iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

William (Bill) Sutherland

@billsutherland.bsky.social

3.3K followers 331 following 4.1K posts

Academic. Obsessed with making conservation more effective. Enjoying making nerdy videos explaining the principles of ecology and conservation. YouTube Channel: Conservation Concepts youtube.com/@bill_sutherland

Posts Replies Media

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

How running an experiment was critical for the survival of this rewilding project. youtu.be/e8loyBgiNPs?...

Why Conservation Needs Experiments

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

David of Belfast @davidofbelfast.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Love this about the dynamics of wild horses on grasslands. Some interesting online talks coming up connected to this: Jens-Christian Svenning on wild horses- vildmarken.dk/article/onli... and Leo Linnartz on on cattle behaviour - vildmarken.dk/article/onli...

Online seminar on "Natural behaviour of cattle" (by Leo Linnartz) | Vildmarken

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The vegetation structures that herbivores shape are the ones that all flora and fauna are most adapted to. While it's very important to recognise these structures, it's probably more important to realise that in some places there are very few herbivores and in other places no herbivores at all.

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Paper written by a team of funders describing how they can and are encouraging the embedding of tests into practice. doi.org/10.1111/cobi...

Role of funders in embedding tests in conservation practice

Effective conservation practice requires decisions based on reliable and relevant evidence, but significant gaps in the evidence base exist. Incorporating well-designed tests of the effectiveness of ...

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Both speakers are stars and always interesting and thoughtful.

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Delighted that the RSPB are now evidence champions marking their great work, especially in the testing of conservation actions to improve practice. www.conservationevidence.com/content/page... www.conservationevidence.com/content/page...

conservationevidence.com

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

What can be the consequences of well managed free living horses on ecosystems? youtu.be/lv4x3uBq5Rg?...

How Wild Horses Shape Ecosystems

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Chair combining behavioural studies with sustainability, which I gather may encompass biodiversity www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/hatton-...

Hatton Professorship of Sustainability

The Board of Electors to the Hatton Professorship of Sustainability invite applications for this Professorship from persons whose work falls within the general field of the Professorship (combining be...

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Is remarkable how a whole community of migratory fish has largely disappeared. Here we discuss the five different strategies. youtu.be/pSac_QGEMbE?...

The Decline of Migratory Fish: Causes and Solutions

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

THANKS: BBC Countryfile's Anil Olgun, Joe Davies & whole team who made filming my river snorkelling as fun as could be (33 mins in, www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...), Fi Cotter-Craig, hostess with the mostest & esp. Alec Birkbeck who created the wonderland that is the River Nar at West Acre. #MySwim 🧵

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

If Billy Goats Gruff crossed, trip trap, Iron Bridge over River Little Ouse btw hamlets of Little Ouse, Cambs & Brandon Bank, Norfolk, instead of a troll lurking under, these friendly Perch. Unsure why they're "yawning" as they gave impression that I'm v interesting. youtu.be/2J9eU7BASxc #MySwim 🧵

Friendly Perch, with passing Roach, at the Iron Bridge from Little Ouse village to Brandon Bank

YouTube video by Nicola Crockford

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Most amazing find on #MyWalk in King's Forest, West Stow: Slime Mould (Myxomycetes) Yellow Carnival Candy Slime (Heterotrichia obvelata; only 52 UK @inaturalist.bsky.social records), with Leiobunum blackwalli? Harvestman. Also Trumpet (Cladonia fimbriata) & Field Dog (Peltigera rufescens) lichens.

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Interesting article Ross.

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

On #MyWalk from Gazeley to Moulton end August, besides fine Common Buzzard eating, I think, a young Brown Rat, we came across this magnificent #bracketfungus. Could it be Giant Elm Bracket (Rigidoporus ulmarius) @norwichbirder.bsky.social ? #fungi #mushroom #MushroomMonday #birdseenin2026 #suffolk

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Commercial forests are facing serious problems from disease, pests and temperature extremes. How is it possible to create more resilient forest? youtu.be/4a9UHvCwQQ8?...

The Science of Building More Resilient Forests

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

rru.eurosky.social @rru.eurosky.social · 03/09/2026

Very interesting footage of the positive impact #rewilding with Touros has on the landscape. Their wide horns makes them feel free to push through a woodland area and open up new paths and clearings. The galloways previously in the area have very small horns and would stick to set paths.

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

#Devon's coast in June was superb for Comb Jellies (Ctenophores); had my 1st encounter with 3 species of these harmless beauties. At Blackpool Sands here's the amazing living disco ball that is Common Northern Comb Jelly (Bolinopsis infundibulum), with its distinctive pair of fringed tentacles. 🧵

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Returning to Elberry Cove, 3 years later, on 26 June, delighted to witness this argy-bargy between 2 Montagu’s Blenny (Coryphoblennius galerita), the unicorns of the #UK blenny world, having only a single fleshy flap as head adornment, now spreading N & E from SW stronghold. #Fish #blenny #MySwim 🧵

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

These wonderfully impressive Tauros cattle are an attempt to recreate the extinct auroch. Really interesting to consider their potential role in conservation. youtu.be/OMVw3TLUJQo?...

Can Tauros Recreate the Ecological Role of the Aurochs?

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

How do we know the water quality impacts of deforestation? The terrific research at Hubbard Brook delivers the answers. youtu.be/Zk3UvlAw3ys?...

Ecosystem Science at Watershed Scale: Hubbard Brook

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

This monster, maybe Sea Trout youtu.be/W3W2KnSWFec?..., a key highlight of #MySwim of 3km of River Little Ouse (Santon Downham ⬆️& ⬇️) on 4 days in early July, here covered in my longest ever🧵. If a Sea Trout, this 1+m Brown Trout'd be 1st in recent times known to go to sea & return to Little Ouse.

Sea Brown Trout (surely?) over a metre long in the River Little Ouse upstream of Brandon

YouTube video by Nicola Crockford

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Among most amazing snorks ever last week in Burwell Lode down from Cock-up Bridge. Thrill 1: at last, 4+ yrs after hubby gripped me off bsky.app/profile/nume..., quality time with SPINED LOACH. By day v shy, only shot 2, rest vanishing in puffs of silt. By night lolling all over bare silt! #MySwim

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Have started making videos on geology, and the impact on ecology and landscapes, and learnt a huge amount in doing so. Also filmed limestone and basalt, which will release over the next weeks. Hope you find as interesting as I did. youtu.be/o8hXAbkn7Gs?...

Sandstone: How Geology Shapes Soils, Rivers and Ecology

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

How to trees respond to damage or take advantages of opportunities? Here I describe the process of reiteration and how this can be used to date when these events occurred. youtu.be/b0wAma9SR80?...

Reiteration: how trees respond to changes

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Please enjoy these cooling happy shoals of beautiful Silver Bream (Blicca bjoerkna) with Bitterlings (Rhodeus amarus), Roach & Perch, before I turn to the continued horrors of aquatic vegetation clearance I witnessed in Burwell Lode on 31 July, swimming upstream from the Cock-up Bridge. #fish 🧵1/25

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Since 29 July I've swum up & down the 3km of River Little Ouse from confluence with Great Ouse at Brandon Creek to Little Ouse village in 3 swims. This 🧵is top 2km from Bank Farm. Highlight - on each swim, young ZANDER (Sander lucioperca). 1st I've met! Here with ?diseased Bitterlings. #MySwim 1/25

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

On Friday, swimming 1km up River Little Ouse from its confluence with the Great Ouse at Brandon Creek, delighted, again at Bank Farm to meet young Zander (Sander lucioperca). Always they seem to be out in water column in middle of river eg with Roach, like a strange Pike-Perch hybrid. #MySwim 1/12

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

On 10 July, shocked, upon swimming up the Wissey across the aqueduct, towards the Anglian Water Water Treatment Works & Water Recycling Centre, to observe THOUSANDS of young Perch frantically rushing down river in a non-stop exodus. Visibility strangely bad, water surprisingly warm... #MySwim 🧵 1/15

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Thrilled, on my 1st swim in the Yare catchment, in the lovely River Tas #chalkstream, to meet my 1st live East Anglian White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes aka Atlantic Stream Crayfish), globally Endangered with extinction. Just moulted! See exuvia to left! #MySwim #MolluscMonday 🧵1/10

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

A week ago the River Lark upstream of the Cut-Off Channel & Barton Mills was rather sad, with relatively few fish compared to recent swims in the Little Ouse, Wissey & Nar. This group of quite small Common Dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) among the rootscape under an Alder were the highlight. #MySwim 1/10

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

There are lots of views about whether geography or gender bias peer review and whether anonymous peer review is less biased or is harder to operate. Charles Fox has run an amazing series of experiments to find the answers. youtu.be/GtiWx-h_yos?...

Does geography or gender bias peer review?

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Highlight of a fascinating swim up 900m of the River Little Ouse through @littleouse.bsky.social new reserve, Prince Freddy's Meadow, Blo' Norton on the #Norfolk #Suffolk border was couple of pools of Common Dace (Leuciscus leuciscus). youtu.be/iMRVaIug0Kc?... #MySwim #rivers #fish #ukwildlife 1/19

Lovely pools of Dace at Little Ouse Headwaters Project reserve, Prince Freddy's Meadow, Blo' Norton

YouTube video by Nicola Crockford

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Three videos on forest fires. The challenges of managing forests in the Rockies youtu.be/s9RIvwfwRhA?... then old videos on whether pine forests burn youtu.be/SrNRfLV201k?... and how fires determine the balance between eucalyptus forest and rainforest youtu.be/3oK2OEPJHvM?...

Forest fires: lessons from the Rockies

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

This weekend, such a privilege to explore the wondrous main channel of a River Test tributary in Hampshire. A highlight of this chalk stream was the abundant, exquisite Grayling parr, here energetically feeding with Minnows youtu.be/vZ360iCMro4?.... #MySwim #Rivers #Fish #teamfish #ukwildlife 1/25

Perky European Grayling parr feeding with Minnows in a chalk stream tributary of the River Test

YouTube video by Nicola Crockford

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

How does droughts kill plants and how do some communities benefit from drought? Here I tell the story of Breckland in eastern England youtu.be/0h6GYgza00E?...

Climate Extremes and Conservation

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

In the River Wensum at Ringland, prize of #MySwim a week ago was astonishing congregation under trees of huge Roach & Chub, the like of which I've never seen youtu.be/fzFz9gYCf7s?.... In the 1st "room" it was predominantly Roach then masses of Chub. Gudgeon, Minnows & Dace also milling about. 1/14

In the River Wensum, Ringland, an extraordinary congregation of large Roach & Chub under tree canopy

YouTube video by Nicola Crockford

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

EcosystemEngineer @ecosystemengineer.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Vegetation Structures and Herbivores. It's all about vegetation structures and herbivores. Get these two things working and everything else then just falls into place.

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

ARK Rewilding Nederland @ark-rewildingnl.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

The thorny bush is the mother of the oak, as @fransvera.bsky.social put it. @billsutherland.bsky.social and @leolinnartz.bsky.social are out in the field to explore exactly this youtu.be/IxHLy6uh4-w?...

Thorny shrub - tree cycles

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

In the early July heatwave during a cooling dip in Burwell Lode, swimming down from Burwell, Cambridgeshire, shocked to find it almost #fish & plant-less until came to this astonishing fish concentration in the only reach where vegetation hadn't just been cleared youtu.be/usCSs9eIjn8. #MySwim 🧵1/13

Huge fish congregation as swum down Burwell Lode away from Burwell, Cambridgeshire into setting sun.

YouTube video by Nicola Crockford

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Why are the tropics so rich in species and human languages? youtu.be/tOCv1XbNUQ0?...

Why are the tropics so biologically and culturally diverse?

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Turloughs are an amazing but poorly known habitat and here I explain the curious ecology youtu.be/zZrTH83bIaQ?...

Turloughs Explained: Ireland's Seasonal Limestone Lakes

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Look at this handsome monster Brown Trout in a glorious sun spun pool of the River Wissey, the biggest of many big #fish I met there Friday before last. King of the River. King of a favourite river. #MySwim #Rivers #chalkstreams #Norfolk #FishSky #TeamFish #ukwildlife #nature #30DaysWild 🧵1/23

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Can We Bring Ancient Ecosystems Back to Life? youtu.be/mN_82xgFDVU?...

Can We Bring Ancient Ecosystems Back to Life?

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

The Craig Bennett, brilliant CEO of The Wildlife Trusts, now collectively one of the world’s largest conservation organisation, describing their strategy refresh. Visionary and exciting about delivering evidence-based nature recovery in a volatile world. They are really delivering effective change.

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

At night, this reach of the River Nar fish paradise transforms into a close, dark otherworld. East Anglia's happiest, healthiest fish become even tamer; stunning Grayling here communing with night chalkelers (term coined by @themarshtit.bsky.social !). 🙏 Fi Cotter Craig for convening us. #MySwim 1/6

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

This is stunning. Thanks for sharing

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Sad to hear about the death of The Major Oak in Sherwood Forest. By chance I made a video the day before on the process of decay of veteran trees youtu.be/F5ZaT3cLoNc?...

Survival, decay and death of veteran trees

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

How do many orchids and ferns survive high in the canopy without roots into the soil? youtube.com/watch?v=ZY85...

Epiphyte ecology

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts

Reposted by William (Bill) Sutherland

Nicola Crockford @numenini.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Spawning Minnows! Among the great wonders of UK wildlife, unbeknownst to most of us, but to be found in our luckier rivers. My prize upon slipping into our local chalk stream, River Lark, Cavenham Heath, at start of Whitsun, suffering withdrawal from not having been in one since March. #MySwim 1/15

William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Going to an art exhibition this afternoon with a poet so wore these socks. Seen so many wonderful Hockney exhibitions and artwork. Am in awe of his originality and questing mind. RIP