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Ysella

@ysella.bsky.social

Based near Exeter, Devon in the UK. Writer, mostly about connection, to each other and the natural world, and always on the lookout for reasons for optimism amongst *all this* Join me at https://ysella.substack.com/

533 Followers  |  438 Following  |  83 Posts  |  Joined: 10.09.2024  |  1.8636

Latest posts by ysella.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Scientists have released the closest images ever taken near the sun, captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe flying 3.8 million miles above the solar surface.

See more images of solar eruptions on the sun: wapo.st/3Irm3P3

15.07.2025 13:27 β€” πŸ‘ 11018    πŸ” 2027    πŸ’¬ 321    πŸ“Œ 200
Pick a side – hate or Pride June is Pride month. So our social feeds will be awash with corporate rainbow logos performatively signalling their support for the LGBTQ+ community. But some of the same companies celebrating Pride a...

June is Pride Month. Let's call out companies who show support for LGBTQ+ people while also advertising on GB News, a channel that pumps out LGBTQ+ hate. Tell these companies to pick a side - hate or Pride:

action.goodlawproject.org/pick-side-ha...

31.05.2025 07:01 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Alan Yentob: BBC arts broadcaster dies aged 78 He interviewed a raft of important cultural and creative figures over a lengthy career at the BBC.

The best boss and mentor you could ever hope to have. The best of the BBC. BBC arts broadcaster Alan Yentob dies aged 78 www.bbc.com/news/article...

25.05.2025 14:46 β€” πŸ‘ 674    πŸ” 92    πŸ’¬ 25    πŸ“Œ 11

6/ I love to feel part of a community of people using their voices to speak up for our interconnectedness, whether that’s writing, reading or activism - and for choosing love over fear.

This is the work 🧑🌱

#naturewriting #HopeInAction #SystemsChange
#BiodiversityMatters #WritersOnClimate

22.05.2025 12:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

5/It’s a question that science is still wrangling with, she says, telling us about Lynne Margulis’s theory of collaboration versus Darwin’s theory of competition. Like Poppy, she sees the value in the dark and endings as well as in the beginnings, in embracing the gruesome and bizarre.

22.05.2025 12:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

4/ Sophie, author of To Have or To Hold: Nature's Hidden Relationships, is a science communicator and former zoology student. Researching the book saw her travelling around the British Isles exploring the role and nature of symbiosis - asking is it a mutuality or a parasitism?

22.05.2025 12:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

3/ Nature - its connection and exchange isn’t always pretty, she says, it can be complex. In indigenous stories and mythologies, the day starts in the evening, the new year starts in the autumn and this idea of new beginnings in dark times resonates.

22.05.2025 12:43 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

2/Poppy, author of A Wilder Way, is an ecological gardener and writer writing from a β€˜perspective of hope and change’, preferring to inspire and empower rather than add to panic around the climate crisis. She weaves folk stories into her writing, leaning towards stories about the world’s weirdness.

22.05.2025 12:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Sophie Pavelle, Poppy Okotcha and Emma de Saram in conversation and seated on stools in McCoys arcade, Exeter

Sophie Pavelle, Poppy Okotcha and Emma de Saram in conversation and seated on stools in McCoys arcade, Exeter

An image of Poppy Okotcha's book A Wilder Way: How Gardens Grow Us

An image of Poppy Okotcha's book A Wilder Way: How Gardens Grow Us

An image of Sophie Pavelle's book, To Have or to Hold: Nature's hidden relationships

An image of Sophie Pavelle's book, To Have or to Hold: Nature's hidden relationships

🧡 1/Listening to writers β€ͺβ€ͺ@sophiepavs.bsky.social, Poppy Okotcha + climate activist and creative educator @emmadesaram.bsky.social at Bookbag Exeter's latest Writing Nature event it was easy to feel that we still have hope.

22.05.2025 12:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

And @righttoroam.bsky.social has
won!! The Supreme Court has upheld the right to wild camping on Dartmoor πŸŽ‰πŸ‘. Huge congratulations to all involved!
Now Government must step up & pass a comprehensive Right to Roam Act, to protect & extend public rights of access to nature across England

21.05.2025 10:24 β€” πŸ‘ 338    πŸ” 84    πŸ’¬ 16    πŸ“Œ 4
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Gardening in drought Emergency tips for the continued dry spell

Gardening in drought - emergency tips for the continued dry spell www.wildway.info/p/gardening-...

12.05.2025 14:11 β€” πŸ‘ 27    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
The author, Joe Harkness, stands to the left holding his book, Bird Therapy. He doesn’t look it, but he’s struggling with his depression on the day this is take . The book is bright yellow, he’s wearing a bright yellow y shirt, and is standing in front of a bright yellow field of oilseed.

The author, Joe Harkness, stands to the left holding his book, Bird Therapy. He doesn’t look it, but he’s struggling with his depression on the day this is take . The book is bright yellow, he’s wearing a bright yellow y shirt, and is standing in front of a bright yellow field of oilseed.

If you, or anyone you know, likes birdwatching and struggles with poor mental health. I’d love to send an e-copy of Bird Therapy (pdf) to read for free. It can be helpful to know you’re not alone. Please message me if you do and also consider sharing this post.

#naturewriting #birdtherapy #booksky

17.02.2025 16:38 β€” πŸ‘ 191    πŸ” 126    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 4
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Road Song Books (UK) is looking for novellas and narrative non-fiction (between 10,000 -12,000 words).

Visit roadsongbooks.com/contact-us/

06.05.2025 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 26    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2

Great photo!

05.05.2025 19:15 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Pleasing lines on my #dailywalk in mid Devon this morning.

05.05.2025 17:49 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I do like it - it’s so joyful! What is the first bird, I don’t recognise it? I can spot a redwing and a mistle thrush (?) Good to see thrushes, we used to see plenty of them but they’re thin on the ground here in our part of mid Devon. This blackbird is far more ebullient!

05.05.2025 17:45 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Wonderful! What a joy to watch. I love the way each bird brings a different characteristic to its bathing - my favourite, the watchful and considered blackbird. Thanks for this!

05.05.2025 17:35 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Lovely!

05.05.2025 17:32 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The cow parsley is in full froth and looks so beautiful with the afternoon sun filtering through it. The blackbird song is joyful too. πŸ¦β€β¬› 🎢

#gardening #wildgarden #nature

30.04.2025 18:02 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

More Nightingale song from yesterday evening - 5.30pm.
#nightingales #ukwildlife #ornithology

30.04.2025 08:40 β€” πŸ‘ 31    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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"An exotic zoo of poems... they come at you with arms flung open and invite you in."

Thanks Alchemy Spoon for your great review of Mingle by @calebparkinpoet.bsky.social in the new Issue 15 www.alchemyspoon.org

Dive into Mingle at a delicious sale price of Β£7.99 ninearchespress.com/publications...

30.04.2025 11:43 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Isn’t it wonderful to see them back? We’re in mid Devon and they’re increasing in number each day. The housemartins are back too - just the swifts to go!

29.04.2025 07:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Let us know how you get on and any wisdom you have to pass on - I’m still at the proposal stage so always find it inspiring to hear about others’ journeys?

24.04.2025 15:21 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

*incredulous and despairing*

24.04.2025 13:39 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Your work sounds fascinating Joanna, right up my street! Good luck with the querying :)

24.04.2025 13:38 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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SWIFTS NEED US! Join swift campaigner Hannah Bourne-Taylor in Bridport on the 9th May.

Free and open to all. Scan the QR code for more info.

@hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social

#BookSky

23.04.2025 09:38 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

That’s lovely @johngilbey.bsky.social! I’m in mid Devon too - near Crediton.

22.04.2025 19:20 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Paper Chain A reflection for Earth Day on our connection to each other and the natural world, with inspiration from writers on keeping faith, noticing, and living with uncertainty.

🌍 Writing for Earth Day - what if keeping it all together isn’t the point? What if the point is delighting in discovery, in all life’s small moments, about living in noticing and with uncertainty?

πŸ“– Read: open.substack.com/pub/ysella/p...

#naturewriting #earthday #creativeessay #slowwriting

22.04.2025 11:43 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

I love this @amythartist.bsky.social - really powerful. So good to see you at the Matrescence brunch last month x

19.04.2025 16:20 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

4./ It was a much-needed hit of community and togetherness and felt special to stand up in front of a warm and welcoming crowd, surrounded by Debjani Banerjee's rich, playful, glorious work and to share a space with the incredible artists, Sadhna Lakshmi Vantakesh, Arun Sood and Paul Purgas πŸ™ πŸ™ πŸ™

17.04.2025 09:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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