Dr Savanna van Mesdag
@savanna-van-mesdag.bsky.social
A fan of nature and art currently doing a postdoc at Rothamsted Research. Pronouns she/her/hers.
We really are living in a terrifying society, absolutely galling that the Home Office can get away with such a hostile tweet.
December 9, 2025 at 3:53 PM
We really are living in a terrifying society, absolutely galling that the Home Office can get away with such a hostile tweet.
OMG 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
November 28, 2025 at 1:47 PM
OMG 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
Ah, two men 'conversing', is it? 😘
(Deux hommes vus en buste, conversant, by Saint-Aubin, 1775)
(Deux hommes vus en buste, conversant, by Saint-Aubin, 1775)
November 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Ah, two men 'conversing', is it? 😘
(Deux hommes vus en buste, conversant, by Saint-Aubin, 1775)
(Deux hommes vus en buste, conversant, by Saint-Aubin, 1775)
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
Here are two of a total of 17 December Moths found by my wife Alison here in East Lothian, Scotland, a couple of nights ago. Photo: Alison Averis. #TeamMoth
November 28, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Here are two of a total of 17 December Moths found by my wife Alison here in East Lothian, Scotland, a couple of nights ago. Photo: Alison Averis. #TeamMoth
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
me (extremely busy doing statistical analysis): Oh i need this package
R: hey to install this package you need to update these packages, want me to update everything else while i'm here?
me (a fucking idiot): yes please. Thank you.
R: hey to install this package you need to update these packages, want me to update everything else while i'm here?
me (a fucking idiot): yes please. Thank you.
November 21, 2025 at 3:25 PM
me (extremely busy doing statistical analysis): Oh i need this package
R: hey to install this package you need to update these packages, want me to update everything else while i'm here?
me (a fucking idiot): yes please. Thank you.
R: hey to install this package you need to update these packages, want me to update everything else while i'm here?
me (a fucking idiot): yes please. Thank you.
Narwhal, narwhal, on a beach, causing a commotion, because it's so unusual... 🎶
A Narwhal has washed up on the Irish coast for the first time:
Narwhal recorded in Ireland for the first time
A female Narwhal washed ashore on a Co Donegal beach, marking the first confirmed record of this Arctic whale species in Irish waters. Scientists are investigating whether climate change could explain the unprecedented stranding.
bit.ly
November 28, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Narwhal, narwhal, on a beach, causing a commotion, because it's so unusual... 🎶
I absolutely loved this, great art style and delightful story. ☺️
If thoughtful stories are your thing, then try "Begending"! My most popular book, it's a gentle philosophical story about how things coming to an end needn't be sad, and allows new things to blossom in their place! Also features cute skellies.
chrislaumanson.itch.io/begending
#comics #philosophy
chrislaumanson.itch.io/begending
#comics #philosophy
Begending by Chris Lau Manson
Cute skeletons muse on the meaning of Death.
chrislaumanson.itch.io
November 28, 2025 at 1:23 PM
I absolutely loved this, great art style and delightful story. ☺️
OMG FFS 🤬🤬🤬
ICE DETAINED MARILYN. Fuck these people. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
‘Northern Exposure’ actor gave ICE agents in Redmond her tribal ID. They called it ‘fake,’ she says
Indigenous actor Elaine Miles of "Northern Exposure" was detained by ICE at a Redmond bus stop. When she showed them her Tribal ID, they told her it was fake.
www.seattletimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:42 PM
OMG FFS 🤬🤬🤬
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
idiot guy: i'm like the wolf i'm stalking my prey alone through the forest and being raw as fuck even if i'm in a group i'm the alpha
actual wolf: i love my friends so much!!! i love to romp and kiss my bros and work together as a family <3 awooo etc etc have you seen the puppies oh my god come see
actual wolf: i love my friends so much!!! i love to romp and kiss my bros and work together as a family <3 awooo etc etc have you seen the puppies oh my god come see
November 26, 2025 at 2:17 AM
idiot guy: i'm like the wolf i'm stalking my prey alone through the forest and being raw as fuck even if i'm in a group i'm the alpha
actual wolf: i love my friends so much!!! i love to romp and kiss my bros and work together as a family <3 awooo etc etc have you seen the puppies oh my god come see
actual wolf: i love my friends so much!!! i love to romp and kiss my bros and work together as a family <3 awooo etc etc have you seen the puppies oh my god come see
Relatable.
November 23, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Relatable.
I'm all for incorporating these sorts of elements into already existing urban areas, *especially* to revive, rejuvenate and provide for derelict/deprived/run-down urban areas, but the idea of building a new town like this in biodiverse habitat defeats the true purposes of such urban features. 🤦♀️
Reading about the "Bristol-sized" city they're planning to build over where I live and staring at the illustration of "Forest City 1" is making me feel a kind of way
November 16, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I'm all for incorporating these sorts of elements into already existing urban areas, *especially* to revive, rejuvenate and provide for derelict/deprived/run-down urban areas, but the idea of building a new town like this in biodiverse habitat defeats the true purposes of such urban features. 🤦♀️
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
Amendment 40 to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been voted down.
Had it passed, it would have meant more precious wildlife would have retained existing protections.
Instead, MPs have bought into the false 'nature vs growth' narrative.
Had it passed, it would have meant more precious wildlife would have retained existing protections.
Instead, MPs have bought into the false 'nature vs growth' narrative.
November 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Amendment 40 to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been voted down.
Had it passed, it would have meant more precious wildlife would have retained existing protections.
Instead, MPs have bought into the false 'nature vs growth' narrative.
Had it passed, it would have meant more precious wildlife would have retained existing protections.
Instead, MPs have bought into the false 'nature vs growth' narrative.
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
Watching Labour MPs take a wrecking ball to nature makes me so angry & so sad. Their action tonight voting down amendments to the #PlanningBill intended to protect wildlife & habitats from destruction is so reckless & so counterproductive. People didn’t vote Labour for this 👇
Housing secretary tells Labour MPs to vote down planning bill amendment
Amendment restricts protection for animals to allow faster house building
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Watching Labour MPs take a wrecking ball to nature makes me so angry & so sad. Their action tonight voting down amendments to the #PlanningBill intended to protect wildlife & habitats from destruction is so reckless & so counterproductive. People didn’t vote Labour for this 👇
Rather late on, I read this book for the first time earlier this year. This is one of my favourite autobiographies/memoirs, beautifully written, engaging, interesting and informative. I think it is also a wonderful exploration of grief. Very intrigued to find out about this film! Exciting.
November 4, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Rather late on, I read this book for the first time earlier this year. This is one of my favourite autobiographies/memoirs, beautifully written, engaging, interesting and informative. I think it is also a wonderful exploration of grief. Very intrigued to find out about this film! Exciting.
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
I thought HIGNFY was the pinnacle, but it looks like our ‘Jurassic Highway’ dinosaur tracks work at Dewars Farm made it into @privateeyenews.bsky.social this week!
November 4, 2025 at 7:31 PM
I thought HIGNFY was the pinnacle, but it looks like our ‘Jurassic Highway’ dinosaur tracks work at Dewars Farm made it into @privateeyenews.bsky.social this week!
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
Excited to find Rue-leaved Saxifrage (Saxifraga tridactylites) at the edge of a pavement in Glasgow yesterday. Despite being common in England, Wales and Ireland, it is scarce in Scotland. I had seen it only once before, among rocks near the Firth of Forth coast.
March 15, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Excited to find Rue-leaved Saxifrage (Saxifraga tridactylites) at the edge of a pavement in Glasgow yesterday. Despite being common in England, Wales and Ireland, it is scarce in Scotland. I had seen it only once before, among rocks near the Firth of Forth coast.
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
Join us tomorrow evening (Tuesday the 11th of February) at 7pm in the Boyd Orr Building Lecture Theatre C (level 5) to find out the results of our annual PhotoSCENE competition 📷
February 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Join us tomorrow evening (Tuesday the 11th of February) at 7pm in the Boyd Orr Building Lecture Theatre C (level 5) to find out the results of our annual PhotoSCENE competition 📷
Reposted by Dr Savanna van Mesdag
FYI, the average US diet requires about 2 acres of agricultural land (cropland + pasture) per person per year. So for a family of 4, that would be about 8 acres.
Food production requires a lot of land. (It’s less if you eat more plants/fewer animal proteins than avg American, but it’s still a lot.)
Food production requires a lot of land. (It’s less if you eat more plants/fewer animal proteins than avg American, but it’s still a lot.)
For the love of God, if I see one more ',grow your own food' hot take.
Sure, for occasional fresh herbs or a few veggies.
Nobody is growing to their entire caloric intake in an apartment or on a balcony.
Sure, for occasional fresh herbs or a few veggies.
Nobody is growing to their entire caloric intake in an apartment or on a balcony.
January 29, 2025 at 3:45 AM
FYI, the average US diet requires about 2 acres of agricultural land (cropland + pasture) per person per year. So for a family of 4, that would be about 8 acres.
Food production requires a lot of land. (It’s less if you eat more plants/fewer animal proteins than avg American, but it’s still a lot.)
Food production requires a lot of land. (It’s less if you eat more plants/fewer animal proteins than avg American, but it’s still a lot.)
theses.gla.ac.uk/84799/ I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my PhD thesis with Bluesky peeps. My PhD research involved the investigation of plant species and communities on post-industrial waste sites, also termed anthropogenic substrate sites. 1/2
Can anthropogenic biodiversity and geodiversity associated with legacy industrial waste help offset decreasing global biodiversity? - Enlighten Theses
theses.gla.ac.uk
January 22, 2025 at 9:07 AM
theses.gla.ac.uk/84799/ I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my PhD thesis with Bluesky peeps. My PhD research involved the investigation of plant species and communities on post-industrial waste sites, also termed anthropogenic substrate sites. 1/2
