

For #EarthDay today, and for all other days, our planet needs advocates. But does it also need a barrister? Can a planet have legal rights? Watch our recent lecture by barrister Monica Feria-Tinta on seeking justice for environmental wrongs and nature protection - www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmhD...

Discover the fascinating world of nature at our Special Home-Educated Families Day! Join us on May 5th at 1:30pm for a 90-minute KS2 Classification Workshop for children aged 7–11. This interactive session will explore how scientists organise and understand life on Earth. buff.ly/LSHyDpX

Delightful archive finds! Or, literally, in this case a 1764 book called "A delight for the eyes and the mind, or, A general collection of the different species of seashells found in the sea" by Georg Wolfgang Knorr, a German engraver. The book features colourful and finely drawn (cont.)

Our new paper published in @zoojlinnsoc.bsky.social on the osteology and neuroanatomy of the crocodyliform Koumiodontosuchus. Great study led by @christijanibarker.bsky.social with @tetzoo.bsky.social et al academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a... @linneansociety.bsky.social @sotonbiosciences.bsky.social

Tomorrow at the Linnean Society! 6 pm - a few tickets still available. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1982876762...