Nick Isaac

How do we measure life on Earth? 🌍🌱 The new summary report from the 2025 US-UK Forum on Measuring Biodiversity, hosted by the NAS and @royalsociety.org, explores tools, challenges, and solutions for tackling the #biodiversity crisis.

Read here: bit.ly/460RB7R

Screenshots of parts of the PoMS e-newsletter, with examples of charts and images of bees on Ivy

The latest PoMS e-news went out yesterday, with updates on FIT Counts in 2025; news of a new UK butterfly; research on plants for pollinators; PoMS local projects; & some great forthcoming events. If you missed it you can read it at mailchi.mp/e73193cb8054... & subscribe at ukpoms.org.uk/subscribe

African Union joins calls to end use of Mercator map that shrinks continent’s size Member states back Correct the Map campaign that urges governments and organisations to use more accurate map

Non euro-centric maps. We can but hope ...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Attending the @britishecologicalsociety Annual Meeting? If so, consider also attending the 2nd National Environmental Monitoring Conference (same venue, different day) www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/nati...

The remarkable rise of “greenhushing” Businesses once trumpeted their climate goals. Now they are quietly plugging away

A rare bit of good news:
The remarkable rise of “greenhushing”
www.economist.com/business/202...

Sometimes I wonder. Certainly @waspwoman.bsky.social has waspish tendencies.

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?

Dont be a badger when wasps come visiting
theconversation.com/what-to-do-w...

YouTube video by National Academy of Sciences Session 1: What Are the Problems - 2025 US UK Forum on Measuring Biodiversity

I spoke on the Four Problems of Biodiversity Monitoring. You can view the talk here, from 14 minutes: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VJp...

US-UK Scientific Forum on Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis – NAS May 21-22, 2025 Washington, DC Forum Program Assessing biodiversity is fundamental to understanding the distribution of biodiversity, the changes that are occurring and, crucially, the effectiveness o...

Last month I was privileged to attend a meeting of @nasonline.org about biodiversity monitoring. The proceedings are now online for all to view: www.nasonline.org/event/us-uk-...

Lynn Dicks, Cang Hui, Iwan Jones, Ben Woodcock, @drnickisaac.bsky.social, and @andypurvisnhm.bsky.social

Re further data collation, for anyone that happens to be at EntSoc in Portland, look out for Eliza Grames' symposium on evidence synthesis.

Yesterday I spent a fantastic day hiking through the forests, meadows and swamps of southern Maryland. So much wildlife!
I moved very slowly all day, inspired by @yutoriwalking.bsky.social

ChatGPT Is Everywhere — Why Aren't We Talking About Its Environmental Costs? One estimate found that a single ChatGPT search uses 10 times the energy of a normal Google search.

We should be talking about the environmental costs of AI being shoved into every aspect of our online lives

www.teenvogue.com/story/chatgp...

Britain's universities were pushed - forced, really - to make themselves completely dependent on international students. Now they are about to have the rug finally pulled from under them. There is not a single word British central government could say that I would ever trust again.

A graphic for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), showing a historical portrait of Marie Skłodowska-Curie overlaid with an image of four young researchers walking down a hallway. The European Commission logo is in the top left. Text reads: "Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – €404.3 million to support postdoctoral researchers”

Choose Science. Choose Europe.

A new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 call is now open.

With a budget of €404.3 million, it will support around 1,650 researchers from Europe and beyond.

Apply by 10 September → europa.eu/!fBTMgF

The Globe Big Audio Dynamite · Album · 1991 · 10 songs

Fyi
open.spotify.com/album/7bhRil...

Sitting quietly with a glass of rum and an LP I've not heard for 20 years 👌
#friday

I am excited to announce that I am taking up the position of Head of Biodiversity Monitoring and Analysis here at @ukceh.bsky.social. I look forward to supporting this impressive group of scientists create the highest quality data and information products to address the biodiversity crisis.

Spring reminder, as people start to think about gardening: NEVER buy compost with peat it in (inexplicably still on sale). If it does not say "peat free" in big letters, do not buy it. Peat is incredibly valuable in peat bogs, for rare biodiversity and as a carbon store. Don't put it on your garden!

Here’s how to create a more nature-literate society Nature literacy has inspired creativity and innovation for thousands of years.

How do we increase nature literacy among society? Some thoughts from @waspwoman.bsky.social
theconversation.com/heres-how-to...

I'm thrilled to share our new review paper with the world.

Clockwise from top left: Tenthredo sawfly, mantid, cockroaches, dragonfly

NEWS: Despite fears about insect declines, we know very little about 99% of species globally 🌍📉.

Scientists are proposing a new approach to get a more complete picture of insect populations and analyse how they are responding to threats.

Read more: www.ceh.ac.uk/press/some-i... 🧪

🧵 1/

Career development - British Ecological Society Career development - BES is the largest scientific society for ecologists in Europe. We're working towards a world in which nature and people thrive.

@britishecologicalsociety.org currently has vacancies for Policy Committee and chair Macroecology SIG. Both were fantastic learning experiences that really helped my career - please consider applying!
(There have other great opportunities too)

www.britishecologicalsociety.org/topic/career...

Just came across this brilliant review of the plans for nature of 22 governments. Will be even better when it has been updated: now 50 NBSAPs have been updated
@wwf.eu @wwf.org.uk
wwf.panda.org/act/nbsap_tr...

Poster: Ten steps to carry out a FIT Count 1. A FIT Count requires 10–15 minutes to enjoy watching and counting insects! 2. Take part on any day with good weather from 1 April to 30 September. 3. "Good weather" is dry, and with temperature at least 13°C in sunny conditions, or at least 15°C when cloudy. 4. Choose just one type of flower as your target flower – use a FIT Count target flower if you can, or choose any other flower as the target. 5. Mark out a 50 × 50 cm patch containing your target. 6. Count how many individual target flowers are in your patch. 7. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and count all insects that touch (land or are already sitting) the target flowers. 8. Identify the insects into their broad groups (bumblebees, hoverflies etc.) – any that you don't recognise should be counted as "other insects". 9. Answer some simple habitat and weather questions. 10. Don't forget to send in your results via our FIT Count app or website recording form (even if your result is zero insects!). Full details on the POMS website and FIT Count app.

The new FIT Count season is nearly here 🎉🎆👏 From 1st April onwards, when weather is good, enjoy spending 10 minutes counting the insects that visit flowers - wherever you can find flowers, and as often as you wish, to help monitor #pollinators. Full details on our website ukpoms.org.uk/fit-counts

Join us for the second CASCADE webinar on Friday 4th April! We will be joined by @slpbenbow.bsky.social (Fauna & Flora International) and Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood (@uniofstandrews.bsky.social) to discuss big questions in ocean governance 🌊

Register here 👉 forms.office.com/e/fxLXph2feK

Hi Les, I last used it about 10 years ago. I can put you in touch with folks who are still using it now. Drop me an email (it's easy to find on CEH website)

Britain’s net zero economy is booming, CBI says Green sector growing at triple the rate of the UK economy, providing high-wage jobs and increasing energy security

“The net zero sector is growing three times faster than the overall UK economy, analysis has found, providing high-wage jobs across the country while cutting climate-heating emissions and increasing energy security.”

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Prophetic words from @phillipspobrien.bsky.social (written in December)
substack.com/redirect/3e6...

So much excellent science on display, so many excellent conversations at this Nature Positive symposium at Univ Tokyo. Such an honour for me to be invited.

YouTube video by British Ecological Society BES2024 Thematic Session - Biodiversity Futures: harnessing the power of scenarios and models

Did you miss #BES2024 and are you interested in #BiodiversityFutures? check the recording of this great session led by @drnickisaac.bsky.social, featuring talks by Damaris Zurell, Anita Lazurko, Andy Purvis, James Bullock, Greta Bocedi, Jennifer Border and myself.
youtu.be/FkbS6Klzbdg?...