If you traveled back 250-500 years what #wildlife could you see near you? After a four year research project, I can tell you the answer in Britain and Ireland and it is quite exciting! (🐺🐆🐰🦈🦐🐍)!
My Atlas of Early Modern Wildlife will be published in June, but I have special permission to share some of my findings before that, so I will be releasing one map each month here. Here is a list of previously released ones: https://historyandnature.wordpress.com/2022/12/21/atlas-maps/
#gis
@LeafyHistory Fascinating to see very similar cluster patterns for Pine Marten and Wildcat in North Lancashire and South Cumbria. Any thoughts on why that is? Look forward to seeing the book!
@richardev Yes! I can actually explain that one. There was one recorder called Thomas Machell who seems to have been EVER SO interested in Martens and Wildcats around Kendal. He was so interested in them and records so many locations that it skews the whole map, although I suspect the early modern Lake District was also genuinely a very good habitat for them too! 
@LeafyHistory How interesting! I guess recorder bias might skew records everywhere.
The very heavily wooded craggy limestone country around Morecambe Bay might have been very good habitat too.
@richardev It's just the standard recorder effort problem so not so bad when you know to balance for it - "Oh hi again Machell!" But Morecambe Bay woods sounds lush! Have you there often yourself?
@richardev Ah nice! I hope martens and wildcats come back in our lifetimes, there are places near me which feel like they would be perfect too! 💚
@LeafyHistory Yes, we live in Lancaster, which is very close, and we walk in the limestone and woodland areas every week. I do butterfly surveys there too. On a fell like Whitbarrow (brilliant for butterflies) it's very easy to imagine wildcats and martens.