Ecosystem Scientist | Artist | Forests, Wetlands, Peatlands, & Climate Change | Carbon, Moss, Lichens, Permafrost, Fire, Tea | Science-Policy | she/her Independent Researcher and Consultant at www.peatlandfutures.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mwacrykd6s2t1 yr ago I wrote my first article for Peatpedia. I had no idea if a boggy blog would be successful! Turns out it was a good choice! Sadly, the issues for #peatlands & #climate remain unchanged, just more urgent. Take a read & please share 🌎🌿 #ClimateWeekNYC https://peatpedia.substack.com/p/the-plan-to-reach-net-zero-why-peatlands?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true24 Sep 2026 03:28 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwacrykd6s2thttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3muv4ghid222sThe Sacred Bee Tree A new article on Botanical Journeys describing the botanical basics and cultural significance of this tree and featuring sketches and original artworks. You may know this tree as #linden, #lime, or #basswood! https://botanicaljourneys.substack.com/p/the-sacred-bee-tree?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=ltb1y06 Sep 2026 23:09 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3muv4ghid222shttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3muhvtnosk22nPeatpedia is 1 year old! I will continue to share stories, insights, & musings about the world’s peatlands, & Peatpod - a new podcast - is coming late September 🎤🎧 If you enjoy reading Peatpedia, consider sponsoring my work as a bog-builder or a super-Sphagnum 🌱 https://buymeacoffee.com/peatpediaandpeatpod01 Sep 2026 17:07 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhvtnosk22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mtjpfpvhcs2i📢 New on Peatpedia! On the Okefenokee Swamp - a large peat swamp full of alligators in Georgia in the US. Its a good news story! The Okefenokee Swamp was officially named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July, ensuring its protection for years to come. https://peatpedia.substack.com/p/the-okefenokee-swamp?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web20 Aug 2026 16:52 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjpfpvhcs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mt7x7t5qvc2bWhen does a tree on a bog or a fen become a concern? Many peatlands across the boreal are naturally forested or treed. But when a peatland is drained or disturbed a tree springing up in a bog may hinder restoration efforts. Read the full post on Peatpedia: https://peatpedia.substack.com/p/forested-and-treed-northern-peatlands?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=webhttps://peatpedia.substack.com/p/forested-and-treed-northern-peatlands?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=ltb1y16 Aug 2026 19:45 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt7x7t5qvc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mssrdcpnwk2pGreat research! A reminder that #wetlands are hydrologically dynamic ecosystems (incl #peatlands) & carbon storage is not static. In some wetlands C stays in the soil for longer (eg peatlands) but in others C cycles through quickly. The rate & balance matter. Important for C accounting & policy. [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Aug 2026 13:55 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mssrdcpnwk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3msje5u7wbc2lWriting a piece about apple trees, next to an apple tree! Hoping to catch a #trees whisper of ideas for Botanical Journeys. And yes, I always write ideas, research notes, & even full first drafts in notebooks. Really helps with creative writing. The coffee too. botanicaljourneys.substack.com/about07 Aug 2026 20:05 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3msje5u7wbc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3msbk6l546k2yWhat a beautiful tree! That’s it. That’s all that needs to be said really. https://open.substack.com/pub/botanicaljourneys/p/a-botanical-world?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web #trees #nature #naturewriting (Photos show American Elm, Silver Maple, Oak, and Hornbeam trees in Canada and the UK - all © Lorna I. Harris)04 Aug 2026 17:32 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbk6l546k2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mrzufloboc2wLake Louise? Very nice indeed. Stunning mountains. But have you turned around to peer into the alpine forest? Even the very edge of the forest is full of botanical treasures, such as this lovely pink flowering mountain cranberry and juicy red bunchberry. https://open.substack.com/pub/botanicaljourneys/p/a-botanical-world?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=ltb1y01 Aug 2026 16:13 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrzufloboc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mr3qw5ysnc2jSphagnum mosses are bog-builders, #lichens are 'bog-killers'. Thick lichen mats cover large areas of northern #peatlands. Apart from being food for caribou, what is their role in peatlands? For more on my research into lichens as 'bog-killers', see Peatpedia: https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/lichens-bog-killers?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web20 Jul 2026 16:51 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3qw5ysnc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mpmbdzbvxk2oOne from the Peatpedia archives for Canada Day! 🇨🇦 Highlighting key facts about the beautiful #peatlands or #muskeg of Canada: https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/peatlands-in-canada-5-key-facts?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web peatpedia.substack.com 1/1101 Jul 2026 19:37 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpmbdzbvxk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mpjp4rshhc2eTropical #peatlands are ancient and diverse ecosystems. Vast watery peat #swamps dominated by tall palms and hardwood trees, coastal peat-forming #mangroves and marshes, and mountain Sphagnum bogs. 📢My new post on Peatpedia introduces these tropical wetlands. https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/tropical-peatlands-5-key-facts?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web30 Jun 2026 19:06 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjp4rshhc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3moefqzh7p22fPatterned #peatlands are the cathedrals and pyramids of the natural world. Ancient architectural gems that have formed and thrived in vast watery landscapes for many thousands of years without human intervention. See Peatpedia for more: https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/patterned-peatlands?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web15 Jun 2026 23:10 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3moefqzh7p22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mndlqvv6i22yHappy World Peatlands Day! On June 2 we shine a spotlight on the world’s bogs, fens, and swamps. This is really wonderful, but I think #peatlands deserve more attention! So, I started Peatpedia! Where the spotlight is always on these ancient ecosystems. peatpedia.substack.com #WorldPeatlandsDay02 Jun 2026 21:59 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mndlqvv6i22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mn6tvqsflc24📢New on Peatpedia! A new series of brief intros to the biodiversity of #peatlands around the world, focusing on the botanical. Starting with two shrubs found in northern peatlands - Bog rosemary and Bog laurel. https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/botanical-bogs-bog-rosemary-and-bog?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web #BiodiversityDay #biodiversity #botany #bogs01 Jun 2026 00:42 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mn6tvqsflc24https://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mmppv3l43s25Day 1 of Canadian Geophysical Union meeting in Halifax, NS complete! I presented initial results of a new study with several co-authors and contributors, showing that ~80% of planned major industry projects across Canada have #peatlands within a 2km buffer. More to come! @cgu-ugc.bsky.social26 May 2026 00:20 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmppv3l43s25https://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mkyeqewqgs2dWhere are the world's bogs, fens, and swamps? Are there peatlands still waiting to be mapped within the dense tropical forests of the Amazon and Congo? 🌎 Mapping #peatlands is a global challenge. For more, see my new post on Peatpedia: https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/peatland-mapping?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true04 May 2026 00:04 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkyeqewqgs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mieokue4rs2wWater brings #peatlands to life. Water is needed for peat soils to form and build up over time, and to sustain the resulting carbon-rich ecosystems. These large peaty water stores are important for water security and climate resilience, but they are undervalued. https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/fens-bogs-and-swamps-a-watery-world?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true31 Mar 2026 17:16 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mieokue4rs2whttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mgpwogbg4c2lWhile there is room for industrial carbon removal (CDR) and CCS as part of our actions to reduce GHG emissions, we must not forget the importance of maintaining existing land carbon stores and sinks, including #peatlands. #CdnPoli #CarbonCapture #ClimatePolicy https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/peatlands-and-industrial-carbon-capture?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web10 Mar 2026 17:50 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgpwogbg4c2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mdtpjizwvs24📢Feb 2 is #WorldWetlandsDay! A day to celebrate the world's wetlands, including bogs, fens, and swamps. Many Ramsar sites are #peatlands but there are large gaps in global cover. For more on this issue, and on peatlands and @ramsar.org, see my new Peatpedia post: https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/world-wetlands-day-2026?r=ltb1y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true02 Feb 2026 01:37 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdtpjizwvs24https://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mcycoo65c223📢 New on Peatpedia - permafrost #peatlands and climate change. Also, check out the great video in this CBC piece on a new permafrost carbon project led by University of Alberta researchers: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/permafrost-climate-change-research-alberta-9.7025747 https://open.substack.com/pub/peatpedia/p/permafrost-peatlands-and-climate?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=ltb1y22 Jan 2026 04:06 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcycoo65c223https://bsky.app/profile/lornaharris.bsky.social/post/3mca7hjo3b22dGood eg of GenAI policy here. I agree! "...expertise lies within people, and that we cannot remove people from the equation without removing the expertise as well. Assuming that we can replace our colleagues with a statistical model trained on their knowledge can never lead to meaningful work." [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 Jan 2026 14:04 +0000at://did:plc:ebf6jclcwpwvcovvinygpfeb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mca7hjo3b22d