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Siobhan Leachman

@siobhanleachman.bsky.social

1.1K followers 1.1K following 940 posts

Wikimedian, citizen scientist, digital curator, volunteer, nature nerd, wine geek, partner & mum. She/her. Inordinately fond of linked open data, moths & weevils. Other contact links see my ORCID. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5398-7721

orcid.org

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Siobhan Leachman @siobhanleachman.bsky.social · 13d

Very excited to have this opportunity!

Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand @wikimediaaotearoa.bsky.social · 13d

Manaaki Whenua have appointed Siobhan Leachman as their Wikimedian in Residence!

Supporting staff to share their expertise, @siobhanleachman.bsky.social will be assisting the group with contributing content from their nationally significant collections to openly accessible Wikimedia platforms.

From Collections to Commons: Announcing a Wikimedian in Residence at Manaaki Whenua

From Collections to Commons: Announcing a Wikimedian in Residence at Manaaki Whenua Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Group now have a Wikimedian in Residence on board, […]

www.wikimedia.nz

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Biodiversity Heritage Library @biodivlibrary.bsky.social · 5h

#WorldOctopusDay is celebrated annually on October 8th to highlight the beauty, intelligence, and conservation needs of these fascinating creatures. This octopus is from British Conchology v5: Marine shells and Naked Mollusca (1869) www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/24429566 #SciArt #ILoveBHL

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 13h

⭐️ Harriman Alaska series
Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1910-1914.

[Source]

Historical scientific illustration from the Harriman Alaska series (1910-1914) depicting detailed anatomical parts of different starfish species, including Asterias victoriana, Orthasterias biordinata, and O. gonolena. The image is a sepia-toned, labeled plate showing close-up views of starfish arms, spines, and skeletal structures with magnification indicators. Various shapes and textures of the starfish components are rendered with fine line work, highlighting distinctive features like spines, grooves, and tube feet. The illustration is annotated with letters and numbers to identify specific parts for scientific study, offering a detailed examination of starfish morphology.

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Great Southern Bioblitz @gsbioblitz.bsky.social · 1d

🌏 #GSB2025 is almost here (24–27 Oct)!
Looking for something to do? Explore nature near you and see what’s happening across the Southern Hemisphere. 🌿🐞🐦

🗺️ Check out the GSB events map:
www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...
#BioBlitz #CitizenScience #Biodiversity #iNaturalist

GSB Events in 2025 - Google My Maps

Locations of local events during the GSB 2025

www.google.com

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Wikidata @wikidatacommunity.bsky.social · 1d

Earlier this year, we invited contributors to share their #WikidataStories. From tools and apps to bots, maps, and knowledge-sharing — 30 projects showed the many ways Wikidata makes an impact.

Wikidata Impact Stories - a collection of uses of Wikidata being used in the world

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Biodiversity Heritage Library @biodivlibrary.bsky.social · 1d

We're going a bit batty in celebration of #BatAppreciationMonth. Archibald Thorburn's "British Mammals" (1920-1921) contains some of our favorite bat #SciArt in #BHLib. Check it out thanks to #FieldMuseum
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48418555 #BatMonth 🦇 🧪

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Biodiversity Pics @biodiversitypix.bsky.social · 1d

🦜 A monograph of the Ramphastidae, or family of toucans
London: Published by the author, 20, Broad Street, Golden Square, [1852]-1854.

[Source]

Illustration of two toucans (Ramphastos erythrorhynchos) perched on a branch. They have large, curved yellow and red bills with black markings, striking blue skin around their eyes, black feathers covering most of their bodies, cream-colored throats, and a yellow patch near the base of their tails. Behind them are green palm-like leaves. The detailed, naturalistic style emphasizes their vibrant colors and distinctive features, typical of 19th-century scientific bird illustrations.

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Internet Archive @archive.org · 22h

This week, join Sir Tim Berners-Lee & Brewster Kahle for a conversation on the past, present & future of the Web.

📅 Thurs Oct 9, 7:30 PM PT
🎟️ In-person
➡️ blog.archive.org/event/buildi...

Headshots of Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Brewster Kahle.

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Internet Archive @archive.org · 1d

1 trillion web pages preserved makes the Wayback Machine an indispensable research tool. Share how this effort has impacted you, and encourage your network to support the Internet Archive: donate.archive.org/1T

#Wayback1T #WaybackMachine

Graphic with pixelated, 3D-styled webpage icons radiating outward from a bright point. Center text reads: "Fundraise with us! Celebrating 1 Trillion Webpages Archived."

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 5d

It's Bat Appreciation Month! To celebrate, I'm gonna try to share a bat a day. I'm three days late, but better late than never. Plus, I appreciate bats 24/7, 365. First up, here's a great image of bats from the Biodiversity Heritage Library which is currently directed by @treiceratops.bsky.social!

Drawing of bats from 1870 from the Biodiversity Heritage Library collections. There are three large bats in the foreground, hanging upside down and then several smaller bats in background. Drawings are in black. Bat in the middle has wings cutely closely around his body, the top bat is sort of climging a branch, and bottom most bat looks like he's scratching an itch.

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Biodiversity Heritage Library @biodivlibrary.bsky.social · 2d

To all our UK colleagues, happy #NationalBadgerDay! These badgers are based on a painting by Henry Hamilton Johnston & published in his "British Mammals" (1903), freely available in #BHLib via @amnh.org: www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9409345 #WorldBadgerDay #MammalMonday #LoveBadgers #ILoveBHL

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Char @kiwichar.bsky.social · 2d

Editorial gold; so many good lines to choose from! 😂👏 #nzpol #LGNZ #Aotearoa #NewZealand

“Just because all of the people in the voting booklet look like they were baked out of a bald 60-year-old man sourdough starter doesn’t mean they can’t ruin your life”

thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-...

City is made of council

Please vote. I do not know how else to say this.

thespinoff.co.nz

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

CitizenScience.Asia @citsciasia.bsky.social · 3d

Exciting talk lined up to close the observation phase of #AsiaNatureChallenge with Tony Iwane, Community & Support Coordinator, @inaturalist.bsky.social

📅 October 6th, 2025 (Monday)
🕙 10:00 AM PT | 10:30 PM IST

👉 Enroll here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

old wildlife illustrations @wildlife.nathan.fun · 2d

A monograph of the Nectariniidae, or, Family of sun-birds London: Published by the author, 1876-1880. (source: http://biodiversitylibrary.org/item/113608) #nature #illustration #art

A monograph of the Nectariniidae, or, Family of sun-birds
London: Published by the author, 1876-1880.
http://biodiversitylibrary.org/item/113608�

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

old wildlife illustrations @wildlife.nathan.fun · 3d

The Cactaceae. v.1. Washington: Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1919-1923. (source: http://biodiversitylibrary.org/item/100137) #nature #illustration #art

The Cactaceae. v.1.
Washington: Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1919-1923.
http://biodiversitylibrary.org/item/100137�

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Great Southern Bioblitz @gsbioblitz.bsky.social · Dec 7

Join the Great Southern BioBlitz: October 24th-27th!
The Great Southern BioBlitz (GSB) is back this spring, running from October 24th to 27th, and we’re thrilled to invite you to participate in this incredible event that spans the Southern Hemisphere!
www.greatsouthernbioblitz.org/post/join-us...

Join Us for the Great Southern BioBlitz: October 24th-27th! 🌍✨

The Great Southern BioBlitz (GSB) is back this spring, running from October 24th to 27th, and we’re thrilled to invite you to participate in

www.greatsouthernbioblitz.org

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Derek Hennen, Ph.D. @derekhennen.bsky.social · 4d

Chalk all that up to YET ANOTHER WIN for specimen collection and supporting natural history museums--this work could never have been done otherwise!

a bald man with glasses and a beard is dancing in front of a peace sign .

Alt: a bald man with glasses and a beard is dancing in front of a peace sign. A scene of the Dean from the show Community.

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Derek Hennen, Ph.D. @derekhennen.bsky.social · 4d

Millipede fans rejoice: we published our revision of Apheloria! This is the most common cherry millipede genus, but its taxonomy has been riddled with nebulous subspecies names. No longer! We clarify species limits and provide a distribution map. mapress.com/zt/article/v... @apheloria.bsky.social

Revision of the millipede genus Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921 (Polydesmida, Xystodesmidae, Apheloriini) | Zootaxa

mapress.com

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Phil Garnock-Jones @theobrominated.bsky.social · 4d

All welcome at my book's launch: Unity Books Wellington 6 pm this Friday 10 October. Come and say hello.

Book launch invitation from Unity Books Willis St Wellington, for my book He Puāwai a natural history of New Zealand flowers. It shows the cover on a purple background with some stylised flowers.

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Drhoz @drhoz.bsky.social · 4d

drhoz.tumblr.com/post/7959553... #3133 - Usnea scabrida

Photo by @gemfyre

We saw a reasonable range of fungi and lichens over the weekend - unfortunately I couldn’t get the majority of them down to species. Or past Class in some cases.

#3133 - Usnea scabrida

Photo by @gemfyre We saw a reasonable range of fungi and lichens over the weekend - unfortunately I couldn't get the majority of them down to species. Or past Class in some cases. Still, some of them....

drhoz.tumblr.com

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Siobhan Leachman @siobhanleachman.bsky.social · 5d

Wow! How wonderful to be able to hear that from across the world. 😍

Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Sabine von Mering @svmering.bsky.social · 5d

Our article "Wikidata for botanists: benefits of collaborating and sharing Linked Open Data" is part of this new issue of @annbot.bsky.social
See: doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
Result of a great #collaboration @siobhanleachman.bsky.social @joaquimsantos1978.bsky.social Heidi Meudt! #Wikidata #LOD

Annals of Botany @annbot.bsky.social · 8d

🆕 The new issue of Annals of Botany is now online!

🧬 Symbiosis, physiology & molecular responses
🌸 Pollination & plant–insect interactions
🌾 Nutrients & root processes
📊 Open data & measurements
🌱 Seeds, seedlings & climate change

New issue👉 botany.fyi/91590f

#PlantScience #Botany

The cover image shows the Australian Queen of Sheba orchid, a plant which exhibits floral deception by mimicking buzz-pollinated tinsel lilies. Floral trait analyses, pollinator observations, and reproductive success metrics reveal how visual and olfactory signals interact to attract shared pollinators, advancing our understanding of the complex evolution of mimicry in deceptive pollination systems. [See Scaccabarozzi et al., pp. 583–595.]

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

old wildlife illustrations @wildlife.nathan.fun · 5d

Archives entomologiques, ou, Recueil contenant des illustrations d'insectes nouveaux ou rares Paris: Au Bureau du Trésorier de la Société entomologique de France, 1857-1858. (source: https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11638711) #nature #illustration #art

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Great Southern Bioblitz @gsbioblitz.bsky.social · 5d

🌿Just 20 days to go until the #GSB2025!

📸 Grab your camera or phone, head outdoors, and help record the amazing biodiversity around you. Every observation counts toward building a better picture of nature across the Southern Hemisphere.

🌍 Tell your buds and make this the biggest BioBlitz yet!

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Siobhan Leachman @siobhanleachman.bsky.social · 5d

An article I collaborated on - "Wikidata for botanists: benefits of collaborating and sharing Linked Open Data" - is in this issue! See academic.oup.com/aob/article/... #Wikidata #Botanists #LinkedOpenData

Annals of Botany @annbot.bsky.social · 8d

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Reposted by Siobhan Leachman

Dave Hemprich-Bennett @davehb.bsky.social · 6d

New preprint alert! We DNA barcoded 95 thousand Ghanaian arthropods, more than doubling the number of BINs (a species proxy) available online from West Africa. In doing so we’ve released a huge amount of new data to scientists studying the region 🧪 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Characterising a species-rich and understudied tropical insect fauna using DNA barcoding

Background: West Africa has high biodiversity that is relatively understudied, especially for insects. Studies of West African arthropod diversity can therefore help address important questions regard...

www.biorxiv.org

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