Dr Sara Thornton @sarathornton.bsky.social

I'm excited to share that our paper "Challenges and opportunities for integrating social science in a conservation nongovernmental organization" is now out in the Conservation Biology Special Issue looking at trends and future directions in the Conservation Social Sciences!

The Geography department at Leicester, where I got my PhD, is under threat. I'm shocked and angry for my colleagues and sending solidarity to all those in HE facing these horrendous cuts that threaten UK academia. Please consider signing and sharing 🌿

This is my third paper focused on self-reflection & personal/professional experiences. These can be invaluable moments of community building, and strengthening our resolve to continue improving our practice 🌿

In this piece, my colleagues and I reflected on our experiences as social scientists working within a conservation and restoration NGO (WWT), and we interviewed colleagues to explore main challenges and opportunities for integrating social science within WWT's wider work.

I'm excited to share that our paper "Challenges and opportunities for integrating social science in a conservation nongovernmental organization" is now out in the Conservation Biology Special Issue looking at trends and future directions in the Conservation Social Sciences!

5 months ago I shared the Lake Sofia emergency appeal for donation. Thanks to the hard work of our team in Madagascar, contractors, local communities and all who donated, a dam is almost complete! An essential lifeline for wildlife & communities: wwt.org.uk/news-and-stori…

🍽️ In this restaurant, every meal is life-changing… but not for the right reasons. Toxic lead has been banned from petrol, paint and pipes - but in 2025 it is still turning up on our plates. Can you call on the Secretary of State to #BanLead for good? 👉act.wwt.org.uk/page/160992/ac…

Having some good discussions at work about authorship, and challenging norms in academic publishing. Are there any examples I can share of articles with non-human first authors (e.g. rivers, lakes)? I've already shared Bawaka Country et al 2015 :)

What is called when an ethnic group is forcibly expelled from their homes and land and not allowed to return?

Reminder: now is also the time for poets, artists, worldbuilders, and dreamers. It is a time to imagine not what is or has been but what can be and to make it true

"In spite of the king and Prince William’s speeches and interventions on #environmental issues, many residential properties let out by the royal estates are in breach of basic government #energy efficiency standards."

NEW: ‘A Cartography of Genocide’. Since October 2023, we have collected and analysed data related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Our findings indicate that Israel has systematically targeted all aspects of civilian life. tinyurl.com/bdcrnzka

Revealed: tax loophole exempts 355 landowners from inheritance tax - including huge grouse moor estates & pheasant shoots I FOI'd HMRC for details & found this tax break is worth *at least* £68m & likely far more @RachelReevesMP please fix this! 1/ theguardian.com/money/2024/oct…

🚨New paper alert🚨 Our new paper (expertly led by @drkevinwood) is now online: A global systematic review of the cultural ecosystem services provided by #wetlands You can get free access to it until 17th December 2024 sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Here is an important article I hope everyone reads @journalofpolit1 by @SianSullivanUK It makes some important clarifications… ⬇️⬇️⬇️ @PolEcoNet @EADI @ExaltResearch @Env_Pol @EnvJustice

Thriving wetlands buffer against flooding. And wet muddy land brings life. Proud to work with @WWTworldwide and be a part of these solutions 🦆🐟🌊

"Those on the front lines of conservation [...] are undervalued, underfunded, suffer from insecure and poorly compensated employment, and increasingly are also fighting disinformation [refs]. We must all work to improve these areas and encourage greater funding"

For those who want to learn more about what has happened in this country, here are some facts 👇🏾 theguardian.com/australia-news…

4 years on, Who Owns Norfolk has mapped 70% of West Norfolk and is concluding its landownership research. In this old fashioned part of England, just 0.2% of the population (including several Italian counts) owns 50% of the land. Read on for more: whoownsnorfolk.org/post/who-owns-…

Just out @OryxTheJournal 🎊 Reflexivity holds great promise for conservation, but many professionals have no way to leverage their critical insights to create change. We explore how social scientists could support professionals through “co-reflexivity”. doi.org/10.1017/S00306…