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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Bumblebee Conservation Trust @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Last month, the government announced changes to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), a scheme which pays farmers and land managers to adopt or maintain environmentally sustainable land management practices ⚠️🐝 Find out what the changes mean for farmers and bumblebees: ow.ly/Xo4750YybxE

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Or a ‘ton’. I did not find a tin of bees 🙄

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Lizard I met yesterday along the coast path. Soaking up the rays.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Did the Annual Chough Count yesterday up here in sunny north Wales. No Chough on my sections sadly but I did meet a lizard & saw a tin of solitary bees. Andrena thoracica, A.flavipes, A.trimmerana and Colletes cunicularius, a scarce species which may be new for this patch.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

First oil beetles are out and about here. Going to check out the coast path today to see if I can spot more. #oilbeetle #wildlife

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Bumblebee Conservation Trust @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

We are looking for a Head of Outreach 🐝 This is an exciting opportunity for an individual with proven experience in a leadership role to influence change and help more people and organisations become champions for bumblebees. Full details: ow.ly/3IBj50YsKlY

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

Blueberries 😀 Good harvest this year.

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Wales Environment Link @waleslink.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

The Sustainable Farming Scheme design is finally done; check out our full reaction here. We’ll continue to work with Welsh Gov and all others to make it as good as it needs to be for nature and climate: waleslink.org/response-to-...

An image of half text and half photo. The photo is of a beautiful flowery hay meadow, with ox eye daisies, thistles, dandelions and tall grasses reaching up to the sky, against a backdrop of a yellow sunset. The text says: “WEL reaction to final Sustainable Farming Scheme design: Whilst this is an improvement from the previous Common Agricultural Policy and a step forward towards sustainable agriculture, it will need continuous further improvements to meet the challenge of the nature and climate emergency. We welcome that BPS payments will be tapered, and the indication that the funds will be channelled into the upper layers; the universal layer should be seen as a first step, and we hope to help farmers in their journey to the truly regenerative approach that our land needs.”

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Some stunning wildflower areas today. With many thanks to local EA @lincswildlife.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social staff for coming along to a workshop today on Rare Bees of the Lincs Coast. @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Big Meadow Search @bigmeadowsearch.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

Big Meadow Search 2025 starts today until 31st August. Everyone welcome, you dont need to be an expert, just record species you know. Please help us add more sites to the map. There will be daily plant ID or plant association posts to look out for. bigmeadowsearch.co.uk

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

I’m always finding dead shrews. Pygmy, Common & occasionally Water Shrews. It’s like they’ve suddenly run out of steam and keeled over. I wonder what is going on? Is it that I just happen to find them where they die naturally or do they have such high energy needs that they run out of fuel?

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

Even today in these grazed systems, the ridges and furrows are still providing drainage, especially on these heavy soils and a varied topography and sward that can benefit grazing livestock.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

Cattle grazing ‘ridge & furrow’ grassland in Rutland. The characteristic corrugated pattern we see now is a ghost of Medieval agricultural practices where the land was ploughed to pile topsoil into raised strips and forming sunken ditches, providing drainage and good growing conditions for crops.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Beech trees. Love this bit of woodland. It’s like a natural cathedral.

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

walesnatureweek.bsky.social @walesnatureweek.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Find out about Wales Nature Week events on the WBP website and follow @WalesNatureWeek on social media. bit.ly/44zVzDx

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Wales Environment Link @waleslink.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Narrated by Iolo Williams, the Red List documentary, directed by Ross Pierson, follows botanist Dr Kevin McGinn racing to save 25 of Wales' most endangered plants. The film is being crowdfunded and you can find out more - and donate - here: greenlit.com/project/red-...

greenlit.com

The Red List

Narrated by Iolo Williams, The Red List follows botanist Dr. Kevin McGinn on a year-long race to save 25 of Wales’ most endangered plants. Amid climate extremes and mounting pressures, this urgent doc...

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Hi BlueSky folk. There's no search available at the moment for Starter Packs. Are there any UK agriculture, nature-friendly farming, regen farming Starter Packs that folk can share a link to please? @nffn.bsky.social @socialfarmsgardens.bsky.social If not, I will curate one! 🐄🚜🌱🌾🐝🐞

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

Came across this giant beast when I was gardening today. Maybe cockchafer grub? #Beetle

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Bumblebee Conservation Trust @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Did you know there is no dedicated team or person in Defra for grasslands, despite them covering 40% of England? 🤯 We're joining @plantlifeuk.bsky.social & partners in calling for the Gov to establish a Grassland Taskforce to unlock their value 🌱 Learn more: www.plantlife.org.uk/our-work/the...

An image of a grassland with the text: "Grasslands store carbon, produce food and support our wildlife. But the UK Government has no strategic plan for them."

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Prof Duncan Westbury @duncanwestbury.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

I’ve just coined a new term #BeeWashing. It’s when UK organisations state they are acting on the #BiodiversityEmergency by putting in honeybee hives. Please share far & wide!

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

An important and insightful article that explains the difference between managed honeybees and our 270+ species of wild bees.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

And more oil beetles! They seem to be having a good year.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Did my @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social #Beewalk today. Felt like I saw more bumblebees today than the whole of last year. Eight species on my walk today! Flower of the walk was Bilberry, in full flower now #wildflowerhour

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Sounds amazing Charlotte. Enjoy!

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Spotted an oil beetle excavating a tunnel in a molehill this week to lay her eggs. @mole-hills.bsky.social

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Saw my first adder of the year this week. Tiny youngster, barely bigger than a pencil. A few common lizards about but no grass snakes yet or slow worms, we get all four of these reptiles in the garden here! #ukreptiles

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Lovely to see fresh red-tail queens on our bee ID day today too. (She was released from the pot and went back to foraging).

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Seeing lots of oil beetles at the moment. These are all different individuals seen on different days in the last week. @liamolds.bsky.social #oilbeetles

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Brigit Strawbridge @brigitstrawbridge.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Made my day to see this! Red-tailed #bumblebees - Bombus lapidarius - had a dreadful year last year. Here's hoping this year will be better for them

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Martin Lines @linesmartin.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Great to see a pesticide reduction target finally published. It’s a step in the right direction especially recognising toxicity. But to make real progress, we need proper support for farmers to shift to nature-based approaches that work for people, food & wildlife www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.com

Use of pesticides on UK farms to be cut by 10% by 2030 to protect bees

Campaigners welcome long-delayed proposals to reduce pesticide-related harms to pollinators

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Hi Megan 👋 Andrena nigroaenea male, Buffish Mining Bee looks a good bet

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Reposted by Bex Cartwright

Bumblebee Conservation Trust @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Nature-friendly farming is key to tackling the nature and climate crises, ensuring long-term food security. We agree with our friends @rspb.bsky.social our farmers need certainty, not funding that’s switched on and off.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

There’s no way the beetle climbed into that pot, it’s tall with almost vertical sides so it must have emerged from it.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

This was pretty cool - spotted an oil beetle in a plant pot right outside the house today. It was happily munching on a daffodil. Can only think that a solitary bee must have nested in that planter last year @liamolds.bsky.social

Oil beetle on a daffodil leaf in a plant pots

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Took part in the ‘Llyn Annual Chough Count’ today. Saw two on our transect section and lots and lots of other fun stuff. 2 species of solitary mining bee, 3 species of bumblebee, Common Lizard, dozens of Bloody-Nosed Beetles and 2 Oil beetles.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

I think it’s bit early but she does look ‘full’ I think maybe just flattened out basking. I didn’t get a great look, was taking a pic with one hand and restraining a spaniel with the other 🤣

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

First common lizard of year, a beauty out basking in the spring sunshine 🙂🦎

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Why not? 🙂 I’ll just keep going until it’s full…think you get limit of 150 for a starter pack list

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Curating a Starter Pack that will hopefully be useful to folk coming over to BlueSky and looking for all of the UK conservation orgs and recording societies go.bsky.app/Nget1LP Will keep adding to this. DM or reply to be added and please share.

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Bex Cartwright @bexcartwright.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

I'd love to be added to the list as well please. Trying to find everyone from 'the other place' over here :)

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