Might as well do some good news now as well :)

Large Tortoiseshell butterflies are not extinct in the British mainland again :)

I saw a couple of butterflies on the warm dry day last week but didn't ID quickly enough but they are out there for spotting already.

#UKWildlife #BritishWildlife #NatureRecovery #Biodiversity #butterfly #citizenscientists #Pollinators #goodnews #hope #hopefornature #extinction

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/09/large-tortoiseshell-butterfly-no-longer-extinct-uk

Fish, Precious!

Yes, the world is a dangerous mess right now but not everything is terrible. Exhibit A: The Fish Doorbell is back!

The Fish Doorbell — The Fish Doorbell

Every spring, thousands of fish swim through the Oudegracht in Utrecht, searching for a place upstream to lay their eggs. But the Weerdsluis is often closed. You can help the fish continue their journey! If you see a fish, press the doorbell. This alerts the lock operator to open the lock.

Love this!

* * *

#SolarPunkSunday musings...

So, in contemplating my own vision of a #SolarPunk community, there are some *jobs* that imho are crucial to running any type of close-knit community /society...

1. People trained in #FirstAid / #MedicalArts -- for both humans and non-humans
2. #Plumbers
3. #Carpenters
4. #Masons
5. #Blacksmiths / #Metalworkers
6. #Architects / #Planners
7. #Foresters / #Foragers
8. #Gardeners / #Farmers / #FoodProducers
9. #Menders / #Cobblers / #Clothiers / #Seamsters / #Tailors
10. #Chemists / #Alchemists
11. #Herbalists / #Compounders
12. #CitizenScientists / #Observers
13. #Potters / #Ceramics experts
14. #Computer / #Technology fixers (especially #electrical and #solar)
15. #Mothers / #Caregivers
16. #Teachers / #Librarians
17. #Cooks
18. #Cleaners
19. #Weavers / #Spinners / #FiberArtists

Other suggestions?

#CitizenScience rediscovers rare South African moth https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/citizen-science-rediscovers-rare-south-african-moth/ paper: https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/171904/element/8/16038/

"A strikingly handsome emerald-green #moth, lost to science for nearly one-and-a-half centuries, has been rediscovered in #SouthAfrica by #CitizenScientists who posted photographs of it online. The moth was thought to be #extinct. The species hadn’t been recorded since two male specimens were collected near the #WesternCape town of Swellendam around 1875."

Finally wrote up the muddy trip to Pendeford Mill Reserve on Monday. It's actually the first proper post on the site to have all it's images and meta-data (AuHD issues here I feel) Anyway, a write up of a muddy walk that claimed at least one soul (well sole) and led to my first almost in focus shot of a treecreeper.

https://punkz.co.uk/posts/2026-02-09-pendeford/

#nature #uknature #walking #citizenScientists #autism #photography #bird #blog

Help needed to photograph and record #JoshuaTrees!

Joshua Trees bloomed earlier than usual – and it spells trouble for iconic succulent

By Chris Nesi
Published Jan. 25, 2026, 10:13 p.m. ET

"Southern California’s famed Joshua trees are flowering months ahead of schedule, baffling scientists and raising fears about the future of the species.

"The #MojaveDesert succulents typically bloom between February and April, timing their flowers to the arrival of the #YuccaMoth — the only insect capable of pollinating them.

"The moth lays its eggs inside the flowers, producing fruit whose seeds are later spread by rodents.

"This year, however, the trees’ familiar white-and-yellow blooms began appearing on late October, sparking concerns that the early flowering could disrupt the delicate relationship between the trees and their sole pollinator — and threaten the species’ ability to reproduce."

[...]

"Yoder suspects this year’s early rains may have triggered the premature bloom. His Yoder Lab is now asking members of the public to help document the phenomenon by uploading photos of Joshua trees in bloom to #iNaturalist, allowing scientists to gather data on whether the early flowering affects fruit production.

" 'We’re looking for as many folks out there as possible to help observe this phenomenon,' Yoder said.

Read more:
https://nypost.com/2026/01/25/us-news/early-bloom-of-joshua-trees-could-spell-trouble-ahead/

#EarlyBloom #ClimateChange #CitizenScientists #JoshuaTreeFlowers #Naturalists

Aus dem Alltag der #OnePersonLibrary

Viel los bei uns die letzten Monate, Tagungen und Publikationsideen, Systemwechsel und #BibliotheksIT, Informationsbudgets planen und dann... haben wir eine tolle Bibliothek mir #RaraBestand und spannende #CitizenScientists und Fachkolleg*innen, die recherchieren und papierne #Altdaten kooperativ erschließen wollen.
Und... dann liest man doch manchmal selbst und freut sich über die Geschichten zum Angeln.
[Deutsche Angler-Zeitung 1910, Jg. 11, H. 1, S. 2]