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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟

@sarathornton.bsky.social
3.2K followers 591 following 47 posts

Principal Research Officer @WWT & Trustee @FreshwaterLifeProject | social ecology, political ecology, environmental justice, critical geography | Wetlands, peatlands, fish & fishing livelihoods | jewellery maker 🌿 views my own. 🇫🇮 Living in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
🐟 New post: "On Salmon, Grief and Hope" I just returned from three weeks in Alaska, where I caught my first salmon. I wrote about the grief that I felt as well as my hopes for our river and salmon futures in Europe here: thorntonconservation.com/2026/08/17/o...
thorntonconservation.com
On Salmon, Grief and Hope
Salmon has always been an important cultural food for me, connecting me to my Finnish heritage. As someone who struggles with a sense of belonging, certain foods are a comforting connection to my f…
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
🐟 ECCB 2026 🌿 I'm heading to The Netherlands (Leiden) in July to present at the European Congress of Conservation Biology to present on our research! Interested in biocultural approaches to conservation? Wetlands? Eels? Social science? Would love to see you there and chat! #ECCB2026
Image of presentation with title Learning from wetlands: Boundary beings and biocultural conservation for UK waterscapes
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Petition alert!! 📢 For all those who want thriving rivers and communities in the UK, please sign and share the following petition: Produce a Clean Water Bill for Wales and for Welsh Rivers 🐟 🌿 💚 shorturl.at/xfiYR #savetheriverusk #savethewye #cleanrivers
shorturl.at
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
The Geography department at Leicester, where I got my PhD, is under threat. I'm shocked and angry for my colleagues and sending solidarity to all those in HE facing these horrendous cuts that threaten UK academia. Please consider signing and sharing 🌿
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Convention on Wetlands @ramsar.org · 13/08/2025
The #GlobalWetlandOutlook2025 provides a synthesis of scientific and technical information on: 🔸The extent of wetland loss & degradation. 🔸Costs to society from the loss of wetlands. 🔸The scale of investment required to restore wetlands. www.global-wetland-outlook.ramsar.org #WetlandsWednesday
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Mongabay @mongabay.com · 21/07/2025
A major new report released July 15th warns that wetlands, among the world’s most valuable yet most threatened ecosystems, are vanishing faster than any other natural system. However, it also offers a clear and hopeful road map for reversing the trend.
news.mongabay.com
New global report urges urgent action to save wetlands
A major new report released July 15th warns that wetlands, among the world’s most valuable yet most threatened ecosystems, are vanishing faster than any other natural system. However, it also offers…
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
After three years we have an emergency! We need to sort out a water tank to keep all of the young trees in our wildfire reforestation zone alive over the approaching dry season - we need your help 🙏 If you can, please donate and share: gofund.me/08765a2a
gofund.me
Donate to Emergency water tank for Cyprus wildfire reforestation site, organized by Chris Englezou
Since 2022, the water supply to our wildfire reforestation si… Chris Englezou needs your support for Emergency water tank for Cyprus wildfire reforestation site
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
📢Help Needed!! Freshwater Life Project (of which I'm a trustee for) has been working hard to reforest a hillside and river bank along the upper Amathos River in Arakapas, Cyprus
gofund.me
Donate to Emergency water tank for Cyprus wildfire reforestation site, organized by Chris Englezou
Since 2022, the water supply to our wildfire reforestation si… Chris Englezou needs your support for Emergency water tank for Cyprus wildfire reforestation site
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Zoë Garbett @zoegarbett.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
What does being "proscribed" mean & how will it impact activity related to/supporting Palestine Action? Netpol has produced a guide - headline is any support will be an offence BUT it can't be applied retrospectively. Ban expected from 4 July. netpol.org/2025/06/26/p... 1/3
netpol.org
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Just back from the 1st International Conference on the Cultural Significance of Fish held by the @ifmfish.bsky.social. Two days of great talks showcasing the cultural importance of salmon, eel and many others to communities across the world. Thanks to all the speakers and conference organisers 🐟💚
Image of bag with Cultural Significance of Fish written on itImage of the Maltings, ElyFish artwork by Julia Manning
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
Excited to see our two chapters out in the Routledge Handbook on Cultural Ecosystem Services! Open access too 👇 dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781...
Image of chapter with wetland painting
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Right to Roam @righttoroam.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
WE WON! The Supreme Court has upheld the right to wild camp on Dartmoor. This is a huge win for access to nature. But we're just getting started. It was never just about Dartmoor. We’re fighting to extend the right to roam, swim, and sleep under the stars - across all of England.
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
New fishy 🐟🐟 PhD project available with WWT and Manchester Metropolitan University! Focusing on molecular applications for mapping Malagasy fish distributions, more information available below: lnkd.in/ev8nf6kb
lnkd.in
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
I'm shocked at how often papers I review that present research with human participants have no consideration of research ethics. The majority (!) do not present sufficient information on informed consent or have gone through any form of research ethics approval.
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
So excited for this! I'll be there in June 😍🐟🐟
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
I'm excited to share that our paper "Challenges and opportunities for integrating social science in a conservation nongovernmental organization" is now out in the Conservation Biology Special Issue looking at trends and future directions in the Conservation Social Sciences!
Screenshot of a journal article
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
5 months ago I shared the Lake Sofia appeal for donations (after the lake collapse). Thanks to the hard work of our team in Madagascar, contractors, local communities and all who donated, a dam is almost complete! An essential lifeline for the wildlife&communities: www.wwt.org.uk/news-and-sto...
wwt.org.uk
Promising signs for Malagasy wildlife and communities as Lake Sofia dam almost complete
Thanks to the hard work of our team in Madagascar, the contractors, the local community in Sofia and the thousands of pounds raised by supporters of WWT and Durrell Wildlife ConservationTrust, a cons...
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Jessica Thornton @jessicathornton.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
I turned one of my letterpress/linocut prints from 2019 into an enamel pin, and I’m so excited with how they turned out! Dedicated to all the community organizers, artists, activists and dreamers who make this world a better place 🌱
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Jessica Thornton @jessicathornton.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
✨Migration is Brave and Beautiful✨ I’m choosing to channel my rage and depression into art, so I decided to rework an old concept from 2017.
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
And my awesome bestie Caz is here too!! Give her a follow for all things primate 😍
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
My amazing sister is now on this platform! Give her a follow for beautiful art inspired and advocating for our Circumpolar North 🌿💚
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Having some good discussions at work about authorship, and challenging norms in academic publishing. Are there any examples I can share of articles with non-human first authors (e.g. rivers, lakes)? I've already shared Bawaka Country et al 2015 :)
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Rosaleen Duffy @rosaleenduffy.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
A brilliant new paper on conservation patriarchy - must be widely read: ‘We conclude that patriarchal norms and structures within conservation must be questioned and dismantled to make conservation more effective and just’ www.nature.com/articles/s44...
nature.com
Mapping the patriarchy in conservation - npj Biodiversity
npj Biodiversity - Mapping the patriarchy in conservation
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Kevin Wood @drkevinwood.bsky.social · 05/11/2024
Interested in #wetlands and human culture? In our new paper we report a systematic review of the cultural ecosystem services provided by wetlands. Clear evidence of how much people need wetlands! Delighted to see this huge collaborative effort online: authors.elsevier.com/a/1k0257szSJ... 🌍 🧪 🦤
An infographic illustrating the findings of our new paper on the cultural ecosystem services of wetlands. The infographic features, as the centre, a drawing of a wetland (featuring reeds, water, a small wading bird, and some insects). Arranged around this centre are bubbles that list the percentage of papers that we reviewed that reported information on different types of cultural ecosystem services associated with wetlands. These include categories such as recreation and tourism, inspiration, sense of place, aesthetic value, and bequest.
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Tolmeia Gregory @tolmeia.bsky.social · 09/11/2024
This thread eventually turned into a poster design which I now have available as a Pay What You Want digital download so you can print and display it in organising spaces, community halls, class rooms and offices: www.tolmeiagregory.com/product/clim...
tolmeiagregory.com
Climate Action Roles Poster Download
Available to purchase, an infographic poster depicting climate action roles in movements and social justice organising groups. Perfect for educational use.
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 06/11/2024
Today I can cry, tomorrow I'll continue with hope and so much love 💚
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Emilio M Bruna @brunalab.bsky.social · 22/10/2024
This is a great demonstration of something “everyone knows”…especially in wildlife departments like mine. I mean this as a compliment: this is a cool study, with important implications. The academy tends to value one type of Important Research. conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Role of low‐impact‐factor journals in conservation implementation
Academic review, promotion, and tenure processes place a premium on frequent publication in high-impact factor (IF) journals. However, conservation often relies on species-specific information that i....
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 23/10/2024
Thriving wetlands buffer against flooding. And wet muddy land brings life. Proud to work with WWT and be a part of these solutions 🦆🐟🌊 www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/w...
nytimes.com
A Radical Approach to Flooding in the UK: Give Land Back to the Sea
When a huge tract of land on the Somerset coast was deliberately flooded, the project was slammed as “ridiculous” by a local lawmaker. But the results have been transformative.
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 16/10/2024
Thinking about salmon... A poem&artwork from my twin sister that I keep on my wall. It reminds me to be strong & have ‘sisu’ (a Finnish word for determination, grit, resilience and bravery when faced with adversity). ❤️ For everyone trying to make the world a better place:
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 16/10/2024
Oh how I love salmon. Vital for our ecosystems and cultures all across the global North. I feel comfort knowing they still swim in rivers where I now call home in Wales. But they might not be here for much longer unless we make a stand for salmon and our rivers www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on wild salmon: falling numbers point to a deeper malaise | Editorial
Editorial: These remarkable fish need clean rivers to breed in. Their decline highlights the collapse of environmental regulation
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 23/09/2024
😱What. "I pointed out, if I was a Native American tribal chief, right, my father died, and I was called into the council of elders, it would not be fair to fire me from my job just because I’m playing some traditional cultural role within my community," www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
‘This is our culture’: what Earl of Devon thinks hereditary peers bring to Lords
As Labour looks to stop all dukes and earls sitting in second chamber, Charles Courtenay defends the ‘long view’ they represent
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 11/09/2024
Do you sometimes feel down about the world? Hot tip: sign up for env/social job vacancy lists. Every time you get a new one, remember how many people are working to make this world a better place (and there are SO many more doing amazing unpaid work!!). We are all part of an ecosystem of change 💚
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 10/09/2024
Lake Sofia, where we work in Madagascar, is on the brink of collapse. >10,000 people directly rely on this lake & critically endangered wildlife. We're hoping to raise £50k to support communities to save their lake. Please share our Emergency Appeal: shorturl.at/stk9w
shorturl.at
Lake Sofia emergency appeal
This vital freshwater lake in Madagascar's northwest highlands is drying up.Following catastrophic water loss from storm damage earlier this year, this home and haven for local people and endangered w...
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 21/03/2024
New PhD opportunity with our team @WWTworldwide, @UniOfYork & UHI: “A systems analysis of wetland pressures in the Cambodian Lower Mekong Delta” It would be great to get applications from Cambodian candidates - please circulate widely! www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
A systems analysis of wetland pressures in the Cambodian Lower Mekong Delta at University of York on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - A systems analysis of wetland pressures in the Cambodian Lower Mekong Delta at University of York, listed on FindAPhD.com
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 27/11/2023
The discussions in UK politics about migrants are hurting my heart. Artwork by my sister Jessica Thornton Designs.
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 04/10/2023
Had a great weekend at the Planet Local Summit in Bristol. Hearing about the amazing work around the world trying to change things for the better. It was a much needed pep talk for when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed 💚 A good reminder that there are SO many people working towards better futures!
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 25/09/2023
There's a little creature snoozing under my desk... #HappyMonday
Long haired Dachshund sleeping on a pillow with pawprints
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John Breen @breen.tech · 06/09/2023
Logging back on briefly to basically beg y’all to raise hell and donate to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. Georgia just announced 61 indictments for criminal conspiracy in connection with #StopCopCity. They’re trying to criminalize us all. actionnetwork.org/fundraising/...
actionnetwork.org
Contribute to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund
The Atlanta Solidarity Fund bails out activists who are arrested for participating in social justice movements, and helps them get access to lawyers. Your contribution will go directly to supporting...
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 22/09/2023
For qualitative researchers🧪: I highly recommend, if you ever get asked, to accept being a research participant (incl post-grad projects). Gain experience of what it's like being at the other end of questions. Of the vulnerability of it all: sharing your story with a complete stranger.
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 21/09/2023
This was the lovely view from my office today at WWT Slimbridge 😍 It never gets old! #wetlands
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Dr Sara Thornton 🐟 @sarathornton.bsky.social · 20/09/2023
Spotted in the news WWT colleagues incl @laurabees01.bsky.social 👇 ‘We are living in a soup of DNA’: how new technology is helping track eels in UK ponds theguardian.com/environment/20… #eels #wetlands #eDNA
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Dr Scott J. Davidson @wetlandresilienceresearchgroup.com · 22/08/2023
Follow this if you want to have the peatlands and wetlands tab on your home page
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