Sign in

Lorna Harris, PhD

@lornaharris.bsky.social
5.6K followers 379 following 80 posts

Ecosystem Scientist | Artist | Forests, Wetlands, Peatlands, & Climate Change | Carbon, Moss, Lichens, Permafrost, Fire, Tea | Science-Policy | she/her Independent Researcher and Consultant at www.peatlandfutures.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 15h
Did you know there are over 600 varieties of #mint? So many! All with slightly different aromas and flavours. I focused on just a few for this new short article for Botanical Journeys. The rest are on the list, a very long list, for future drawings. botanicaljourneys.substack.com/p/mint?utm_s...
031
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Peatland ECR Action Team @peatlandecr.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 15 OCTOBER 2026! 🌿Submissions for the 2027 #PeatCalendar are now open! Please send us your best shots of #flora in #wetlands and #peatlands. 💚All proceeds support early-career researchers! ✉️ peatecr@gmail.com 📸 Deadline for submission 15 October 2026
067
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
1 yr ago I wrote my first article for Peatpedia. I had no idea if a boggy blog would be successful! Turns out it was a good choice! Sadly, the issues for #peatlands & #climate remain unchanged, just more urgent. Take a read & please share 🌎🌿 #ClimateWeekNYC peatpedia.substack.com/p/the-plan-t...
021
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The Sacred Bee Tree A new article on Botanical Journeys describing the botanical basics and cultural significance of this tree and featuring sketches and original artworks. You may know this tree as #linden, #lime, or #basswood! botanicaljourneys.substack.com/p/the-sacred...
botanicaljourneys.substack.com
The Sacred Bee Tree
A delightfully fragrant and healing summer diversion
000
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Peatpedia is 1 year old! I will continue to share stories, insights, & musings about the world’s peatlands, & Peatpod - a new podcast - is coming late September 🎤🎧 If you enjoy reading Peatpedia, consider sponsoring my work as a bog-builder or a super-Sphagnum 🌱 buymeacoffee.com/peatpediaand...
050
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Dr Scott J. Davidson @wetlandresilienceresearchgroup.com · 24/08/2026
2027 Mitacs Globalink internship opportunity with the Wetland Resilience Research Group at UQAM, Montréal: Carbon dynamics, ecosystem function & resilience in Quebec wetlands. Open to international students. English/French. Apply by Sept 16: www.mitacs.ca
mitacs.ca
Mitacs: Talent and Research Powering Innovation - Mitacs
Mitacs drives industry–academic collaboration, deploys skilled talent, and builds innovation capacity in Canada. Discover our impact.
166
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
📢 New on Peatpedia! On the Okefenokee Swamp - a large peat swamp full of alligators in Georgia in the US. Its a good news story! The Okefenokee Swamp was officially named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July, ensuring its protection for years to come. peatpedia.substack.com/p/the-okefen...
021
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
When does a tree on a bog or a fen become a concern? Many peatlands across the boreal are naturally forested or treed. But when a peatland is drained or disturbed a tree springing up in a bog may hinder restoration efforts. Read the full post on Peatpedia: peatpedia.substack.com/p/forested-a...
peatpedia.substack.com
Forested and Treed Northern Peatlands
When does a tree on a bog or fen become a concern?
070
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Great research! A reminder that #wetlands are hydrologically dynamic ecosystems (incl #peatlands) & carbon storage is not static. In some wetlands C stays in the soil for longer (eg peatlands) but in others C cycles through quickly. The rate & balance matter. Important for C accounting & policy.
033
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Writing a piece about apple trees, next to an apple tree! Hoping to catch a #trees whisper of ideas for Botanical Journeys. And yes, I always write ideas, research notes, & even full first drafts in notebooks. Really helps with creative writing. The coffee too. botanicaljourneys.substack.com/about
020
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
What a beautiful tree! That’s it. That’s all that needs to be said really. open.substack.com/pub/botanica... #trees #nature #naturewriting (Photos show American Elm, Silver Maple, Oak, and Hornbeam trees in Canada and the UK - all © Lorna I. Harris)
020
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Lake Louise? Very nice indeed. Stunning mountains. But have you turned around to peer into the alpine forest? Even the very edge of the forest is full of botanical treasures, such as this lovely pink flowering mountain cranberry and juicy red bunchberry. open.substack.com/pub/botanica...
021
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Sphagnum mosses are bog-builders, #lichens are 'bog-killers'. Thick lichen mats cover large areas of northern #peatlands. Apart from being food for caribou, what is their role in peatlands? For more on my research into lichens as 'bog-killers', see Peatpedia: open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
open.substack.com
Lichens - bog-killers?
Investigating the role of lichens on peat growth and decay
0133
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
One from the Peatpedia archives for Canada Day! 🇨🇦 Highlighting key facts about the beautiful #peatlands or #muskeg of Canada: open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi... peatpedia.substack.com 1/11
161
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Tropical #peatlands are ancient and diverse ecosystems. Vast watery peat #swamps dominated by tall palms and hardwood trees, coastal peat-forming #mangroves and marshes, and mountain Sphagnum bogs. 📢My new post on Peatpedia introduces these tropical wetlands. open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
0102
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Julie Talbot @julietalbot.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
I'm looking for a post-doc to work on the interaction between past hydrological changes and vegetation in a disturbed peatland, using paleoecological and modelling approaches. The post-doc duration is 18 months and start date is any time before Jan 2027. DM if you are interested / have questions! 🌿🧪
These are cute drosera plants. They are carnivorous and live in peatlands. The picture shows these red plants that have a rounded  shape and sticky tentacles. They are about 3 cm high.
02730
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Patterned #peatlands are the cathedrals and pyramids of the natural world. Ancient architectural gems that have formed and thrived in vast watery landscapes for many thousands of years without human intervention. See Peatpedia for more: open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
0121
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Happy World Peatlands Day! On June 2 we shine a spotlight on the world’s bogs, fens, and swamps. This is really wonderful, but I think #peatlands deserve more attention! So, I started Peatpedia! Where the spotlight is always on these ancient ecosystems. peatpedia.substack.com #WorldPeatlandsDay
083
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
📢New on Peatpedia! A new series of brief intros to the biodiversity of #peatlands around the world, focusing on the botanical. Starting with two shrubs found in northern peatlands - Bog rosemary and Bog laurel. open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi... #BiodiversityDay #biodiversity #botany #bogs
030
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Day 1 of Canadian Geophysical Union meeting in Halifax, NS complete! I presented initial results of a new study with several co-authors and contributors, showing that ~80% of planned major industry projects across Canada have #peatlands within a 2km buffer. More to come! @cgu-ugc.bsky.social
062
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Where are the world's bogs, fens, and swamps? Are there peatlands still waiting to be mapped within the dense tropical forests of the Amazon and Congo? 🌎 Mapping #peatlands is a global challenge. For more, see my new post on Peatpedia: open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
open.substack.com
Peatland Mapping
The quest to identify and map the world’s bogs, fens, and swamps
071
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
BES Climate Change @besclimate.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
On 8th May, our coffee morning is in collaboration with @bes-peatlandsgroup.bsky.social group! Get excited about learning how peatlands and wetlands are affected and how they can help fight climate change! When and where: 10-11 am GMT 8th May on Zoom Register here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
078
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Water brings #peatlands to life. Water is needed for peat soils to form and build up over time, and to sustain the resulting carbon-rich ecosystems. These large peaty water stores are important for water security and climate resilience, but they are undervalued. open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
0174
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Syd Cannings @sydcannings1.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
As part of the #YukonBiodiversityForum, the Yukon Science Institute is presenting a special lecture by Isla Myers-Smith, 6:30 PM March 27 at the Gold Rush Inn, Town Hall Rm. The Forum itself is all day March 28 at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Ctr. Register (free) at: www.eventbrite.ca/e/2026-yukon...
The Greening of the Yukon: how shrubification is reshaping biodiversity in tundra and boreal forest ecosystems. Prof. Isla Myers-Smith, https://teamshrub.com/
0103
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
While there is room for industrial carbon removal (CDR) and CCS as part of our actions to reduce GHG emissions, we must not forget the importance of maintaining existing land carbon stores and sinks, including #peatlands. #CdnPoli #CarbonCapture #ClimatePolicy open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
041
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Travis Drake @draketw.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
New paper alert! 🚨 Our new study shows that massive lakes in the Congo Basin are outgassing millennial-aged carbon. This challenges the idea that lake CO₂ only comes from modern vegetation. www.nature.com/articles/s41... Thread below! 🧵👇
nature.com
Millennial-aged peat carbon outgassed by large humic lakes in the Congo Basin - Nature Geoscience
Two major humic lakes in the Congo Basin emit ancient carbon from nearby peatlands into the atmosphere, as shown by the isotopic signatures of their carbon pools.
12413
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
📢Feb 2 is #WorldWetlandsDay! A day to celebrate the world's wetlands, including bogs, fens, and swamps. Many Ramsar sites are #peatlands but there are large gaps in global cover. For more on this issue, and on peatlands and @ramsar.org, see my new Peatpedia post: open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
open.substack.com
World Wetlands Day 2026
A call for greater protection and stewardship of the world’s peatlands
0169
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
📢 New on Peatpedia - permafrost #peatlands and climate change. Also, check out the great video in this CBC piece on a new permafrost carbon project led by University of Alberta researchers: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
093
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Good eg of GenAI policy here. I agree! "...expertise lies within people, and that we cannot remove people from the equation without removing the expertise as well. Assuming that we can replace our colleagues with a statistical model trained on their knowledge can never lead to meaningful work."
110
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Disheartening to learn that after 18 years, founder Ken-ichi Ueda has left iNaturalist, citing irreconcilable differences in the direction of the company. kueda.net/blog/2026/01... He has a Patreon while he figures out his next move: www.patreon.com/cw/kueda
kueda.net
Why I Left iNaturalist
After almost 18 years, I left iNaturalist, the product and organization I helped create. I left because I don’t believe the current Leadership team is pointing the product in the right direction, and ...
36644
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Always use the mic at a conference even if you’re loud. People who can’t hear you *can’t hear you * when you ask if you can hear them in the back. Some of us went to one too many hardcore shows in our youth without ear plugs and our hearing ain’t what it used to be 🥺 #SICB2026
40877120
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
You have probably heard that our mossy northern #peatlands are carbon-rich, but did you know they are also berry-rich? I'm exploring the truly scrumptious berry bounty provided by northern peatlands on Peatpedia, including taste tests! First up, #cranberries! open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
081
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Mongabay @mongabay.com · 28/12/2025
Stuart Brooks helped move peatlands from the policy margins to a climate and biodiversity priority. A geographer by training, he built restoration standards, aligned practice with policy at major trusts, and as founder of the IUCN UK Peatland Program shaped protections still guiding work today.
news.mongabay.com
Stuart Brooks, peat protector, has died
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. For much of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, peatlands sat…
24517
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 16/12/2025
As a case led by nine First Nations challenging Ontario’s Bill 5 winds its way through the courts, two grassroots organizers from Attawapiskat want to bring in their perspectives on the Breathing Lands — beyond the Ring of Fire: thenarwhal.ca/bill-5-lawsu...
thenarwhal.ca
Attawapiskat organizers ask to intervene in Bill 5 court challenge | The Narwhal
Founders of Okiniwak Indigenous Youth Movement and Friends of the Attawapiskat River want a say in Ontario court case affecting the Ring of Fire
25024
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Constructive reviews are so important for improving a paper. Rushed reviews that skip over potential issues often result in poorer quality publications, despite the peer review process. Ive been in this situation as author, coauthor & reviewer, wondering whether reviewer 3 even read the paper!
032
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Google suggests the Congo is the world's largest #peatland. This is wrong! For details of the world’s largest peatland complexes, & as a ref for anyone wanting to avoid error-ridden AI search tools, I have manually searched the available literature. See Peatpedia for the results: lnkd.in/gTi32rGX
0113
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Peatland ECR Action Team @peatlandecr.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Are you looking for a peaty Christmas gift🎁? Or do you simply appreciate the beauty of peatlands? #PeatSky Order our 2026 #PEATcalendar, featuring 12 stunning photos of peatland wildlife submitted by the peatland community: tiny.cc/z4tv001 Your purchase will support early career researchers #PeatECR
Discover the wild life of peatlands and support PEAT ECR by ordering our 2026 PEAT calendar https://tiny.cc/z4tv001
245
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
📢New on Peatpedia - introducing the wondrous wildlife of🌎bogs, fens, & swamps! Moose, caribou, bears, frogs, dragonflies, rattlensnakes (yes, rattlesnakes!), and further south, more snakes, & skinks. The biodiversity of global #peatlands is truly astounding. open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
1174
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
This took me back! 📚 I remember photocopying the most relevant journal pages (reduced size, so it cost less! My poor eyes...) so I could go back to my college room to study. Because I didn't want to live in the library. And so I could have a decent cup of tea while reading ☕️ 📚📚📚 Research was slow...
141
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Meg Schmidt 🏳️‍🌈 (they/them) @smilingmegs.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Excited to share the first publication from my PhD work on swamps! We conducted a synoptic study of 12 swamps across southern Ontario looking at carbon pools and fluxes. doi.org/10.19189/001...
doi.org
Quantifying Carbon Pools and Fluxes in Southern Ontario Temperate Swamps | Published in Mires and Peat
By Megan A. Schmidt, Veronica Santia & 3 more. Article 32.31: The North American definition of swamp disregards soil type, meaning some swamps also meet the definition of peatlands. This study investi...
0194
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Dr Emma Shuttleworth @em-shuttleworth.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Peat friends! Our #EGU26 session "Peatland hydrology: From tropical to subarctic latitudes" 🌍🌿💧 is open for abstracts. We welcome studies on a broad range of hydrological processes in peatlands. Submission deadline is Thu 15 Jan, 13:00 CET. Full info here: www.egu26.eu/session/56151
Flyer for Peatland Hydrology session at EGU 2026 concluding QR code to session information
11510
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
HydrologyNL @hydrology.nl · 30/11/2025
Scientists work for free for the publishers. Then this happens: english.elpais.com/science-tech...
english.elpais.com
The fall of a prolific science journal exposes the billion-dollar profits of scientific publishing
One of the 15 publications that put out the most studies globally has been expelled from the indexing system for irregularities. Its publisher, Elsevier, has a 38% profit margin that reached $1.5 bill...
3188
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
📢 Coming to you all a bit later than anticipated - its been a whirlwind of a week! Muskeg and Mines Part 2, focusing on this often asked question: Are there any policies that protect peatlands or at least minimise the impact of these developments on peatlands? open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
open.substack.com
Muskeg and Mines
Part 2 – The policy problem and the opportunity
071
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Tiny but mighty mosses are so often overlooked but they are the reason northern #peatlands store so much carbon and persist as long-term carbon sinks. Peatlands are resilient, but if we don't reduce industrial emissions, they may struggle. Find out more: open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi... #COP30
0319
Reposted by Lorna Harris, PhD
Centre for Cross Border Cooperation @crossborder.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Getting started with Rushes, with Lynda Weekes Identifying rushes, grasses, and sedges The @bsbibotany.bsky.social's Botanical Skills Webinar takes place on Tuesday 11 November from 7pm. @daera-ni.gov.uk has provided funding for the series of free talks. www.tickettailor.com/events/botan...
Photo credit: 'Leafy Rush (Juncus foliosus), Beeston Common, Norfolk', by Mike Ball.
053
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
The dark nights are closing in, thick mists linger, and ghastly ghouls may be hiding in the shadows... or in the swamps. Because in The Witcher and other fantasy books, TV, and film, the monsters are always lurking in the swamps and other #peatlands. open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
open.substack.com
Mysteries of the Mires
Will-o’-the-Wisps and the world of The Witcher
070
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
"There's a polar bear swimming towards us." 🐻‍❄️ Did you know you can find polar bears in the far north of Ontario? Living on the edge of one of the world's largest peatland complexes? More to come in a short series of new Peatpedia posts on Muskeg and Mines. open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
0131
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
New on Peatpedia - an attempt to demystify #peatland carbon stores, sinks, and other gassy issues! open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
open.substack.com
Peatland carbon – the facts
Demystifying peatland carbon stores, carbon sinks, and other gassy issues
0288
Lorna Harris, PhD @lornaharris.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Wondering what to do this weekend? Why not get outside and explore a bog! I highlight a few 'boardwalk bogs' in Canada, the USA, and the UK in a new post on Peatpedia. Feel free to add your favourite boggy boardwalks in the comments on Substack or below! open.substack.com/pub/peatpedi...
open.substack.com
Boardwalk Bogs
Take a wander through the world’s wonderful wetlands
2363