William (Bill) Sutherland

Britain’s poetic obsession with the lawnmower Research by a postgraduate student at St Catharine's has revealed how British poets over the last 50 years such as Philip Larkin and Andrew Motion have driven a ‘lawnmower poetry microgenre’, using the machine to explore childhood, masculinity, violence, addiction, mortality and much more. Francesca Gardner, an English PhD student, argues in her article published by Critical Quarterly that this tradition goes back to the 17th-century poet Andrew Marvell who used mowing – with a scythe – to comment on the violence of the English Civil War.

ICYMI hortological hues to Catz research this year:
💚 @frankiegardner.bsky.social, English PhD, on Britain's obsession with lawnmower poetry: www.caths.cam.ac.uk/...
💚 @billsutherland.bsky.social (Fellow 2008–24; Hon Fellow 2024) on risks from the ornamental plant trade:

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Taiga: the earth’s coldest forests

Astonishing that Mongolia has both the Gobi desert and taiga/boreal forest. Here. I try and explain how tiaga works. youtu.be/TjlHz9GwnG8?...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Ecological palimpsests

Describing, with Breckland as an example, the idea of ecological palimpsests: how history underpins much of the ecology we see today youtu.be/6pkWmMmv8bY?...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Ecological palimpsests

Describing, with Breckland as an example, the idea of ecological palimpsests: how history underpins much of the ecology we see today youtu.be/6pkWmMmv8bY?...

Conservation Evidence - Page Content

Many visionary organisations are now reflecting on the evidence of actions as part of practice and regularly testing actions. The expectation is to be more effective and richer. Please say if your organisation, based anywhere, is keen on this journey. www.conservationevidence.com/content/page...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Fire determining Eucalyptus and rainforest

How does fire determine distribution of Eucalyptus forest and rainforest? youtu.be/3oK2OEPJHvM?...

Four people standing around a trailer beside a road on Scottish moorland, with four ant mound blocks of earth to be transported to their new home

Can ecological surgery of ant mounds help to restore grassland habitats?
- www.gabrielleflinn.com/post/ecologi...
@ukceh.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk Funded by John Lewis Partnership Foundation.
My own ant hill work chronicled: storvaxt.blogspot.com/2025/10/enco...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Saving the Hulan: Mongolia’s wild ass

Saving the Hulan: Mongolia’s wild ass youtu.be/aSsPX6B96sg?...

Among the most moving encounters I had with wild things during swims from Atana Khasab Hotel on Oman's Musandam Peninsula, was with this majestic Purple Heron. As I got closer, realised it had a brutally broken leg, foot hanging by a 🧵. Seemed to have adapted to its injury. #BirdsSeenIn2025. 🧵1/6

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts World Heritage Sites protecting the spoon-billed sandpiper

Discussing the importance of World Heritage status and habitat management for protecting birds such as spoon-billed sandpiper, Nordmann's greenshank and black-faced spoonbill. youtu.be/48XC2_V0f-4?...

To fill some gaps in #BirdsSeenIn2025, a highlight of an early morning respite from the IUCN World Conservation Congress last month in Abu Dhabi, was a Terek Sandpiper, among more familiar waders, Redshank & Dunlin, & a few Little Terns at Al Hidayriyyat Heritage Trail. #Birding #Birdwatching #️⃣1/5

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Fruit, frugivores, and the ecology of seed dispersal

Which bird disperses which plant? What does bird dispersed fruit look like? Why do fruit sizes differ between regions? Why does ivy fruit in winter? How can we identify the disperser and distance carried from droppings? How did this collaboration arise? youtu.be/4vZ0w97ffRM?...

Thanks Ian.

Thanks. Don’t know the plans for the banks.

Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts My mission is to explain the natural world and how to protect it. I am a conservation scientist determined to improve the planet. Each short video will explain an ecological concept and describe why ...

Delighted my YouTube channel has >1/4 million views and >5k subscribers. Keen to find new audiences especially students and practitioners. Also keen for new subjects either in UK or online interviewing someone in the field. Ideas welcome!
youtube.com/@bill_suther...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Reimagining rivers and trout fisheries: evidence-based conservation in action

Restoring wild rivers and wild trout youtube.com/watch?v=NH1W...

Just looked at the site full of details of large mammal migrations in Wyoming. Really interesting

The topic of migrating herbivores should be on everone's radar.

If it's not, then please watch this excellent video from Bill Sutherland and give the Wyoming Migration Initiative a follow @wyo-migrations.bsky.social

Restoring herbivore migrations will fix a whole heap of problems.

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Migration and transhumance: the patterns of movement across landscapes

Video considering the ecology and challenges of seasonal migration, such as by Mongolian gazelles, and the similar practicalities of herders undergoing large-scale migrations with horses or other stock - learning from the expert Davaakhuu Danzannyam youtu.be/H2QqscK3ErY?...

Delighted to have my 1st swim in catchment of that iconic Wessex chalk stream, the River Test, & only my 2nd with European Grayling (1st was in the Itchen). Also plenty Brown Trout, 9-24 inches long but no parr, & oodles of Minnows. #MySwim #Rivers #Nature #Wildlife #TeamFish #Fish #Fishsky 🧵 1/7

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Conservation of arable plants

Discussing the conservation of arable plants at Plantlife’s wonderful reserve in Kent. youtu.be/bZaUAsvrHS0?...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Grassland ecology: role of fire, rain, grazers and voles

Steppe and prairie is one of the great global habitats. In this video I discuss why and where it occurs and how it underpins a number of remarkable historical empires. youtu.be/Gz8skzyzVnw?...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts How sand dunes are formed

How are sand dunes formed? How are they so dynamic? An exploration at Holkham National Nature Reserve on Norfolk coast. youtu.be/tQ54mGI5Oc0?...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts One bird reshapes an ecosystem: the noisy miner

How one species, the noisy miner, massively changes bird communities in Australia youtu.be/HtYDS27vLXM?...

Absolutely. He is a star but the whole process is wonderful.

Five-year research fellowship, based at Christ's College, Cambridge, for working at the intersection of biodiversity science and economics.
www.christs.cam.ac.uk/darwin-hamie...

YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts Managing to reduce inbreeding: Przewalski Wild horse

Przewalski Wild horse or Takhi went extinct in the wild and were doing poorly in captivity. Scientists then identified the problem as inbreeding and managed the global herd. Now hundreds in the wild in Mongolia and elsewhere. youtu.be/AN9I-zgve6w?...

At end of excellent CCI meeting about future plans we remembered Jane Goodall (who did her PhD in Zoology). Instead of a minute silence we opted for a minute noise - full of clapping and hooting. Much more suitable!

Delighted you find it useful Miguel.

Only evidence, Lee Brook, a winterbourne #chalkstream, is still a live river through Chippenham en route to join the River Kennett at Freckenham and thence the Lark, is a bit of Fool's Watercress & some river restoration structures. Even the sewage works isn't getting it flowing. #MyWalk #Rivers 1/2