Helen Baker
Ornithology, Mycology, nature.
Seabird team leader JNCC.
Chair BMS Field Mycology & Conservation Committee.
Own views.
- Reposted by Helen BakerEARLY VIEW in IBIS A half century of monitoring reveals contrasting survival responses of Icelandic seabirds to climate and fisheries pressures | onlinelibrary.wiley.... Sarah E. Gutowsky et al | #ornithology 🪶
- Reposted by Helen BakerAt our Beginners' Workshop in June - find out more about fungi, meet other fungus enthusiasts & take part in interactive learning to improve your ID skills.🍄 Watch a talk by workshop tutor, Cameron Diekonigin: youtu.be/fIBfQaf0J2w 👉 Book your place: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/beginners-wo...
- Reposted by Helen Baker🌟Call for Nominations – BMS Awards 2026🌟 Seeking nominations that reflect the full breadth and diversity of the mycological community—researchers, educators, field mycologists, volunteers & more.🍄Help us raise awareness of outstanding work! Deadline: 31 May 2026. www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/awards.html
- Reposted by Helen BakerHow much temperate rainforest could there be in the UK and Ireland, and where? Despite campaigns calling for restoration in both countries, these questions have been difficult to answer. In our new paper we assess the evidence base 🌏🧪🌐🌳🌲 1/9
- Reposted by Helen Baker⏰ DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY... ...for the 2026 BOU Summer Placement Scheme Financially supporting undergraduate students to carry out summer #ornithology research placements Guidelines & application form: bou.org.uk/funding/s...
- Reposted by Helen BakerDrones and artificial intelligence - in SEAPOP we have started to #monitor #seabird #populations with drones. Pictures are analyzed using artificial intelligence. Here's the #method to get from drone pictures to numbers of birds per species: seapop.no/en/2026/01/d...
- Reposted by Helen BakerFunding for new arts projects focused on fungi - up to a maximum of £5,000. Open to artists from all disciplines and all geographic locations, to help encourage all sectors of society to engage with & learn about the world of fungi! Find out more: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/massee-arts-...
- Reposted by Helen Baker🌿UK publishes first post-EU assessment for habitats and species. Latest reports cover nationally important habitats and species in each of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland & our UK offshore marine area Find out more👉https://bit.ly/4sRWnOl #TogetherForNature
- Reposted by Helen BakerThis year, the taxonomists on the Fungarium Sequencing Project had a goal to review 10,000 specimens. They hit their target an impressive three months ahead of schedule, so to celebrate their hard work, here are some of the stories they’ve uncovered!
- Reposted by Helen BakerVery pleased to share #OpenAccess paper, which we think is important to understand woodland bird declines and impact of forestry on native ancient woodland in Britain. nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #ornithology @ukceh.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @mizpas.bsky.social 🧵1/n
- Reposted by Helen Baker✨New paper!✨ An individual‐based model to quantify the non‐breeding season impact of wind farms on #seabirds doi.org/10.1002/2688... @ninanatureresearch.bsky.social @seatrackscience.bsky.social @signecd.bsky.social @masden.bsky.social
- Reposted by Helen Baker📣 The deadline for this @britmycolsoc.org.uk special issue on fungal conservation has been extended to 15th March 2026. Spread the word and don’t hesitate to contact @cfemycolab.bsky.social or me if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to receiving your submissions! 🍄
- Thrilled to announce that the special issue on fungal #conservation that @cfemycolab.bsky.social and I are co-editing for the @britmycolsoc.org.uk c.org.uk journal Fungal Ecology is open for submissions! www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
- Reposted by Helen BakerBMS Research Grants now open! Two levels of grant available to support the development of new lines of fungal biology research. Maximum award £10,000. Apply by 31 March. Find out about the work of previous recipients, and how to apply, here: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/research-gra...
- Reposted by Helen BakerNew paper! Here we present the history, geographical distribution, and structure of organizations in #mycology across #Europe, as well as their activities—including journals, magazines, meetings, educational initiatives, and #citizenscience projects. doi.org/10.1007/s105... #FunDive
- Reposted by Helen BakerBMS Grants are now open for applications! Funds are available to support a range of activities in #mycology including #research, training, meetings, conference participation, #fieldwork, #education, #arts & #outreach.👉 Find out more: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/grants.html #grants #funding
- Reposted by Helen BakerCountryside users are asked to take care not to disturb birds in severe weather👉 bit.ly/3Z15qPc The British Association for Shooting and Conservation calls for voluntary restraint. Some areas in Scotland have been identified as being particularly affected
- Reposted by Helen BakerOur detection dog Reid has been helping check for rats in cargo going to Bass Rock for lighthouse restoration for @nlb-uk.bsky.social. These checks are important to help protect the large Northern Gannet colony on the island from invasive predators. #NatureRestorationFund @naturescot.bsky.social
- Reposted by Helen BakerProducing breeding population estimates to monitor Little Egret trends The RBBP continues to monitor breeding abundance, with the latest figure being 1,614–1,696 pairs in 2023 (Eaton et al. 2025). Read more: britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti... 🥇Subscriber Content 📸David Tipling, Thomas Willoughby
- Reposted by Helen BakerStill some vacant sites in Scotland! If you can help with the International Swan Census on 17th-18th January please click on the link below to find a vacant site near you. #BirdingScotland
- 🦢The International Swan Census is fast approaching, on the weekend of 17th-18th January. We still have vacant sites, particularly in Northern Ireland, Mull, Skye, Orkney and Uists. If you can help, please request a site on the map: app.bto.org/gsmp/public/... #UKBirding #Ornithology
- Reposted by Helen BakerWarning announcement! The University of Tartu HPC cluster will undergo scheduled maintenance and will not be available from January 12 to 18, 2026. As a result, the UNITE and PlutoF analysis modules will also be unavailable during this period.
- Reposted by Helen BakerHome student looking for a PhD & interested in AI, quantitative ecology & bridging the species to ecosystem divide? This ZSL project, entitled "AI-enabled construction of an ecosystem management framework that supports UK seabirds conservation", may be for you! See lnkd.in/edhp3_zy (deadline:12/1)
- Reposted by Helen Baker📢 DEADLINE APPROACHING For BOU Member Conference Attendance Grants Now funding member attendance at any #ornithology conference 🪶 Low-carbon travel encouraged ⏰ Deadline: 5 January 2026 bou.org.uk/funding/m...
- Reposted by Helen BakerThrilled to announce that the special issue on fungal #conservation that @cfemycolab.bsky.social and I are co-editing for the @britmycolsoc.org.uk c.org.uk journal Fungal Ecology is open for submissions! www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
- Reposted by Helen BakerNew New Phytologist paper (doi.org/10.1111/nph....) using UNITE data reveals global biogeographic and host patterns in Russula.
- Ramaria atractospora from the ancient birch woods at Morrone Birkwood, Braemar, Aberdeenshire. No records in FRDBI but has been previously confirmed as occurring in the UK from museum specimens by Kew.
- Reposted by Helen Baker🚨 We’re hiring! 3 exciting roles at JNCC: 💻 Senior IT Support Analyst 📊 Finance Business Partner 🌊 Senior Marine Industries Adviser 📅 Apply now 👇 jncc.gov.uk/about-jncc/c... #WeAreHiring #ITJobs #FinanceJobs #MarineIndustries #EnvironmentJobs
- Reposted by Helen BakerHow should the discipline of ecology and the community of ecologists respond to the ecological crisis? Is it time that these were put on something more akin to an emergency footing? www.cell.com/action/showP...
- Reposted by Helen Baker📢 NOMINATE FOR BOU COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP ➡️ Awards Nominations Committee ➡️ Engagement Committee ➡️ IBIS Management Committee ➡️ Meetings Committee ➡️ Records Committee Plus NEW Committee Shadowing Scheme Full details: bou.org.uk/about-the... #ornithology 🪶
- Reposted by Helen BakerAvailable now: Field Mycology Vol 26(4) December 2025. On the front cover: Ascospores of Spirodecospora melnikii - a new genus for Western Europe, characterised by spores with spiralling ornamentation (article on page 132). Micrograph image by Jacques Fournier. ➡️ fieldmycology.org/index.php/jo...
- Reposted by Helen BakerIt's been quite a ride learning how to be Senior Editor of this publication. Very happy to see the fourth and final issue of Volume 26 out before the end of December. 🎁 Gonna have a proper holiday next. Looking forward to seeing where our readers, authors, reviewers and editors take us in 2026!
- Available now: Field Mycology Vol 26(4) December 2025. On the front cover: Ascospores of Spirodecospora melnikii - a new genus for Western Europe, characterised by spores with spiralling ornamentation (article on page 132). Micrograph image by Jacques Fournier. ➡️ fieldmycology.org/index.php/jo...
- Reposted by Helen BakerRecent @britmycolsoc.org.uk webinar about publishing in our society's journals now available to watch on YouTube. ▶️ youtu.be/BagGckIo1sk?...
- Reposted by Helen BakerOur Spring Field Meeting for observing and recording fungi will visit ancient woodlands, moorland, grassland, petrified forests and coastal shores, and is based at the Root Project, Lynton. Find out more: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/spring-field...
- Reposted by Helen BakerWarming oceans are having widespread and often negative effects on migratory seabirds, new research involving UKCEH shows. The study compared seasonal sea surface temperatures with seabird numbers to quantify effects on reproduction, survival & population trends. doi.org/10.1073/pnas... 🧪1/
- Reposted by Helen BakerIncredible work by the ACDP HPAI working group (ht to Ralph) for pulling together the impact of HPAI on Procellariiformes. The dataset underlying the upcoming database is now live! 👉 zenodo.org/records/1785...
- Reposted by Helen BakerPOV: You're scrolling through the Mycology team's camera roll after a field trip 🍄 Several members of the team recently spent time in Dumfries & Galloway, on the border of Scotland, as part of a field trip - one of which alongside the British Mycological Society @britmycolsoc.org.uk 👇 [1/2]
- Reposted by Helen BakerHighly pathogenic avian influenza caused a mass die-off in Eurasian cranes during their autumn migration through Germany, France and Spain. More than 18,000 dead cranes were reported dead in Germany alone. The full demographic impact of this mortality on the crane population needs to be assessed.
- High pathogenicity avian influenza virus H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) drives mass mortality in Eurasian crane (Grus grus) populations in Germany, 2025 biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…
- Reposted by Helen BakerNew large-scale study based on SEAPOP data shows that #ocean #warming threatens #seabirds in the North Atlantic @ninanatureresearch.bsky.social
- Reposted by Helen Baker📉 Our new paper shows Bewick’s Swan numbers in NW/NE Europe have fallen to ~12,900 birds - a 56.7% decline since 1995, with further losses predicted by 2026 unless survival or breeding success improves. Flyway-wide conservation is urgent. 🦢 Download paper > tidsskrift.dk/Wildfowl/art... #Ornithology
- Reposted by Helen Baker📰'Overwinter population estimates of waterbirds in Great Britain' has been published in @britishbirds.bsky.social, using WeBS & GSMP data from 2017/2018 to 2022/2023 to provide a total wintering waterbird population estimate of 12.8 million individuals. Abstract ⬇️ www.bto.org/our-work/sci...
- Reposted by Helen Baker1/ A new study from @lesserspotnet.bsky.social & BTO in @britishbirds.bsky.social looks at how passive acoustic monitoring is an effective way of surveying Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ➡️ www.bto.org/LSWBioacoust... #bioacoustics #ornithology @simongillings.bsky.social @hosbirding.bsky.social
- Reposted by Helen Baker🔊 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS OPEN #BOUasm26 | 29 September 2026 | York, UK & Zoom & Bluesky Avian futures: predicting and preparing for the future of avian biodiversity Submit your talk or Bluesky abstract now! bou.org.uk/event/avi... #ornithology
- Reposted by Helen Baker🔊 KEYNOTE NOMINATIONS Who would you like to see deliver a keynote at #BOU2027 ? #BOU2027 | Avian disease ecology | 6 - 8 April 2027 | Nottingham, UK & Zoom & Bluesky Nominate via link ⬇️ bou.org.uk/event/avi... #ornithology 🪶
- Reposted by Helen BakerJob opportunity with the BMS: Events Officer. Part-time, flexible hours, home based. Covering conferences, training workshops, field meetings & outreach events. Working closely with staff & volunteers. Deadline: Friday 12 December 2025 Details: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/vacancies.html
- Reposted by Helen BakerAs I'm planning next years field season, I wonder if anyone on here would like to run a small island project on Skúvoy with me. I will be catching and samling great skuas, but there will be good opportunities to investigate other aspects of seabird island ecology 🌍🧪 #seabirds
- Reposted by Helen Baker🪸UK Overseas Territories launch strategy to benefit wildlife We have been working with the UK Overseas Territories for a quarter of a century - building understanding, partnership, evidence, capacity and friendship. #TogetherForNature 💚
- Reposted by Helen BakerDoing research on #Arctic #seabirds? Consider submitting an abstract to the session 'Safeguarding seabird populations in a rapidly changing Arctic' at www.uarcticcongress.fo/programme/ca... in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands 26-29 May 2026
- Reposted by Helen BakerAnother piece of research from team #Shag on Sklinna. Strongly recommended for all researchers working with #biologging data
- #biologging #research is booming - but do #loggers actually impact the birds? Yes, they do - depending on the mass and attachment location. If you work with biologging, you should read our latest publication seapop.no/en/2025/11/l... @ninanatureresearch.bsky.social #seabirds
- Reposted by Helen BakerNeeding to model impacts on seabird populations in Northwest Europe? Not sure where to find useful values for demographic variables? Look no further! In this new paper, we provide model-derived values for age-specific survival of 25 species. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
- Reposted by Helen BakerMeeting adjourned! 🤝 #AEWAMOP9 concluded in Bonn with the adoption of 11 new resolutions aimed at reducing pressures on migratory waterbirds and strengthening conservation action across the African-Eurasian flyways. 🌏 Learn more about key outcomes & decisions: www.unep-aewa.org/en/news/un-w...
- Reposted by Helen BakerAEWA's new report is the most comprehensive assessment on threats African-Eurasian migratory waterbirds face: unsustainable hunting, infrastructure development & agricultural expansion. View in EN or FR> Full report: www.unep-aewa.org/en/publicati... Summary: www.unep-aewa.org/en/publicati...
- Reposted by Helen BakerWorrying reports of bird flu (avian influenza) are coming in, including an outbreak in Whooper Swans in the Fens. Other waterbirds are also being affected, and cases are rising. 📷 Sick Whooper Swan by Kane Brides #UKBirding #BirdingWales #BirdingScotland
