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Larissa

@brackenandwild.bsky.social
842 followers 1.1K following 241 posts

Freelance Ecological consultant based in Breckland, Norfolk.

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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Earlier this year I was privileged to help out with some trapping and radio tagging of barbastelle bats. Brown long eared bats will always be my favs, but barbs definitely come a close second, especially because of how floofy they are! 🦇 #britishbats #britishecologists #bats #barbastelle
A barbastelle bat held in a gloved hand
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Bat 🦇 survey season pretty much done now (just a monitoring survey in Oct), and whilst it has been an incredible year, I am grateful to be in bed at 20:30 instead of just heading back out to work! #ecology #batecologist #britishecologist
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Tim Holt-Wilson @timholtwilson.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
'Recording for nature recovery - how biological recording will benefit wildlife in crisis'. A joint conference @norfolknats.bsky.social @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social at Diss, Norfolk, Sat Oct 10th Oct. What should bio recording look like in the future? Booking via sns.org.uk. Please share.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
All set up for the penultimate bat survey of the season and excited to be testing out the Alauda bat dongle. #bats #britishecologist #britishbats #batecology
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Now the field season is winding down, I will try and share some of this year’s highlight - the first is a bucket list species for me - the wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi). Found close to home hanging out on my sheep’s hay bale!
A yellow and white striped spider sitting on a bale of hay. The image is zoomed in so the spider fits most of the frame.
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This government is still sitting on parts of a buried report laying bare catastrophic risks facing us from ecosystems collapse. My message to @andyburnham.bsky.social: tell the truth. Release the report in full. And prepare the country for what's coming. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Polanski calls for report on ecosystem collapse to be published in full
Green leader says ministers must stop ‘hiding the truth’ about threat to UK security from climate and nature crisis
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
All over the world governments are weakening wildlife legislation which was fought for by previous generations who saw the impacts of capitalist destruction.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
When I’m not doing ecology I like to craft - a lull in work recently has been a welcome rest, and given me time to tidy my workshop, warp my loom, and get some nettle dye on the go! Spring is a great time for nettle dye, using the tops. Add to water, bring to a simmer for a couple of hours…
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British Dragonfly Society @britishdragonflies.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
A new report from wildlife charity Buglife reveals that pesticides from common flea and tick treatments are now widespread in rivers across Britain and may be contributing to major declines in freshwater invertebrates bit.ly/4b1Pu50
bit.ly
Buglife News: Love Your Pet, Not Pesticides: New Report Warns of Flea and Tick Treatment Threat to Rivers
Read more of our latest news related to invertebrates, insects and bugs.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
First dark-edged bee fly of the year today, along with first peacocks, brimstones and small tortiseshells. Lots about along the hedgerows.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Pretty sure (happy to be corrected) these are pied shieldbugs (Tritomegas bicolor) - a first for me, spotted today in Norfolk whilst out on a botany survey. Look at em go! #shieldbug
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
A few from a River Condition Assessment today including purple toothwort, and some great crested newts from a PEA a few days ago. Nice to be outside again! #ecologist #newts #greatcrestednewt
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Sheep, fungi, woodland and crocus. Just a few from home the past couple of weeks.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
A couple of weekends ago my eldest daughter and I went for a girl’s trip to Amsterdam & visited the botanical garden whilst there - which was beautiful even at this time of year. The microbe museum was also really cool! 🤓 #amsterdam #botanicalgarden #microbemuseum
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
My favourite trees from Moot Hill in Wymondham. Excited to be helping @conservationarb.bsky.social with this local project. #moothill #woodlandmanagement #veterantree
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Moved my two grey faced Dartmoors and two texel x Charolais into the field with the Shetlands yesterday. Phillip the Shetland matriarch goes over to investigate on behalf of her herd. #sheep #shetlandsheep #greyfaceddartmoors
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Still lots of fungi around at the moment. Pic1 - turkey tail and velvet shank, no idea for pic 2, pic 3 poss an oyster of some type and finally Tremella mesenterica (I think). #fungi #woodlandfungi #🍄 #fungifriends
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Little woodland survey today and some sexy veteran and ancient alders - the small alder cart woodland in the middle of the field was incredibly healthy and just needs a bit of regeneration, then an ancient oak minding its own business in a recreation ground on the way home.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
A few photos of some nice trees and features from yesterday's woodland survey for the Ouse Landscape Recovery project. This is the 9th woodland surveyed and management plans written to inform the project and potential impacts from raising surrounding water levels.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Fen nettle spotted on a farm today. Always enjoy finding this, and convincing people to give it a rub. (It doesn’t sting). Definitely glad it was fen nettle given the amount we walked through!
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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Thank you to everyone who is helping get the word out about Normally Weird - seems the media has grown bored of this sort of stuff - Gina Rippon’s excellent Lost Girls of Autism has seen similar silence - thank you to The Psychologist www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...
bps.org.uk
What it means to be weird | BPS
Professor Catherine Loveday (University of Westminster) reviews ‘Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal – My adventures in Neurodiversity’, by Robin Ince.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Just a brown long eared bat & a barbastelle hanging out together (Photo taken under licence) Whilst Barbastelles are rare in the UK we are very lucky that they seem to like it here in the east. All the more reason to ensure their protection here and the Western Link Road must stay off the table
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
Not every day you find a lizard in the livingroom… My daughter “muuuum, there’s a lizard in heeeerrreee” Genuinely thought she was playing a trick with her lizard toy, she’s 4 and that’s her style. But the girl was right. #lizard #commonlizard #britishecologists #ecology
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
Haven’t trapped for a month, but despite setting the trap, then having to move to the shed doorway for cover from a storm - we got a fantastic catch! Photos of some of the highlights; cream spotted garden tiger, swallow-tailed and elephant hawk. #norfolkmoths #britishecologsits #mothtrap #moths
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
Just a longhorn beetle Stenocorus meridianus 🪲 #beetle #longhornbeetle #britishbeetles
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Some stunning veteran field maples in a lapsed hedgerow at a site yesterday. What a treat! #veterantrees #trees #fieldmaple #britishecologists
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
Great explanation why the planning and infrastructure bill is anything but a win win for nature and development @terryjermymp.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/posts/matthe...
linkedin.com
New planning system will harm nature and development | Matthew Stanton posted on the topic | LinkedIn
Whilst the planning system might have problems, nature isn’t one of them. Feedback from developers on the current system is that they understand the mitigation hierarchy, the processes and what they n...
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Amy Trewick @sneapster.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Before the General Election Labour promised to restore nature. Less than a year in, and the new Chancellor is leading a charge against the natural world Email your MP to remove Part 3 of the Bill AND ask THEM to call out the Chancellor for her attack on nature wtru.st/fix-the-bill
wtru.st
Fix the Planning Bill NOW!
Before the General Election Labour promised to restore nature. Less than a year in, and the new Chancellor is leading a charge against the natural world Email your MP to remove Part 3 of the Bill AND ...
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Sarah Postlethwaite @sarahpostlethwaite.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Labour blocks proposal for ‘swift bricks’ in all new homes
MPs had previously backed Conservative amendment to ask developers to provide hollow bricks for endangered birds
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Kiera Chapman @kierachapman.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
Brilliant panel discussion at the Hay Festival on planning reform. m.youtube.com/watch?v=BxA_...
m.youtube.com
Homes for Everyone and Nature Too | Live Panel, Hay Festival
YouTube video by Chris Packham
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
Hi @terryjermymp.bsky.social I have written to you 4 times regarding the planning and infrastructure bill. It seems you are concerned already about land being used for solar farms…
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Kiera Chapman @kierachapman.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
This is bloody awful from Toby Carvery, who have deliberately felled a 500 year old oak in Enfield. It goes together with the wider redevelopment of a very ecologically sensitive area to make a football ground for Tottenham. Again, these are not the right priorities folks.
enfielddispatch.co.uk
Toby Carvery admits felling ancient Whitewebbs oak tree
The owner of the pub chain falsely claimed the tree was dead as justification for the felling which has shocked local people and prompted outrage from conservationists across the country
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
A day of saving bees from their own silly choices.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Glad to see the potential devastating impacts of the government planning and infrastructure bill being mentioned. #eastbatconf - don’t forget to write to your MP if you haven’t. Mine hasn’t responded yet, despite emailing twice - @terryjermymp.bsky.social - hopefully I’ll hear back soon.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Fab day at the Eastern Bat Conference @batconservation.bsky.social #eastbatconf
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Amy Trewick @sneapster.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
This bill has not followed due process and there are concerns over its governance. This legislation has been rushed through the initial stages, has ignored consultation and has removed key principles from our current national environmental legislation. www.arc-trust.org/News/plannin...
arc-trust.org
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: ARC’s views and a call to action
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill was published on 11 March, and here we provide an update on ARC’s views. The Bill seeks to make the most significant changes to wildlife law in a generation,...
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Amy Trewick @sneapster.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
Bats are site-loyal species, and losing these surveys will make their protection almost impossible. It will also impact ancient trees and other site-loyal species such as hazel dormice. Their loss cannot be compensated for. batconservationtrust.substack.com/p/the-planni...
batconservationtrust.substack.com
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill: rhetoric vs reality on nature and development
our CEO, Kit Stoner, reflects on the latest developments of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
Four of my favourite tree photos from the last couple of weeks - it was a difficult choice, I have lots to choose from. #trees #britishtrees #britishecologists #woodland #ancientwoodland #ecology #🌳
A beautiful hazelKnarled bark of a small leaved limePatterns created by beetle larvae under the bark of an elm tree. You can see the central spot where the beetle laid its eggs and the path each larvae that hatched took before it emerged, damaging the tree stem, causing this beautiful pattern.Tripled stem tree with a twisted pattern in the bark in an ancient woodland surrounded by bluebells yet to flower.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
A few moths from last night’s catch. 55 in total; 22 small quakers, 14 quakers, 7 Hebrew characters, 4 clouded drabs, 2 twin spotted quakers, 2 oak beauty moths, 2 march moths, 1 water carpet and 1 early grey. Can you guess which one is checking itself out in the mirror? #britishmoths #norfolkmoths
An oak beauty moth sitting on a dolls house vanity table looking into the mirror
A clouded drab moth - a dark brown moth with a darker ‘w’ shaped band in the middleA brown coloured moth in a tubeA brown patterned moth in a tube.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
A dotted chestnut in my workshop and a female Diurnea fagella (flightless) found in the leaf litter of an ancient woodland. #norfolkmoths #britishmoths #moths #britishecologists
A brown moth with black spots on a concrete floor. A brown moth with very small wings sitting on a stick above white paper.
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Kiera Chapman @kierachapman.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Massive synthesis of studies shows biodiversity loss in all species and every ecosystem linked to humans.
theguardian.com
Biodiversity loss in all species and every ecosystem linked to humans – report
Sweeping synthesis of 2,000 global studies leaves no doubt about scale of problem and role of humans, say experts
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Hugh Warwick @hedgehoghugh.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
A good summary of a key part of George’s latest book - The Invisible Doctrine.
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Amy Trewick @sneapster.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Really this headline should read “late stage capitalism and market monopoly destroys the environment, livelihoods and food security”. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
UK farmers’ incomes stagnant since the 1970s, report finds
Exclusive: Research shows drop in produce prices as households consume more imported and ultra-processed food
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Kiera Chapman @kierachapman.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
This paper is potentially huge. It concludes that "fragmented landscapes have lower diversity, at all scales, than do unfragmented landscapes...The pervasive effects of ongoing habitat destruction and fragmentation are real and should not be minimized." !!!!!
nature.com
Species turnover does not rescue biodiversity in fragmented landscapes - Nature
An analysis of habitat fragmentation using a dataset of more than 4,000 species worldwide shows that fragmentation reduces biodiversity at all scales, and that increases in β diversity do not compensa...
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Some nice old orchard trees today including a few veterans. #veterantree #trees #orchard
A view of a small area of old orchardA knarled apple tree Close up of an old apple tree covered in epiphytes (lichen and moss)Close up of an old apple tree covered in epiphytes (lichen and moss)
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
A few sheep pics of my Shetland flock. These ladies are kept for wool and generally just get to meander around the field. They dislike being caught for health checks and shearing, but will come to you for food and biscuits, and the occasional cuddle. #sheep #wool #shetlandsheep #weaving #weaver
Close up of a Shetland sheep’s face. She is a katmoget colour way. 4 Shetland sheep eating grass in a row. A black Shetland sheep with a grey white patch on her side. She’s staring at the camera. A single Shetland sheep grazing in a field with blue sky above and trees In the background.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Moth catch this weekend: March Moth – 1 Mottled Umber – 1 Hebrew Character – 4 Lunar Underwing – 2 Clouded Drab – 3 Common Quaker – 13 Double-striped Pug – 1 Light Brown Apple Moth – 1 Small Quaker – 13 Nice surprise, after only 4 the weekend before!
A selection of live moths in glass tubes for identification before releasing. A moth in a tubeA moth in a tube
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Jill Walker Rettberg @jilltxt.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
The list of words the Trump administration has banned from research grants is even longer than the lists I’ve seen online. Here are screenshots of the words confirmed by the NYTimes and listed in this article www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
There were so many bees in this clients garden on the heather earlier this week. Nice to hear the familiar buzz again. #bumblebee #bee
Image of some pink heather with a fat bumble bee in the middle.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Today my daughter and I beat ‘pop up pirate’ and got all the swords in the barrel bar the last one, which popped the pirate.
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