I had a fantastic time this week at #Ento25 in Glasgow organized by @royentsoc.bsky.social. I presented a poster based on data generated our PhD student @femi-benny.bsky.social (with @waspwoman.bsky.social)! Thank to @ucl.ac.uk and @uclcber.bsky.social for the funding Research Progression Grant!

#HamOrJam #PicnicWaspSurvey

Offered ham (aka protein) and an apple (‘jam’ aka sweet) - It’s ‘jam’ for this wasp today!

Pls submit your wasp food choices at your picnic!

Help us reach 500 records for August!

Read about it & submit data here:
www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/au...

@uclcber.bsky.social

What do wasps eat? First molecular data for native zone Vespula Yellowjackets.

So happy to see this out, finally!
Started in 2018.. or maybe 2017.. 🫣involving @uclcber.bsky.social MRes (Ben Bellekom) and MSci (Georgia Law) students @ucllifesciences.bsky.social
@dr-bob-brown.bsky.social

Recent evidence on the effectiveness of European protected areas for species conservation in the face of climate change - Biodiversity and Conservation A dominant conservation strategy to safeguard the natural environment and biodiversity is the creation of protected areas (PAs) at international, regional, and national scales. To date, such PAs have ...

Our review 'Recent evidence on the effectiveness of European PAs for species conservation in the face of climate change' shows understanding is patchy - but their value to conservation under climate warming indisputable🐦
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@rspbscience.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social

So fab to hear these stories of dining with wasps!
PLEASE submit your observations on the #HamOrJam #WaspPicnicSurvey to help us learn more about how wasp preferences change with season and location. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
@uclnews.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social
#WaspLove

YouTube video by UCL CBER Practice I: Biological and environmental data for Species Distribution Modelling

Really great free course content on species distribution modelling from @uclcber.bsky.social. Really good for the underlying theory and easy to follow
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8inE...

#ecology #science

Wasps (and me!) in @thesundaytimes.bsky.social today. Thanks @ben-spencer.bsky.social for championing wasps!

Get involved with #WaspPicnicSurvey and #BigWaspSurvey!
#SummerOfWaspLove
Links below!
@uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social
@adamhartscience.bsky.social

Scientist reveals three things you can do to avoid a wasp sting Wasps seem to appear from nowhere in summer. Here’s how to deal with them

One of the great things about writing for @theconversation.com is that your article can be picked up & republished (under your name) elsewhere. Here's my #WaspPicnic #HAmOrJam article (free) in @the-independent.com

@uclnews.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/h...

UCL People and Nature Lab are looking for partner organisations in the conservation sector for Nature Smart Challenge 2026! Could you be one of them?
#UCL @freshwaterizzy.bsky.social

What to do when wasps crash your picnic – a scientist’s guide to dining safely with these insects Did you know wasps switch from ham to jam foraging during the late summer?

It's a bumper-wasp year: here are my top tips on how to dine alongside wasps, without getting stung.

GET INVOLVED! Tell us what wasps want at YOUR picnic: www.sumnerlab.co.uk/wasp-picnic-...

theconversation.com/what-to-do-w...

@uclcber.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @uk.theconversation.com

Have had a very exciting and unexpected start to this week, travelling to Salford for an interview with BBC Breakfast talking all things #wasps! Many thanks to @waspwoman.bsky.social for trusting me with this opportunity, and the fantastic #WorldOfWasps at @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social for the props!

Persisting at the Edge of Ecological Collapse: The Impact of Urbanization on Fish and Amphibian Communities From Lake Xochimilco Freshwater ecosystems are globally threatened by habitat loss, pollution, and invasive species, all of which are particularly acute in urban areas. To assess the impacts of urbanization on freshwater....

We are happy to share a new paper featuring Dr Alejandro Maeda Obregon and Prof Julia Day. "Persisting at the Edge of Ecological Collapse: The Impact of Urbanization on Fish and Amphibian Communities From Lake Xochimilco" in Environmental DNA dx.doi.org/10.1002/edn3...

Jim Labisko and Richard Griffiths holding copies of their new book 'The Lives of Frogs' at the soft-launch event in May 2025. Frog-themed wine and beer consumed but not shown. Special mention of Richard's tropical forest and frog-themed shirt putting an underdressed Jim to shame Photo by Chloe Wellecomme

Very proud: 'The Lives of Frogs' is published today! Hardback and ebook available globally 🐸 #frogs #amphibians #conservation #ecology #naturalhistory #biodiversity 🐸 @princetonupress.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social @ucl-pnl.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk ac.uk 🐸 🧪

ProcB

🔥 Super happy with this new paper led by @sbradshaw26.bsky.social and collab with @andrewpom.bsky.social 🔥 published in Proc B today

We find that meiotic drive impacts metabolic phenotypes: mito function, metabolic rate and food consumption

royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10....

Izzy Bishop @freshwaterizzy.bsky.social at the Sustainable Stand Up UCL Comedy Course Show. Watch the livestream: youtube.com/live/rEWiUXy...

This Monday, another of our CBERians, @idrisadams.bsky.social shared a sneak peek of his fascinating PhD work on the evolution of solitary wasps 🧠🐝. He walked us through the evolutionary traits and behaviours that make these insects so unique. A big thank you for such a insightful talk!

This Monday, @cintiaoi.bsky.social gave us a glimpse into her fascinating research! 🧠🐝 She took us through her field expeditions and the challenges of working with stinging insects—experiences that are shaping the questions she asks about wasp behaviour. Thanks for such an engaging talk!

A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Ralf Seppelt from the University of Luxembourg for a fascinating seminar. He delivered an engaging talk on his work on biodiversity. A huge thank you to Prof. Seppelt for an inspiring and thought-provoking session!

New📄Embracing global biodiversity toward a better planet - delivering on the CBD's Global Biodiversity Framework by aligning national biodiversity goals & targets with local circumstances & building capacity @rspbscience.bsky.social @uclcber.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1016/j.ee...

Happy that everyone had a great time at the CBER retreat, featuring ECR research talks, PI career paths, great food and drink, and dastardly two truths and a lie with an ecological twist. And an eco haiku competition! @uclcber.bsky.social @ucl-pnl.bsky.social Thanks to my fellow organisers!

The Times at One with Tom Whipple | Times Radio | The Times and the Sunday Times Listen to Times Radio live for the latest breaking news, expert analysis and well-informed discussion covering the biggest stories of the day.

Yesterday was #WorldBeeDay.
Bees get all the attention - but bees are just vegetarian wasps!
Thanks @tomwhipple.bsky.social for giving me the chance to cheerlead for wasps on @thetimes.com radio, alongside @bbka.org.uk www.thetimes.com/radio/show/2... c40mins in. @uclcber.bsky.social #WaspLove

Geography and availability of natural habitat determine whether cropland intensification or expansion is more detrimental to biodiversity Nature Ecology & Evolution - Both agricultural expansion and intensification drive biodiversity losses. Here the authors quantify and compare globally the biodiversity impact of land conversion...

Our study on the biodiversity impacts of agriculture in @natureecoevo.bsky.social rdcu.be/ekept Minimizing biodiversity loss requires a balance of expansion and intensification,while preserving unmodified land #Biodiversity #LandUse #ConservationScience @dleclere.bsky.social @tnewbold31.bsky.social

A couple of weeks ago Dr Ming Liu from Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford gave a very insightful External CBER Seminar on ‘Warmer environments harbor greater thermal trait diversity’ @mingpapilio.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk @dunnschool.bsky.socia

Dr Mashoodh in front of a slide of assorted animals that reads “Parental care shapes the evolution of molecular genetic variation Rahia Mashoodh, PhD Center for Biodiversity & Environment Research Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment University College London”

Great plenary for #ASABSpring2025 by @rmash.bsky.social on parental care and the evolution of genetic variation 🪲🪲🪲

Our 2025 Bicentenary Medal winner, Dr Joanne Littlefair, has developed an exceptional research programme—the first studies to adapt molecular biodiversity monitoring by isolating DNA from the air, which will have major implications for conservation. @jlittlefair.bsky.social
www.linnean.org/the-...

A scatter plot showing the peak blossom date of cherry blossom in Kyoto, Japan from 812 to 2025. The trend oscillates around mid-April until the mid 19th century where it moves consistently earlier in the year, in 2025 it happened on 4th April.

In 2025, the peak cherry blossom of happened on April 4th.

This long-run data is a proxy for how the climate has changed.

Since the early 20th century, the combined effects of urbanization and higher temperatures due to climate change have gradually moved the peak blossom earlier in the year.

The Soil exhibition at Somerset House was truly beautiful. More like this! 🌱

Congratulations to @jlittlefair.bsky.social who is the recipient of the 2025 Bicentenary Medal from @linneansociety.bsky.social

Huge congratulations to our very own @jlittlefair.bsky.social!
@ucl-pnl.bsky.social

Macroecological rules predict how biomass scales with species richness in nature Despite advances in theory and experiments, how biodiversity influences the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems remains debated. By applying new theory to data on 84,695 plant, animal, and...

A new study by @alexpigot.bsky.social and colleagues reveals the critical role of biodiversity in the functioning of ecosystems.
@uclcber.bsky.social

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...