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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 · 25/09/2026
Just after posting that last night, I’m going to be out this week helping with trapping migrating Nathusius pipistrelles. I guess sleep is for winter! 😂
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
How can someone not know their address?!
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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 · 22/09/2026
Genuinely impressed. The Alauda using the open source Bat Gizmo app, seemed to pick up more calls than the EMT2pro, and didn’t miss anything the EMT picked up. Need a better test to match settings so I can be certain it’s as comparable as possible, but first impressions are good!
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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
Now, capitalism is at it again, lobbying their way to freedoms to drill, build and destroy and unless we push back, our children will have to fight to protect what little is left all over again.
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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
I’m starting weaving with some green mossy Harris tweed (the green weft in the photo is some alpaca I bought) for the first loop scarf, then I’ll get some nettle on the loom. #weaving #plantdyes #wool #craftyecologist
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
I only left them in the dye bath for 4 hours. Half of the skeins were rinsed and hung to dry, the other I added to a pure nettle dye bath which was cooling and left to sit until the next day. The copper piping didn’t make a drastic difference.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
I dyed wool this time so added the fibre to the cold dye bath and brought up to heat for an hour or so, then allowed to cool and sit for 24 hours and rinsed. Because we had so many nettles, I did add iron to one dye bath and copper to another. Because iron can damage animal fibres…
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
My hobs never manage to boil the big pans so I just leave them in whist I do other things and turn off when I think it’s time. Very unscientific of me. I don’t weigh the nettle either, but just stuff the pans full. We have an abundance so why not. I then leave for 24 hours and strain.
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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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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Amazing, thanks for confirming. They were fab to watch.
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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
This post just reminded me I put my work trousers in the wash with a sample of moss in the pocket!
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
I saw my first today near Lowestoft feeding on blackthorn :)
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
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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 · 19/03/2026
I just listened to this today and I think it has to be one of my favourite Ologies! Really cool, thank you! 🐌
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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 · 06/03/2026
Surely the BBC aren’t going to try and continue with it? If they do I think they’ll lose a lot of listeners, myself included. Funnily enough the shows which stuck the most to me were the ones with women in.
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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 · 24/02/2026
I’ve seen this before with colleagues who when it came down to it, their principles vanished to ensure they kept their position. You know what you did was right and that is worth so much more, and we all support your decision.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
They really are an example of when humanity goes wrong. The entitlement, and arrogance is astounding! When will they ever be held accountable though?
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I’ll be getting two copies, this is right up my bestie’s street! :)
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
This looks brilliant! Can’t wait to get a copy :D
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Never heard of them being called that in Norfolk.
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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 · 27/01/2026
I feel like that’s an insult to fraggle rock tbh.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this, have had a good break and ultimately decided to delete instagram and threads and stick to here.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for this moss and if I can, will attempt to make fibre from it. It says it can grow up to 40cm but I’ve never seen a moss like that! The longer the growth the better the yarn quality will be.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
As an ecologist AND spinner & weaver this has just opened a whole new rabbit hole for me!
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
New sheep had been in a pen within the field for a few hours, and they are t total strangers, often barrrring at each other over the road!
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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
Yes! It seems like so much more effort to not care too. All the mental gymnastics 🤸🏽
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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 · 04/12/2025
Or just cancel and switch to another service. Since the CEO funded AI military tech I ditched the service. It’s been liberating and now I tend to listen to whole albums again.
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
*alder carr
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
#ancienttree #veterantree #britishecologist
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Larissa @brackenandwild.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
And yes, I said the trees were sexy because they were absolutely awesome. Ranging from 4-7m in diameter, loads of features for wildlife, epiphytes, fungi, rot holes, hollowing and LOOK at those roots! The trees were on stilts. Finding trees like this is one of the highlights of the job. #trees
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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
Done :)
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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 · 11/07/2025
IRecord has (rightly) flagged it. And now I’m wondering whether I saw it or not 😅 but at the time I couldn’t have been anything else. Habitat wise there’s a CWS woodland with mostly oaks 500m away and the woods here is relatively young (1950s).
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