Hoopoe – A blog by nhbs – The NHBS Conservation Hub

Author interview with Joanna Wilbraham: Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of the World

Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of the World makes sense of this highly diverse group of miniature plants, differentiating between the three lineages and delving into their evolution, anatomy, and life cycles. The result is an unprecedented in-depth look at these exquisitely beautiful and often overlooked organisms.

Joanna Wilbraham is an active member of the British Bryological Society and Principal Curator at the Natural History Museum, London, where she leads the curatorial team responsible for the collections of algae, bryophytes, and lichens. At just over two million specimens, this is one of the most significant research collections of its kind in the world.

We recently spoke to Joanna about Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts of the World, where she told us how she decided which species to include, threats facing these groups and what projects are on her horizon.

Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how you came to write this book?

I first became interested in bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts) as an undergraduate student. I was keen to do my final research project in botany after an inspiring field trip to the Austrian Alps and was presented with two botanical options: an agricultural research experiment on wheat plants or a project working with bryophytes. Neither option sounded very appealing at the time, but I opted for the bryophytes and have never looked back. Almost immediately I noticed a tiny world I hadn’t previously paid any attention to. I was amazed to discover there was an actual club devoted to the study of these plants! I swiftly joined the British Bryological Society which led to many field excursions getting out and about with experts – undoubtedly the best way to get to get to know bryophytes and learn how to identify them.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to work with my favourite plant groups professionally over the course of my career. As a curator at the Natural History Museum, London, I specialised in cryptogamic botany, that’s those plants and plant-like groups that reproduce by spores rather than seeds. I focused on seaweeds and freshwater algae for many years though bryophytes have always stayed on my agenda. I am currently Curator of Mosses at the Museum, and I have the privilege of curating one of the largest and most significant collections of preserved moss specimens in the world.

When I was invited to write a book in Princeton’s ‘A Guide to Every Family’ series I saw an opportunity to bring the wonderful world of bryophytes to a wider audience and also a chance for me to spend time delving into some fascinating research along the way.

How did you decide which species to include in Mosses, Liverworts & Hornworts of the World?

The premise of books in this series is to provide a complete overview of a group at some appropriate taxonomic level. Classifications are constantly in flux as new research reveals more about the natural world but, at the time of writing the book, bryophytes were classified into 73 accepted taxonomic orders and this looked like a good starting point to base the narrative around. Some of these orders represent huge diverse groupings. For example, the Hypnales are an immense group of creeping mosses with over 4,000 genera, so I squeezed in a few example genus profiles here to showcase their diversity. In contrast, some other orders are only represented by one known extant genus, so for those the decision of what genera to include made itself. Some bryophytes are so charismatic that I simply had to include them, such as Dawsonia, the world’s largest free-standing moss. I did give in to some personal biases to include some of my favourite plants like the beautiful Myurium in the Hypnales. However, all the taxonomic entries had to pull their weight by contributing to the broader narrative of the book, such as revealing something about their evolutionary past, their adaptations to a world in miniature or how they are responding to a rapidly changing planet. Within these parameters, I chose 100 genera to illustrate the structural and evolutionary diversity of bryophytes from around the world.

Can you tell us about the most interesting species that you’ve learned about while researching your book? ?

There are many fascinating species I knew from the outset had to have their stories included. We meet a moss that glows in the dark; mosses that grow on dung and decaying corpses; a moss that could allegedly survive on Mars and a moss that saved the life of a Victorian explorer in western Africa. The structure of the book also forced me to peer around obscure taxonomic corners and investigate species which I hadn’t come across before. I got to know some new plants like the large charismatic tropical moss Sorapilla. This genus is so rare it was only known from a handful of historic herbarium specimens until a student on a botanical fieldtrip in the Queensland rainforest discovered a new population in 2015! It was also fun to discover more stories about people’s interactions with bryophytes. I needed to research the liverwort genus Solenostoma and in particular the species S. vulcanicola which has a remarkable capacity to thrive in acidic hot springs where is forms extensive, lime-green cushions. Known locally in Japan as the ‘Chatsubomi moss’, specialist tours are available to visit this plant on the Chatsubomi tour bus and now I really want to go to Japan!

Given our rapidly changing climate, what are the largest threats facing these groups, and how can we safeguard them going forward?

We are witness to increasing threats to the survival of bryophytes in their natural habitats around the world. Recent studies have reported that around 20% of European bryophyte species are threatened with extinction. These worrying declines result from the combined consequences of climate breakdown and habitat destruction.

The most immediate threat to bryophytes is the destruction and degradation of their natural habitats. Sphagnum mosses, which form peatlands, play an essential role in our planet’s biochemical cycles, sequestering huge quantities of carbon. The extensive peatlands of the boreal north store twice as much carbon as tropical forests. Alarmingly, increasing temperatures are threatening the existence of these peatland bogs as they risk drying out in warmer conditions. It is more imperative than ever that we protect these peat forming Sphagnum bogs and the wealth of biodiversity that they support. Sphagnum bogs should be treasured and certainly not destroyed for peat extraction to support the horticultural industry. Please make sure to buy peat-free at the garden centre and help save Sphagnum bogs by taking away the demand for these products.

Climate breakdown is having a huge impact on bryophytes. The story that resonated the most for me when I researched the book was that of the rare and enigmatic moss Takakia. This genus represents an ancient lineage and evidence suggests that Takakia plants have existed in the form we are familiar with today for at least 165 million years. Populations of Takakia on the Tibetan Plateau actually predate the uprising of the Himalayas! At a cellular level, these plants have had to adapt at phenomenal rates to protect themselves from the extreme increases in UV radiation and freezing conditions that one finds oneself exposed to when lifted up atop the world’s highest mountain range. However, Takakia faces its greatest challenge yet as the planet is now warming at such an unprecedented rate that even Takakia cannot adapt fast enough and the Tibetan populations are recorded to be steadily declining. Ultimately, the planet’s rapidly changing climate and our global ability to reduce carbon emissions going forward is the driving factor that will determine the fate of many bryophytes.

What’s next for you? Are you working on any other projects that we can hear about?

At the Natural History Museum, I’m responsible for curating and managing the moss herbarium which, with over 700,000 specimens, is one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. Herbaria are taxonomically arranged libraries of preserved plant specimens that provide spatial and temporal distribution data for species. New uses for these collections are constantly coming to light, so it’s a really exciting time for us in the curatorial team and we are busy working on some major projects to make these collections and their associated data more accessible for researchers around the world. I am particularly interested in how we can better leverage our bryophyte herbarium data to support biodiversity and conservation research that can lead to a positive impact for bryophytes in the wild.

The good thing about studying bryophytes is you don’t necessarily need to travel far and wide to find some beautiful species and contribute useful insights on their distribution or biology! I’m looking forward to getting back into some local recording when the hoped for autumn rains revitalise the poor drought frazzled bryophytes of South London. With a magnifying glass to hand there can always be something new to discover.

An Introduction to The Fungal Kingdom

Members of the fungal kingdom come in a remarkably diverse variety of shapes, sizes and colours. This blog provides an introduction to several captivating and commonly encountered fungal genera, highlighting their key characteristics, applications and identification tips.

We hope that this guide serves as a useful starting point to help recognise a few of the broad groups of mushrooms commonly encountered in the UK, but it should not be used for foraging purposes. There are around 15,000 species of fungi in Britain and identification can be extremely challenging, often requiring microscopic examination. Even in popular edible groups there are species or lookalikes that can cause serious illness, so it is vitally important to never collect or consume mushrooms unless you are absolutely certain of the identification.

Amanita

A red and white fly agaric mushroom on leaf litter — Image by Bernard Spragg via Flickr

There are around 600 species in the Amanita genus across the globe. This fascinating group exhibit great diversity but are best known for Fly Agarics and their distinctive crimson cap which features in mythology, folklore, art and media. While some members of this genus are edible, Amanitas are better known for their poisonous qualities and hallucinogenic properties. There are roughly fifty Amanita species that can be found within the UK. Around fifteen species are common and can be readily found near the base of trees, and five of these individuals are considered poisonous. Despite containing some edible species, the genus is generally avoided and are not considered safe for the novice forager.

Key Characteristics: Amanita’s form a mycorrhizal symbiotic relationship with trees – where they release enzymes and other organic acids to break down organic matter, making the nutrition in the soil more bioavailable. In turn, trees will provide Amanitas with nutrition synthesised through photosynthesis. These mushrooms can be characterised by white (or off-white) gills, that are closely spaced and free from the stipe and they are often seen with irregular patches, or ‘warts’ on the cap, which are fragments of the veil – a membrane that enclosed the young mushroom.

Uses or Applications: Research has shown potential for Aminata species in healthcare, particularly for their anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Historically, Fly Agarics have also been used as an insecticide, where they were broken up into milk and used to trap flies.

Species Examples: Death Cap (Amanita phalloides), Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa), Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria), Panther Cap (Amanita pantherina)

Mycena

Introduction: More than 100 Mycena species can be found throughout Britain and Ireland, although less than half of these are considered common or widespread in distribution. They are often referred to as ‘bonnets’ and consist of small, delicate toadstools with fragile stems and a number of these species are known to be bioluminescent, caused by a chemical reaction within the tissue cells.

Key Characteristics: A small conical or bell-shaped mushroom with a thin stem. Mycena caps can be translucent or may have light striations and on the underside, gills are attached to the stipe and produce white spores. Due to their small size (caps from 0.5 – 15cm), some species may only be identified through microscopic examination and spore sampling.

Uses or Applications: Due to their small size, Mycena are not considered edible – some species within the genus are poisonous, and since the group are difficult to identify, they are generally regarded as unsuitable for foraging.

Species Examples: Common Bonnet (Mycena galericulata), Rosy Bonnet (Mycena rosea), Lilac Bonnet (Mycena pura)

Psilocybes

Introduction: The Psyilocybe genus is a widespread group of mushrooms, some of which are well known for their psychoactive properties. They are found across the globe in a range of nutrient rich habitats, and can be found growing in clusters in mossy, grassy or forested areas in the UK. The genus is split into two clades, one of which is comprised of hallucinogenic species that have a blue staining reaction when bruised (however it is worth noting that not all blue-staining fungal species contain psilocybin).

Key Characteristics: Psilocybes fall into the ‘little brown mushroom’ category – a non-descript, brown to yellow coloured mushroom that is small to medium in size. These gilled toadstools typically produce a dark spore print, have a slender stipe and a hygrophanous cap that changes colour as moisture levels change in the mushroom tissue.

Uses or Applications: Psilocybes are often referred to as ‘magic mushrooms’ for their psychoactive properties. Species in this genus can contain compounds such as psilocybin, which induce hallucination and changes in perception for those who have ingested the compound and has been historically used to treat some psychiatric conditions.

Species Examples: Liberty Cap (Psilocybe semilanceata), Wavy Cap (Psilocybe cyanescens).

Lycoperdon

Puffballs on a leafy floor — Image by Stu’s Images via Flickr

Introduction: A genus of puffball mushrooms with approximately fifty species across the globe. These instantly recognisable fungi are common and widespread around the UK and can be found on the ground in woodland and pasture with plenty of leaf litter, where they decompose organic matter.

Key Characteristics: Lycoperdon species have a distinctive set of characteristics that allow for easy identification. These small-medium sized balls do not have gills or spores and have no cap. They tend not to have a stipe, but some species do have a small one that can appear thicker. Some species have a tough outer skin, and inside, the mushroom should have white, spongy flesh that turns yellow or brown as the spores mature. Members of this genus are basidiomycetes – they produce spores within the basidia (a microscopic spore-producing structure) which are located inside the fruiting body, releasing a cloud of spores when squeezed.

Uses or Applications: Most species in the Lycoperdon genus are edible. They are said to have a mild taste and smell, making them choice edibles for many foragers. Although they have a tendency to become slimy once cooked, puffballs are a common substitute in various vegetarian dishes.

Historically, puffballs have been used in medicine for their hemostatic properties which stop or slow the flow of blood, and blacksmiths in particular are known to have kept puffballs in the forge for these properties, as well as their ability to aid in the healing of burns.

Species Examples: Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum), Pestle Puffball (Lycoperdon excipuliforme), Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme)

Boletus

Introduction: There are around 250 Boletus species worldwide, which until recently, were divided into smaller families and have since combined to form a larger genus. There are approximately 80 species of Bolete within the family Boletaceae in the UK, and many of these are choice edible species for foragers. As a largely mycorrhizal group, Boletes are commonly found in woodland or forest but may also be found in grassland habitats. Boletes can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours –appearing quite large with thick, meaty fruiting bodies or smaller in size with more delicate features. Species in this group are basidiomycetes – instead of gills, these mushrooms have spongy, pore-filled masses on the underside of the cap which release spores.

Key Characteristics: Boletes are usually large, fleshy mushrooms with a thick stipe, characterised by spore-bearing structures on the underside of the cap, called tubes. The group is basidiomycetes, which feature a spongy mass containing pores that disperse white to yellow spores into the air. A large number of Boletes are also known to form mycorrhizal relationships with trees, and can often be found under broadleaf and coniferous trees.

Uses or Applications: A number of Bolete species are edible, including the King Bolete, and are considered some of the most versatile edible fungi.

Species Examples: King/Cep/Porcini/Penny Bun Bolete (Boletus edulis), Summer Bolete (Boletus reticulatus), Bronze Bolete (Boletus aereus)

If you’d like to delve deeper into the world of fungi and attempt to identify the mushrooms species you come across, here are our top picks to get you started:

Book review: The New Dinosaurs

***** Still as captivating and entertaining as in 1988

What if the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs had missed? What might today’s fauna look like then? These are the sorts of questions entertained by speculative zoology, biology’s version of the fiction genre of alternate history. Geologist and freelance author Dougal Dixon is widely credited with launching the modern speculative zoology movement with his 1981 book After Man, a facsimile of which was published in 2018 by Breakdown Press. Fast forward to 2025, and now we have a similar reprint of The New Dinosaurs.

The book follows a similar setup to After Man. It opens with introductory material before presenting the new dinosaurs. The point of the introduction is that, although the scenario is fictional, it is developed according to sound scientific principles. Dixon thus introduces you to the basics of palaeogeography, zoogeography, and Earth’s main habitat types. He also explains what dinosaurs are, how they went extinct in our world, and how the tree of life took shape in this alternate universe where they did not. Some of this material has been updated, but I will get to that.

The stars of the book are, of course, the critters that Dixon has dreamt up, and what a wonderful menagerie they are. The artwork really helps bring them to life. Every creature receives at least one life reconstruction in colour showing the whole animal in a natural setting, with some receiving additional smaller drawings in colour or b/w to highlight anatomical characteristics or behavioural sequences. Twelve people were involved with this book. Two, John Butler and Philip Hood, are return guests; the other ten are new collaborators. With such a large number of illustrators, inevitably, some appealed more to me than others. Butler and Hood’s work is again superb, but I also really liked the work of Steve Holden (he drew the Cutlasstooth on the front cover and the Lank, on which more below) and Martin Knowelden (he drew the Paraso, a wading pterosaur, and the Whulk, on which more below). Some of the depictions of sauropods are rather dumpy and have not aged terribly well, betraying the fact that this *was* 1980s palaeoart, but, by and large, I think the depictions hold up well while exuding a certain nostalgia.

So, how has life evolved in this alternate universe? The mammals have remained small. With the evolution of grasses, numerous dinosaurs and pterosaurs have become grazers. Coelurosaurs and hypsilophodonts are two dinosaur groups that have left many descendants, the former notably spinning off a successful and diverse group that became arboreal: the arbrosaurs. The pterosaurs have been similarly successful and evolved into many surprising forms, occupying some of the niches taken by birds in our world, and losing flight on multiple occasions.

Some creatures look very familiar. The above-mentioned Lank, a flightless grass-eating pterosaur, closely resembles our giraffe; the Whulk, a filter-feeding pliosaur, takes the place of our baleen whale; the Cribrum, a theropod descendant, is an unapologetically pink filter-feeding flamingo; and the Nauger, an arboreal dinosaur that bores into wood, resembles our Pileated Woodpecker (with Dixon even winking at the reader by speculating that, in another world, this niche could conceivably be taken by a bird). Though these creatures make the point that we should not be surprised by convergent evolution, the book contains more than just like-for-like reptilian replacements of our mammals and birds.

There are some really interesting mashups. The Gestalt, which evolved from a pachycephalosaur, has become a nest-building dinosaur that lives in colonies in which only one female queen breeds. In both appearance and behaviour, they combine elements of naked mole rats, beavers, and ants. The Crackbeak, an arbrosaur, has developed the arboreal physique of a spider monkey and the seed-cracking beak of a toucan.

Some species sport anatomical features that at first blush seem out of this world, until you realise that, actually, they are very much of this world. The Nauger’s long second finger used to winkle larvae out of holes in trees? The Aye-aye of Madagascar has it too. And surely the Northclaw’s arrangement of having an enlarged claw on just one hand is… Ah, yes, the fiddler crab. Mind you, life has found unexpected solutions in Dixon’s world. One recurrent feature is stiff tails, held erect like flagpoles, with the non-crested sprintosaur even called – I see what you did there, Dixon! – Vexillosaurus. Outside of squirrels in our world, this strikes me as very uncommon. Three arboreal species have hands where both outer fingers are opposable, which is also found in our koalas. As Desmond Morris writes in the foreword, it is the close observation of biological principles and outliers that imbues these fictional creatures with a high degree of realism. This is as much entertainment as it is a serious exploration of biology by means of made-up animals.

There are two further elements worth discussing. First, the quality of the reproduction is overall good, though, as with After Man, perhaps a tad on the dark side: the surface texture on the black Tromble and Balaclav is hard to see. Second, Dixon has again made corrections to the text, which have been printed in a slightly different font that can just be made out. The biggest changes are made to the introductory material. The sections on the extinction and definition of dinosaurs have been rewritten to reflect advances in our knowledge, and the classic tree-like diagram on pages 12–15 has been completely redrawn. The biggest change to the creature section is minor: a small box now mentions that stegosaurs were extinct by the early Cretaceous, in line with modern taxonomy, while in the 1988 version, stegosaurs survived on the Indian subcontinent until 2 mya. Beyond this, minor corrections have been made to some taxonomic affiliations, the date of the end-Cretaceous (now 66 Ma ago), and references to the Tertiary (now Cenozoic). However, this process could have done with a round of proofreading as references to 65 Ma and the Tertiary still abound, while the example of a modern cladogram on p. 10 is unfortunately full of spelling errors. It seems the drawing of the Kloon skull on p. 96 was accidentally left out, even if the label describing it is still present. Arguably, these are minor errors.

Overall, The New Dinosaurs remains an incredibly entertaining romp into speculative zoology. If you possess a copy of the original, you have a nice vintage book, and I would not rush out to replace it. No bonus material has been included. However, for all of us who never bought this book upon release and were condemned to the inflated prices on the aftermarket, it is a great joy that Breakdown Press has made this book available again.

Book Review – Mesozoic Art II: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals in Art

***** A remarkably diverse collection of the very best of current palaeoart

Comic book editor, writer, and artist Steve White and palaeozoologist Darren Naish team up once again to bring you another lavish, large-format art book with the very best of current palaeoart. If you bought the previous volume, I am pleased to say that this book is more of the same, which is the best possible outcome one could hope for. It is also *more* of the same, as the book is bigger than its predecessor, featuring 25 artists that together span the full gamut from upcoming talent to seasoned veterans, and from cartoonish to photorealistic illustrations. Mesozoic Art II provides a balanced cross-section of jaw-dropping artwork that portrays not just dinosaurs, but also numerous other organisms that are less often depicted. If ever you needed proof that the palaeoart community has matured and is taking its craft seriously, this book is your ticket.

Before even cracking open the book, take a moment to appreciate the object. Remove that dust jacket to marvel at Rebecca Dart’s gorgeous illustration of the sauropod Qijianglong by moonlight. Next, check out the beautiful endpaper illustrations by Gaëlle Seguillon. This book leaves no opportunity unused to impress. Also important: Mesozoic Art II is the same physical dimensions (31×28cm) as Mesozoic Art; and, for that matter, its spiritual predecessors Dinosaur Art and Dinosaur Art II.

For the second instalment, White & Naish have stuck to the same formula, giving each artist, no matter their fame, ten pages each to show off their very best. The page count has grown from 208 to 256 pages, allowing for more artists to be featured: 25 instead of 20. Also nice, it is a completely new crop: none of these featured in Mesozoic Art. The mix of nationalities is heavily weighted towards North America (nine artists) and Europe (twelve), with the remaining three hailing from Asia (two) and Australia (one).

In his foreword, naturalist Chris Packham praises the artwork for both its stylistic diversity and scientific accuracy. As White & Naish explain in their introduction, neither is coincidental. Next to producing a beautiful book, their aims are twofold. First, to show that scientific accuracy need not come at the expense of artistic expressiveness. Second, to continue to adjust preconceptions and correct misconceptions, old and new, as to what dinosaurs looked like and how they behaved. The result is a panorama of today’s palaeoart that is remarkably varied on several fronts.

Thus, the contributors range from non-vocational artists to established professionals. Haider Jaffri might be new to the scene and training to become a dentist, but he already produces some remarkable artwork. Similarly, freelance artist Simone Giovanardi specialises in depicting extinct penguins, which is simply delightful. At the other end of the spectrum, you have professionals such as Beth Zaiken who, alongside other work, has produced large murals for museums. I will never tire of poring over the kinds of grand panoramas she produces. Gaëlle Seguillon has, among other things, worked on the documentary Prehistoric Planet, and her artwork is incredibly atmospheric.

Most artists work exclusively digitally, and only a few turn to traditional tools such as pencils, markers, graphite, acrylics, watercolours, etc. Lest this be mistaken as a judgemental comment, let me repeat what Tom Björklund wrote in Dinosaur Art II: “Painting with a computer isn’t about pushing buttons […] the artist’s hand still holds a pen or a brush and the craftsmanship required is pretty much the same” (p. 134 therein). Not being an artist myself, if it were not for the figure legends, I would not be able to tell the difference, and the choice of medium does not get in the way of style.

Indeed, the variety of styles on display is dazzling, fully meeting the editors’ stated first aim. There is plenty of (photo)realistic work, but about a third of artists make more cartoonish artwork. Possibly the most divisive inclusion of what the editors call “‘palaeontologically themed’ art” (p. 3) is comic book artist Lewis LaRosa. There are a mech-suit battling Tyrannosaurus rex, panels from his comic Savage that have a human-fighting dinosaurs and pterosaurs, but also some of his anatomical sketches and studies, as he makes conventional palaeoart too.

This kaleidoscope of styles does not get in the way of scientific accuracy. I think White & Naish have succeeded in curating a selection that shows how all these artists take their craft seriously and incorporate recent scientific developments. Soft-tissue reconstruction has been fully embraced, and there are lips, flaps, folds, fluff, and feathers galore. Several of the drawings have been specifically made to accompany research. There are many more organisms beyond dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and marine reptiles; Naish has always been clear that the “Mesozoic” in the title should be taken loosely. Invertebrates and vertebrates from both before and after this era feature, including stem-whales, early reptiles, protomammals, and others.

The final aspect worth highlighting is the naturalistic realism. The full range of animal behaviour is on display here. Yes, there are scenes of violence, but they are an appropriate minority given what the time budget of most animals is spent on. Also, did I mention the skies? Good grief! More so than in Mesozoic Art, I felt that numerous artists have embraced cloudy, rainy, stormy, or otherwise moody skies, playing with colour, light, time of day, and atmosphere to produce incredibly memorable pictures.

By now, these four art portfolios are becoming a remarkable collection of snapshots of palaeoart over the last two decades. Examining the dates of the artwork featured here, and given that Mesozoic Art II was published “only” three years after Mesozoic Art, only five artists exclusively feature artwork from 2022 to 2024, while 17 artists feature artwork going back to 2017 and later (i.e. the period also covered by Mesozoic Art). This overlap in time means that both Mesozoic Art volumes capture similar ideas and fashions. That said, I am tempted to speculate that future art historians could tease out trends in the evolution of palaeoart by comparing the four portfolios. However, you do not have to be an art historian to enjoy this stunning production. If you love dinosaur artwork and palaeoart more generally, get it now, add it to your wishlist, or give it to that special palaeo-person in your life. This is another stunner you will not want to miss. Here’s to Mesozoic Art III!

Author Q&A: Peter Fretwell and Lisa Fretwell – The Penguin book of Penguins

A Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, Dr. Peter Fretwell, like the subjects of his new book entitled The Penguin book of Penguins, spends the majority of his time in the cold. As a senior geographic and remote sensing scientist, Peter has been responsible for leading many projects that further our understanding of the Polar regions and the wildlife that inhabits the area. Establishing and contributing to key projects to help better understand predators in the polar region by using satellite imagery has assisted in crucial conservation efforts.

For this book, Peter has joined forces with his wife Lisa who provides a unique selection of illustrations throughout the book. As an artist of over 30 years, Lisa draws on a wealth of experience having exhibited her works in London and New York.

Peter and Lisa Fretwell. Courtesy of the authors

We were lucky enough to catch up with Peter and Lisa recently to talk about the new publication.

What inspired you to write “The Penguin Book of Penguins”? Why penguins?

Peter: Strangely, there has never been a book titled The Penguin Book of Penguins, so when we were asked to write it, it was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down. I had previously written the Antarctic Atlas, published by Penguin Random House in 2020 and I have worked with penguins and on penguin science for twenty years. These small charismatic creatures are such a delight to be involved with, and they are a major part of working in Antarctica. Working at the British Antarctic Survey you pick up stories and anecdotes about them almost by osmosis, so having a chance to relay those narratives to a wider audience is a real privilege. We all love the jovial nature of these unique birds and their amazing adaptations to survive and thrive in some of the most challenging environments on Earth, but there is a more serious message that I also wanted to convey about the challenges that many of the species now face with climate change, pollution, habitat loss and overfishing. Communicating these challenges to a wider audience is one of our main drivers, whilst keeping the message light and not too “preachy”, to engage and inspire that wider readership. What was more, we decided we wanted to include drawings rather than photos, so my wife, Lisa, who is a professional artist joined the author team to bring the illustrations to life.

How has your work as a cartographer and scientist at the British Antarctic Survey influenced your writing and perspective on penguins?

Peter: I really started researching penguins through my work on mapping and remote sensing. I started my scientific career as a geographer and got a job in the British Antarctic Survey as a cartographer. I have always loved maps, especially mapping the natural world around us, but I also loved the science and was soon not just making maps but helping with the geospatial analysis. The British Antarctic Survey is a wonderful and diverse place for environmental science and to help the scientist analyse their data was fascinating – you never knew what you might be working on; one day it could be mapping and analysing volcanoes, and the next it might be cuttlefish distribution. In 2008, whilst making a map for our pilots, I discovered that we could see emperor penguin colonies in freely available Landsat satellite imagery. At the time, we didn’t know how many emperor penguin colonies there were or their distribution, so it was a groundbreaking discovery.

Peter Fretwell nose to nose with a wild Emperor Penguin.

How has the use of satellite imagery revolutionised the study and conservation of penguin colonies?

Peter: Fast-forward 17 years and we now know that there over double the number of colonies that we thought there were. We track their locations each year and do annual population assessments using satellite imagery. We have also used the technology to discover unique, previously unknown behaviours and traits, and we have witnessed and recorded the struggles and calamities they suffer as the continent warms and the sea ice diminishes. The Earth observation methods that we developed for emperors have been transferred to many other species of penguins and other types of wildlife around the world. My job itself has changed dramatically, from a scientific cartographer to a remote sensing expert and an expert on penguins and other polar vertebrate species that we track from space.

What were the major obstacles or challenges you’ve come across during your study of penguins?

Peter: Using satellites is a brilliant way to study these animals as most of the colonies are in extremely remote locations, where on-the-ground research is almost impossible. Even now the resolution of the most powerful satellites is still not good enough to see every individual adult and chick. We still need to get out there to calibrate our satellite counts and see how accurate they really are, but getting to emperor penguin colonies and synchronising ground (usually a unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV) counts with satellite data is really challenging, not just for emperor penguins, but for all the wildlife that we study from space. One of our current technical challenges is to improve the methods.

Lisa: Finding the inspiration and imagery for the more temperate penguins was quite challenging. The Antarctic and sub-Antarctic penguins were easier, as Peter had taken hundreds of photos of all the species throughout his career that I could work from. We had also visited New Zealand and seen many of the penguin species, like the adorable little blue penguin, there. On his travels, Peter had also photographed penguins on the Falklands and South America, but there were still some species that we had to trawl through published sources to get good reference images for. You have to be careful as what you see on the internet is not always correct, but it helps when you are married to a penguin expert!

Adélie penguin leaping out of the water. Lisa Fretwell

Many people feel rather enamoured by penguins. Why do you think that is?

Peter: I agree, and it’s hard to put your finger on the reason. Maybe it is a combination of their comic trusting nature and the fact that they are one of the few animals that stand upright on two legs, which makes them look a bit like us. It is really hard not to anthropomorphize penguins and compare them to little people with similar habits and social structures. Like us they often live in huge congregations, sometimes hundreds of thousands strong, they have complex courtship routines, bicker with their neighbours and do daily commutes to look after the family. They are also very tame, curious and often clumsy, which makes them quite endearing. Add their incredible, unique abilities in response to their challenging environments and you have an animal that really is quite engaging.

What are the biggest misconceptions about penguins that you would like to clarify?

Peter: There are many. Firstly, and perhaps obviously, penguins are a bird. They have feathers, not fur. Secondly, not all penguins live in Antarctica. A minority, only four of the eighteen species, breed around the coasts of the Southern Continent, but it’s fair to say that almost all (except for a few hundred) live in the Southern Hemisphere and most of them would call the waters around the Southern Ocean home.

What are the primary threats to penguin habitats, and how can these be mitigated?

Peter: It’s not just their habitats, but we can start there. Over the years, penguins have been eaten, killed for their feathers, had their eggs collected in their millions, been squashed and boiled down for their oil, and had their nesting habitats dug up and destroyed for fertiliser. In more recent times, urbanisation and land clearance has affected some of the more temperate birds, and the introduction of non-native species has had a devastating impact on many of the island-living species that are endemic to just one small group of islands.

Today, the main threats to the temperate species of penguins that live close to humanity are pollution from oil spills, overfishing and bycatch in their foraging grounds. But even in Antarctica and the remote island homes of penguins that no one ever visits, the influence of humans is affecting populations. Climate change is a global, man-made phenomenon that cannot be averted at a regional scale and is starting to have dramatic effect on many species. Although it is fair to say that in a warming environment, there will be winners and losers, at the moment, it looks like we will see more losers than winners.

BAS scientist Peter Fretwell in the field. Snow Hill, Antarctica.

What conservation efforts have been most effective in protecting penguin populations?

Peter: Around the world there are many amazing people and organisations helping penguins, from re-homing little penguins in New Zealand and Australia to the fantastic efforts to save African penguins from oil spills. In South America, there has been a great effort to protect breeding colonies from predation and on many sub-Antarctic islands there have been great programmes to eradicate non-native species that eat eggs and chicks, and trample breeding sites. There are fantastic efforts in many places that are saving penguins from the brink of extinction that anyone who loves or admires these birds should be grateful for.

Personally, what thoughts and feelings were you left with after this study of penguins?

Peter: Writing the book has not only highlighted how much we love penguins and how our culture has embraced these charismatic birds, but also the paradox of how badly we have treated them over the years and how threatened they are from human activity. Today most of those threats are indirect, but they are still caused by us and can still be solved by us.

Lisa: In terms of illustrations, I had to re-draw the ‘Penguin Digestor’ numerous times, because it made me feel a bit queasy just thinking about it. If you look at the original image it is very expressive and full of angst! I left those images of how we had mistreated penguins, like the Digestor and the Egg Collector until the very end when I could summon up the will to re-engage with them.

Emperor Penguin with chick. Lisa Fretwell

How do you envision the future for penguins?

Peter: For many species, it is a worrying time. Several are on the brink of extinction; some, like the emperor and chinstrap, are on a worrying trajectory caused by climate change that can only be solved at a global level. But there is hope. So far, we have not made any species of penguin extinct and there is still time to save all of the wonderful types of these birds, but the window for doing that is growing narrower every year.

What are the most important impressions you would like the reader to be left with after reading “The Penguin Book of Penguins”?

Peter: We hope readers will come to understand how wonderful and loveable these birds are and how invested into our culture they have become. When we think about the future of penguins, it can be a little depressing, but we are not there yet and that future is not yet written. If people care about a subject, then maybe they have it within their power to alter the future so that the worst predictions never come to light. If this book does anything, we hope it will enthuse people to help save penguins.

Lisa: I also hope that my illustrations enhance and portray these amazing birds in a true light. I tried to capture their personalities, particularly their behaviour, which I think is absolutely fascinating! The infographics should enable the reader to differentiate between each species, which for some penguin families, especially the banded penguins, is very subtle. I wanted to portray how endearing and intelligent these birds are. They have evolved to survive against the odds and their quirky nature is often fundamental to whether they breed successfully, survive extreme weather conditions and ultimately sustain their populations, and I wanted to reveal these quirks visually to enhance the reader’s experience.

What future research or projects are you planning on currently?

Lisa: I am planning to enhance my penguin illustrations with colour and exhibit them at a number of galleries. I have already been asked to create some other wildlife illustrations for the Arts Society Youth Fund locally, and I hope to illustrate or even write more books in the future.

Peter: I am currently leading multiple projects on penguins and other polar wildlife. My penguin-themed projects include mapping and monitoring seabirds on South Georgia, recording and improving the methods, carrying out population surveys of emperor penguins, and counting chinstrap and Macaroni penguins on the remote South Sandwich Islands. Results from all these studies should be coming out over the next year.

The Penguin Book of Penguins is available as a limited edition signed hardback book, while stocks last, from NHBS here.

From waste, to resource – an interview with Waterhaul

NHBS is delighted to be working with Waterhaul, a company turning harmful marine debris into valuable resources. Their commitment to tackling ocean plastic and promoting sustainable practices aligns closely with our own mission to protect wildlife and the natural environment.

Earlier this year, NHBS arranged a beach clean using Waterhaul products, giving us first-hand insight into their quality and effectiveness. After seeing them in action, we’re excited to now offer Waterhaul’s beach cleaning range through NHBS.

To learn more about the inspiring work behind the brand, we spoke with Jon Green at Waterhaul and asked a few questions about their mission, processes, and impact.

Waterhaul collecting “ghost gear” from across the UK coastline. Photo credit: Waterhaul

You primarily create your products from recycled “ghost gear”. What is ghost gear? and have you set your sights on any other forms of marine pollutants for future projects?

‘Ghost gear’ refers to any fishing gear that has been abandoned, lost, or discarded in the ocean. Once separated from fishing vessels, this gear continues to drift in the ocean, entangling marine life and damaging habitats. Ghost gear is a subset of marine litter but is particularly harmful due to it being designed specifically to trap and kill marine animals, combined with its extreme durability.

Unfortunately, around 640 000 tonnes of lost or discarded fishing gear end up in our oceans every single year, making it the most harmful and abundant plastic – there is certainly enough of it to keep us busy! That being said, in the past we have worked with other forms of plastic, for example our ‘ReTask The Mask’ campaign where we recycled PPE from the NHS post-COVID-19 into litter picking components.

How and where do you find the nets needed to supply your products?

Being a team of ocean users all passionate about protecting what we love, we often can be found out and around the Cornish coastline physically collecting reported ghost gear ourselves; from remote corners requiring boats, paddling or swimming to in plain sight on some of our busiest beaches following storms.

As well as collecting ourselves, we have a dedicated Impact & Recycling team who have established strong relationships and partnerships with local fishermen, harbours, organizations and waste management companies such as Biffa, providing an end-of-life solution and preventing the gear ending up in landfill.

We often hear stories of plastic packaging that has lasted for an age in our waters, only to wash up in recent times. Is there a particular piece of netting that stands out from your time working with marine plastic?

The most prominent one/example that comes to mind happened on September 21st 2023 where the Raggy Charters crew spotted a juvenile humpback whale in Algoa Bay, South Africa, exhausted and entangled in fishing gear and fighting for its life.

The whale was struggling under the weight of heavy plastic ropes cutting into its flesh as well as two large orange buoys, a small yellow buoy, and a huge amount of 20-mm nylon cable wrapped around its caudal fin.

A rescue operation, led by the South African Whale Disentanglement Network took hours of painstaking effort involving multiple rescue boats and a coordinated team where they were able to free the whale who swam away, shattered but alive.

The ghost gear that ensnared the humpback was recovered and through collaborative links with the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA), made its way to us, where we saw an opportunity to create something unique and share this near-tragedy as part of our ‘Rescue to Recycle’ Campaign. An initiative that transforms harmful marine debris into products that drive change and supports ongoing conservation efforts.

Gathered plastic marine debris is recycled for manufacturing. Photo credit: Waterhaul

What percentage of your total product is made from ocean-reclaimed materials?

100% of all plastic components across our entire product range are made from Traceable Marine Plastic (TMP), our material feedstock derived from lost, abandoned and discarded fishing gear. Our eyewear frames are also made 100% from TMP.

Do you partner with any marine conservation or environmental organizations?

Waterhaul was founded with a background in and ethos of marine conservation and environmental direct impact, ultimately initiating the mission we are on. We are incredibly proud to be supported by and have partnered with organizations such as Surfers Against Sewage, The Wave project, Sea Shepherd, The RNLI, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Canal and River Trust, and many more.

Can you explain the process of transforming ocean plastic into your final products?

Every single piece of ghost gear, whether collected by ourselves or the end-of-life fishing gear we have received from the source, is taken to our processing unit here in Cornwall.

The gear is then separated by polymer type and recycled in the UK through a mechanical process of shredding and washing. The plastic is then extruded into pellets and becomes our fully traceable raw material, Traceable Marine Plastic (TMP).

We then injection mould this plastic into our range of purposeful products. This is the stage where we give new value to plastic ‘waste’. Our impact is driven further by our extensive network of partners, from stockists to product partners and more.

What’s the best way for someone to get involved in helping your mission, any tips for how everyone can make a difference?

Aside from the conscious purchasing of products that make a direct impact and questioning the materials of where our products come from, getting out there is the most efficient way of making a difference. Grab a litter picker and whether it’s a 2-minute beach clean, a litter pick around your nearest green area or picking up rubbish you pass on the street, it all makes a huge difference in protecting our planet’s ecosystem and wildlife! Spending a few extra minutes to sort out recycling from domestic waste will also play a huge role. Finally, talking about and sharing stories on this often-overlooked topic will also spark conversations and inspire others to go out and do the same thing!

Waterhaul ocean friendly litter picking kit made from recycled marine debris. Photo credit: Waterhaul

Browse the Waterhaul products available through NHBS here

Visit the Waterhaul website to learn more about their work here

Making data work for nature: 25 years of the National Biodiversity Network Trust

The National Biodiversity Network Trust has been supporting the sharing of wildlife data since 2000. The trust consists of over 200 members, ranging from world renowned organisations to individual enthusiasts and there are now more than 300 million wildlife records available through the NBN Atlas.
Mandy Henshall, communications and engagement manager for NBN tells NHBS about the early days of the trust, achievements so far, how you can get involved and their hopes for the next 25 years.

How did the NBN Trust come into being in 2000?

It might come as a surprise, but there’s never been a legal requirement for any one organisation to collect or manage biological records over the long term.

Despite, or because of this, the Biological Records Centre (BRC) was set up in 1964 to bring together data, mostly from volunteer recording groups, share it with conservation organisations and publish the findings.

The BRC has done a brilliant job, but without a joined-up approach or enough resources to support both local and national recorders, no single organisation could get a full picture of what was going on. As the need to report on environmental issues grew, so did the pressure to make data more accessible.

The push to create the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) came from the Biodiversity Action Planning process, which followed the 1992 Rio Summit. A report from the Coordinating Commission for Biological Recording helped bring together UK organisations in 1997 to pool their efforts and make sharing data easier.

That’s how the NBN Trust came to be. It was set up as an independent charity in 2000 to help build and support the Network.

If you want to delve a little deeper, you can find out more about our story and our founding members on the NBN Trust website.

What was the early work focused on?

In the beginning, the focus was all about getting things off the ground and developing projects and activities that would help move the NBN Trust forward and support the wider Network. Some of the key things we worked on included:

Creating a shared set of principles for how data should be exchanged

Hosting an annual Conference to bring people together, share ideas, and build connections across the partnership

Launching the NBN Gateway — the first online platform for sharing biodiversity data (this was replaced by the NBN Atlas in 2017)

Building the Species Dictionary (now called the UK Species Inventory – UKSI) in 2003, which enabled data to be indexed and searched

Producing guidance on everything from managing and sharing data to handling sensitive information and intellectual property rights, so that data could be used more freely and confidently

Creating mapping resources to support better mapping and recording

Much of this is still central to our work today.

What has been the biggest change for the NBN Trust and wildlife recording since 2000?

There have been two major changes over the years:

The first is all about technology, specifically the launch of the NBN Atlas in 2017. This platform is based on the Atlas for Living Australia and was built to handle the growing amount of data being shared. When we moved from the NBN Gateway, we were making 117 million records available. Now, the NBN Atlas holds over 300 million species records, so almost double. Downloads have also increased significantly, with over 1 billion records downloaded by the end of 2024.

The second big change is how much easier it has become for anyone to record and share wildlife sightings. Thanks to apps and websites like iNaturalistUK, iRecord, and other platforms, many more people are getting involved. This new and accessible technology helps to standardise record collection and gather more valuable data, from experts and citizen scientists alike, which can be used to protect and restore nature.

Looking ahead: What might the next 25 years hold for the NBN Trust?

Undoubtedly, technology will continue to keep evolving and changing how we record and share biodiversity data. We’ve already started seeing this with the rise of environmental-derived DNA (eDNA) datasets on the NBN Atlas, and that’s only going to grow. We’ve made big upgrades to the Atlas to keep up with technological advances and the sheer volume of data, and we’ll need to keep adapting as new tools and techniques come along.

We might also see more automated data collection, like AI-powered species identification from photos or sounds, and even drones or remote sensors helping to monitor habitats in real time. These kinds of innovations could make recording faster, more accurate, and accessible to even more people.

It’s not just about technology though, who we engage with in the future will be crucial to our success. We’d like to increase our impact and our mission by working not only with data collectors, academics, and policy makers, but also with businesses, financial institutions, and the private sector all of whom have a crucial role to play in tackling the planetary emergencies through data, collaboration, and investment in nature. This will be a key change for us, but one which is really exciting.

Despite these broader changes, the heart of the Network will still be the recorders: the volunteers, the citizen scientists, and the organisations who collect, share and verify data. Without them, there wouldn’t be an NBN Atlas, or a National Biodiversity Network.

So, as we celebrate being 25, we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s part of the NBN community. Whether you’re a member of or donor to the NBN Trust, a partner in the NBN, a data provider to the NBN Atlas, or someone who’s just started recording wildlife – you’re helping us to make data work for nature.

How can people get involved?

We’ve already talked about the importance of people and data to the Network, so one really important activity for people to do is to record the wildlife they see and to share the details. We’ve got information about this on the website – https://nbn.org.uk/record-share-explore-data/record-wildlife-a-fun-way-to-help-nature/

We have our annual NBN Conference on 20th November in Bristol. This will be themed around our 25 years anniversary and will delve into the past, present and future of the NBN. It’s also a great occasion to come together and celebrate the amazing people already recording nature through the NBN Awards for Wildlife Recording. The Awards’ shortlist can be found here and NHBS is one of our generous sponsors.

Finally, as a UK registered-charity, income generated from our donations and partnerships helps fund our vital work supporting the whole UK nature recovery sector with wildlife data.

We’re nothing without our members, supporters and donors and we’re grateful to every individual and organisation that contributes to our work. If you would like a future where nature is thriving everywhere, in all its diversity, please consider a donation. Every penny will go directly to our work – to make data work for nature. Thank you. https://nbn.org.uk/support-us/

Mandy Henshall Communications and Engagement Manager NBN

Book Review – The Lives of Bats: A Natural History

The Lives of Bats is part of Princeton University Press’s series The Lives of the Natural World that has grown to 14 volumes. Technically speaking, it is designed and produced by UniPress Books, which I have described elsewhere as the spiritual successor of Ivy Press and which is similarly known for producing good-looking books. As with the other volumes, this one is chock-a-block with full-colour photos, to the point that you would be hard-pressed to find a single page of plain text. It follows the same formula as other volumes, ending each chapter with a short species gallery that profiles four or five relevant or noteworthy species.

Professor of biology DeeAnn M. Reeder’s research programme encompasses physiology, immunology, disease ecology, behaviour, evolution, and conservation, and bats are often her model organism of choice. She is only all too aware of the dislike and fear that bats instil, especially as reservoir hosts of diseases, so an important focus of this book is to demystify and (if that is even a word) de-demonise bats by giving a factual and up-to-date primer on their biology. After a brief introduction, Reeder picks seven topics—evolution, anatomy, echolocation, diet, thermoregulation, reproduction, and disease—before ending with a chapter on past and present interactions between bats and humans.

If there is a unifying theme to this book, it is how much the biology of bats is shaped by the demands of flight. Anatomical adaptations are the first to come to mind, from the ankle spur (a calcar) that supports the wing membrane between the hind limbs (the uropatagium), to the five extra muscles that control the tautness and curvature of the wing membrane. Reeder’s favourite overlooked adaptation is the hind limbs that are rotated 180°, meaning the soles of the feet face forward and the knees bend backwards compared to other mammals.

The demands of flight extend far beyond anatomy, though. To conserve energy, bats can go into torpor, lowering their metabolic rate and body temperature. This can be as brief as a few hours or be extended for weeks on end, at which point we call it hibernation. Like humans, bats generate their own body heat (endothermy), but unlike us, they can conserve energy by allowing their body temperature to track the environmental temperature (heterothermy) while we maintain a steady body temperature (homeothermy). The need for energy conservation even impacts their reproduction. Bat pups are huge compared to their parents, meaning pregnancy is energetically costly on two fronts: foetal development takes energy, but so does flying around with all that extra mass. To make sure birth coincides with peak food availability, female bats can store sperm (a well-known trait in many organisms) but also slow down or even pause (!) foetal development.

Reeder features many other notable traits, adding an extra layer of information to the basic facts that will be rattling around in most people’s heads. Sure, bats echolocate, but what I did not realise is that some groups emit sound out of their mouth and others out of their nose. The family Pteropodidae, the fruit bats, have lost echolocation (fruit tends not to move), yet some species have secondarily re-evolved it, relying on wing-clapping or tongue-clicking to help them navigate their cave roosts. And where many bats issue a call and then listen out for the echo, some bats do not separate the two in time but in frequency, calling at a different frequency than the echoes return at. This nifty feat of sensory biology allows them to produce sound while simultaneously receiving and interpreting the incoming echoes.

I also came away from this book with a much better appreciation of the family Phyllostomidae. When the University of Chicago Press published a book dedicated to this family in 2020, I was admittedly nonplussed: what is so special about them? The incredible diversity of their diet. This family includes carnivorous bats dining on small reptiles, birds, and mammals. It includes the three species of vampire bat whose sanguivorous habits have become the stuff of legend. More relevant but less appreciated is that, by eating fruit, pollen, and nectar, they are important pollinators, including of many cacti and important crops.

Reeder is at her most strident when it comes to the role of bats in diseases, including COVID-19. Yes, bats harbour viruses and other pathogens that impact public health, but spillovers are a human problem caused by our relentless destruction of wildlife habitat. We should be wary of “the sometimes sensationalistic portrayal of bats, writ large, as hosts of deadly viruses” (p. 250); the same can be said of many other animal groups, including primates, rodents, and birds. Reeder is a proponent of the One Health framework that recognises that you cannot tackle human, animal, and ecosystem health in isolation because they are all interconnected.

Given the format and aim of this series, Reeder only has the space to go so deep on these and other topics. However, as with the book I reviewed previously, this is not just a regurgitation of popular information. You can tell this is written by a specialist in her field who is carefully weighing up how much information to give you and how much to hold back. The resources section recommends some of the many technical books if you want to read deeper, plus a two-page reference section to journal articles, including studies up to 2023 and 2024.

Bats are particularly photogenic, and the editorial team at UniPress Books has scoured several stock photo libraries, as well as the work of numerous individual photographers, credited in the back of the book. There are memorable photos here while a small number of neat infographics are contributed by illustrator Sarah Skeate.

The Lives of Bats continues the series’ successful formula: challenge one or two subject experts to write an accessible introduction that can serve multiple audiences. For novices, this is a great first stop on bats that will give you a well-informed introduction to their unique biology (and equally, it is a book that you can safely gift them). However, the book is also rewarding for biologists who just happen to have studied other organisms but have a hankering for bats. I enjoyed The Lives of Bats more than I thought I would, and by the end, I felt it had subtly enriched my knowledge.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 3rd September 2025

Rhizostoma pulmo jellyfish spotted in Canet-en-Roussillon. CC-BY-SA-3.0 Steren Giannini

Unprecedented and expected… marine heat in 2025

As anticipated, in 2025, UK seas have had their warmest temperatures since records began. The first seven months of the year average 0.2°C higher than any year since 1980.

The observable outcome of this is the sometimes-abundant appearance of marine species that are usually found in low numbers in UK waters – Common Octopus, Bluefin Tuna, Mauve Stingers and Barrel Jellyfish have all been observed at unprecedented levels. Although likely to delight some marine naturalists, the unusually high presence of these species could be indicative of ecosystem destabilisation and the collapse of the global aquatic food web.

An eco-populist shift for the Green party

Zack Polanski has won the election to lead the Green Party in the UK. Defeating Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns, two of the party’s four elected MPs, Polanski promises to actualise his vision of a green, mass membership, ‘eco-populist’ movement. The new leader aims to reverse the perceived ineffectuality of the established party approach by tactically parroting, and ideologically challenging, Nigel Farage and Reform UK.

The new leader is ‘open to’ collaboration with Jeremy Corbyn and Zara Sultana’s temporarily titled ‘Your Party’ and has directly vowed to replace Keir Starmer’s Labour.

It is unclear what the Green’s ‘eco-populist’ shift will mean for UK politics, but Polanski’s election victory represents a significant development for a splintered but variously surging political left.

European badger photographed in Scotland. Charlie Marshall, Flickr

Legal action against the badger cull

Campaigners from Wild Justice and the Badger Trust have launched a legal challenge against the government’s decision to award additional badger cull permits. The controversial decision to renew licences, despite a previously promised ‘phase out’, has been met with considerable pushback from campaigners who cite the shaky evidence used to justify the culling of badgers in the UK. Rosie Wood, chairperson of the Badger Trust, says that ‘Bovine TB is overwhelmingly a cattle-to-cattle spread disease.? Follow the evidence – end the badger cull, stop this egregious attack on nature and stop misleading the public, farmers and the taxpayer.’ Look out for her commentary on the ongoing case in an upcoming issue of British Wildlife.

A setback for the global plastics treaty

The United Nations meeting marked the most recent push to actualise a global plastics treaty. Representatives of 100 nations called for an ambitious and effective treaty to curtail global plastic production but were stalled by 234 lobbyists from the oil industry who argued instead for a focus on ‘recycling’ and the continuation of unregulated plastic production. This breakdown of negotiation is the latest in a long line of failures to meet deadlines for the treaty – meaning business as usual for oil states and the accelerated detriment for ecosystems.

Protestor highlighting Plastic pollution overshoot in London. CC BY-SA 2.0 Alisdare Hickson, Flickr

Book review: Is a River Alive?

***** A hydrological odyssey

Nature writer Robert Macfarlane will need little introduction, having authored a string of successful books on people, landscape, and language. Billed as his most political book to date, Is a River Alive? sees Macfarlane wrestle with the titular question and examine its relevance to the nascent Rights of Nature movement.

At the heart of this book are three long, 70–100-page parts that detail visits to three river systems in Ecuador, India, and Canada. They are separated by short palate cleansers, describing brief visits to local springs close to his home in Cambridge. In the back, you will find a surprisingly thorough ten page glossary, notes, a select bibliography, a combined acknowledgements and aftermaths section detailing developments up to publication, and an index.

This dry enumeration aside, it is the quality of the writing that we are all here for, and Macfarlane is on fine form as he immerses you in the landscapes he visits. These journeys are not solo affairs, however, and in each place he is accompanied by knowledgeable local guides: some are long-term collaborators, others he has only just met. It is a motley crew that includes a mycologist, a musician, and a lawyer, as well as judges, activists, back-country experts, and his close friend Wayne Chambliss. Macfarlane has a knack for giving warm and memorable portraits of them, as well as others they meet along the way.

The political aspect of this book stems from the fact that all these river systems are under threat; from mining in Ecuador, industrial pollution in India, and the construction of hydroelectric dams in Canada. In part, the book is a reportage on the environmental harm caused by resource extraction, economic development, and heavy industry, and the slow violence it inflicts on predominantly poor and marginalised communities. In Chennai, he graphically details how this has already come to pass, while in Ecuador and Canada, it could come to pass if certain companies were to get their way. In response, Western and Indigenous activists have rallied behind the Rights of Nature movement that originated in 1972 when lawyer Christopher Stone asked whether trees should have standing. Its proponents argue that natural entities such as mountains, forests, and rivers can and should have rights—legal personhood even—and thus protection by law.

So, is a river alive? What makes this book intriguing and thought-provoking is that Macfarlane does not provide a straightforward answer (“Yes, of course rivers are alive and here is why”). Instead, he wrestles with this question in full view of the reader. Clearly, he supports the environmentalist agenda and quickly counters the claim of anthropomorphism. He refers to rivers as a “who” and not an “it”, condemning the habit of the English language to “it” all natural entities, “a mode of address that reduces them to the status of stuff” (p. 22). I like to reference the work of Eileen Crist to make the point that language shapes our reality, and Macfarlane condenses it masterfully here: “Words make worlds” (p. 22).

Macfarlane’s struggle plays out along two axes. First, how can we really speak on nature’s behalf? What does a river want? He worries that in granting rights to nature, we will simply end up with “human proxies […] ventriloquizing ‘river’ and ‘forest’ in a kind of cos-play animism” (p. 83). His close friend Wayne justifiably asks whether the whole movement is just “a disguised form of political manoeuvring” (p. 292), in which assigning personhood to natural entities merely becomes a means to an end. Second, there is a philosophical and linguistic struggle. What words can truly capture this? “The history of literature is littered with the debris of attempts to utter water” (p. 289). In searching for a “grammar of animacy” (sensu Kimmerer), he is frustrated with “language’s short reach” (p. 260) and repeatedly runs into a wall. Partially, it seems the answers cannot be verbalised but have to be bodily experienced, as his journeys show him; partially, Indigenous thinking provides him with answers.

On that latter point I have to be honest: though I am supportive of this cause, as a child of the Western, scientific tradition, Indigenous thinking does not resonate with me much, and this is entirely *my* shortcoming. Macfarlane, it seems, sympathises, struggling with it himself: “It requires unlearning, a process much harder than learning” (p. 19). That said, there are moments where he speaks to the biologist in me, such as when discussing the deep-time maps of geologist Harold Fisk that show the many past meanders of the Mississippi River snaking across the landscape, making rivers seem very much alive. Similarly, when mycologist Giuliana Furci points out the consequences of deforestation (when the cloud-forest goes, so do its rivers), you have to wonder: are these rivers a form of niche construction, or even (if you squint hard, I admit) an extended phenotype of a kind? By and large, however, even if life is a fuzzy phenomenon that lacks sharp boundaries, the scientist in me feels that the question is stretching a metaphor beyond its breaking point.

So, I ask again, is a river alive? Better perhaps to ask, I think: Does it matter? Given how entwined life is with water and how dependent human societies are on rivers, the question seems moot to me. For most people, this is ultimately about environmental protection, in which case, whether or not a river has vital signs is irrelevant. However, if personhood is what it takes, given existing legal frameworks, then, sure, why not? A second concern I have is that of enforcement. All these lofty declarations risk being yet more paper parks if they do not have the force of the law behind them. Though Macfarlane does not explicitly raise this point, both his main text and his aftermaths give examples where judges have successfully invoked the Rights of Nature to halt or prevent companies from extracting natural resources. A final concern, as was so clearly argued in The Irresponsible Pursuit of Paradise, is that protective measures risk merely displacing resource extraction to somewhere else with less oversight. As long as there is demand for resources and money on the table, companies will continue extracting value from nature. This deeper cause is not dealt with here, though expecting Macfarlane to imagine the end of capitalism, pretty please, would be a tad unrealistic of me. That is a thorny, multifaceted problem if ever there was one.

Is a River Alive? is an intriguing and thought-provoking piece of nature writing that refuses to give easy answers. I imagine that this is not what Macfarlane’s readers are after anyway, and, if so, they will be amply served by the spectacle of a master wordsmith grappling with a weighty question.