Striving to build a better future for people & the planet ๐ Assistant Director, Sustainability
@SheffCouncil
๐ Impatient for change ๐
#ActuallyAutistic
Yo Millennials and Gen Z'ers:
Genuine question:
Have you been wondering if there's any point paying into a pension, given the (increasing?) possibility that the world will be in utter chaos by the time we're meant to retire?
Today I had to call the police on a photographer. He was flying his drone with a camera on into threatened bird species on the pond to get them into flight so he could take shots of them. This is not only dangerous, but also illegal. Please don't do this.
I'm coming up to 1.5 years working at the science-policy interface for the UK Civil Service. What have I learnt about using evidence to inform policy? A thread
Recently
@BBCEarth
shared a video of a rusty spotted cat, star of
@BBCOne
#BigCats
Enquiries flooded in about where to buy these cats as pets. The BBC asked me to write an article about why it's NOT OK to have wild animals as pets. Here's the story
I'm often asked by academics how to use Twitter. Rather than repeat the same stuff on different occasions, I decided to create a thread.
This is just my own personal experience so PLEASE join in, add your own thoughts/suggestions & ask questions!
Here's a controversial statement.
A job should be achievable in 37 hours/week.
If not, that's the fault of the employer, not the employee.
If an employee can't achieve their targets in 37 hours/ week, the employer should hire additional staff.
People should not work for free.
If my cat was a Victorian chimney sweeper who was asked to put on a fancy cravat for a portrait but strongly disagreed with the situation ๐
@DickKingSmith
Hey BBC, I corrected the title for you:
"Outsider scientists discover species that locals already knew about in an area not unexplored but in fact long inhabited by indigenous peoples"
Hey
#BiologyTwitter
I'm looking for wildlife scientists who are doing interesting work on intriguing species! I want to write about you & your work for a popular wildlife magazine. Get in touch if you or someone you know might want coverage! Plz RT
#JournoRequest
๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ท๏ธ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ
The most common reported cause of failed conservation projects was due to stakeholder relations.
This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to have social scientists trained in effective stakeholder engagement to be integral parts of any conservation intervention
@Azradok
Have they? That surprises me given Gen Xers in Western countries have, by most metrics, had a pretty good life in general. It's Millennials who are the first generation who have had it worse off than their parents
Took๐ฑto the vets as he kept on drinking lots from my glass. Ran some blood tests. Turns out he's fine; he's just a fussy, spoiled brat that only wants fresh water in a glass. And not just any glass. Oh no, because we gave him his own glass. No, it has to be water from MY glass๐น
Are you a university student now stuck learning from home? ๐
Interested in wildlife conservation? ๐ฏ
Want to learn more about the social and political aspects of wildlife poaching? ๐ฆ
I'm hosting a webinar on 24 March at midday UK time. Message me if you'd like to join! ๐ฅ๏ธ
Working longer hours not only makes you less productive, it shortens your life. We need to think differently about the working week. Taking time off doesn't make you lazy; it makes you a responsible worker who values their productivity & health
I think it's really important to break this cultural perception within academia that you SHOULD work weekends. You don't have to work weekends to be a successful academic. Work BETTER not LONGER (science supports this mantra too!)
Well, this blew up! Apologies if I don't get back to everyone on this but I'll try to read everyone's replies tomorrow. Sad to hear that others too are having these concerns about the future ๐ข
I am constantly amazed at how prevalent the "slidedeck" is for influencing policy. Think: "Powerpoint or it didn't happen".
Very few policymakers will have time to read your journal article. Think how best to convey your messages to time-poor people
What could help here, though, is for universities to spend more time teaching students how to:
1) come up with policy-relevant research
2) communicate their findings in policy-relevant ways
I again reiterate that journal articles are not the best way to influence policy
Conservation is political.
Whilst many conservation scientists and practitioners believe conservation is indeed a science, it is not.
Conservation is an ideology.
And the sooner scientists and practitioners realise this, the better.
So let's get this right. Because of political pressure largely based on emotional, poor journalism, the WWF is happy to change their long-standing view in the face of many scientists telling them it will put already threatened species at risk. 1 of 2
Tweeting has the potential to share scientific information widely after initial efforts to gain >1,000 followers. These results should encourage scientists to invest in building a social media presence for scientific outreach & engagement
#SciComm
Peeps! I'm running a Kickstarter campaign to bring to market my innovation in ergonomic keyboards.
I call it a Catboard.
Low maintenance. Raises the keyboard to a more ergonomic level.
Still working on reducing fluff ๐ธ
With your help we can get this new tech off the ground!๐ฑ
Hi
#AcademicTwitter
Are you interested in a list of policy-relevant research questions for your students/postdocs that we in Defra need answering for our international environmental work?
You and your students can directly get involved in providing evidence to inform policy ๐
Probably the first thing academics ask me is how they can get their research to inform policy, and why aren't policymakers listening.
1) policymakers are busy people
2) they need research findings in a digestible manner
3) they use a whole range of evidence - not just yours
Our new
#OpenAccess
article is out in Land Use Policy!
We wanted to know, now that the UK has left the EU, what do the UK public want our farmed landscapes to look like?
This has important implications for post-Brexit agri-environment policy formation
I was shockied and sickened recently when someone said to me they didn't think Jeff Bezos should give away any of his money because, according to them, he earned it so deserves it.
The below website shows how obscene his wealth is.
Absolutely delighted to announce that next month I'll be starting as the Programme Manager for an exciting new initiative led by
@NorthPennAONB
and
@yorkshire_dales
where I'll be leading a team to conserve and restore nature across hundreds of farms in the North!
๐ฉโ๐พ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐งโ๐พ๐๐
Has anyone else noticed that:
1) the cause of environmental degradation is due to human behaviour and governance (i.e. social sciences)
yet
2) almost all research & teaching at UK universities are in natural sciences?
How's that gonna help save the world, hmm? ๐ค
@DaniRabaiotti
I guess where I'm going with this is I don't even know if the world will be liveable by then? And money may be meaningless if it's a Mad Max style world!
Holy bologna! I can't believe I've been accepted onto the prestigious and highly competitive Future Leaders Scheme. This is the Civil Service's premiere leadership coaching course for emerging leaders who show high potential to be part of the Senior Civil Service
#FutureLeaders
Iโm now coming to the end of my time in the UK Civil Service, after being here for nearly 3 years, working across 3 depts. What else have I learnt about policymaking and what itโs like to work here? A new thread
I'm coming up to 1.5 years working at the science-policy interface for the UK Civil Service. What have I learnt about using evidence to inform policy? A thread
So, ultimately, influencing policy is a bit of a black box. It's about who you know, how you act, cultural capital, social capital, fitting in, working the system and understanding how to play the game.
Most academics frankly have very limited understanding of this game
โI discovered the river you see behind me here in London. I donโt know what the natives call it but I gave it a proper name โ River Gulu. Like Sir Samuel Baker you can now call me Sir Miltonโฆ Who discovered River Gulu in Londonโ ๐
I've been surprised by how few policy & evidence civil servants have deep-topic expertise. Policy folk know how to create policy. Evidence folk know how to create evidence. But they might not know about the policy area they're working on.
Interested in your views on this
Here's an important video message brought to you by my dog on the importance of stopping and smelling the roses... or in her case, daffodils ๐ผ ๐
#FridayFeeling
Absolutely love the idea of "reverse mentoring" where senior people are mentored by young people.
It's time we moved away from the myth that you can only learn from your elders.
Just imagine if all senior management had youth mentors guiding them! โค๏ธ
A camera trap in Brazil has captured a photograph of a white (leucistic) puma in the Serra dos รrgรฃos National Park.
(h/t Michael Ariola) ~
@CryptoLoren
#PhantomPanther
๐ฅณEXTREMELY COOL JOB ALERT! ๐ข
I'm recruiting for a Senior Analyst in land, agriculture & nature to join my team at
@theCCCuk
.
This exciting, important role will play a key part in developing the next Climate Change Risk Assessment for the UK Government
This is vitally important. Heard about the
#blackpanther
photographed in Kenya last week? Here's the largely untold story of all the hard work by local Kenyans that went into capturing the photos. Shame that once again a rich white man gets credit
Also remember Ministers are people with their own interests and ideologies that they want to push forward. Your evidence might not fit their world view or vision for the future
@NikiRust
My experience is that Ministers love evidence... as long as it aligns with their own beliefs. If it doesn't they acquire a sudden interest in methodology.
Spending my afternoon revising a manuscript on fishing cats and can't help be amazed at how adaptable and cunning these clever kitties can be in order to survive in human-dominated landscapes. Plus: d'awww ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ
Hi I'm a social scientist; you might know me from my greatest hits including: "yes, social science is a valid form of research", "no, you don't always need stats in a journal article", and "no it's not just simply having a chat"
Hello, I'm a geologist, you might know me from my greatest hits including: "it's not all about the rocks", "crystals won't heal your aura", "no, that's not a meteorite" and "101 reasons why we shouldn't throw our trash into volcanoes"
#GeologistProblems
@ArturoRodrigoCC
@ProfSteveKeen
Thanks for this. Yep, pension funds themselves may collapse, but my concern isn't just the value of the pensions but the concern that will life even be worth living by the 2050s?
When you know you're a real zoologist: Having a lovely walk in Northumberland National Park; come across a dead sheep; first thoughts are a) what killed it, b) what's eating it and c) can I take the skull home? ๐๐
"Conservation cannot be built and maintained only on tourism income or donor funding"
Indeed. We need to think outside the box for how we fund conservation post-covid.
Cue people saying "deserves them right" & "got what's coming to them" when we have no idea about the background or motive of this person. Kruger NP stole land from locals, now many communities suffer due to living close to wildlife
Excited to see this finally out!
@IUCN
SSC guidelines on human-wildlife conflict and coexistence.
Delighted to have co-authored the chapter on social science
What happens if areas of the world currently used for meat production was instead allowed to naturally return to forest? A humungous reduction in GHG emissions, going a long way to achieving 1.5 degree C target
First day in my new role at
@theCCCuk
today heading up their nature, agriculture & land use teams!
I'll be overseeing scenarios & advice to Parliament on how to deliver simultaneous benefits for UK land, including how to support food security and nature recovery. Easy peasy ๐
I've encountered the view in the civil service that academics don't know how to create policy-relevant research. There's scope here to rebuild relationships, trust and understanding.
I started a scheme pairing MSc students up with policy/evidence folk who have evidence gaps
Snow leopard poachers turn to be snow leopard guardians in Russia's Altai mountains ๐Since the project started, the snow leopard population has GROWN!
Hmm I've never been confused buying peanut butter thinking it was cow butter, coconut milk thinking it was dairy milk, or orange juice sold in a carton thinking it was dairy milk. Anyone else?!
๐ขNEW PAPER KLAXON! ๐ข
Want to know how farmers are influenced by their network of peers to try more sustainable agricultural practices? ๐ฉโ๐พ๐พ๐จโ๐พ
Then check out our
#OpenAccess
article to find out more!
Work on landscape/agricultural policy, practice or research?
Want to know what over 2,000 British public think our countryside should look like & what they perceive an "environmentally friendly farm" to look like?
Comment below and I'll add you to the webinar list I'm running!
Yaaaaasssssssss first grant application where I'm PI has been successful! ๐
Really excited to be working with
@NUFarms
@IBM
&
@NorthumbrianH2O
on a super cool pilot project working with rural land users deciding how we manage our environment ๐ณ๐ฆ
BRING ON THE FUZZY FELT!๐ค
Absolutely delighted to start a new leadership role today at
@SheffCouncil
as their brand new Assistant Director in Sustainability ๐
I'll be overseeing the city's strategies, budgets & delivery of climate change, nature recovery, flooding, and associated infrastructure projects.
Und tรคglich grรผรt das Bibertier...
Heute war es sehr frรผh zu einem Stadtbummel in
#Tegel
aufgebrochen. Vorbildlich war es allein unterwegs & lieร sich dann in gebรผhrendem Abstand ins Tegeler Hafenbecken begleiten, um dort eine Runde zu schwimmen (Sport ist nรคmlich erlaubt).
^tsm
Ministers make decisions on what policies to create. Civil Servants then work out how to enact them. Whilst evidence informs this process, it's not just scientific evidence alone that influences ministers
It's my birthday today ๐
Just got an email from my Mum with this photo attached ๐ฝ
Apparently, this is me 30 years ago to the day ๐ฑ
I had a love for animals even back then! ๐
And lo, the reason why social science is so important to conservation: "People are key to carnivore recovery. By involving local communities from the outset, we have been able to secure the return of healthy numbers of pine martens in Wales" ๐ฆก
#ConSocSci
Excited to announce I'm moving to the Food Standards Agency soon.
I'm going back to my love of research where I'll be leading the evaluation of a nationwide One Health programme.
I'll be collaborating with academia, industry & govt to safeguard UK food, agriculture & consumers.
Whilst
#NotreDame
burnt, this happened, & no one blinked an eyelid. Losing cultural heritage is devastating but can be rebuilt. Losing a species is FOREVER. So strange how many humans place more emphasis on losing cultural heritage than natural heritage
It bothers me when people say farmland is "only suitable for livestock grazing". There are other beneficial uses for the land - planting trees and restoring peat on appropriate soils, recovering nature, etc.
I just saw a job advertised for a bricklayer/builder and they're offering a better daily salary than most universities pay postdocs and conservation NGOs pay experienced senior roles requiring PhDs, and now I think maybe I should have become a bricklayer. ๐ฉโ๐ง
"While we bemoan the demise of wildlife in other parts of the world, here in Britain we are managing to send even rodents towards extinction."
Indeed. Perhaps it's better we Brits focus on our own backyard before criticising biodiversity loss elsewhere?
Conveying complexity and uncertainty is hard at the best of times, but especially so when policymakers want simple, clear-cut solutions. I've not fully been able to work out how best to tackle this problem but welcome suggestions!
@Banging_On
He's definitely the boss of the entire neighbourhood.
@thecatreviewer
10/10 for arrogance, 20/10 for hunting ability, 100/10 for being a badass fighter
@Alex_the_finch
Oh yeah, one of the many reasons I don't have any is I couldn't face bringing a human into this world, knowing what they've likely got in store for them in the future.
It's rare to hear good news in conservation so I love being able to talk about wildlife successes! ๐ ๐ฏ ๐ป ๐ ๐๐found in Myanmar wilderness!
Journal: we will take 9 months to review and accept your manuscript ๐ด
Also the same journal: SUBMIT YOUR CORRECTED PROOFS TO US IN 48 HOURSโผ๏ธโผ๏ธ
Hey
#BiologyTwitter
who are the wildlife conservation movers & shakers on Twitter that spark debate, engage audiences & do the best
#SciComm
? Who should I be following? This is for a cool new conservation influencer project I'm working on. Please tag people below & share!
#FF
My lion story made the front page! ๐ฑ Thanks to all the lion experts who provided input into this. Here's hoping more people will put their money where their mouth is & fund lion conservation more ๐ฆ