iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by George Holmes

Patrick Bigger @pmbigger.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

My newest in Zeteo UK looks at the elements of ecocide in Gaza: the impacts on land, air, and water that the Israeli assault has produced.

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Reposted by George Holmes

Robin Hayward 🌳 🏳️‍⚧️ @canopyrobin.com · 25/09/2026

We're publishing new guidance to support trans people who do fieldwork (any work outside the office)! Now we need your help to get them seen so please share! inclusivefieldwork.leeds.ac.uk/trans/

a cartoon of three fieldworkers. One has a small trans flag. The logos of the university of leeds, research england, and canopy robin are shown, as well as the URL: InclusiveFieldwork (dot) Leeds (dot) AC (dot) UK (slash) trans

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The Great "Is The White Stork Native To Britain? And How Much Should We Care?" Debate of 2026 has now reached the New York Times. archive.ph/NzCHj

archive.ph

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Reposted by George Holmes

RSPB Science @rspbscience.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This poetry film gives a voice to farmers who envision a future where nature is central to food and farming Produced as a collaboration between @iamloudpro.bsky.social, and the JUSTLANZ project, including local partner SAC Consulting Watch here: tinyurl.com/ycyb6t36 lunzhub.com/projects/jus...

youtu.be

Cattle & Curlews || Poetry Film for the JUSTLANZ Project

"Cattle & Curlews" was created by I Am Loud CIC for the JUSTLANZ project, which aims to develop transformative pathways for a just transition to net zero for the UK food-farming sector, considering…

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Great new paper on "wild attachments" by Sarah Crowley, about the connections that people - individuals and communities - build with wild animals. As expected, English beavers get a mention. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

journals.sagepub.com

Wild attachments - Sarah L Crowley, 2026

Wild attachments are persistent, affective ties between people and wild animals. They form when individual wild animals, populations, or species come to matter ...

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

For the avoidance of doubt- no academic deserves to get threats and harassment, not even the racists and their enablers. It’s been a while since I got some, but I know what it feels like.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

yes, it's the 21st century, but the @rgs.org publish an article blaming UK civil unrest on a "transnational zionist network" of Jewish "financiers" who control media and politics, and which uses made up statistics, youtube videos, and tweets by conspiracy theorists as evidence. And doesn't apologise

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Super interesting, provocative paper about the limitations of IUCN PA categories in the context of non-Western paradigms of nature in @conbiology.bsky.social. conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Reposted by George Holmes

BES-Rewilding Group @bes-rewildinggroup.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Save the date. Date: 24 September 2026 Time: 09:15 – 17:30 (BST) Location: Huxley theatre, ZSL, London #Rewilding

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Super proud of the newly minted Dr (!) @serenath.bsky.social. Her thesis "(Un)making life in the shadows: the cultural, philosophical and biological significance of shadow diversity" is a fantastic piece of interdisciplinary research on the bits of biodiversity we overlook

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Reposted by George Holmes

SCCS Cambridge 2027 @sccscambridge.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

📢 Apply now to SCCS 2027 🎉 The 26th Student Conference on Conservation Science will take place between 30 March – 1 April 2027 at the University of Cambridge. Check the website for further details and to apply: www.sccs-cam.org

sccs-cam.org

Student Conference on Conservation Science - Welcome

SCCS helps young conservation scientists gain experience, learn new ideas and make contacts that will be valuable for their future careers.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

I recently came across the best ever rationale for species introduction to the UK: "I reckon we could just throw the middle spotted woodpecker into the UK. It would be very satisfying to have that gap between lesser and greater filled, regardless of the consequences."

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

At #ECCB26 in Leiden? Then on Friday come to our TWO(!) sessions on conservation histories, for some extremely thought-provoking talks on how we got where we are.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Likewise! Great to see so many old friends, even if there were so many of them at Pollen that sometimes it was just a quick hello in the corridor rather than a proper catch up.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

A wonderful, if completely exhausting, week at the #POLLEN26 conference. Lots of really great, engaged, interdisciplinary, critical research on conservation and the environment. A friendly, welcoming, supportive conference that has largely restored my faith in human geography.

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Reposted by George Holmes

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

This Friday @cascade-hei.bsky.social & Defra are organising the first of a joint series of seminars on topics of interest to Defra & academics in the biodiversity world. Join us at 1pm for a lively discussion of AI, biodiversty & ethics! 🌎 🧪 events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4bb0d8...

Card showing title of talk and time - ethical frameworks for high-tech biodiversity monitoring in lower-income nations

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Off to Pathways Europe in Oxford and have a frustration about discussions about coexistence? Then come to our session on "Uncomfortable ecologies, taboos, and controversial pathways to coexistence" and share your thoughts. Monday, 13:45, room 407.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

super paper in @peopleandnature.bsky.social by Theo Stanley on recent turns in Scottish #rewilding to integrate markets, technology but also some romanticism. A superbly rich analysis. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Technical wildness: Modernity, romanticism, and the technocratic turn in Scottish rewilding

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

The problem of black/white binaries in species translocations: Natural England has decided, on balance, that no Storks are native, but people like White Storks and releases may be approved. Black Storks aren't native but consent for release is unlikely. naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2026/05/08/w...

naturalengland.blog.gov.uk

White stork, black stork and other vagrant bird species

By Jeremy Sabel and Matt Heydon Natural England’s Species Recovery & Reintroductions Team Projects involving the release of white stork Ciconia ciconia capture the public imagination. If fairy tales a...

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

a very important study. Also, a really, really difficult place to do fieldwork on these issues.

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Reposted by George Holmes

David Roberts @drdavidlroberts.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

🚨FUNDED PHD🚨'Economic carrying capacity & the future of rhinos in privately governed OECMs' @dice-kent.bsky.social, UK & International applications welcome - closing date 14th May🦏 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Male White rhinoceros walking in the Kalahari Desert of Namibia Photo by Giles Laurent

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

I found this book disappointing. The author didn’t really have a good grasp on their subject

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Reposted by George Holmes

Society for Conservation Biology @society4conbio.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

SCB's Art, Science + Conservation WG is seeking members! We bring together artists, researchers + conservation practitioners to explore how creative arts can support biodiversity conservation. forms.gle/af6xkoosh7Yn...

forms.gle

SCB Art, Science and Conservation Working Group - Expression of Interest

Thank you for your interest in joining the new Art, Science and Conservation Working Group of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB)! The Art, Science and Conservation Working Group brings togeth...

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

A project on rodents of unusual size? Inconceivable!

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Excellent thread by @toriherridge.bsky.social . As well as criticising the tech bro hype and dodgy agendas, I'm yet to hear anyone in mainstream conservation (e.g. IUCN) talking about this kind of de-extinction. The real discussions are about ecological replacement, assisted colonisation etc

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

I reviewed @dollyjorgensen.bsky.social most recent book, about how extinction is represented in museums, and I liked it a lot.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

It is also about the IUCN Red List status of the Guanaco, and who gets to submit data and make the decision. A reminder that seemingly technical, scientific decisions are deeply political at heart. And that some organisations have WAY more influence on what stories are heard in the global media

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

This NGO and their partner NGOs have a somewhat 'complicated' and often very antagonistic relationship with researchers and others. They have been fine with me, but I've seen others affected. The issue here is bizarrely partly about the language used re. ecological replacement / taxon substitutes!

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

This instance hasn't been discussed much in the European sphere, but it is pretty wild - a group of scientists write a unassuming exploration of some issues around rewilding in Argentina, and get sued by a very large and influential NGO. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

sciencedirect.com

Threatened conservation scientists: The aftermath of an eye-opening publication on rewilding

‘Rewilding’ is a nature conservation strategy gaining prominence worldwide. Established in the Northern Hemisphere, rewilding initiatives have increas…

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Reposted by George Holmes

Rosaleen Duffy @rosaleenduffy.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

1/ Calling all ECRs - we have 4x3 year post docs on Multispecies Mutualisms working with us at Sheffield. Don't want to read through all the stuff to work out if its right for you? Here is a short video explainer 🎥 digitalmedia.sheffield.ac.uk/media/Multis...

digitalmedia.sheffield.ac.uk

Multispecies Mutualisms - Join Our Research Team!

We’re hiring 4 Postdoctoral Research Associates (PDRAs) In this video, members of the team share insights into four exciting PDRA opportunities currently available. If you are ready to take the next s...

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Our research group looks at a broad range of topics, is fairly diverse in terms of views, approaches and demographic characteristics. But we will continue to strictly enforce our "no Nazis" rule.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Was kinda cool to go back to my old building @globaldevinst.bsky.social and see how much and how little has changed. Not least the fact that many of my old PhD colleagues are now staff there, yet haven't aged a day. The fountain of youth must be located in the coffee area on the first floor....

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Congratulations to Dr @natalie-york.bsky.social for passing her PhD with an awesome viva. Really interesting work on politics of biocultural conservation in northern Kenya. Check out her paper in @conbiology.bsky.social conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Another classic meeting of the England Species Reintroduction Taskforce, part of which involved looking for Natterjack Toads in some surprisingly sunny and warm Surrey wetlands.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Significant exponential growth of POLLEN since the early days in the 2000s. If we carry on this trajectory, POLLEN 2040 will have over 1 million parallel sessions. Who says that infinite exponential growth isn’t sustainable?

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

The geography department is as wonderful as ever - great to see some of my old lecturers still there, and even better to see people that I first met as students now staff members themselves. I am now accepting of my status as a middle-aged academic.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

What hasn't are things than simultaneously help and hinder translocations - land ownership/tenure is a slow changing business, despite some legal and political changes. The 'Balmoralised', Edwin Landseer vision of Scotland's landscape is constantly reinforced.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Scotland now has significant and expanding beaver populations, when in 2000 it had none. Reintroductions are a 'thing', as are other words starting with 're', part of mainstream conservation and popular discourse. Many reintroductions have happened, mostly of inverts, plants, small things.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Rather lovely to go back to @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social geography department, a quarter century after it all started there for me, to talk about the future of species reintroduction in Scotland. Since my student days in, ahem, 2000-5, much has changed for reintroduction in Scotland, and much hasn't.

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

This is the latest salvo in what I'm calling The Great British Herpetological Hoo-Hah - disagreements on what amphibians and reptiles should be 're'-introduced to Britain, where, and how. Lots of fascinating details. Worthy of a PhD study or a 4-part BBC1 drama www.arc-trust.org/lost-frogs-r...

arc-trust.org

Lost Frogs report: comment from Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust

This note summarises ARC’s views on “Investigating the Status of Britain’s Lost Frogs: Prospects for Rewilding” (Tweats, 2026), hereafter referred to as the “Lost Frogs report”. ARC was pleased to be ...

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Reposted by George Holmes

Monica Vasile 🐾 @monicavasile.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

CFP 📢 Join us for a panel on conservation histories for the European Congress of Conservation Biology in Leiden @eccb26leiden.bsky.social If you're interested, email @georgeholmes.bsky.social or me with an abstract by Feb 9. #envhist #histsci #animalhist #conservationhumanities

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George Holmes @georgeholmes.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Want to join our panel @eccb26leiden.bsky.social on "Conservation Histories and Humanities: Understanding the Present, Unearthing the Past"? We are looking for presentations exploring the histories of conservation. Email me (g.holmes@leeds.ac.uk) with an abstract by 9th Feb.

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