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Jo Wimpenny

@jowimpenny.bsky.social
211 followers 282 following 117 posts

Science and nature writer | 📍Oxford | 📚 BEAUTY OF THE BEASTS is a Spotify Best Nonfiction Book of the Year 2026! | Dr of crows | Champion of unloved creatures

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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
Nick Holmes @thehandlab.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
England's Wildlife Trusts are ~90% of the way to raising £30M to buy 3,800 hectares of #Northumberland. If you have some spare money, even just £10, they can really use it *before September 30th*! 🙏 #rewilding #wildlife 🦅🐿🐺🦉 www.wildlifetrusts.org/appeals/roth...
wildlifetrusts.org
Donate to Secure The Rothbury Estate | The Wildlife Trusts
Stretching over 3,800 hectares, the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland is abundant with opportunity. It’s the largest continuous area of land to appear on the market in 50 years. Its sale creates a uni...
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Jimothy is more advanced than I thought!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
For anyone in/around Glasgow, I’m going to be speaking at tomorrow’s Cafe Scientifique. Come along and chat unloved beasts if you can! www.waterstones.com/events/cafe-...
waterstones.com
Cafe Scientifique: The Beauty of the Beasts | Events at Waterstones Bookshops | Waterstones
Events at Waterstones get you closer to the books and authors you admire most. Find information and tickets about Cafe Scientifique: The Beauty of the Beasts today.
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Really looking forward to kicking this off on Tuesday 29th September, shining a light on the overlooked, underappreciated, and misunderstood creatures of our world 🐍 🕷️ 🐌 🐀 🐝 🦈 #beautyofthebeasts @chiffchat.bsky.social
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
‘Waiter, there’s a praying mantis on my chest’ ‘Well don’t make a fuss, ma’am, or everyone will want one…’ Imagine looking down and seeing this 🤣 Obvs I was v excited as mantises are SO cool, but sadly this is an invasive Transcaucasian giant mantis, and it’s bad news for Corfu’s native wildlife.
Large green praying mantis on a green topLarge green praying mantis on the end of a finger looking directly to the camera. Dinner table in the background
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
The Prime Minister, @andyburnham.bsky.social, has spoken about being honest about the challenges we face. So, as we welcome our new Prime Minister and cabinet, let's start there: Nature is disappearing. The climate crisis is accelerating. The UK cannot thrive while both continue unchecked.
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
Bloomsbury Wildlife @chiffchat.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Did you know that wasps can recognise faces?! 🤯 There's much more to these insects than just being the uninvited guests at your summer picnic... Listen to Beauty of the Beasts by @jowimpenny.bsky.social now on Spotify (listed as a Spotify Best Nonfiction Book of the Year So Far! 🥳)
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Just realised that BOTB is both the only nature/science book in this list and also the only Bloomsbury title - I’m feeling very happy to be flying both flags! open.spotify.com/playlist/37i...
open.spotify.com
Editors' Picks: Best Nonfiction Books of the Year So Far
Playlist · Spotify · 17 items · 10 saves
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Umm, so this happened 🤯 Still pinching myself - what a way to end the week!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
LOVE that this was inspired by my book 😍 Can’t wait to hear how these beasts are received…
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 07/05/2026
Wind and solar have now beaten fossil fuels in Great Britain for a record 15 months in a row Just a decade ago, fossil fuels were generating four times more than wind + solar Now that's flipped: Since the Iran war, wind and solar generated twice as much as fossil fuels
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Hello, my new book, Beauty of the Beasts, was released in the US today! And it is VERY excited to meet its readers. Pick up a copy now and discover if 🦈 have friends, why 🐍 like to cuddle, how 🪳 are sometime cute, how 🐝 keep our gardens pest-free and much more! @chiffchat.bsky.social
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
✊ EVERY HUMAN So delighted with this wonderful review by Jaz 💚
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
‘There were talon marks in the chocolate!’ Recounting when a red kite tried to steal John’s magnum for today’s Tweet of the Day www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
bbc.co.uk
BBC Radio 4 - Tweet of the Day, Jo Wimpenny on the Red Kite
Zoologist and writer Jo Wimpenny on a close encounter with a red kite.
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
This 👇
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
“…it should be noted that this book is extremely fun. Wimpenny approaches her subjects (whether maggots, otters, cockroaches or humans) with an openhearted tone that manages to be equal parts playful and informative.” Love this review - informative and fun is exactly what I wanted!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Sounds idyllic! And I love that you’re not bothered by them - they’re a vital part of your harvest 💚
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Wonderful! 👏 And even small triumphs deserve celebration, for they are the building blocks of change.
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Thank you! Sadly we, as a species, are losing our connections and fundamental knowledge about nature, and often what replaces that is fear. I am glad that you are helping to educate your guests by not killing all of these assumed ‘pests’!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
The world flipped for me yesterday from having no chiffchaffs in it to chiffchaffs suddenly being EVERYWHERE. A joyful sound!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
A sneaky peek into some of the beasts in my book 👇 Available now!
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
Laura Jedeed @laurajedeed.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
The world could be such a nice place if we allowed it. It's all so goddamn unnecessary. There's no need for any of it. It's so beautiful here. It should be so cool to be alive
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Tbh this almost makes me want to take up running
Screenshot from a Reddit post entitled ‘How to stop owls from stealing my hats?’
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Turns out that Oxford is a hot spot for beauty in/of the beasts 🤣 The only reasonable thing is to read them both!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Oh hey, it’s just my new book taking flight into the world - read on to find out why these beautiful beasts deserve so much more from us… Available today in all good bookshops! And don’t take my word for it - New Scientist picked it as one of the best pop-sci books released this month, woohoo! 🥳
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
And while it’s still February, I’m going to keep bumping this 🤣
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
Andrew Digby @digs.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
The second #kakapo chick of the #kakapo2026 breeding season hatched this morning: Hine Taumai-A1-2026 on Ako's nest on Te Kākahu. We transferred the egg from Anchor two nights ago. This is Ako's first-ever chick, which is just a few hours old in this video. #conservation #birds #parrots
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Same - I’ve missed blue skies so much!
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Susie Dent @susiedentwords.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
A reminder of one of the loveliest pairs of siblings in the dictionary: ‘muscle’ and ‘mouse’. To the Roman imagination, the flexed biceps of a (typically naked) athlete resembled a rodent scuttling under the skin. ‘Musculus’, in Latin, means ‘little mouse’.
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-tar...
notopalantir.goodlawproject.org
Say no to Palantir in the NHS
NHS England is rolling out software to run our health records from Palantir - fight back
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
Oregon Zoo @oregonzoo.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Egg-cellent news! The first California condor eggs of the season have been laid at our wildlife conservation center, and more could be on the way.
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
‘A charming, entertaining glimpse into the lives of unjustly scorned animals.’ Beauty of the Beasts comes out in the UK on Feb 26th, and in the US on April 28th! 🥳 Pre-orders and shares very welcome! #booksky #nonfiction @chiffchat.bsky.social www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...
kirkusreviews.com
BEAUTY OF THE BEASTS | Kirkus Reviews
Sharks and mosquitoes get their time in the spotlight in this lively natural history.
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Let’s pretend - the animal version! Fascinating new study finds that Kanzi (the superstar bonobo) can play along on a make believe tea-party, keeping track of imagined juice and grapes. Extremely cool work! 👏 Looking forward to seeing if the same is found in other individuals/species.
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Fascinating stuff, Chris! 👏
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
Doug Parr @dougparr.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Extreme weather disasters and climate tipping points aren't in economic models of the impact of climate change on the global economy The result "is widespread complacency amongst investors and policymakers" We will all suffer as a consequence www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Flawed economic models mean climate crisis could crash global economy, experts warn
States and financial bodies using modelling that ignores shocks from extreme weather and climate tipping points
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Will DM you… 🙂
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
And, incredibly, me! Yes, Beauty of the Beasts is included in New Scientist’s best new popular science books of Feb 2026 🤯 *pinches self*
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Looks fantastic!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Veronika has been promoted 😆
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
‘Why would anybody write a book about the creatures that people don’t like? That’d never sell. Well, reader, I did just that…’ Beauty of the Beasts comes out next month! 🥳 Find out more and pre-order here: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/beauty-of... 🦈 🐊 🐍 🕷️ 🦟 🐛 🐝 🐀 🪳 @chiffchat.bsky.social
Image of book entitled Beauty of the Beasts on a purple background with the text, ‘Rethink the repulsive: Discover the hidden beauty of nature’s most misunderstood animals’
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Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
We’re working on a story about how children’s immune systems and microbiomes develop and we want to hear from you. Have you let your kids eat food that was dropped on the ground? 🍭 Argued with grandparents about cleanliness? 🧼 Saw your child do something incredibly gross? 🤢 Call us at 877 4 SCIFRI.
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Congratulations Zazie!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
‘The risks have become too extreme to be ignored.’ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on risks from biodiversity collapse: warnings must be heeded before it’s too late | Editorial
Editorial: Inadequate food supplies and collapsing rainforests must be recognised as national security threats – not pigeonholed as green issues
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Haha, these words might come back to bite me 🤣 Though I suspect the lack of engagement is more about my nonexistence here. Fortunately, social media abilities rarely correlate with book writing abilities! But given it comes out 4 weeks today, I’d love a bump, if you didn’t mind sharing the below 🥳
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Reposted by Jo Wimpenny
George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Please spread this far and wide, as stories don't get much bigger than this. When the government blocks even the intelligence services from telling us we're heading for environmental catastrophe, you know we have a problem. A very big problem. Thank you. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The UK government didn't want you to see this report on ecosystem collapse. I'm not surprised | George Monbiot
It took an FOI request to bring this national security assessment to light. For ‘doomsayers’ like us, it is the ultimate vindication, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Hannah Bourne-Taylor *Author*Bird Campaigner @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Tears of joy! SCOTLAND HAS JUST PASSED SWIFT BRICKS INTO LAW unanimously! 4 years of asking England & Scotland sorts it in a month led by ACE ⁦‪ MARK RUSKELL MSP‬⁩ ♥️The RELIEF is unreal! Tell England to follow 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿by emailing PlanningPolicyConsultation@communities.gov.uk now!WOOP!
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Thank you, I happen to agree! 😁
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
‘Why would anybody write a book about the creatures that people don’t like? That’d never sell. Well, reader, I did just that…’ Beauty of the Beasts comes out next month! 🥳 Find out more and pre-order here: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/beauty-of... 🦈 🐊 🐍 🕷️ 🦟 🐛 🐝 🐀 🪳 @chiffchat.bsky.social
Image of book entitled Beauty of the Beasts on a purple background with the text, ‘Rethink the repulsive: Discover the hidden beauty of nature’s most misunderstood animals’
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Jennifer Molidor @jennifermolidor.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Coyotes are such fascinating, maligned animals. As generalists, they survive in every environment, from the wilds of Yellowstone and Yosemite to urban streets and suburban neighborhoods. Now they’re swimming to Bay Area islands. First it was Angel Island… now The Rock? www.sfgate.com/local/articl...
sfgate.com
San Francisco coyote swims to Alcatraz for first time ever
"This was the first time our park biologists observed anything like this."
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Jo Wimpenny @jowimpenny.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
It also reminds me of the time (many years ago) when a news outlet published a little piece on Betty the New Caledonian heifer, clearly the result of a pesky typo (crow -> cow) and a creative sub-editor. How we chuckled at the idea of a cow manipulating a tool! 🤦🏻‍♀️
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