Kai Ira
kaiira94.bsky.social
Kai Ira
@kaiira94.bsky.social
MSc Biodiversity and Conservation @qmul.bsky.social & @rbgkew.bsky.social | Purveyor of fine plants | A friend of Gertrude | Moira Roan stan | Seeking PhD in Invasion (tropical) Ecology
Um why is graduation so expensive?! Really starting to regret studying in London.
December 10, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Invert sampling of the River Lea. Beautiful day 😍
September 12, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Attending the "Understanding Your Local Wetlands" course by @thames21.bsky.social. It's sad how many of London’s rivers are hidden… but the real issue is that our rigid, static society isn’t compatible with natural systems, which are free-flowing and always changing.
September 10, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Great lecture by @waxcapscooch.bsky.social on Waxcap Grassland. Definitely didn't know UK had such a high diversity of fungi 🤯. Wish I had more opportunities to learn about fungi though my course.
September 9, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Reposted by Kai Ira
Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot, home to myriad bird species. Discover the spectacular radiation of these clever animals with Dr Sushma Reddy, as she explains how they have evolved on this unique island.

📅 07 Oct
🕑 6-7PM
📍 Online, free

buff.ly/Qgu0NvL
September 9, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by Kai Ira
Some of the eggs laid by Iberian harvester ant queens contain males of another species, the builder harvester ant – and these males father all of the workers in the colony.
Queen ant makes males of another species for daughters to mate with
Bizarrely, Iberian harvester ant queens lay eggs that turn into male builder harvester ants, and some of her offspring are hybrids of the two species
www.newscientist.com
September 9, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by Kai Ira
Despite 140+ countries having committed to end deforestation by 2030, the world has not made progress yet, and if anything rates of forest loss are increasing. gfr.wri.org/latest-analy....
September 8, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Kai Ira
Pick an idiom: "more than meets the eye", "beauty more than skin [feather] deep" etc.

In work led by Rosalyn Price-Waldman, we describe a hidden (and ignored!) black or white layer found below the visible surface of bird feathers which helps make bird colours so striking!

🧪 🪶 #colsci
Songbirds play optical tricks to make their feather colors ‘pop’
Concealed black or white bands on feathers boost the vibrancy of bird plumage
www.science.org
August 13, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Emailed a researcher about a prospective PhD.... they said they have funds, but only to cover fieldwork, not the salary. I'd need to seek extra funding for that. Is this common? How would that even work?? 🤔 So confused
September 8, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Spent the morning looking at Brownfield ecology and trying to ID plants in the field using a dichotomous key....I have so much to learn 🤯🥲
September 6, 2025 at 6:27 PM
For the first time I attended an Invertebrate Study day at the @NHM_London hosted by Biological Recording Company. After four gruelling hours, I managed to ID a sample. 🥲😭 I present: Trigonotylus caelestialum
September 4, 2025 at 4:54 PM