I (re)visited the type tree of Sorbus admonitor, No Parking Whitebeam, this past week. It's looking pretty decrepit, but is still putting forth new leaves and sprays of flowers. I wrote about this exact tree in my book, Endemic, which is currently on offer: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/endemic-9...

Have you ever wanted to know more about preserving plant specimens? Maybe for your own reference, or so you can share plants with experts for identification? The BSBI is here for you! We have a webinar next week - 28th April, 7pm, completely free! Book here: www.tickettailor.com/events/botan...

It's satisfying to see a species you've never heard of posted on here one day, and to find it yourself the next day! #RecordSubmitted Thanks @jeremybartlett.bsky.social

I went for a very short walk this morning, and found two brand new hectad records! Portuguese Laurel and Fritillary, both non-native, but it's important to record them appearing in wild places. #RecordSubmitted

Nature-lovers across the globe will come together on 24 April for an international BioBlitz! Botanical Skills Northern Ireland Project has an event at Carnmoney Hill, Belfast & all you need to join in is a smartphone & the free @inaturalist.bsky.social app! www.tickettailor.com/events/botan...

This year the BSBI launched the 100 Plants in 2026 Challenge - a project encouraging brand new botanists and recorders to identify their first 100 plants this year and to submit the records. bsbi.org/take-part/ac... It's been about three months now, so how is it going?

I feel there's a good chance that this might be the first-flowering Honewort, Trinia glauca, seen in Britain this year 🤔 Honewort is monocarpic, meaning that it flowers once in its life and then dies, which adds a slight melancholic air to seeing one in bloom.

It's not often you see two new fish in a day, let alone two new new non-native invasive fish. Following on the from the Sunbleak netted earlier, I also saw Topmouth Gudgeon, Pseudorasbora parva, a species in the process of being eradicated from Britain.

I love a bit of pond dipping. You never know what you might find. I was still very surprised to net what appears to be a Sunbleak, Leucaspius delineatus. This species, also known by the great name 'Motherless Minnow', is a non-native in Britain.

Shhh, tiny baby Slow-worm.

Absolutely delighted to see a species new to to me - Wall Whitlowgrass, Drabella muralis. It was growing on the inside slopes of some bowl-shaped earthworks, amongst moss of scattered rocks #RecordSubmitted Read more about it on Plant Atlas: plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9...

Tiny, adorable carpet of Rue-leaved Saxifrage. I adore miniature plants.

A white Red Dead-nettle seen today was an unusual treat, and also a great example of why capitalisation of species names is a good aid for clarity in writing. @graemelyons.bsky.social

I enjoyed the placement of this beautiful clump of Ivy-leaved Toadflax.

This is just over a week away, so if you're interested please do book a ticket and join us 🌿

Some Wall Speedwell (accompanied by a hoard of Firebugs) seen in Thetford today.

I also, by complete chance, bumped into Muscari neglectum today whilst looking for Black Oil Beetles. A pair of dark-purplish stunners.

I've seen all of these species before, but today was the first time I saw all them in a single day; what I am calling 'completing the Breckland speedrun'. Breckland Speedwell, Fingered Speedwell and Spring Speedwell; Veronica praecox, triphyllos, and verna.

What a joy to celebrate the county #flower of #Hertfordshire in my @theguardian.com country diary today. #naturewriting #countrydiary

I'm just applying a layer of clear snowflake crackle glaze to these gorgeous leaf-imprint tiles from my last workshop. Interested in making your own botanical tile, mug or vase? We have another session available to book on the 10th May: gabrielnichols.co.uk/courses-%26-...

On the 15th April, 7pm, I'm going to be joining David Lindo, aka ‪@theurbanbirder.bsky.social‬ for his In Conversation With... series. We'll be talking about our endemic species; the species unique to Britain and found nowhere else on Earth. Book here: theurbanbirderworld.com/live-webinars/

Another example of #BadNatureJournalism in this article where the author doesn't know how to correctly capitalise & italicise scientific names. If journalism about a subject I understand isn't up to scratch, what does that tell us about their other output? www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywe3pgq1ro

Weirdly, I saw this exact bird in Hull the other week but couldn't get good enough pics to read the ring - glad someone else could!

Wow!!!

We're looking for a volunteer in Northern Ireland to help unlock permissions to allow more monitoring of National Plant Monitoring Scheme squares. Could you be a landowner-detective? Want to help the understanding of change in our flora? This could be the role for you.

Excited to be speaking @gilbertwhites.bsky.social today. Exploring Selborne right now to see how many plants I can record...

I was driving through East Yorkshire at the weekend when I saw something blue out of the corner of my eye and screeched (safely) to a halt. Looks to be Turkish Squill, spreading impressively far along a hedgerow and road verge. Turns out it's the first record for VC61! #RecordSubmitted

Went out to get a bit of this gorgeous sun and found a first hectad record for Spring Starflower. Nice onion-scented leaves. #RecordSubmitted

But no plants? Another example as plants being seen as a backdrop rather than a centrepiece. Obviously we all have our favourites, but surely Crested Cow-wheat is a bit more of a looker than most mammals...

Congratulations to our dear friend @commonbynature.bsky.social on the publication today of his Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside. James is a #BSBICountyRecorder for the area so knows whereof he speaks! More about the book here: bsbi.org/blog/2026/03... Full interview coming very soon!

I co-lead my first ceramic workshop yesterday - a nature-walk followed by tile-making and vase-making using leaves, flowers and twigs for impressions. Knowledge of plants increased and some gorgeous work produced - can't wait to see how they look after firing.

Lundy has been dramatically described as 'Britain's Galapagos' but it's not an unreasonable comparison. It hosts the only British example of 'co-endemism' - an endemic species that is host to another endemic species (and perhaps even *two* endemic species...) Interested? Book a ticket!

I found a big patch of Rough Horsetail in North Yorkshire, VC62, last weekend. Despite being on a footpath to a waterfall and presumably passed by thousands of people a year, this is the first hectad record in over a decade! #RecordSubmitted

Coltsfoot absolutely blazing in the sun today, and right outside my front door!

Our 100 Plants in 2026 activity (supporting people to identify and record their first 100 plants in 2026) has a talk tonight: Recording For Beginners - Using iRecord If you're interested, you can book here: bsbi.org/take-part/ev...

A trip to Whitby at the weekend netted me the first hectad record of Green Snowdrop. Beautiful views etc., were also had. #RecordSubmitted

It was a fantastic trip last weekend with Duerden and Christian. South Wales is ridiculously rich in fascinating invertebrates. It's not subtle, but my favourite was possibly the chunky Portuguese Millipede with that spiral of raspberry coloured legs.

Creeping Marshwort conservation with Thetford Conservation Group. Meet 10.30 at Nun's Bridges Car Park, Thetford. Work to support and protect Thetford's rarest plant, discovered here in 2020 (only found in two other places in the UK!). Contact David Pentin www.icanbea.org.uk/app/explore/...

PhD opportunity: I am looking for someone with a passion for the natural environment and an interest in developing applied research collaboratively with the RSPB. ONly two weeks left to apply! #phd #ecology #rewilding #naturerecovery #bird #plant #invertebrates #biodiveristy #research #teesside

I'm excited to be part of Watching Narrowly: A Natural History Book Day on Saturday 21 March at @gilbertwhites.bsky.social I’ll be speaking as part of this celebration of nature writing in Selborne. Join us in the heart of the South Downs! Tickets available here: gilbertwhiteshouse.org.uk

It's publication day!

It’s official! The 'Urban Flora of Newcastle and North Tyneside' will be published on Monday 9 March 🌿 📖 I’m hugely proud of this, and ever so grateful to @nenature.bsky.social and @bsbibotany.bsky.social for their support in making it happen. #botany #urbanflora

Reminder that the deadline to apply for this great role as BSBI Wales Officer is midnight on Monday 23 February. Interested? Apply here: bsbi.org/about/people... Sounds good but not for you? Please share this post and help us spread the word!

Cover reveal! The Long Spring 2nd edition comes out soon, with updates and new material.

I was watching the new BBC sitcom Small Prophets this evening and had to pause when, in episode 3, there appears to be a lot of Aponogeton distachyos, Cape-pondweed, in the canal! #TVBotany @bsbibotany.bsky.social

What looks to be Crocus sieberi popping up on a roadside verge in East Yorkshire. Obviously originally planted, but persisting. A first for VC61. #RecordSubmitted

I'm always looking for new ways to engage people with plant. In March I'll bedoing something new - running some botany + clay workshops. A nature walk to collect leaves, seeds and twigs then using these to emboss clay to make tiles or slab-built vases. gabrielnichols.co.uk/courses-%26-...

We're trialling something new this year at the BSBI - an activity designed to support absolute beginner botanists with identifying *and* recording their first ever 100 plants in 2026 🌿 If you know anyone that might like to take part then please spread the word: bsbi.org/take-part/ac...

Creeping Comfrey, Symphytum grandiflorum, was another completely new hectad record from a walk today. Shows how many obvious species have not yet been recorded - or have recently appeared in new sites. #RecordSubmitted

Green Snowdrop, Galanthus woronowii, was a new hectad record on a walk today! It was growing mixed with G. nivalis, but no sign of hybrids. A population to keep an eye on. #RecordSubmitted