Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 22h

What's wrong with leaves?

I dont understand why Cambridge City council spends money sucking up leaves in city parks. Even in the nominally 'wild' areas

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Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · 1d

The new European Butterfly Red List shows that butterflies are under increasing threat across Europe, with the number of species at risk of extinction up from 37 to 65 (73%) in the last 10 years. See our Press Release www.bc-europe.eu/documents/68...

www.bc-europe.eu

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Reposted by Edward Pollard

martinswarren.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social · 1d

The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Front cover of the European Butterfly Red List, showing Polyommatus humedasae. The report can be downloaded at https://www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?name=red-list-butterflies-2025

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 1d

@atrupar.com

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 1d

Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) is a truly #amazingtree. Fish nursery, coastal protector, land builder. A tree that grows in the sea.
For me it is a formative tree. My first tropical experience was measuring it along transects in the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania.

Mangrove trees (Rhizophora mucronata) in Zanzibar, 2012

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 1d

Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) is a truly #amazingtree. Fish nursery, coastal protector, land builder. A tree that grows in the sea.
For me it is a formative tree. My first tropical experience was measuring it along transects in the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania.

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Reposted by Edward Pollard

Nature Positive Initiative @npinitiative.bsky.social · 3d

✨ COMING SOON! ✨

Becoming Nature Positive: a unique and urgent film, created by the Nature Positive Initiative and co-produced with Open Planet Studios.

👉 www.naturepositive.org/film

#NaturePositive #Film #Trailer #Documentary #Movie #BecomingNaturePositive

Becoming Nature Positive: the film - Nature Positive

www.naturepositive.org

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Reposted by Edward Pollard

Guardian Environment @environment.theguardian.com · 3d

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK defence chiefs warn

Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published

www.theguardian.com

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 5d

heard my first Redwing yesterday

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Trees for Life @treesforlife.bsky.social · 5d

Have you seen a squirrel recently? 🐿️ Take part in the #GreatScottishSquirrelSurvey! We’re calling on people across Scotland to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and keep an eye out for tufted ears and bushy tails.

Reporting your sightings 👉 scottishsquirrels.org.uk/sightings
@scotsquirrels.bsky.social

Squirrel Sightings – Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels

scottishsquirrels.org.uk

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Reposted by Edward Pollard

Chris van Swaay @chrisvanswaay.bsky.social · 6d

Now the 2025 field season for butterflies has come to an end, it is a good moment to look back at the great work of the recorders of Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects. Almost 400,000 butterflies counted in 2025 on 1372 locations, 8,5 million since 1990 on 212,327 km. Thanks for all hard work!

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 7d

Monks' Wood?

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 7d

www.theguardian.com/global/2025/...

The great butterfly heist: how a gentleman collector stole thousands of butterflies from Australian museums

Scientists are still unravelling the thefts of Colin Wyatt, an English adventurer, artist and naturalist who charmed the entomological community

www.theguardian.com

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 8d

Some #amazingtrees are famous. That doesn't stop them from being amazing. My day in the Coastal Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens), California in spring 2002 will stick with me for ever. So vast. An all encompassing calm

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 9d

Cambridge City and South Cambs Councils are running a consultation on a new Climate & Nature strategy

engage.cambridge.gov.uk/en-GB/projec...

engage.cambridge.gov.uk

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 11d

This article repeats the Scottish government estimate of £3 billion pounds to restore all of Scotland's peat.
I am sure I read a critique of that figure once. But can't find it. Does anyone know where it is?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

NatureScot may raise ‘more than £100m’ in private investment for conservation

Investors in talks about supporting up to 15 government-backed nature restoration projects in Scotland

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Edward Pollard

Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · 12d

Check out our new website, packed with new features, including updated project and EU policy pages + butterfly species pages with all known hostplants courtesy of Harry Clarke and downloadable country lists. Big thanks to Peter Eeles @ukbutterflies.bsky.social for all his help www.bc-europe.eu

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Reposted by Edward Pollard

Pieter Vantieghem @pietervantieghem.bsky.social · 13d

#Southernsmallwhite - Pieris mannii - is still active in my area E of #Ghent, Belgium. This one was in the garden yesterday. It is a typical autumn female; lots of dusting between discal and apical spot, discal spot not confined by the veins and a vague discal spot on hindwing.
#urbanbiodiversity

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 13d

bsky.app/profile/patr...

Patrick Barkham @patrickbarkham.bsky.social · 14d

This is the story of my daughter Milly and Lyme Disease. There was no rash, no "summer flu", NHS blood tests negative. And she's been ill for a quarter of her life.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Thank you @lymediseaseuk.bsky.social & @lymeresourcecentre.bsky.social for raising UK awareness.

As my daughter got sicker and sicker, our quest for answers dragged on. How did we all miss the bacteria taking over her body?

I write about nature, but when Milly got sick with a mystery illness, it never occurred to me that a long-forgotten tick bite could be the cause

www.theguardian.com

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 14d

#amazingtrees

Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 15d

Trees really are amazing, aren't they

Edward standing in front of a large rainforest tree

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Reposted by Edward Pollard

Patrick Barkham @patrickbarkham.bsky.social · 14d

Please spread the word – we urgently need more Lyme-literate doctors, the NHS must take this seriously, @ukhsa.bsky.social needs to log ALL cases. How many more Millys are there out there who believe they have long covid or other illnesses and they actually have undiagnosed Lyme?

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 14d

Sumatra, Indonesia

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Jon Dunn @dunnjons.bsky.social · 14d

An unforgettable day with my @mariposanature.bsky.social group.

I found Desert Babul Blue on the European mainland!

There are a mere handful of past claims of it - this is an African species that's an ultra-rarity in Europe. I'm in a state of some shock.

#butterflies @europebutterfly.bsky.social

Desert Babul Blue (Azanus ubaldus) © Jon Dunn

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 14d

I was going to go for Molekham Hall.
But you win

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Edward Pollard @epollard.bsky.social · 15d

Haha.
Bukit Barisan Selatan in Sumatra. Sadly I've never been to Damun.
I feel this might turn into a thread of amazing trees I've met

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