Sign in

Dr. Sara L Middleton

@saralilplants.bsky.social
3.6K followers 764 following 278 posts

Open Science educator 📚| PhD in plant trait ecology @ Oxford Uni 🌱 | Editorial Board @plantperspectives.bsky.social 🌿 | Founder & Filmmaker 🎥 | 💚 Fabaceae, Crinoids, Outreach, Slow Scholarship | AuDHD | She/her. Own views saralilmiddleton.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 10h
Sea rocket out in abundance in Berwick-upon-Tweed 💜 #WildflowerHour
Close up of a sea rocket flower.A large patch of sea rocket in flower.
0232
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
GHOULology Johnson @geologyjohnson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Got this close to a #seal today. The seals in #Eyemouth have a good thing going on getting fed by the locals (proper seal food) and chilling in the harbour. I too am round, long, and highly buoyant so maybe I should have been a seal? #Scotland
042
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Devil's-bit scabious spotted on an extremely steep slope at Siccar Point on the east coast of Scotland. #WildflowerHour
Two devil's-bit scabious flowers on a steep sided grassy slope by the sea at Siccar Point. There is a blurry outline of a hiker in the distance.
0112
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
GHOULology Johnson @geologyjohnson.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Quoting another visitor to the site. "This is the best unconformity I've ever seen." Quite a moving experience tbh. I've seen physically and temporally bigger unconformities, but there's something about this one that sets it apart. Photo by @saralilplants.bsky.social #Geology
Photo of a man with a green back pack stood on pale brown red rocks looking at cliff of vertical grey rocks that are covered by sub-horizontal layers of red rocks and green grass. There is blue sky With white clouds in back ground.
3626
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"We're going to need a bigger plate" @geologyjohnson.bsky.social made an absolute unit of a Yorkshire pudding this eve with limited kitchen equipment in a little Scottish fishing cottage we are staying in 😍
A man looking in amazement at his creation of an absolute unit of a Yorkshire pudding probably 25 to 30 cm in diameter. A massive Yorkshire pudding on a stove top around 25 to 30 cm in diameter with a hand for scale.A very large Yorkshire pudding with thick crispy high sides around 25 to 30cm in diameter.
1240
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
LMU Open Science Center @lmu-osc.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The Open Science Summer School 2026 is complete! Explore what we covered- Open Science track 1 training materials, including public lectures: osf.io/s9epn/overview, instructor training resources: osf.io/ay8qk/overview, & our self-paced tutorials: www.osc.lmu.de/training/sel.... OSSS26 highlights ⬇️
A group of Open Science Summer School participants and instructors standing together at the front of a classroom, with remote participants joining via video call projected on the wall behind them.A group of Open Science Summer School participants and instructors standing together at the front of a classroom, with remote participants joining via video call projected on the wall behind them.
1104
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I signed the Diamond Reviewer Pledge: I commit to reviewing at least one article in the next 12 months for a diamond open access journal. Free to read, free to publish, scholar-led. Join us: forrt.org/diamond-revi...
forrt.org
Diamond Reviewer Pledge
Signatories of the Diamond Reviewer Pledge commit to reviewing at least one article in the next 12 months for a diamond open access journal.
050
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Seems appropriate to wear the nerdiest shirt I own for star trek day today 😂
A Black woman smiling wearing a blue star trek cat t-shirt and doing a Vulcan solute.
080
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
GHOULology Johnson @geologyjohnson.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Basically me and a bunch of other working class people I know. Just swap out arts for science as applicable. Thing is, we get told those careers are not for us from a young age. A wee lassie, in her early teens, on the beach the other day was stunned that the interesting rock she thought was a...
15519
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Brian J. Enquist @bjenquist.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Thrilled to announce that my department - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology - at the U of Arizona will likely be hiring for a tenure-track position in "Population and Community Ecology" this fall. Watch this space for more details and official announcements coming soon ... #Ecology #EcologyJobs 🌐🌾🧪
011899
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
OpenAIRE @openaire.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Skills are key to making Open Science a reality 🎓 📊 55% of EU countries support training and skills development in Open Science. EOSC Track tracks how Europe is building capacity for the next generation of researchers. 👉 Explore training & skills data: www.eoscobservatory.eu/explore/open...
Open science training in Europe – national policies on our science skills/training
021
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Excited to be at the Beth Chatto symposium later this week on a panel discussing plant and ecosystem responses to climate change! 🌱🌡️ www.bethchatto.co.uk/symposium/sy...
A poster for the Beth Chatto Symposium: Connections through time. The centre of the image shows an hourglass filled with various plants held by two different hands top and bottom. This gives the effect that the bottom hand is passing on the hourglass, like a baton to the other hand on top.
110
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Front row seats for climate breakdown: Lush green parks now turning to dust, leaves and limbs scattered as trees ditch body parts to try and survive the tsunamis of heat. Sad scenes in Hyde park, London the other week.
Two green and white striped deck chairs placed next to each other with a view of the impact of climate breakdown on Hyde park - dry/dead grass with patches of bare ground and dust. Sandwiched between the beige carpet and brilliant blue sky, is a thin line of dark leafy green trees.
180
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Yeah honestly it's been a week as a Black Autistic ADHDer in academia. A bunch of us in the neurodiversity community literally wrote a paper on myths surrounding neurodivergent conditions, the harms they cause and ways to counteract them. 👇🏽 osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io
OSF
210226
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Some pics for world photography day that were a joy to capture. #WorldPhotographyDay #NaturePhotography
Large smoothed rocks covered in sea weed glimmering in the sunset glow at the beach off the Pembrokeshire coast.Sunrise on a sandy beach in Ostende with a group of seals resting at the water's edge. A close up of a bee napping on a purple toadflax flower.
0141
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Deeply sad news about Jason Arday. Thoughts are with his family and friends in such a difficult time. Please also check in on your Black academic colleagues, especially Black autistic peeps. We are not ok 💔
1204
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Amanda Kay Montoya @akmontoya.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
COS is making some big changes to projects. If you regularly use OSF this will impact your workflow. Our lab will be migrating data and file hosting to other places, but still use OSF for prereg and preprints. Happy to chat with people about how you’ll approach the transition!
2316
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
One of most heartbreaking things about Hank Green turning to LLMs is that he gets to do science communication full-time to a massive audience and is well-resourced. He doesn't need to cut corners or outsource his thinking. Meanwhile, there are so many people doing amazing work with zero resources.
201899348
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Briony Latter @brionylatter.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
⭐ New paper in @natclimate.nature.com: Social influence shapes climate attitudes and action ⭐ Excited to share this from @samhampton.bsky.social, me & @lwhitmarsh.bsky.social, bringing together evidence on how influence operates in the context of climate action. www.nature.com/articles/s41... 1/
nature.com
Social influence shapes climate attitudes and action - Nature Climate Change
Individuals and groups shape others’ attitudes and actions through social influence. This Perspective articulates a research agenda of social influence for climate action, synthesizes existing evidenc...
34528
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
An island of yarrow in a sea of beige. Botanising is usually joyful. Increasingly my plant walks are 💔seeing the impact of heatwaves + drought. I know plants are resilient (my PhD research was on droughts in grasslands), but I still spiral thinking about wider consequences for ecosystem + humanity.
A close up of a small clump of yarrow flowering in a sea of beige (my local green space).
1110
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Brooke Fitzwater, PhD (she/her) 🐟🪱🏳️‍🌈♾️ @oceanfilly.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I am beyond excited to share that our paper, "Neurodivergent Perceptions, Experiences, and Perspectives in Academic Biological Sciences Spaces" has been published! A 🧵incoming because this paper is so special to me and the co-authors. doi.org/10.1093/icb/...
doi.org
Neurodivergent Perceptions, Experiences, and Perspectives in Academic Biological Sciences Spaces
Abstract. Neurodiversity has received considerable attention recently from the general population and academic researchers, coinciding with an increase in
517861
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
💔 futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com
AI Companies Are Buying Antique Books, Ingesting Their Contents to Train Models, and Then Destroying Them at Incredible Scale, Even If Almost No Copies Remain
AI companies are quietly obtaining rare books, ingesting their contents, and then destroying them -- even if they're exceedingly rare.
240
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Dr Madeleine Pownall @maddipow.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
New paper! Values such as openness, transparency, collaboration, clarity about conflict of interests have been promoted by women for *decades*, and now we have reframed this around the branding of 'open science' that we start to take them seriously. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Women as the First Open Scientists: Five Stories of the Neglected Contributions of Women in (Social) Science Reform History - Madeleine Pownall, 2026
Recent years have seen growing emphasis on “Open Science,” a movement to enhance research transparency, robustness, and accountability. Prompted by concerns ove...
311762
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
It seems this "AI companion" tool is a thing across Wiley journals? 🫠 www.researchinformation.info/news/wiley-l...
researchinformation.info
Wiley launches Atypon AI Suite to enhance research discovery - Research Information
Suite "makes it easier to explore and engage with academic content while respecting principles, precision, and rigour"
130
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
This "AI companion" is following me as I read. Distracting & stalker behaviour. Semi-unstructured thoughts: these tools supposedly save time: What's the cost? Why does everything need to be fast? What about the potential human & knowledge connections lost? Impact on student critical reading skills?
Screenshot of journal article showing the introduction heading and an AI pop up which reads: have questions about this content? Try AI Companion.AI Companion tool that accompanies the journal article. Text reads: Ask a question or select one of the suggested questions to initiate a conversation. Answers come only from this content. Try asking" summarize this article for me. What are the key points in this article and their implications? What methods were used in this study?" AI responses are for educational purposes only and may not always be accurate. This tool is in beta. The AI works only with the text of this article and cannot assess findings against broader research or evaluate scientific validity. Always verify within the article.
11242
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Sea campion dancing in the breeze off the Pembrokeshire coast. #WildflowerHour
A dense bunch of sea campion by the coast in Pembrokeshire. You can see the cliffs in the distance..
1617
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
A little bunch of thrift on the Pembrokeshire coast 💜 #WildflowerHour
Bunch of thrift in flower with a view of the beach off the Pembrokeshire coast at sunset.
0221
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Question for marine biology peeps: I've seen so many jellies washed up on the beach on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales! 🪼 Is this random? Is it marine heatwave related? Something else? 🧪
Close up side view of a beached jellyfish next to algae at sunset on the  Pembrokeshire coast. View from above of a beaches jellyfish the size of a dinner plate with my feet for scale.
095
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Alexander Wuttke @kunkakom.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Genuinely interested in your views: What is the future of teaching statistical programming language for data science in the age of AI? Will we even still teach programming R or Python?
154719
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 04/07/2026
> We seek contributions that address science-related struggles in areas such as anti-imperialism, anti-militarism, Indigenous resistance, climate justice, racial justice, reproductive justice, disability justice, animal rights, food sovereignty, data sovereignty, and right-to-repair.
magazine.scienceforthepeople.org
Call for Proposals: Science on the Ground: Vol 28, no 1 • SftP
Call for contributions to our next issue. Pitches accepted until July 31, 2026.
03524
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Bindweed clambering over nettles. #WildflowerHour #ClimbingPlants
Side view of a bindweed in flower clambering over nettles..Close up view from above of a bindweed in flower in a woodland understory.
0232
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Had a right gigull the other evening with @geologyjohnson.bsky.social 😂
A man wearing sunglasses and a red t-shirt showing a photo of a seagull on his phone while the same seagull is perched on the balcony railings. A man wearing a red t-shirt and sunglasses seated on a balcony looking into the distance holding his phone and a pair of socks. There is a seagull perched on the balcony railings about a meter away.A woman wearing a black top sitting on a balcony with a view of the sunset pulling a funny face next to a seagull perched on the balcony railings a meter away.
071
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Ecological Continuity Trust (ECT) @ect-uk.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
In January 2025, @saralilplants.bsky.social from @ox.ac.uk spoke about the first 8 years of RainDrop; a #ClimateChange #LTE at our lunchtime bi-monthly #webinar. Watch it on YouTube bit.ly/4cXntw6 🌏
bit.ly
RainDrop: Plant Life Stories From the First 8 Years - Sara Middleton | ECT Webinar
Sara Middleton from the University of Oxford spoke at ECT's two-monthly webinar held on 31 January 2025 about the first 8 years of results emerging from the RainDrop long-term drought and enhanced rainfall experiment. This long-term experiment was set up at Upper Seeds in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire in 2016, and the ECT played a significant role in its creation. For more on RainDrop see https://www.ecologicalcontinuitytrust.org/raindrop The ECT hosts lunchtime webinars every 2 months on ecological topics on key issues surrounding long-term experiments which features speakers from various organisations, including partners and stakeholders. For more information and how to register for our webinars see https://www.ecologicalcontinuitytrust.org/webinars #Webinar #Grassland #ClimateChange #Ecology #Environment #UniversityOfOxford --------------------------------------------------------- We are a unique charity dedicated to preserving the national resource of long-term ecological field experiments (LTEs) across the UK by supporting those who collect scientific data. We use ecological evidence for action by harnessing this data for evidence-based policymaking, sustainable land use and education. What we do: - Provide financial, advocacy and management support to scientists and landowners for long-term experiments - Support scientists and landowners for the development of new experiments - Share the knowledge and outcomes gained through research with Government, other end users and wider society. LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecological-continuity-trust X: https://twitter.com/ect_uk Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ecologicalcontinuitytrust Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecologicalcontinuitytrust/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ect-uk.bsky.social Website: https://www.ecologicalcontinuitytrust.org/ We receive core funding from the British Ecological Society. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.ecologicalcontinuitytrust.org/news Support us: Help us continue our work to secure long-term experiments https://www.ecologicalcontinuitytrust.org/donate
012
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Orchids with a view! Found a big bunch of orchids growing on the edge of the cliff around Whitby. Couldn't get close enough to ID. #WildflowerHour
Bunch of orchids growing on the edge of the cliff with a view of Whitby pier and long bite.
1201
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Spiny restharrow spotted in abundance at the beach around Whitby 💜 #WildflowerHour
Spiny restharrow on a grassy verge at the beach.
2485
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Moira O'Donnell @naturelark.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Please consider signing this petition to save the Botanic Gardens in Dundee, my home town. The gardens are a place of learning, solace and inspiration, and are cherished by both Dundonians and visitors to the city. Its closure would be a terrible loss. c.org/syGLMR2NQL
c.org
Sign the Petition
Save Dundee Botanic Gardens and cafe
136939
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Hello media people there is a whole library of images you can use to report on the current heatwave instead of melting ice creams and deck chairs. See Climate Visuals: climateoutreach.org/what-we-do/c...
climateoutreach.org
Climate Visuals - Climate Outreach
We're looking for new & exciting opportunities to partner, consult & further our goal of improving climate change imagery, get in touch here
22917
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
A lovely kidney vetch spotted on my walk today 💛 #WildflowerHour
Close up of a flowering kidney vetch.
0201
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
My fellow educators please read and sit with this thread on student perspectives on AI use in education. In my training workshops, I start with setting out the ethos, including use of AI (citing @olivia.science et al.'s "Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI'..." paper.👇🏽 zenodo.org/records/2008...
Screenshot of a slide outlining the workshop ethos covering four points with their corresponding icons. Text reads: We share the responsibility of making this a welcoming workshop (next to an orange open hand and heart icon).“Open Science Buffet” by Bergmann, 2023 (next to a green food menu icon). Mindful use of generative AI by Guest et al. 2026 (a blue network icon). ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’ by Maya Angelou (next to a purple flower icon).
1298
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Wellcome Trust @wellcometrust.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
If you’re a researcher of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK, our Accelerator Awards might be for you. It offers flexible grants for research or research-adjacent activities, such as training, secondments and networking. (1/2)
Dorothy Chisare, Equitable Funding Specialist at Wellcome, says: "Our Accelerator Awards continue to create opportunities and break down systemic barriers, supporting underrepresented researchers to take the next step in their careers."
22833
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Dr Jill Whitelock @jillwhitelock.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
White clover on the lawn. #WildflowerHour
Close-up of a White clover against a blurred green background.
717320
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Plants always find a way... Garlic mustard growing out from a bus stop seat. #WildflowerHour
Garlic mustard growing out from behind a bus stop seat.
1809
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Self-heal on a grassy verge 💜 #WildflowerHour
Close up of a short self-heal flowering on a grassy verge.
071
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Plant species of the week for me was lady's bedstraw which I found a few popping up in the cemetery and also in a nearby meadow near some inquisitive horses. #ChurchyardFlowers #WildflowerHour
Close up of lady's bedstraw flowering in a churchyard. Close up on a patch of lady's bedstraw on the edge of a meadow with two horses behind a wooden fence in the background.
0455
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Oh my what a delightful crinoid fossil 🤩
030
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Michael Okun @michael-okun.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
I’ve officially resigned as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience. It used to be a reputable journal, but became a case study in how forced automation destroys academic integrity. 👇
5435871430
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Three weeks left to apply to our postdoc position on alpine plant resilience! Us: Three years of funding, an awesome collaborative team, a gorgeous study system, blueberry pie, unionized postdocs. You: A PhD and experience in ancient DNA, paleoecology, and/or plant genetics and genomics.
fa-ewca-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com
Postdoctoral Research Associate
The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the stat...
15550
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Yorkshire fog coming into flower in the garden after #NoMowMay, with other grasses (perennial rye grass, cock's-foot) about to/or in bloom too 💚 #LawnFlowers #WildflowerHour
Close up of the grass Yorkshire fog. Two grasses flowering in a garden: perennial rye grass and Yorkshire fog.
0193
Dr. Sara L Middleton @saralilplants.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
I know garden snails get a lot of hate, but they are actually kinda rad 🐌 They are part of a clean-up crew, munching their way through rotting plants with their scrapy "tongues" (radula) and recycling nutrients back into the soil ♻️ Also they have blue "blood" (hemolymph) 💧
A close up photo of a snail from a behind side view. The focal point of the photo is the whorl on the snail's shell.
081
Reposted by Dr. Sara L Middleton
GHOULology Johnson @geologyjohnson.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Day one of the #Redcar #fossil event was excellent. Spoke to hundreds of people, at least. Got to show all those people very old mud and tiny dead things, and some younger mud and dead things from Redcars #Jurassic rocks #geology #paleontology
Table holding various rocks and microscope slides. Microscope screen showing a star shaped fossil crinoid ossicle. Photo of a red and brown folded layered  stromatolite fossil. Photo of a hand holding a yellow and red rock with thin wrinkled black microbial mats.
2508