It’s been a tricky season for grassland fungi particularly here in southern England because it had been so dry. Finally finding some chunky waxcaps and distorted bent over Crimsons always appeal 😍 #fungifriday @britmycolsoc.org.uk

Remember it’s renewables that are pushing energy prices up🤦‍♂️ The evidence is clear.

Today's column is about the government's huge, unprecedented assault on nature ... and about the eerie, astonishing silence of the big nature groups. The RSPB, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts have 7.5m members between them. A vast force, completely unmobilised. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It’s quite possible that the Green Party will be bigger than the Tories soon 🥳🎉🍾 The right wing media are struggling to comprehend this and will resort to gutter journalism to pull them down. But, they have nothing because this is about you and I, everyone 🙂

Let’s roll out the good times💃🕺🪩🥳🎉🍾

Hallelujah to what Dr Jane Goodall said.

Billy Bragg, in a calm, measured way made Tice and Reform look like the total fools they are.

This is a brilliant post about heat pumps and policy. As a new heat pump owner, it has al already transformed our home; water, heating, aside from the carbon reduction the cost (we combine solar) has collapsed. Like getting an EV there’s no going back, this has to be the future.

I get crappy AI images of ‘perfect’ wildlife scenes/habitats coming up on here. Hate them. As an antidote - real wildlife is 200+ #Swallows and #Housemartins gathering on the wires near my house. No embellishments! Sad to see them going bit joy at seeing them.

So please take a little time to send a message and stand up for nature, including Fonesca’s Seed Fly: action.rspb.org.uk/page/166270

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa... our finest, internationally important wildlife places need full protection. This application for a golf course ffs should never have seen the light of day. 😡

Today I’m mostly trying to do my bit for fungi conservation. Key point, the UK is globally important for grassland fungi. We protect just 5 sites in England. We have 26 #IUCN Red listed grassland fungi species i.e accorded the same status as Giant 🐼. I reckon we should be doing a bit better?!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-wonder.... I’m giving a talk.

Since this is apparently a resigning matter, I’ll just leave this here… www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

With the lovely rain finally dampening the grasslands I’m looking forward to waxcaps and other fungi to bury my head into the turf and disappear from the shit show going on in the world. Selfish escapism, but needed just occasionally. Anyway, some waxcap fungi pics⬇️

Hello @bsky.app. we are Norfolk Ponds Project - a science-led partnership NGO focused on pond restoration & #ghostpond ressurection. We aim to educate, lobby & inspire others on ponds. We used to Tweet & had 5000+ followers. ***Please follow & help us achieve the same here***!!!

Take note Yvette Copper👍

It goes without saying every day won’t be sunny & windy but look at renewables supplying the grid today (now); biomass not needed (except for very local sourcing) if solar was scaled up to every appropriate rooftop had solar. Stop subsidy on biomass, tax fossil fuel companies, fund renewables 100%.

Quite brilliant

If thousands of us stand up and say "I support #PalestineAction", what is the government going to do? Lock us all up for "terrorism" offences? This is where we show them how solidarity works. My latest with the great @doubledown.news

Having walked around this area a number of times I’ll be there on the @righttoroam.bsky.social event. Excellent article by @georgemonbiot.bsky.social

Last month I was privileged to attend a meeting of @nasonline.org about biodiversity monitoring. The proceedings are now online for all to view: www.nasonline.org/event/us-uk-...

I was surprised to just read just that the British Plant Gall Society is on BlueSky but disappointed to read that they’re proposing to stop posting here due to lack of engagement. So if like me you’re interested in galls and just didn’t realise they were here, follow them here: @galling.bsky.social

Only 17 MPs vote on endless Drax tree-burning subsidies on 2 Jun at 6 pm. 1. Email the 17 committee MPs deciding this vote: tinyurl.com/6u77szhw 2. Email YOUR MP – tell them you oppose endless subsidies for Drax and stand with forests, communities & bill-payers tinyurl.com/y4ws5x7x

I check in on the Poole Harbour Osprey nest several times a day. 4 young now, it’s a struggle for them all to survive. I’m rooting for the little-un. If u can watch the feeding, warning it can be painful, I hope they all make it🤞Emotional ecologist😳 www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/osprey-news/...

Another tragic accident; a cyclist fully visible, lights, hi-vis. Driver speeding. When the hell are govt going to reduce speed limits on rural & minor roads. inaction costs lives. And the media bs, cyclists that kill people should get a life sentence. Ffs.😡 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

If you’re interested or even a little curious in conservation and ecology as a subject, that is informative, without hubris and from someone with years of experience and knowledge then check out @billsutherland.bsky.social YouTube videos. No less than 100👍 nice work Bill youtu.be/KtWpndvDEXc?...

To support unfettered growth the govt supports totally ineffective carbon capture. The crazy £ given to this ultimate green-washing exercise could restore every drained and degraded peat bog in the UK.

Ahh! Some good news.

We can only tackle the nature and climate crisis with science-led policy. As ecologists, we're joining hundreds of other scientists in calling on MPs to advance the Climate & Nature Bill, through an Early Day Motion, to protect our natural world.

Sad day. #JoseMujica if only we had more presidents like this. Uruguay's José Mujica, world's 'poorest president', dies www.bbc.com/news/article...

What #Climatechaos 🤷‍♂️ www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

USA science being destroyed by an insane people. Just tragic.

This⬇️

The Financial Times interviewed me a few weeks ago, they will write an article about the impacts of Freeports and Special Economic Zones on taxpayers, and communities throughout the UK. Article comes out in June.

Thinking about those ‘illegal’ immigrants, contributing nothing, I’m reminded of Mo Farah, one of the greatest track athletes, those medals, the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games. What have immigrants ever done for Britain🤷‍♂️ Enoch #Starmer shames the Labour movement.

Labour, Conservatives & Reform - sharing the platform to see who can be the nastiest. What a state.

This is why we made tippingpoint-podcast.com and why my follow-up is on the capture of economics. Social Cost of Carbon is pseudoscience. As Dana Meadows told Nordhaus, it should never have passed peer review, let alone be used in policymaking. Orthodox economics has cost us the climate.

Unpopular opinion, but should the felling of the #SycamoreGap tree really mean a custodial sentence? Why not send them on 2 months of nature conservation projects, planting trees etc 🤷‍♂️ The real crime inflicted on nature is the daily destruction of habitats, chemical warfare & planning bills🤔

There’s a great line in this superb article about N Americas birds & grasslands. Its motto: “Defend the Core, Grow the Core.” Something that some in nature conservation seem to have forgotten. Protection first, bigger second. www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2024-...

Went to see #Ocean this evening. It’s a must see. It’s fantastic and beautiful presented by the great man. It’s also exceptionally hard-hitting. The fishing industry must be fuming. This docu-film rips apart any notion that industrial fishing is sustainable. Watch Ocean www.oceanfilm.net/home/

What we can learn from the past about the threat of economic inequality, why philosophers considered it so disruptive and destabilising, and how we can make this threat more tangible to provoke action? Find out at our webinar on 13 May 👀👇

So, the lessons coming out of Australia. Is @teamlabouruk.bsky.social taking note🤔 On a personal level, #Albanese said “and do more to address climate change and protect the environment”….people do actually care about these things🤷‍♂️ Albanese makes stunning comeback www.bbc.com/news/article...

Ok, it’s probably too simplistic but hasn’t Reform just flipped the Tory vote and that’s the only story. Tory voters are now reform minded ones. Ok it could mean the Tories are toast and Labour is still hapless. But no surprises the BBC is pandering to its right-wing narrative, period…..

England's environmental watchdog says Labour's planning bill risks weakening nature protections "There are fewer protections for nature written into the bill than under existing law. Creating new flexibility without sufficient legal safeguards could see environmental outcomes lessened over time."

Hottest April temps coming. Yeah let’s not do not enough. Let’s burn, let’s not look up. Let’s delay things🤬 Thankfully there are still some journos calling out the likes of Blair and his backers.

Our first House Martin returned nearly two weeks ago. This weekend ‘lots’ have arrived, prospecting nest cups both natural and artificial. I’ve had this book for a few years & finally just read it! If you love these birds it’s a must read; joyous & fascinating but an allegory to what we have lost.

Thanks to @naturelark.bsky.social for posting up #anthills I’d like to see more pics but I’m particularly interested in the plant communities (also fungi) that can occur on these mounds of ant magic! Ecologically, anthills in grasslands = diversity. They are also reliant on grazing. Much to say✔️

Is there any chance that those in power actually wake up🤷‍♂️ The only curve that matters to most politicians is growth, growth and more growth. Madness when the 🌎 we live on will be uninhabitable at this rate.

It’s English woodland time. Peak bluebell now, with greater stichwort, wild garlic, some delightful moschatel (town hall clock) and early purple orchid. Beautiful ancient woodland I’m lucky enough to look after.