Gareth Bradbury

Reflective Ape. Ecologist. Trail Runner.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Wondering how sediment accumulates in beaver ponds? The second paper from my PhD has just been published in ESPL @UniofExeter @BristolUni @nationaltrust : https://t.co/L4IiozPLBJ

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

The BBC quotes you as saying: "We are with you not just today, for this year or the next - but for 100 years - long after this terrible war is over and Ukraine is free and thriving once again,"

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

@Keir_Starmer Britain is struggling financially alongside many other countries because Putin invaded Ukraine. America only benefits from a weakened Europe and will not feel the economic pressure if lands are conceded to Putin in Trump's peace plan. What is Britain doing?

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

It would be amazing if by the time this cygnet grows up it didn't have to swim in river water so laden in farm soil with it's burden of valuable nitrate, phosphate and carbon. What an unnecessary and unsustainable waste. #notill. #riverexe. @nfu

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Followed by some more great aquatic and semi-aquatic mammal encounters..
https://t.co/s9HtLl0aTD

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Excited to have successfully defended by viva voce my PhD: Beavers mediate diffuse water pollution in agriculturally impacted catchments. Very grateful to Prof Nigel Willby @StirUni for taking the time to travel down to Exeter, and @DiegoPanici as internal examiner.🤓🦠 🦫✔️🍾.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Really finding its roots now. I'll do a plant and insect survey soon, but amazing what was already in the soil seed-bank or has found its way in. As is my ethos, the only things I planted were a hedge (from beech nuts in a local wood) and some food (soft fruits @AdamsAppleTrees )

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

An easy win here... a boring gravel garden with plants trying to break through.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

yep, already greening up nicely and naturally with grasses, cornsalad, speedwell, bittercresses, thale cress, forget-me-nots, groundsel, willowherbs and others! Blue tits and sparrows risk the local cats to gather seeds!

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Trust the National Trust to colour-match! @nationaltrust

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

The moment I dropped a file into a folder. PhD thesis submitted. I've got a few paper corrections to make, but hopefully we can then share our contribution to how reintroducing beavers is good for water quality. 🦫@ExeterGeography @GW4FreshCDT @nationaltrust @BristolUni

[Mary Creagh MP @MaryCreagh_]

Wonderful to be in Purbeck Dorset with ⁦@HattonLloyd⁩ ⁦@nationaltrust⁩ ⁦@BeaverTrust⁩ ⁦@NaturalEngland⁩ ⁦@UniofExeter⁩ for the first ever wild release of beavers in England!

[Beaver Trust @BeaverTrust]

Historic first official wild beaver release in England!

Earlier today, our team was delighted to support the historic first licensed wild beaver release @nationaltrust site at Little Sea in Purbeck, Dorset.

@naturalengland @DefraGovuk

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Credit to all those who made this happen, from the first beaver believers, the land managers, advisers and researchers on the ground, to those compiling reports and pushing for legislation for years from desks🦫🎉

[Natural England @NaturalEngland]

Welcome back, beavers. 🦫

We are thrilled to support the Government’s decision to allow the reintroduction of beavers into the wild in England.

https://t.co/QCZz1sejW2

Beaver clips @BeaverTrust and Alan Puttock (University of Exeter).

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

The easiest way to get land in England is to buy a bucket and take it out the river. River Exe, well mostly Exe catchment soil, after the rains today.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

*in my view as an ecologist, the only time to plant trees is: for forage (fruit trees in an orchard or garden), in a hedge (where boundaries are needed, hedges are good) or where erosion is so severe soil will not stand long enough for regeneration (think coastal/bank collapse).

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

I will pay land owners in the UK to NOT plant trees. Nature can plant trees SO much better than us. If you have space, just let it go. If you're in a deer area, put up a deer fence with a gate in. You'll need a gate so you can see the AMAZING things happening when left alone.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Why am I concerned? It's not Russia's invasion of Ukraine, or other horrific acts of oppression elsewhere, but it is forcing our hand on nature again which will take hundreds of years for nature to take back. Or we can truly give nature the space and enjoy all the benefits.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Tree planting (in the UK) is no part of the solution to climate change -that's leaving fossil fuels in the ground, and it's not even close to being as good for biodiversity where natural regeneration, which WILL happen on anything but bare rock practically, is an option.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

Over the winter I have to run a dehumidifier occasionally to keep damp at bay in my flat. Last week it occurred to me that I could use the condensate to fill my toilet cistern. Now all the water comes from that on cold days, saving hundreds of litres of treated water annually.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

I like articles like this: https://t.co/JioyqfxrWF. Fossil fuel execs are just rubbing their hands when millions of us think 'but my changes won't make a difference.' Meanwhile the planet burns. Be vocal. Discuss it. Normalise actions, not in-action.

[Gareth Bradbury @RunWildGB]

@gow_derek Seems to have been done with the same care as someone releasing the family goldfish into a river. British lynx will have their day; I hope this hasn't set it back too much.