Sarah Arnold

kentfieldclub.org.ukThe Kent Wildlife Conference - Kent Field Club| KFC

Still time to book for Kent Wildlife Conference, just a couple of weeks away. Which I typoed in the last post - it's the 24th October (a Saturday).

Sarah Arnold@sejarnold.bsky.social

Kent Wildlife Conference: 25th October 2026 Uni. of Kent/Darwin Conference Suite £22 (£15 students) incl. refreshments/lunch Theme: biological recording & its importance. @graemelyons.bsky.social speaking on pan-species listing! #KentNature #NaturalHistory www.kentfieldclub.org.uk/programme/up...

Sarah Arnold reposted

Nash Turley

@nashturley.bsky.social

We got a new paper showing that squash and pumpkin flowers change with domestication and also that variation in flower traits impact visits from bumble bees link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Today we have @kentfieldclub.bsky.social Kent Wildlife Conference, with some great talks lined up on biological recording. Looking forward to it!

Proposal that we revive use of this alternative, local common name for annual mercury. #FloraOfKent

theguardian.comHoneybees are barging aside wild pollinators in hunt for pollen and nectar, study findsAs a surge in beekeepers has lead to increased numbers of honeybees, researchers record them pushing bumblebees and other rival species away from flowers

Useful bit of work here - definitely accords with my observations, especially during hot, dry summers, where you can actually see honeybees dominating the remaining resource in areas with high hive density. I've had conversations with beekeepers about this, but haven't really seen a practice change.

Guardian Environment@environment.theguardian.com

Honeybees are barging aside wild pollinators in hunt for pollen and nectar, study finds

Sarah Arnold reposted

The Orchard Project

@theorchardproject.bsky.social

Have you noticed lots of apple varieties with a 'Merton' prefix?🍎 Merton varieties were all developed in Merton Park at the John Innes Horticultural Institution over 100 yrs ago. Popular apples were crossed, creating new cultivars for a particular flavour, look, texture or disease resistance.

Or niche ecological inaccuracy: "Why is there a north American bumblebee species visiting that foxglove in what is meant to be 16th century Scotland?" "Why are there sycamores in that woodland when it's meant to be 12th century England?"

This post is unavailable.

@americanbeetles.bsky.social

I did once read a novel that mentioned the sound of crepuscular crickets in rural Ireland, where there could not reasonably have been any cricket species that made human-audible sounds.

Sarah Arnold reposted

Ainsley S

Today in the carabid section, a question we all must ask

Sarah Arnold reposted

Alejandro Ordonez

@anordonez1.bsky.social

"🌿 We're hiring at @econovoau.bsky.social! Postdoc position forecasting how land-use change, climate shifts & rewilding will reshape European plant diversity. Biodiversa+ REDESIGN project, Aarhus Uni. 2 years. Closes 1 Nov 2026. 🔗 www.au.dk/om/stillinge... #ecology #postdoc

au.dkPostdoctoral researcher in biodiversity forecasting, vegetation dynamics and rewilding - Ledig stilling på Aarhus UniversitetLedig stilling ved Institut for Biologi - Økoinformatik og biodiversitet, Aarhus Universitet

Sarah Arnold reposted

Robin Hayward 🌳 🏳️‍⚧️

@canopyrobin.com

We're publishing new guidance to support trans people who do fieldwork (any work outside the office)! Now we need your help to get them seen so please share! inclusivefieldwork.leeds.ac.uk/trans/

Sarah Arnold reposted

Robin Hayward 🌳 🏳️‍⚧️

@canopyrobin.com

Replying to @canopyrobin.com

If you want a six minute summary of how to support trans+ fieldworkers, then why not check out this video we made (voiced by the incredible @izzyvalkyrie.bsky.social)?

kentfieldclub.org.ukThe Kent Wildlife Conference - Kent Field Club| KFC

17 Sept

@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

17 Sept

These tend to be nice, interesting days with a range of speakers on topics around natural history, biological recording, conservation and ecology, relevant to Kent and beyond. Same venue as last year, which worked well. Some free student places available!

Sarah Arnold reposted

Margot Finn

10 Sept

McDonald said. “I’ve long seen grant awarding competitions as essentially a value-destroying activity…There is a trade-off between efficient public spending, research quality and time at the bench.”

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social

Chris McDonald: funding system ‘destroying’ value of research. New science minister wants fewer, longer-term grants and a “smoother and simpler system”, he tells Universities UK conference. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

researchprofessionalnews.comChris McDonald: funding system ‘destroying’ value of research - Research Professional NewsNew science minister wants fewer, longer-term grants and a “smoother and simpler system”

hutton.current-vacancies.comResearch Scientist – Plant Pathology - DundeeMain Purpose of Job We are seeking a highly motivated researcher with a PhD and expertise in plant pathology to join our group working on epidemiology, disease control and IPM. The focus of the role...

9 Sept

Exciting discussion of all things Apple-related. Popular topics at the moment seem to be fruit breeding, cider-making, variety preferences, social aspects. Looking forward to more chatter on entomology and integrated pest management obviously! Thoroughly support more #FruitSky

Bluesky@bsky.app

Welcome to the ONLY event about Apple happening today, as far as we know. We'll be running this as an AMAAA (Ask Me Anything About Apples). Ask your biggest Apple questions in the replies to this post and one of our Apple Geniuses will be with you shortly. 🍎

Sarah Arnold reposted

Sophien Kamoun

@kamounlab.bsky.social

8 Sept

A plant pathologist at Hutton in Dundee, Scotland #scijobs hutton.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/...

3 Sept

The absolute JOY and EXCITEMENT I feel at Gerben Messelink discussing the potential of my favourite micro-ladybird Scymnus interruptus in greenhouse biocontrol. I might get to hang with this wonderful creature professionally and research it. So awesome. #IOBC-WRPS #BiologicalControl

3 Sept

Technology coming through in several countries to detect crop pests and zap them individually with lasers. Sci-fi agriculture/horticulture is here. Rather fun.

To other #autistic and otherwise low-social-battery folks in research: what are your top tips for getting the most out of academic conferences without overdoing it? Please drop advice/strategies below! #NeurodivergentInScience #NeurodivergentInSTEM

2 Sept

I'll add one: work out what your reaction to excess caffeine is and consider whether a sugar hit will help more with focus in the next session. Oversweet fruit tea is helping me more than black coffee this week!

Sarah Arnold reposted

...but in the last 4-6 years I have noticed my ability to sustain networking is *much* reduced. But intellectually knowing I need to pace myself at conferences is hard to reconcile w/guilt of ducking out a bit early or skipping the odd session to recover, even when I notice the difference it makes.

So even if ideas and tactics are not the specific tips that work for me, if I can gather a stack of them maybe they'll help someone else? Conferences can be fun and really that shouldn't be as socially *costly* as some of them are.

I've been doing academic conferences for 20-odd years, so am totally aware that listening to talks/looking at posters is only about 33% of the purpose of being there, and the rest is largely about networking, meeting people, chatting to people...

IOBC getting started, a few days on biocontrol in protected crops. Science starting with adapting IPM for Canadian greenhouse ornamentals. #IOBC-WRPS

No secret that I am a bit obsessed with Nezara viridula so exciting to learn about its lacewing and pentatomid predators to consider! #IOBC-WRPS

Enjoying hearing about fungus eating beetles and their role in greenhouse biocontrol - fungal crop diseases. Much potential to explore! (Can I spare our tech team a few mildew sprays in trials...?) #IOBC-WRPS

IOBC getting started, a few days on biocontrol in protected crops. Science starting with adapting IPM for Canadian greenhouse ornamentals. #IOBC-WRPS

onfloriculture.comThrips ID KeySimple Thrips Key for Growers: This grower-friendly, pictorial key has been developed to make thrips identification easier on-farm. Recently, thrips species other than western flower thrips have be…

onfloriculture.com/thrips-id-ke... User friendly ID guide to thrips in Canadian horticulture.

30 Aug

Excited to be in Netherlands for IOBC Greenhouse WGM 2026 - looking forward to a few days all about biological control on protected crops. And meeting all sorts of people in the field - research, biocontrol providers, growers, agronomists, etc.! #IOBC #BiologicalControl #ProtectedCropping

25 Aug

Yay! We seem to have a garden mole again! (I really do see this as a positive - moles seem to do interesting things with the soil and bring seeds in the seedbank to the surface, so the plant community becomes more fun. Yes, there's a bit of mess, but also annual wildflowers!) #EcosystemServices

16 Aug

Lovely outing with @kentfieldclub.bsky.social yesterday to Forge Field, a fascinating site that was a good deal more verdant than feared. Saw a couple of fun things: 1. Red-banded birch aphid Callipterinella tuberculata - fantastic little aphids and almost certainly under-recorded in the UK.

16 Aug

2. Variegated oak aphid Lachnus roboris - caught my attention because I noticed lots of ant activity on an oak tree, and when I looked closer some of the aphids were big glossy whoppers. Also probably under-recorded.

16 Aug

3. Galeruca tanaceti, a beetle that apparently likes warm, dry grassland type areas with plants including yarrow, tansy and knapweed - so this was its ideal spot really. Not a species I'm aware of meeting before, but I think it's quite common. #Entomology #KentNature

15 Aug

Then and now... Some parts of growing crops haven't changed much in 3000+ years - like worrying about them getting enough irrigation during a dry spell, and making sure communication about what's happening with the crop reaches the right people!

R̸e̵qui̴ęm for Tw̷i̴t̨ter̶@museum-of-twitter.bsky.social

edge.co.ukSkills Shortages Bulletin 1812 May 2026

15 Aug

Context: Tablet pictured may not be relevant, but text apparently is real from elsewhere, see archibab.fr/texte/15185

archibab.frArchibab :-)

Sarah Arnold reposted

Edge Foundation

@edgeuk.bsky.social

14 Aug

Our eighteenth Skills Shortages Bulletin contains twelve contributions from researchers, employers and educators which map the pressures reshaping the UK labour market, from rising youth inactivity to the technician crisis at the heart of industrial strategy. www.edge.co.uk/research/ski...

Sarah Arnold reposted

Kirsty MacLeod

@kjmacleod.bsky.social

14 Aug

Who do I know going to @ecbb2026.bsky.social? Unfortunately I can’t go anymore but my excellent Masters student is presenting a poster. I’d love to link her up with some friendly fellow grad students! Conferencing alone can be a little lonesome.

Nope - we are not having a party in a soft-fruit greenhouse! A thread about protected crops and a bumblebee's eye view... 🧵 #AppliedEntomology #Horticulture #SoftFruit #ProtectedCroppingSystems

An important part will also be considering "real world" deployment - which types of landmarks work well with on-farm operations as the crop grows? Dialogue with growers is very important in this process. [6/]

Part of @niab-uk.bsky.social 's PACE MAPP-CS project, supported by the East Malling Trust, Clock House Farms, Biobest UK and Buzzup. [7/7]

Nope - we are not having a party in a soft-fruit greenhouse! A thread about protected crops and a bumblebee's eye view... 🧵 #AppliedEntomology #Horticulture #SoftFruit #ProtectedCroppingSystems

On our project MAPP-CS funded by @ukri.org, we're testing whether providing bees with extra landmarks (e.g. colourful bunting & monochrome patterns) can help them locate themselves more quicky & effectively - meaning they can spend more time visiting flowers, & improve welfare/survival. [4/]

We are hoping that adding the bunting - in bright colours that contrast with the crop, and along the top of the crop where bees fly between rows - will provide a visible and memorable way to recognise rows. [5/]

Nope - we are not having a party in a soft-fruit greenhouse! A thread about protected crops and a bumblebee's eye view... 🧵 #AppliedEntomology #Horticulture #SoftFruit #ProtectedCroppingSystems

Large scale protected cropping facilities can be really efficient - this one is heated by a water-source heat-pump in colder months, and so gets 2 harvests per year from the crop. The polythene protection means fewer pest problems and healthier plants. [2/]