Becky Thomas

Person walking dog

Protecting nature by keeping dogs’ paws on the path 🐾

Dr @beckythomas.bsky.social, an urban ecologist from @rhulbiology.bsky.social, is currently looking into the impact of dog walking on lowland heath environments.

Read more: ow.ly/yBJN50XzUhI

Hidden cameras reveal what hedgehogs really get up to after dark Hedgehogs are surprisingly common in UK gardens, with food a powerful attraction, say scientists.

"Gardens are increasingly becoming important habitats for hedgehogs". Dr Becky Thomas (@beckythomas.bsky.social) commented on a new study which used wildlife cameras to spy on hedgehogs in more than 400 gardens in Chester. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Surrey dog walkers urged to help protects bird nests in heathland Dog walkers in Horsell Common and Thames Basin Heaths are warned about the impact on breeding birds.

Great to see @beckythomas.bsky.social research on disturbance caused by dogs walked off-lead on heathland birds covered by BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I can't help but give a sneak peak of some of the animals that they created in the process. As a reward for their hard work we'll be turning their drawings and stories into a book, and every child who took part will receive a copy to take home.

Yesterday was simultaneously inspiring and challenging as @sofiaatsea.bsky.social and I hosted nearly 200 school pupils at our @royalholloway.bsky.social campus to take part our @britishecologicalsociety.org funded project. We were testing different methods of teaching about conservation...

Congratulations to Dr Walter Lucchesi and Dr Becky Thomas (@beckythomas.bsky.social) who have been awarded Senior Fellowship of @advancehe.bsky.social (formerly the Higher Education Academy). This reflects their leadership in education both within and beyond @rhulbiology.bsky.social 🎉👏

Congrats to Dr Becky Thomas @beckythomas.bsky.social
& Dr Sofia Castelló y Tickell @sofiaatsea.bsky.social on the award from RHUL Social Science Impact Accelerator fund for a public engagement project on 'Rethinking how we engage with dog walkers to protect nature' www.linkedin.com/posts/royal-...

What impact does walking a dog have on nature? Read about new field study by @beckythomas.bsky.social at Chobham Common aimed to find out how frequently birds’ nests get disturbed by dogs off-lead www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/sto... 🐕🐣

Toad stands on a paving slab with grass surrounding

Helping the toad cross the road 🐸

Sharing a seasonal article by Dr @beckythomas.bsky.social, Senior Lecturer in Ecology with @rhulbiology.bsky.social.

In @uk.theconversation.com, she shares how Toad Patrollers protect toads on dangerous journeys during mating season.

More: ow.ly/gN7t50VjK5g

Toad patrol volunteers are ensuring frisky amphibians can cross the road to reach their mating grounds Despite dutiful toad patrols, evidence suggests that the amphibians are declining in the UK.

New article by @beckythomas.bsky.social in @uk.theconversation.com on role of toad patrol volunteers in helping the amphibians to reach the ponds during the spring migration theconversation.com/toad-patrol-...

I couldn’t not photograph that adorably grumpy face!!!

Lovely to see work by @beckythomas.bsky.social, @sarahpapworth.bsky.social and @mdef.bsky.social covered by @britishecologicalsociety.org Niche magazine. Special prize to Becky for a photo of the grumpiest dog wearing GPS tracker! 🤣 🐶

Link to paper: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Dogs walked off-lead cause 20% more disturbance to protected lowland heaths - British Ecological Society Resarch reveals how dogs walked off-lead access more areas of protected lowland heaths, causing more disturbance to rare ground nesting birds.

Recent study by @beckythomas.bsky.social, @sarahpapworth.bsky.social and Mark Fellowes showed that walking dogs off the lead greatly increases habitat disturbance in UK lowland heathlands
#OA paper: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
www.britishecologicalsociety.org/dogs-walked-...

If you are at the #BES2024 conference and interested in teaching & learning - join the T&L group social event this evening! Details below ⬇️

A person attaching a GPS tracker to a young golden retriever and their owner, who were both tracked to see where they walked through a lowland heath habitat.

Great time to introduce myself as I’m attending #BES2024. I’m interested in teaching and urban ecology. My research focuses on how people's decisions affect the ecology of wild species and I’m presenting tomorrow about how walking dogs off the lead increases disturbance in UK lowland heaths.