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Michael Wilson

@mikewilsonuk.bsky.social
219 followers 218 following 275 posts

Psychologist, writer, #PlaceWriting #NatureConnection #Riverfly Monitoring #Northumberland #Edinburgh. New book on journeying through nature’s year with the Celts, through the lens of #DepthPsychology: linktr.ee/mikewilsonuk

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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Whales (dolphins, porpoises too) are considered royal fish, and the Receiver of Wreck is responsible for administering the Royal Prerogative for Fishes Royal Hopefully we’ll eventually grow up as a species to view these amazing mammals as belonging only to themselves. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
What happens when a whale washes up on a beach?
A pilot whale and a shark recently washed up on the Northumberland coast within days of each other.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
aeon.co/videos/preve...
aeon.co
Preventing the all-consuming sound pollution of modern life starts with listening to nature | Aeon Videos
Preventing the all-consuming sound pollution of modern life starts with listening to nature
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Walking alongside the River Till, Northumberland. #NatureConnection
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Perhaps you know about this? I’ve just listened to Professor Hugh Montgomery OBE talk about the fact that the climate emergency is also a health emergency but that we’re not treating it as one. #NationalEmergencyBriefing www.nebriefing.org/expert-brief...
nebriefing.org
National Emergency Briefing
Climate Change and Human Health | Prof Hugh Montgomery briefs MPs on health risks, resilience and the climate emergency at the National Emergency Briefing
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
www.independent.co.uk/arts-enterta...
independent.co.uk
Ian McEwan to release first major nonfiction collection ‘Between Books’ next spring
Acclaimed author has compiled his occasional nonfiction into a full-length book
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Two books nonfiction on my list: Nicholas Boggs’ Baldwin: A Love Story, and Andrea Wulf’s The Traveller. That’s when I’ve finished reading Bill McGuire’s The Fate of the World, and Luke Barley’s Wainwright Prize 2026 winner Ancient. www.thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk/year-by-year...
thebailliegiffordprize.co.uk
2026 The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
The Baillie Gifford Prize rewards excellence in non-fiction writing, bringing the best in intelligent reflection on the world to new readers.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Weekly reflections and practices. #NatureConnection #DepthPsychology #CelticMythology #WheelOfTheYear #PersonalDevelopment Available: linktr.ee/mikewilsonuk
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
#Riverflies are ‘canaries of the river’. Monitoring #Riverfly populations is a great way to evaluate river health. Completed my training with the Tweed Foundation. My journey began when listening to Robert Macfarlane talk about his book, ‘Is A River Alive’, last August. @riverflies.bsky.social
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
#AirPollution linked to higher suicide risk report finds. When we harm the environment, #MentalHealth and #wellbeing suffers too; the reverse is also true. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Air pollution linked to higher suicide risk, international research suggests
Analysis of 29 studies highlights potentially heightened danger from small particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Lewes Town Council, East Sussex, becomes the first council in the UK to bestow rights to #trees, including hedgerows and forests: www.sussexexpress.co.uk/your-world/l...
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
www.bradshawfoundation.com/british_isle...
bradshawfoundation.com
The Rock Art of Northumberland
Recording the prehistoric open-air rock art carvings in Northumberland, the northernmost county of England.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Great walk on Bewick Moor, Northumberland, today. Great views too, incl. the once straight but now rewilded meandering River Till glinting in the distance; using old maps, this river now flows freely. Visited big stone where cup-and-ring marking were first discovered. The joy of walking.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Red Admiral butterfly. #butterflies.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
El Niño goes viral — and scientists learn what makes people care about the climate
Evoking emotions is more likely to prompt people to engage with climate efforts than are data alone.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Horatio Clare’s ‘We Came By Sea’ is a compelling, immersive, and often lyric account of people who risk their lives for a hoped for better life, and those who help them. Wonderful writing. Details: horatioclarewriter.com
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
#AI #OpenAI #Anthropic #Claude #BBCNews youtube.com/watch?v=nstT...
youtube.com
Anthropic insider warns AI could ‘kill all humans’. Should we be scared? | BBC News
YouTube video by BBC News
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Speckled Wood #butterflies. Details: www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-exp...
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
‘The vast glacial bowl of 7,500-acre Emblehope Moor has been bought for £8.5m by Restore, a nature restoration company that works with landowners across Britain.’ #Northumberland www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘Britain’s Yellowstone’: restoration project aims to take the greed out of land acquisition
Investors in Emblehope Moor will get their financial returns – and then it will be given to community or charity owners
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The Wainwright Prizes (TWP): right now I’m enjoying Ancient and The Genius of Trees, and The Return of the Oystercatcher is on its way. The joy of reading nature writing. TWP website: wainwrightprize.com/shortlist-20...
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Pub. in 1993, this book urges us to think about community first, not ourselves, as the root of our *problems*. Thinking about this, I know the #ClimateCrisis and Govt’s failure to act are the cause of my stress, and perhaps yours too. ‘We’re living in an avalanche’ the book says, and it’s true.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
#WendellBerry, US author, farmer and environmentalist, dies aged 92.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
1 September, it’s meteorological #autumn. Walking alongside the River Till, Northumberland.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Heatwaves show UK must do more to promote cycling and walking, campaigners say
Civil society groups argue climate crisis means transport sector needs to urgently reduce its carbon emissions
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
#Sewage dumped continuously into the River Tweed at Berwick for more than 14 hours by #NorthumbrianWater. Effluent spill flowing alongside King Charles III Coastal Path and in the direction of Spittal bathing beach. #Pollution
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Norham Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) training session. #Riverflies #Norham #Northumberland #RiverTweed www.eventbrite.com/e/norham-riv...
eventbrite.com
Norham Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) training session
Riverfly theory and practical training session for people who want to become a riverfly monitor in the River Tweed or Eye Water catchments
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
#Wildfires: when is the UK Govt. going to act on #ClimateBreakdown? There’s no mention in this Severe Alert about risk to wildlife in a #BiodiversityCrisis either.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Waverley Station, Edinburgh, not only reminds me of journeys to/from work for years, but of the 100s of scientific articles & science informed books on #ClimateCrisis #NatureCrisis #NatureConnection #EnvironmentalPsychology I’ve read on trains, to open my eyes to the facts and motivate me to action.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Informative and inspiring meetings today with biologist, anglers, boatsmen/gillies, and landowner, in anticipation of #riverfly monitoring training to measure health of the rivers Tweed, Till, and others. Wellbeing benefits of time in/with nature was a bonus. #Riverflies #NatureConnection
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
On my way to meet someone to talk about #Riverflies in the River Tweed, but not before looking at the illegal #sewage dumping from Scottish Water into the River.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
‘Scientists say global blazes account for 10% of UK’s particle pollution – and climate crisis could make the problem worse.’ Experts say we ought to anticipate what’s to come and go beyond current emission reduction goals. #ButterflyEffect #AirPollution www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Why Britain is breathing the world’s wildfire smoke
Scientists say global blazes account for 10% of UK’s particle pollution – and climate crisis could make the problem worse
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Morning walk #BerwickUponTweed, #Northumberland.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
#AirPollution #NoisePollution #ChemicalPollution causes #MentalHealth issues. Yet we’re exposed to these forms of pollution everyday, then treat the person as if the causative factors for ‘issues’ lie only, or even entirely, within her/him. www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/...
eea.europa.eu
Exposure to pollution linked to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues
Reducing pollution, in line with the EU Zero Pollution action plan, could improve mental health across Europe, according to an EEA briefing published today. The publication covers the links between ai...
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Anyone able to identify this moth species? #moths
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
#Lammas, #Northumberland.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Measures to tackle pollution spillage of millions of tiny plastic pellets into the River Tyne, Northumberland, were not deployed until several days after the event. Delay was why wildfire in the Cairngorms spread so far, too. Delays, delays, delays.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Why grown‑ups still need fairy tales. #mythology #folklore #fairytales theconversation.com/friday-essay...
theconversation.com
Friday essay: why grown-ups still need fairy tales
Fairy tales can be brutal, violent, sexual and laden with taboo. But they are are excellent narratives with which to think through a range of human experiences: from disappointment, and fear to envy a...
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
#Trees: review of more than 30 studies found that mental health and wellbeing benefits from time in forests, regardless of whether coniferous or deciduous. Wildlife biodiversity increases restorativeness, too.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Wildfires: with carbon and air pollution levels rising, even trees struggle to absorb toxins from the air; they cough instead of breathe. Image: Loch Morlich, Cairngorms. #trees #wildfires
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Join my Connect With Nature, Write With Nature day in Northumberland on Saturday 1 August. www.michaelwilson.uk.com/connect-with...
michaelwilson.uk.com
Connect with nature, write with nature
'Connect with nature, write with nature' combines nature connection, writing, and reflecting on your experience in a facilitated group.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
It was a privilege to release a hand-raised Mistle Thrush into the garden few weeks ago. Today s/he returned with two juveniles. Flew right up to me then away. Populations have declined by 52% since 1967 and are now on the Red List. Image: RSPB
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
‘The heatwave that affected England and Wales in June killed about 440 people a day during its three-day peak, scientists have estimated. Across the whole of the June heatwave, plus the one in May, about 2,700 people lost their lives prematurely.’ www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
June heatwave killed up to 440 people a day in England and Wales, data suggests
Extreme temperatures in May and June led to about 2,700 lost lives in total with climate crisis adding 3C to 4C
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
What species of caterpillar is this on the oak tree? Oak Processionary Moth (OPM), Winter Moth, or Green Oak Tortrix? #moths
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
#ClimateCrisis and #BiodiversityCrisis is pushing the #dotterel (Montane Dottere) to brink of extinction in UK as numbers fall by 89%. news.sky.com/story/mounta...
news.sky.com
Mountain-breeding dotterels could be first UK bird lost to climate change, RSPB warns as population falls 89%
"Dotterel are in steep decline, and we are seeing them disappearing before our very eyes," the RSPB's Dr Leah Kelly said as a survey showed the dotterel's remaining numbers are restricted to the easte...
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
‘The pesticide, Cruiser SB, contains the active ingredient thiamethoxam. One teaspoon of this is enough to kill 1.25bn honeybees, according to Prof Dave Goulson, a bee expert at the University of Sussex.’ #BanPesticides #BiodiversityCrisis www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Defra breached law when it let farmers use bee-killing pesticide, watchdog says
Office for Environmental Protection finds failures by department when it granted emergency authorisation in 2023 and 2024
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
In the last 50 years, Britain has lost an astonishing 73 million wild birds from its landscape, according to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). This is mainly due to habitat loss in one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Listen to Britain’s dawn chorus of 1976: the dramatic loss of birdsong in 50 years
Guardian recreates audio landscape of past filled by loud morning symphony before 73m wild birds were lost
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Tansy Davies: ‘earthworks speak in patterns, grooves and long striated lines’: www.theguardian.com/music/2026/j... These words are reminiscent of my essay ‘Voices of the Earth’: michaelwilson.uk.com/voices-of-the-Earth Earthworks is like listening to the Earth sing: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
theguardian.com
Aldeburgh festival roundup – Tansy Davies and Freya Waley-Cohen premieres, plus blistering Shostakovich
The second weekend boasted brand new music by Davies and Waley-Cohen, the premiere of Alex Ho and Rockey Sun Keting’s Chronicle, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with Kevin Edusei on exhilarati...
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Delightful #NatureConnection #SummerSolstice reflection day at Routin Linn, #Northumberland.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Our impact on #trees: “footsteps are blamed for trampling the 1,000-year-old oak to the verge of death, by compressing the ground above its roots and robbing it of water and oxygen.” Also, the ancient Fortingall yew tree is dying because of relic seekers. #trees www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Major Oak: Ancient 'Robin Hood' tree is dead, experts say
The Major Oak is thought to have stood for more than 1,000 years in the heart of Nottinghamshire's Sherwood Forest.
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Michael Wilson @mikewilsonuk.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
It’s great to see restoration will begin of River Breamish, who becomes River Till at Bewick Bridge nr. Wooler, #Northumberland, to return rivers to their natural flow after centuries of straightening. #RiverTill flows into the #RiverTweed. #rivers #biodiversity www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
August date for restoration of River Breamish natural course
A section of the River Breamish is to have the structures which have confined it removed.
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Reposted by Michael Wilson
The Great Simplification @tgspodcast.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
The desolation of foundational, life-supporting ecosystems has resulted in our planet now operating at roughly half its biological productive capacity.
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