Tannis Davidson
@tannisdavidson.bsky.social
Head of Zoology and Science Collections at UCL based at the Grant Museum of Zoology @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social. Nature, science, art, music.
15,000 years ago, in one of the the earliest settled communities in the world, a child collected fine clay from the slow-moving river by her home. She then committed an act familiar to all inveterate play-doh enthusiasts; rolling and and pinching the squishy clay into tiny round balls.
Whilst most sensible people were snoozing at 6.50am today, I was on #BBCRadio4 #TodayProgramme, talking about wasps, heatwaves & how you can help #HamOrJam #WaspPicnicSurvey2026 Listen @BBCSounds 50' www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Read more: theconversation.com/where-have-a... @uclnews.bsky.social
Where have all the wasps gone this summer?
And why you should let them share your picnic ham and jam.
theconversation.com
Pleased to share Benedict Cumberbatch meeting our walrus baculum at the recent premiere of ‘How to Live on Earth’ with Dan O’Neill: youtu.be/7gbV-bJ7iI0?...
Guess the Species with Dan O’Neill | How to Live on Earth
YouTube video by Open Planet
youtu.be
News | Museums count cost of heatwaves as income and collections suffer Footfall drops 3% in first two quarters of the year with extreme weather cited as a leading cause
Museums count cost of heatwaves as income and collections suffer - Museums Association
Footfall drops 3% in first two quarters of the year with extreme weather cited as a leading cause
museumsassociation.org
Natural history on canvas: Brueghel knew about bird-eating noctule bats Just published in @pnas.org, OA for all eyes Led by the one-and-only @romero-vidal.bsky.social, with the amazing @elena-tena.bsky.social and Sonia Sánchez-Navarro @ebdonana.bsky.social LINK: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Absolutely nobody asked for this but I reformatted my animal yeetability thread into printable poster & zine files. Introducing, the "Pocket Guide to Responsible & Sustainable Animal YEETING" featuring a revamped rating system. Download links below.
franz@franzanth.bsky.social · 2y agoSomeone was surprised to learn that I yeet bugs out instead of *gently relocating* them. I appreciate the gesture. But in the tropics, seeing bugs where they shouldn't be is an hourly—not weekly thing. You learn what can survive a yeet to save time. In this thread I'm rating animal yeetability.
We built a hotel for roof-breeding kittiwakes on Røst and share our first experiences in a paper now published in SEABIRD, with recommendations for those attempting a similar project. High attendance but few breeding attempts in the first year. doi.org/10.61350/sbj... 📷 T Anker-Nilssen
Just a normal day at work with @tannisdavidson.bsky.social and the team from @uclgrantmuseum.bsky.social getting thigns for our @royalsociety.org #SummerScience exihibition to the Royal Society...
We were thrilled to be on the green carpet last night for the world premiere of ‘How to Live on Earth’ – a new feature documentary presented by Benedict Cumberbatch. The film, opening during #LCAW2026, explores how we can build a future that works with nature, not against it. @uclnews.bsky.social
The moles are tremendously honoured to have inspired this poem. We like to think their ghosts are friends too. @glassjarofmoles.bsky.social
Kym Deyn@kymdeyn.bsky.social · 2mo agoRough day, so have a poem about the Jar of Moles in the Grant Zoology Museum in London that everyone has regarded as too thoroughly batshit to publish
UK 16yr olds will soon be able to take a GCSE in Natural History. #DofE have released the curriculum specification for public consultation. My thoughts on how it performs in @uk.theconversation.com @ucllifesciences.bsky.social @curlewaction.bsky.social theconversation.com/eco-literate...
Eco-literate children can be stewards of nature – here’s how to boost environmental education
How we train the next generation is critical to nature recovery.
theconversation.com
We’re really excited to be a part of this! Join us @royalsociety.org for cutting-edge scientific activities, specimens and more!
Laura Porro@laurabporro.bsky.social · 2mo agoOur exhibit "Immortalising Natural History in 3D" will be one of of the flagship exhibits at the @royalsociety.org #SummerScience Exhibition from June 30th - July 5th! @ucl-c4ia.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk @ucllifesciences.bsky.social with @leaveylab.bsky.social @unisouthampton.bsky.social
Good news! Ministers have finally given green light to new #NaturalHistory GCSE. We’ve campaigned so long for this! Big hats off to tireless advocate Mary Colwell 🙌 Now our young people will have a chance to get to know & love the natural world, to feel awe & wonder, & gain skills to protect it 🌷🌳🦡
Natural history GCSE to teach teenagers to plant wildflower-friendly gardens
Long-awaited course to examine human effects on natural world and explore everyday ways to aid biodiversity
theguardian.com
UCL’s Laura Porro recently teamed up with children’s TV presenter Maddie Moate to explore dinosaur diets, reptile teeth, and even what brains can tell us about intelligence. 🔗 Read more: www.ucl.ac.uk/life-science...
Laura Porro and Children's TV presenter talk brains and fluffy dinosaurs!
Laura Porro from UCL's Centre for Integrative Anatomy was filmed talking about anatomy and fluffy dinosaurs with CBeebies' Maddie Moate - and helping Maddie to dissect a pig's brain!
ucl.ac.uk
"Papua New Guinea has detailed its plans to protect approximately 200,000 km² of Pacific Ocean waters – an area roughly the size of the United Kingdom – from fishing and all other destructive human activity." Papua New Guinea announces largest MPA in its history share.google/Lx6z18O1Bhiw...
Papua New Guinea announces largest MPA in its history - Oceanographic
Papua New Guinea has announced the Western Manus Marine Protected Area - a no-take zone covering 200,000 km² of the Pacific Ocean.
share.google
'Singing, painting or visiting a gallery or museum helps people age more slowly, according to the latest study to link taking an active interest in art and culture with improved health.' Study after study after study suggests funding the arts funds good health, not that policy reflects it. 1/2
Arts and cultural engagement ‘linked to slower pace of biological ageing’
Research from UCL suggests visiting art galleries or museums, singing and painting can help improve health outcomes
theguardian.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwkM... Unbelievable work by @kiabugboy.bsky.social! Please go give it a watch!
Prehistoric Horn Corals [Rugose coral 3D animation]
YouTube video by Kiabugboy
youtube.com
Join us in wishing Sir David Attenborough a Happy 100th Birthday! 🎉 An inspiration to us all and the world’s greatest science communicator, here he is in the Grant Museum in 2014 filming ‘Attenborough’s Fabulous Frogs’. 🐸
Join British Museum staff as they embark on a new research project, using modern X-ray and CT scanning techniques to reveal what's inside Ancient Egyptian animal mummies.
We CT scanned ancient Egyptian animal mummies - here's what we found inside
YouTube video by The British Museum
youtube.com
Wishing a Happy 200th Birthday to @zslofficial.bsky.social! Our orangutan taxidermy specimen lived at London zoo from 1913-1917 and was later donated to @ucl.ac.uk. Today we welcomed students and ZSL staff for a special UCL + ZSL bicentenary drawing workshop celebrating our two institutions.
Come work with us! We are recruiting for a 1 year maternity cover Curator (Science Collections). www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
ucl.ac.uk
